2M Recommendations For Beginners Please!

[Mlachica]

Icom IC-2720H seems like it would work well for you. You seem to have liked the icom interface better than the yaesu--I also think the icoms are more user friendly. The 2720h has a removable/remote mountable faceplate, supports aprs and can cross band repeat. So what? Well, that gives you access to your truck radio's power and antenna from an HT when you are out hiking. Also, your v8000 was a 75w radio, that may have affected your impression of the 50w 7900. For antennas, a nmo mount on your roof is an excellent choice. A dual band comet antenna would get the job done just fine. Take a look at the sbb and csb lines of dual banders and choose the length you want. The major difference between them is that the csb line is stiffer and has a foldover hinge while the sbb series is more flexible.

I like your suggestions, however it appears to be a discontinued radio, and was superseded by the 2730a, which is also a dual band with a detachable face but no cross band repeat.

I think the antenna mount on the roof was a big factor in making my old icom v8000 tx/rx better than my yaesu with the antenna on the hatch. Which is why I plan to do all I can to center mount it on the roof.

 

[Klierslc]

It has been discontinued but can be found on eBay pretty often. I don't think any of the current icon line has those specs. I don't buy anything brand new, but if you are wanting new, yaesu or tyt may be the only route

 

[samer0214]

Very nice rig BTW. One thing I would pay close attention to, is the mounting location of the antenna. Although the best place is in the middle of the roof, I see a potential for the signal to be diminished by the RTT, when it's raised.

Antennae like as much "ground plane" as possible so that the signal can spread horizontally for extended reach/coverage, and they have to have grounding continuity to the chassis. Your grounding continuity is not an issue at the roof of the cab, but like I said the ground plane might be.

I can't tell if your RTT's roof is metal or fiberglass, but if it's metal, that will be a better mounting location, and you can always find a way to address the grounding continuity.


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[Mlachica]

Very nice rig BTW. One thing I would pay close attention to, is the mounting location of the antenna. Although the best place is in the middle of the roof, I see a potential for the signal to be diminished by the RTT, when it's raised.

Antennae like as much "ground plane" as possible so that the signal can spread horizontally for extended reach/coverage, and they have to have grounding continuity to the chassis. Your grounding continuity is not an issue at the roof of the cab, but like I said the ground plane might be.

I can't tell if your RTT's roof is metal or fiberglass, but if it's metal, that will be a better mounting location, and you can always find a way to address the grounding continuity.


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Thanks for the advice. It's something I had in mind regarding the camper hindering the ground plane. More than likely we'd be communicating while driving but who knows if that may change or not. I plan to drive by ham radio outlet and talk to those guys over there regarding my antenna location. I would have to say mounting it on the campers roof is out of the question, there's too many difficulties involved to make it worth it.

I see 3 possible locations. Center of the open area of the roof of cab, pillar mount or fender mount.

While doing more research I found the icom 2730a is capable of cross band repeat. As of right now, it's between the icom and the yaesu ft-8900r, with the icom in the lead.

 

[torqluvas]

Great thread thank you much!

 

[FlipperFla]

Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood are all great radios, its like Chevy or Ford. Yes you will need a license. A good to take practice exams is Eham.net the practice exams grade you and tell you the correct answers you got wrong. Every time you reset it gives you a different set of questions. Its pretty simple even if you dont understand the technical questions you can just memorize the correct answers, I had more trouble answering the questions on the rules.

 

[smlobx]

Thinking of dipping my toes in the HAM pond.
I have a truck camper also and was wondering if mounting an antenna in the center of the truck's hood would be a good option. My camper covers the cab of the truck..

 

[DaveInDenver]

There's only two reasons I can think of why middle of the hood wouldn't work. First, it's right over the engine, although ignition in your case isn't a problem. But there'll be other sources of noise potentially. Second, it's in your line of sight. But otherwise, yeah, it would be a pretty decent spot from an RF standpoint.

 

[Billoftt]

Thinking of dipping my toes in the HAM pond.
I have a truck camper also and was wondering if mounting an antenna in the center of the truck's hood would be a good option. My camper covers the cab of the truck..

If you get an antenna that is phased 1/2 wave, you will not need to worry about ground plane. I have a Pulse-Larsen NMO 2/70SH that is 1/2 wave on 2m, 5/8 on 70cm. (althogh I think the new models are 3/4 wave on 70cm. On 2m you do not require a ground plane (although it will perform marginally better with one) and 70cm only needs 7 inches. https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000567

The Pulse-Larsen NMO 2/70 is a 1/2 wave on 2m and collinear 5/8 over 1/2 on 70cm so no ground plane required. It is more of a "Full Size" antenna and you can easily install an NMO mounting tab to your hood channel. I have no idea how much open space you have on your roof, but that would be the "perfect" place for it. https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000565

 

[DaveInDenver]

The Larsen NMO2/70SH, if it's the short one with the spring you're talking about, isn't ground plane independent. The new catalog I think has a typo. It should be 1/4λ on 2m and 3/4λ on 70cm. You can see that from their gain measurements (2m is 2.15 dBi and 70cm is 4 dBi).




The taller NMO2/70 with the open coil is 1/2λ on 2m and collinear on 70cm and the gain measurement reflects that (3.8 dBi and 5.2 dBi). I have both of them, the shorter one won't tune in my current location, which is a bracket at the base of the windshield. The regular Larsen works fine there without a ground plane, though.

 

[Billoftt]

I do know that the new catalog has different specs listed than when I purchased my 2/70SH. It still listed 2m as 1/2 wave back then too. I have it on an NMO in the middle of my roof so I really have no means to see it it has any issues or not.

I would go with the full size Pulse-Larson NMO 2/70 on the fender if you can't get on the roof. I went with the short model because in the Southeast US there are tree branches everywhere.

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[DaveInDenver]

When I ran the 2/70SH it was in the middle of my roof, too. Same reason, low trees.

Pulse has been wrong for a long time. In their Amateur Antennas catalog it's wrong the other way, calling the 70cm 1/2λ.

https://www.pulseelectronics.com/docs/library/Amateur Short Form Catalog Volume 2.pdf


You have to go way back to the Radiall-Larsen catalog to find the right specs. I think having all the different 2/70 types confused the technical writer, who was probably not a ham or RF person.

 

[Billoftt]

That makes a lot more sense.

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[Billoftt]

That is an interesting bracket you have there. Care to share with the rest of us?

 

[DaveInDenver]

That is an interesting bracket you have there. Care to share with the rest of us?

I drive a 2008 Tacoma and the bracket is a CBI ditch light bracket that I drilled out for an NMO base. The bracket itself gets bolted by the hood hinge bolts. It's kind of a clunky set up but it was quick and works. One day I'll get around to drilling holes in the roof. I need to replace the windshield and they are kind of in the way.

https://cbioffroadfab.com/product/2nd-gen-tacoma-ditch-light-brackets/?v=7516fd43adaa