adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
Well, i had a spare Yaesu 2500m laying around from a buddy so i figured shoot, why not put it to use.
I already have two antennas on the LC so my thought was to use one on the trailer as a basecamp setup when we're not on the road.
Getting out of canyons is my main priority since thats usually where we camp. Shoot if it was flat country the 5.5 gain monster Diamond SG on my bumper can hit 80-100 miles on simplex just fine. This usually isn't the case.
So i researched this pole from a company here locally in SoCal. I asked them if mounting an antenna on it would work and they said it would work just fine. I ended up heading over to HRO and they actually stocked it. So that tells me right there people are using it for this application. What it is, is a fiberglass 4ft telescoping flag pole that can extend up to 22 ft in minutes. Super lightweight and simple. Made for high winds in the desert / beaches.
Comes with a nice carrying case and will fit in the side box on the trailer perfectly.
I mounted the "L" flag bracket to the end.
Along with 25 feet of Coax to get from the trailer to the top of the pole.
There are many different options for mounting the pole. However, i wanted something simple and flexible. So i chose the 2" receiver J pole. This can easily slide into any 2" receiver. So then i can use it on the back of the truck, the back of the trailer.. or the front of the trailer. Also i can use it on another vehicle if need be. HRO had this in stock also.
Here's where it will work for us. When base camped we disconnect the trailer anyhow.. in the rear it will interfere with the drop down gate on the Adventure Trailer. Plus the radio is in the nose box anyhow.
Shot of the radio.. i installed a clip for the mic also. In hindsight, maybe i should of put the clip on the interior section instead so the door may not fly down in the wind and smash the mic cable.. but oh well. That's never happened anyways.
I chose to install the radio in the nose box for a few reasons. It seems to be the most sealed out of all the boxes on our trailer. Dust/rain etc. Also, i can monitor the battery levels on the solar controller while im transmitting. Lastly, it was a fast and easy install having the batteries close by, i didn't have to run 20 feet of 10 awg wire or what have you.
If i want later on i can always do a 8800 or a 8900 and have a removable face plate for the kitchen area. That could be an option since i want to be able to use the trailer as a repeater anyhow.
The coax just rolls up and sits in the nose box when not in use. Yes, the nose box locks.
A shot of the antenna mast deployed. It's taller than our office building. Which i was told was 25 feet. The Diamond Super Gainer is on the mount in this shot. This is just for testing. Im waiting for an adapter so i can put my Comet SBB-5 none ground plain antenna on it. It will do much better.
So all in all im not in for that much money. The mast, coax, and bracket. I had the radio and im using a spare antenna. Later i'd like to change the radio out for a cross repeater version.. but for now this will work fine.
This weekend we are heading out to Sheep canyon in Anza Borrego where its really hard to get out to a repeater. This will be the ultimate test and im excited to see how it does. I will report back with my findings of how it performed.
I already have two antennas on the LC so my thought was to use one on the trailer as a basecamp setup when we're not on the road.
Getting out of canyons is my main priority since thats usually where we camp. Shoot if it was flat country the 5.5 gain monster Diamond SG on my bumper can hit 80-100 miles on simplex just fine. This usually isn't the case.
So i researched this pole from a company here locally in SoCal. I asked them if mounting an antenna on it would work and they said it would work just fine. I ended up heading over to HRO and they actually stocked it. So that tells me right there people are using it for this application. What it is, is a fiberglass 4ft telescoping flag pole that can extend up to 22 ft in minutes. Super lightweight and simple. Made for high winds in the desert / beaches.
Comes with a nice carrying case and will fit in the side box on the trailer perfectly.
I mounted the "L" flag bracket to the end.
Along with 25 feet of Coax to get from the trailer to the top of the pole.
There are many different options for mounting the pole. However, i wanted something simple and flexible. So i chose the 2" receiver J pole. This can easily slide into any 2" receiver. So then i can use it on the back of the truck, the back of the trailer.. or the front of the trailer. Also i can use it on another vehicle if need be. HRO had this in stock also.
Here's where it will work for us. When base camped we disconnect the trailer anyhow.. in the rear it will interfere with the drop down gate on the Adventure Trailer. Plus the radio is in the nose box anyhow.
Shot of the radio.. i installed a clip for the mic also. In hindsight, maybe i should of put the clip on the interior section instead so the door may not fly down in the wind and smash the mic cable.. but oh well. That's never happened anyways.
I chose to install the radio in the nose box for a few reasons. It seems to be the most sealed out of all the boxes on our trailer. Dust/rain etc. Also, i can monitor the battery levels on the solar controller while im transmitting. Lastly, it was a fast and easy install having the batteries close by, i didn't have to run 20 feet of 10 awg wire or what have you.
If i want later on i can always do a 8800 or a 8900 and have a removable face plate for the kitchen area. That could be an option since i want to be able to use the trailer as a repeater anyhow.
The coax just rolls up and sits in the nose box when not in use. Yes, the nose box locks.
A shot of the antenna mast deployed. It's taller than our office building. Which i was told was 25 feet. The Diamond Super Gainer is on the mount in this shot. This is just for testing. Im waiting for an adapter so i can put my Comet SBB-5 none ground plain antenna on it. It will do much better.
So all in all im not in for that much money. The mast, coax, and bracket. I had the radio and im using a spare antenna. Later i'd like to change the radio out for a cross repeater version.. but for now this will work fine.
This weekend we are heading out to Sheep canyon in Anza Borrego where its really hard to get out to a repeater. This will be the ultimate test and im excited to see how it does. I will report back with my findings of how it performed.
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