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www.jerryclement.ca    www.ve6ab.blogspot.com    www.stormchaser.cjb.net   

Recently, I was asked by a new Ham as to the best way to get in to mobile HF. To quote Rudy Severns-N6LF, I told this new ham that if he had a $100.00, that he should spend $90.00 on the antenna, $9.00 on the receiver, and $1.00 on the transmitter. Of course, we all know that today, $100.00 will not go far towards the purchase of a HF system, however I wanted to make the point that the antenna and the vehicle under it is the critical part of a good performing HF system, and if you have limited funds to spend when putting a HF system together, to concentrate on the antenna system.

Lately, I built a new high performance Gain-Twist 80 meter monobander for my mobile optimized for distant contacts over the horizon. Why would I go to all the trouble you ask?  Allthough all mobile HF antennas work when checking in on the nets across town, its when you are working a Ham on 80 meters 4000 kilometers away, that a real antenna is required. My Gain-Twist cap-hat is designed to increase the take-off angle towards the horizon when working distant contacts. This was achieved through the overall design of my antenna, and was not as simple as just adding a cap-hat to the mix. The loading coil is 6" diameter with the Gain-Twist cap-hat mounted the proper distance above the loading coil. Do not let the diameter of this cap-hat fool you, it is the amount of wire and the twist (angle of the spiral) on the elements that is adding huge amounts of capacitance to the upper part of the antenna, and reducing the inductance needed in the lower part of the antenna, therefore reducing the amount of wire (turns of wire) needed for the loading coil and therefore reduced coil losses.  

  Located in my antenna storage rack at the rear of my truck. is my other HF antenna, a HI-Q-4/80 RT motorized antenna that I use for those times that I want the convienience of a multiband antenna. Being I spend most of my time on 80 meters, my Gain-Twist 80 meter monobander is my antenna of choice.  I am constantly upgrading my antenna system that includes a lot of work not visible such as much bonding through-out the truck and other changes that are on-going including a tuned 80 meter counterpoise on the ground side of my Gain-Twist 80 meter monobander.

The rig is a Kenwood TS-480 HX that is proving to be the best HF rig that I have owned. I am very pleased with the receiver of the TS-480 HX, and the 200 watts out does make a difference when the extra power is required, especially if you do not want to run a mobile amplifier.  I am using a pair of SBS40 deep cycle batteries hooked in parallel  to power my TS-480 HX, as this rig draws 40 amps upon key-down when driving 200 watts out. The SBS40's are also wired into the radio stack, and are charged in parallel with the starting battery.

I also work Amateur Radio Satellites orbiting the earth from my mobile with excellent results.  For the FM satellites, I uplink with my Kenwood TM-D710A  through my roof mounted whip and downlink with a Yaesu 817 connected to a 4 element yagi of my own design along with a Advance Receiver Research preamp in line between the yagi and the 817. I use PocketSat + software on a Palm Tungsten E2, to predict the various satellite orbits while mobile.  I also enjoy working the SSB Birds using my TS-480 for up-linking, and my 817 for down-linking.

Lately, I have been working on a ultrallite satellite setup, and I have been having a lot of fun with it.  I  uplink to the satellite with a Yaesu FT-170 and a Diamond RH-205 whip. My downlink radio is a Icom IC-R5 Communications Receiver with the CJU antenna that I built from plans in QST Magazine. On my wrist is my Palm Tungsten E2 running Pocketsat+. This setup works amazingly well and it all can be carried in a small over the shoulder bag or a brief case. Gotta love it.

.When I get to where I will be doing back-country hiking in the Rockies, I take the Yaesu FT-817, as well as my Arrow antenna, for working satellites. Included in my pack on these hikes, is a HF antenna of my own design for working HF QRP.

Drawings with dimensions for my 4 element yagi,  are on my website. I have also built two of these small yagis, mounted on a common boom as cross yagis and turned by a small rotator with good success on the FM satellites while mobile. If I can be of any help with anything you see of interest on my websites or blog, drop me a email. Jerry VE6AB

http://www.jerryclement.ca/Machines/Modelmaker/10746629_gK9Qq#754880976_aTDFk