Ollie LE 1 on cover of QST magazine

[Ghostriderc227]

Hello all you HAM operators.  I am curious who’s LE1 is on the front cover of the June issue of QST magazine?

 

Steve R.

[Mike and Carol]

6 hours ago, Ghostriderc227 said:

Hello all you HAM operators.  I am curious who’s LE1 is on the front cover of the June issue of QST magazine?

 

Steve R.

My guess without seeing the cover is that it is Pete Marks, @bugeyedriver.  He’s a HAM guy and mentioned being on the cover.  Mike

[SeaDawg]

Yes, that's our friend, Pete/ aka Bugeyedriver. 

Scroll to the end:

 

[HDRider]

Our Cover ARRL Field Day is fast approaching — June 24 – 25! Whether you’ve planned the weekend as an opportunity for outreach, time for training, just plain fun, or some combination of these, there are innumerable ways to get set up and on the air. As just one example, here’s Pete Marks’s, K2PLM, “rolling ham shack” out in Lincoln National Forest in Alamogordo, New Mexico for last year’s Field Day. Pete’s trailer was built with ham radio in mind, and is equipped with a 160 W solar panel, a 1000 W dc-to-ac inverter, and 210 Ah of battery storage. It even has SO-239 connectors on the exterior and interior. This issue features our annual Field Day Guide that you can pull out and take to your Field Day site, so you have resources like a Section list and bonus point worksheet close at hand. [Pete Marks, K2PLM, photo]

https://www.arrl.org/this-month-in-QST

 

[topgun2]

57 minutes ago, HDRider said:

Pete’s trailer was built

Actully - 

This Oliver belongs to Bosker!  He only allows Pete to stay in it, pay for it, and get it from place to place!😁

[BBL]

I got my copy in the mail the day we left for the rally.  Pete and Bosker came by our campsite to see our radio setup and chat about radios.

Bosker told Pete when it was time to go, he had heard enough about radios and wanted to finish his walk.

Brian

[MAX Burner]

6 hours ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:

he had heard enough about radios and wanted to finish his walk.

I get that from Magnus all the time - he can only take so much about radios, especially antennas!

[gbergh]

I am installing my 2 meter rig in a newly acquired Ford F-150 towing MOUSE.  Do most monitor 146.52 while traveling?  

73's  W8CB

George

[MAX Burner]

@gbergh - Hey, OM, FYI:

 

 

SMPLX2M (ch-1) is 146.520 MHz, the national 2m simplex calling frequency, SMPLX446 (ch-2) is 446.000 MHz. You can most always directly reach fellow hams by transmitting “CQ CQ CQ followed by your callsign” when at higher elevations on this frequencies, especially 146.520 MHz.

 

We monitor 146.520 MHz simplex all the time towing or otherwise.  Some states, like NM, have a 2m "MegaLink" system which is really nice for making state-wide contacts on 2m!

 

Cheers and,

73 de W0ABX

[bugeyedriver]

I always have APRS running and monitor 146.52 with my FTM400 and can usually score some HF contacts using my FT 857D and an ATAS  120A screwdriver antenna. Sometime last year,ARRL put out a call for field day operation pictures.  I obliged the request and totally forgot about the photograph, until I learned it would be the cover shot 

Serendipity happens

 

[Boudicca908]

I’m interested in knowing more about the type of equipment that OTT owners prefer for traveling. I’m out of practice, but I want to learn more and make use of it on the road. I have no mobile equipment at this time. 

73 — KN4NBV

[bugeyedriver]

KN4NBV,

There are numerous radios out there today, small enough to be hidden somewhere in your vehicle with a remote control head you can mount up front for easy access while driving.  Your antenna selection and mounting is critical.  You must ensure the best ground plane possible.  My F150 is bonded throughout with 15 fat braided brass straps to make one solid bonded structure.  Here's what my operating position looks like, going down the road . . .  Left to right, Yaesu FTM400DXR with APRS; Uniden SDS100 scanner with GPS frequency update; Yaesu FT857D - HF/VHF/UHF.

73,

K2PLM

 

[MAX Burner]

3 hours ago, bugeyedriver said:

Left to right, Yaesu FTM400DXR with APRS; Uniden SDS100 scanner with GPS frequency update; Yaesu FT857D - HF/VHF/UHF.

Very clean rig set-up, OM.  Envy creeping in...

73 de W)ABX

[Boudicca908]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:21 AM, bugeyedriver said:

My F150 is bonded throughout with 15 fat braided brass straps to make one solid bonded structure.  Here's what my operating position looks like, going down the road

I’ve only been using a handheld, but I’m finally taking the plunge, ready to set up a robust station. I’m also studying — everything feels new, as I’ve been dormant for a couple of years. The goal is to make one station for field and home. I live in an HOA community, where outdoor antennas are verboten. 

So far, I’ve decided on the Yaesu FT-991A (HF VHF UHF) and I’m still researching other elements of the rig. I’ve been thinking about assembling my station in a go box (good for hurricane and any other emergency)… plus it would contain the station in a way that I could move it around, maybe even inside or outside the Oliver. I’m still in early stages of planning, so need to figure out how I will accommodate power, antenna connections, etc. I’m interested in seeing more photos of everyone’s rigs. 

My Chevy Silverado has a fiberglass cap on the bed. Can you post some photos of your truck antenna mount, and explain about the brass straps? 

Any suggestions and options to consider are appreciated. Even though I’m a General, I feel like a newbie operator — I am excited about finally getting experience with real equipment beyond the handy. 

