Deputy Fife: Radio Operator
Some of my ham radio habits are focused on operating mobile. Some of this probably came from watching the Andy Griffith show when I was a kid. Deputy Fife is a great role model. Click here to watch the video.
Mobile
GMRS: The Other UHF Band
I’ve always had a liking for the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). It’s a licensed radio service but does not require a technical exam so it works great for basic personal communications. When our kids were young we made good use of GMRS communications. This was back in the Pre-Cellphone Era, shortly after the dinosaurs … Read more
Sorry, I’ve Been On 2m FM Again
This recycled post from 2008 is still accurate, but I do have my HF antenna up and recently used it for the CQ WW SSB Contest. I was looking out the window the other day and noticed that my wire HF antenna is laying on the ground. Hmmm, probably doesn’t radiate very well that way. … Read more
World’s Best Microphone Hanger
I am often disappointed by the crummy microphone hanger clips supplied with mobile ham transceivers. Typically, they are cheap metal clips with sharp edges waiting to impale your hand, that look like this: I recently came across these microphone clips that are awesome! Available from Amazon for $7.49. 73, Bob K0NR
2013 Ford F-150 Ham Radio Installation
After acquiring a Ford F-150 truck last year, I’ve been working on getting a ham radio installed in it. At times, I have loaded up my vehicle with multiple radios covering HF through 70 cm but lately I am content with just having a reasonable dualband 2m/70 cm FM rig in the mobile. Actually, I … Read more
How About a New 12 Volt Automotive Connector?
Standard power connections are a great thing. A while back, I wrote about how the micro-USB connector became the standard power/data connector for mobile phones. (Well, that is unless you own an iPhone.) The good news is that we do have a standard power connector for 12 VDC in automobiles. The bad news is that … Read more