I am leaning towards the mobile route for a few reasons not the least of which is to be used while overlanding. Now the next question which one? I am already studying for my General and wonder if it would be more advantages to buy a mobile that will cover not only VHF/UHF but also the HF band. Or, would it be a case of Jack-of-all, Master-of-none?
This changes everything in what I'd recommend. If you're serious about the General upgrade, completely ignore any suggestions towards an FM only rig. Do yourself and your wallet the favor of buying a multimode/multiband radio now. Don't put yourself through the inevitable process of buying a series of radios that won't serve your General privileges. A multimode/multiband radio is not a "jack of all, master of none". Simply put, it is a far more capable radio and "masters" all bands and modes available to the appropriately licensed amateur. If you upgrade, it will probably be the only type of radio you'll own for mobile purposes from that point forward. The fact that you reside (and recreate, I assume) in Alaska, a multimode/multiband will also have the 60m Alaskan emergency frequency/channel which is shared with the Alaska Private Fixed Service. It is monitored 24 hours a day. This is an amateur band (for us amateurs) that is dedicated for emergency use only in or within 93kms of the state of Alaska.
I've owned a number of different radios and wished that someone had given me this advice. Of course, at that time I had no idea that I would upgrade as I did. No doubt, it is a bigger expense on the front end to buy one of these radios...but, if I were to add up the money spent on all the "intermediate" radios purchased and sold at a loss along the way, I'm certain I would have saved both money and "install time" if I had just bought the multiband in the beginning.
As for installation, these radios really don't require much more consideration than an FM rig. Most will have remote mount/removable faceplate capability. Antennas run the gamut, and I wouldn't get too caught up in which works best. They will all amount to a compromise when mounted on a vehicle. Some will work better than others, but worldwide contacts have been made on simple $30.00 "Hamsticks". Screwdriver types are my recommendation if they fit the budget, and they come in all sizes. They vary from massive units requiring massive mounts to smaller units that can utilize the smaller commercially available mounts used for 2m antennas. And yes, they hold up just fine offroad.
I run a Yaesu FT-857d and an ATAS-120a antenna. The radio is mounted under the passenger seat and the antenna is mounted on a Diamond K400 series lip mount. It has been through thousands of offroad miles without a single problem. With a duplexer attached at the radio input I get both FM and HF with the push of a button. Unfortunately, the ATAS won't tune 60m (Alaska Emergency), so for your purposes, I would look to the smaller unit from Tarheel Antennas.
http://www.tarheelantennas.com/little_tarheel_ii
It will tune 60m, but won't work on FM (2m/70cm), but in Alaska... you're either near a repeater or you ain't! I would simply buy a small cheap dualband antenna and mount it in another spot.
Amateur radio is like 4WD and overlanding; there's always something more to spend your money on.