Thanks in advance, 73 de KN4NBV

[MAX Burner]

27 minutes ago, Boudicca908 said:

My Chevy Silverado has a fiberglass cap on the bed. Can you post some photos of your truck antenna mount, and explain about the brass straps? 

The braided brass bonding straps (as wide as possible) provide, as you'll recall from training, a continuous ground plane from which your antenna can better transmit its signal.  By bonding all the metal components of your TV, for example hood, fenders, doors, roof, all body panels including frame you'll be providing a much more efficient ground plane for the antenna (especially if you choose to operate HF).  It makes a difference for 2m antennas but not as much.  Its tedious and a bit time consuming to bond these components but its really worth it, IMO.

[bugeyedriver]

KN4NBV,

Fortunately, my truck's tonneau cover is a stout aluminum structure, by Diamondback, in PA.  Mounting the antennas directly to it already gave me a nice ground plane.  I ran cables between all three sections, so it was effective.  By placing brass straps between the tonneau and the truck bed, the truck bed to the frame and cab, the cab to the engine, the hood to the cab, hood to frame, and numerous straps along the muffler system connecting to the frame . . .  One in front of the Cat converter and one behind it, one in front of the muffler and one behind it, one near the tailpipe.  So effectively, everything acts together as a unified, reflecting ground plane, much like radials in the ground do for a vertical antenna.

Full disclosure, I did not personally attach all of these straps, but my trusted mechanic, Fernando, who has the tools and a lift did it after I showed him where to place them.

Fred, AB1OC, has a nice article on how and why he grounded his truck:  https://stationproject.blog/2013/08/19/mobile-hf-installation-part-24-bonding-and-choking/

You may need a screwdriver style antenna mounted between the fiberglass cap and the metal of the truck bed or at the left rear bumper.  There are various pics for those setups to be found on the web. Are you a member of your local ham radio club?  You could get lots of help from the membership.

It's fun to cruise down a long highway in the middle of nowhere, tune the radio dial, and strike up a conversation with someone in Europe or South America.

With your General ticket, you have plenty of bandwidth in the HF spectrum to play around. Go for it!

Even with your HT, you can connect it to a Zumspot which is connected via USB to your computer and talk around the world on WiresX.

73 de K2PLM

 

P.S.  The antenna I was using in New Mexico is the TW2010-P, from DX Engineering.  It is only 8.5 ft tall and the dipoles only extend 2.5 ft either side of the vertical pole. If you have any sort of back yard in your HOA it would not be noticed.  Put a cotton hat on top and a pair of gloves at the end of the top dipole and tell anyone who asks that it's a scarecrow to protect your flower garden.  Also, it does not require ground radials at all, which makes it my go to portable HF antenna.

 

 

[ScubaRx]

To overcome the ground plane issue, could you not just install a base plate of pre-famulated amulite mounted right up against the roof inside the fiberglass topper? It would seem to me that this would effectively eliminate any side fumbling between the novertrunnions and the grammeters.

Sufficient cooling should be provided by the non-reversible tremie pipes normally provided with the purchase of the base plate but if overheating occurs, consider installing a good panametric fan. The best ones consist simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes mounted on a ambifacient girdle waneshaft. They can be run natively on 12 volts DC and are easily found and any Big Box store.

This should increase your bandwith significantly however, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration or if forescent skor motion is required, you will need to install a left facing drawn reciprocation dingle arm.

[gbergh]

9 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

To overcome the ground plane issue, could you not just install a base plate of pre-famulated amulite mounted right up against the roof inside the fiberglass topper? It would seem to me that this would effectively eliminate any side fumbling between the novertrunnions and the grammeters.

Sufficient cooling should be provided by the non-reversible tremie pipes normally provided with the purchase of the base plate but if overheating occurs, consider installing a good panametric fan. The best ones consist simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes mounted on a ambifacient girdle waneshaft. They can be run natively on 12 volts DC and are easily found and any Big Box store.

This should increase your bandwith significantly however, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration or if forescent skor motion is required, you will need to install a left facing drawn reciprocation dingle arm.

I have found in the study of various Ground Planes on propagation, that the Turbo encabulator is an excellent device to employ.  However ScubaRx's  sugestions clearly have merit.

73's de W8CB

George

[bugeyedriver]

9 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

To overcome the ground plane issue, could you not just install a base plate of pre-famulated amulite mounted right up against the roof inside the fiberglass topper? It would seem to me that this would effectively eliminate any side fumbling between the novertrunnions and the grammeters.

Sufficient cooling should be provided by the non-reversible tremie pipes normally provided with the purchase of the base plate but if overheating occurs, consider installing a good panametric fan. The best ones consist simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes mounted on a ambifacient girdle waneshaft. They can be run natively on 12 volts DC and are easily found and any Big Box store.

This should increase your bandwith significantly however, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration or if forescent skor motion is required, you will need to install a left facing drawn reciprocation dingle arm.

Steve, you failed to take into account the angle of the dangle of the Dooflamadger as its HF radio waves strike the ionosphere and reflects back to earth for the next bounce around the world.  (ref: question #174 on the FCC  examination for your ham radio license)

de K2PLM

[ScubaRx]

7 hours ago, gbergh said:

I have found in the study of various Ground Planes on propagation, that the Turbo encabulator is an excellent device to employ.  However ScubaRx's  sugestions clearly have merit.

73's de W8CB

George

Darn, I've been found out.