It should be noted that NiMH (and older NiCd) chemistries stay close to 1.25-1.2V thru their discharge, only at the end does the voltage "fall off the cliff", wherreas an alkaline starts 1.55-1.50 Vand gradually slopes down to about 1.0-0.9V at end of life, so most devices are quite happy w/ NiMH's, as th eaverage voltages are the same for both thru their discharge; and in fact high peak current devices (e.g. camera flashes, digital cameras and two way radios) do better / run longer on NiMH's due to their lower internal resistance than alkalines.

OTOH MiMH's self discharge in storage at an alarming rate -- more than a couple weeks in storage and you'll want to charge them again, though Sayno's newer Eneloop cells, and other copies, address this issue (and have slightly lower internal resistance than regular NiMHs).

Not a dumb question.

"I've always used "K3GM, listening oh nine" or the digits to the right of the decimal point."

Or even "KB1LKR listening, Quincy" or "... listening, Burlington seven one five..." if there are several repeaters in a particular city that someone may be scanning between/monitoring. Listen too to what others in your area seem to do.

I, if casually listening, while doing something else am more likely to come back to a specific question than to a "...listening"

26.100 MHz  is top end of the 25.600-26.100 Int'l AM broadcast band, & below the start of the US Class D [& C] CB band at 26.965-27.405 MHz.

For those not familiar w/ casual American English usage, the original poster meant:

"I was on my shortwave..."  =  "I was listening to radio transmissions using a shortwave [i.e. High Frequency, (nominally 3-30 MHz)] radio receiver belonging to me..."

Use a DC/DC converter for 11-13VDC in and 14VDC out? Wouldn't be cheap, but you should be able to tolerate the efficiency loss thru one.

Thoughts? Alan?

Agree BEST possible feed line, etc. but building an 8W VHF amp sounds like FUN!

Be sure your heatsink is big enough!

Equal or higher voltage is fine. The 32 V fuse could have trouble interrupting a 120V (or even a 48V) source, the 125V or 250V rated fuses will have no trouble w/ 12V however. Use a 7 Amp fuse again.

Any reason in this day and age *not* to buy a 3W *metal film* from Mouser or DigiKey for $0.60 and wind a copper coil around it, instead of around a carbon Comp?

"You DO know, don't you, that parasitic suppressors have to be wound the same direction as the PA tank inductor?"

but isn't this only true in the Northern hemisphere: when operating "down under" aren't they oppositely wound (unless the tubes are mounted socket up)?

Of course when using a VHF amp to feed a Circularly polarized antenna all bets are off.

Seriously though: Tom, what year, roughly, did the ARRL Handbook review/printing deadline issue occur?

"What is available commercially for 1.2Gig FM?" & "I currently have a 1 watt ht..."

Looks like FM

Direct wire to the batteries of both vehicles (and put NMO mounts on both roofs (or trunk lids/etc.) w/ coax routed to the same spot as the power) and terminate power lines w/ Anderson Powerpoles or the radio's stock Molex type connectors.  You could move one antenna too or buy two and just move the transceiver. as budget permits.

Perfboard!  
also: Vectorbord® or even punchboard
See also (related) Stripboard

"... 3.579545 is the most colorful place to have a Q on 80!" <rimshot!>
Groan!

Try 80/75m (or even 60m if you have it) NVIS instead?

Here's an authoritative page on MURS"
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=multi_use

it's kinda, sorta like FRS (almost): a no license/Part 95 service; but VHF not UHF, only 5 channels but more emission types allowed & wider bandwidth (11.25 kHz, or 20 kHz on a couple channels), 2W vs. 0.5W max power, etc. --
Could be very useful for some applications.

"Was this the old Marine band? What is it now?"

HF (well actually MF) Marine 2 MHz band is 2000-2300 kHz & 2500-2850 kHz or so, including the 2182 kHz distress freq. w/ the 120m broadcast band (used in the tropics) stuck in the middle at 2300-2495 kHz.

As others point out it can be used w/ an "antenna tuner" on 80m/75m, 40m, and on down (up?)