VE6AB Mobile Ops
Armchair Ops
Early morning finds me playing radio, my mobile bellied up against the southern Alberta Rockies.
On this morning, I set up my home-brewed Cepek Inverted U dipole that covers 10-20 meters on top of my Max Gains 25' push-up mast that resides on the 12 volt rotator built in my workshop seen mounted in the hitch insert.
The rotator is controlled with a wireless key-fob that allows me to turn the antenna assembly, positioning the inverted U in the desired direction of operation.
Although I could have operated from the cab of my mobile using my Kenwood TS-480HX that resides in the radio stack, I decided it was too nice a morning to be sitting inside.
I placed my portable radio pack that has a Yaesu FT-897D mounted in place normally used away from the road on top of the cargo-bay cover.
Of course I planned on sitting there as well, the cargo-bay cover rated for supporting 250 pounds, allowing for this. In fact that is one of reasons that I chose the Avalanche when I was buying a new vehicle, as I can be found utilizing the cargo-bay cover to stand on for photography related reasons.
Although the 897 has two battery packs that reside within the radio, on this morning I am using external power allowing for 100 watt output to the antenna.
Both the radio and the rotator are being powered from the auxiliary 75 Ah battery-pack that resides in the cargo-bay of my mobile.
BTW, 20 meters was in good shape on this morning.
Expand the photo for a closer look.....
The bigger picture.....
https://www.jerryclement.ca/HamRadio/HamRadio/i-BN4GMqS
