Hi all.  I'm the OP with a follow-up question.  I have a line on a 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.  Anybody have any experience with that make & model, HF-wise or otherwise?

Tnx & 73,
Tony
K1OC

My club uses Honda 2000's for Field Day.  No noticeable RFI on HF or VHF and very quiet soundwise as well.  They are also extremely reliable.  My own ran continuously (except for refills and an oil change) for seven days during Hurricane Sandy.  All in, it probably has nearly 300 hours on it and nary a hiccup.

73 de Tony
K1OC

Are you trying to run Echolink in Sysop mode or just as a normal endpoint, so to speak?  I have exactly the same router and don't recall having to do anything special to it to use Echolink as a normal endpoint, i.e., to connect to other Echolink nodes.  Just fire it up on your PC and see what happens.  It might work without having to touch the router.

73 de Tony
K1OC

I remember doing the time warp. 

That's ok. I'd *much* rather see pictures of other hams' shacks than pictures of other hams!

73 de Tony K1OC

I travel regularly with my Icom T7H, domestically and internationally.  I leave it in my carry-on as it goes through the x-ray machine and no one has ever asked about it.  My iPad gets more attention than the HT.  I do carry my license in my wallet, and the FCC Public Notice on operating in CEPT countries in the bag with the radio when travelling to Europe, just in case, but I have never had to explain what it is or why I am carrying it.  I am actually a little surprised by that.

73 de Tony K1OC

Icom IC-746 and its variants. Pretty much everything you need to do to *operate* the radio is done by pushing a button (or buttons for direct frequency entry) or twisting a knob, plus a limited number of "soft" keys whose functions change but are identified on the screen.  Menus are mostly for setting parameters you leave alone once set.  Not the most current technology available, but still a solid performer and very straightforward to operate.

73 de Tony K1OC

Great responses, gents, thank you! Lots of really good information and advice.  I appreciate it.  My purchase decision is a little ways off (I hope), so anybody else should feel to chime in.


Thanks,
Tony K1OC

If you were buying a new car or truck, or a "pre-owned" one of recent vintage, what would you get if you wanted to optimize the choice for mobile operating, and why?  I'm talking about casual operating, not contesting or rovering, although some DXing within the inherent limitations of operating mobile would be desirable.

Recognizing that "best" is subjective and everything about operating mobile involves a compromise . . . . What would give you the best options for mounting an antenna, in terms of effectiveness but also ease of installation? How about mounting the rig?  Running coax from the rig to the antenna, and power and control cables to a tuner or tunable antenna? Power to the rig? Cables to a remote head?  What about the least noise and interference (or what vehicles would you avoid because they generate too much)?  Which are the best/worst bonded (or the easiest/hardest to bond) or provide the best/worst ground?  Any other factors you'd consider? Would your answer be any different for operating HF versus VHF/UHF? 

The vehicle would have to be reasonable personal/family transportation, in terms of cost and utility, but assume some flexibility to make mobile operating a priority.

Thoughts?

Thanks and 73,
Tony K1OC

I have had good luck with 3/16th-inch black Dacron polyester (770 lbs test) from Radio Oasis http://www.radio-oasis.com/Synthetictextiles.html.

73,
Tony

There's a good article in the July issue of CQ magazine on the history of vanity calls and associated fees.  Basically, the vanity callsign fee is a regulatory fee that is determined by apportionment of the FCC's costs and therefore varies with the FCC's annual budget, rather than being set by the FCC at an arbitrary number.  And it's the only fee the FCC is allowed to assess against amateur radio operators.