The New Mobile Setup

My mobile setup initially started when I got into CB early last summer. Everything was pretty sloppy, the wiring especially. I wanted to fix it up and add a good VHF rig. I volunteer for a cycling event every year, so a robust VHF install was a must. My original intention was to go to a local 2-way radio and mobile electronics shop and have them do the work for me. I wanted a 3 or 4-radio rack on top of a floor-mounted post. They said it would be expensive and may be uncomfortable to have a passenger in the front seat. I agreed after hearing their argument. The tech suggested on a modified glove box design. I loved it! It would cost me about $600. The week before I driving back to school after the summer break, I called the shop and tried to book a spot. The tech I had spoken to was on vacation and nobody else was available. I even called another shop and they were booked too! I was so frustrated. Now I had to build it all on my own. I started by cutting the back out of the glove box and placing the radios inside for final measurements. After some trimming, I sprayed the inside with truck bed liner to cover the spray-on velvet that was original. Next was securing everything with Velcro. It looked great! Next was wiring. Power junctions were placed in the dash and wired to the battery and coax was run from the rear of the vehicle. I used a short piece of wood to mount all the mic holders to and Velcro'd it to the center of the dash. It took about a month to find the proper Velcro that would last. I found Scotch DualLock to be best with the heat and strength. This is the same stuff that is used for toll transponders.

Field Day 2014

Wow it's been awhile since I have written a good story on here, but for good reason I guess. As a lot of you know I am a college student, so my schedule provides little time to fully explore the hobby as most do. My Field Day was pretty uneventful. I had just come home from a business trip with my summer internship, so I didn't have much time to plan. In fact, I was preparing to leave on another trip! I decided to just use my home station on commercial power. I wasn't going to stay up all night making contacts so I hopped on the radio when I could and made a few contacts. Probably my most boring post, but there's more to come, I promise!