I am planning out my next phase of my build as I finish off some other upgrades for gear storage and my camping setup for the summer. I plan to move from my FT-8900R with a Comet UHV-4 antenna to an Icom 2820H running dual Comet CSB-770A using a duplexer to allow for redundancy if an antenna fails. I am debating if moving the antenna from between the cab and the bed onto the roof is going to make a huge difference. I plan to go to motorized Comet mounts to make life easier and allow me to turn the radio on more as I am in and out of a garage a lot. I also plan to have a CSB-790A mounted on a 300 mast for when I am needing some serious range.
1) Is moving the new antennas on the truck from the bedside between the cab to a roof rack mounted at the front of the rack going to make a huge difference?
2) Will I get the range that I am hoping for from my 30ft mast design that would be attached to the truck using a rear trailer hitch mount?
I am wanting to streamline my setup in terms of use and capabilities as this truck is being designed around SAR operations and also for use when I volunteer with my local police department when we are marshaling for various community runs. I am planing to get my next phase started before the fall as it is going to be a large electrical update and also one of the last more complex parts of the truck. Thanks everyone for all your help so far as I am still very new to HAM and to radio operations from a non user perspective, planning this build and working on the truck was defiantly easier at the beginning now if i change one thing it can effect a whole lot of things on the truck.
1) Is moving the new antennas on the truck from the bedside between the cab to a roof rack mounted at the front of the rack going to make a huge difference?
2) Will I get the range that I am hoping for from my 30ft mast design that would be attached to the truck using a rear trailer hitch mount?
I am wanting to streamline my setup in terms of use and capabilities as this truck is being designed around SAR operations and also for use when I volunteer with my local police department when we are marshaling for various community runs. I am planing to get my next phase started before the fall as it is going to be a large electrical update and also one of the last more complex parts of the truck. Thanks everyone for all your help so far as I am still very new to HAM and to radio operations from a non user perspective, planning this build and working on the truck was defiantly easier at the beginning now if i change one thing it can effect a whole lot of things on the truck.