Geeesh, all this for a joke post!  Just goes to show you what lengths something will end up going to!  I still think beer is good for something else than just getting drunk with.  :-))

There is a simple connector that fills your need, and it is available at most any auto parts store, marine store, RV store, and yes, even Radio Shack.  It is the two pole rubber covered polarized plug.  RS has them with red and black wires while auto parts and RV stores may have them with other color wires.  If memory serves, Motorola used them on some of their earlier radios for a power commector too.

The only drawback is that they aren't available ready made for chassis mounting, but that won't (or shouldn't) stop a homebrewer at all.  Put a little dielectric grease onto the contacts, Wrap a bit of tape over the connection joint, and they'll last a good long while.

Good luck and 73.

"You can use the beer straight from the bottle, can or tap. Works just as well if you pass it through your body first."

Have you ever smelled recycled heated beer??  Whew!

Hey W2AEW--I LIKE your answer, as a matter of fact--I'll drink to that!!

Seems like the coolant in the dummy load I use has leaked out.  I got a new gallon paint can, but I'm wondering if I can substitute beer for the original coolant.

I've heard so many of you extolling the virtues of beer here on E-ham.  Can beer be used?  Or will it just get my rig drunk?  ;-)

One thing for sure--if you continue to use it, you're asking for a lot more trouble.  I'd say check the power transistors first also.....

If you have an abnormal amount of noise in your mobile, definitely trace it down and isolate just what is causing it.  Chances are the part making the noise is either worn pretty much to the point of near failure, the part is missing its filter cap (or the cap is open) or it's a cheap replacement part.  And yes, there are cheap replacement parts for sale--one popular auto parts store in the New England area almost always asks "Do you want the part with the lifetime warranty or the cheaper one with just a one year warranty?  Go figure.......

The Radio Shack switcher IS made by Samlex--it is a cheapened version of one of their supplies.  The RS model is factory manufactured for 120 volts AC while the Samlex is adjustable for either 120 or 240 volts.

Careful on the old computer power supply--the 300 watt model will give you only about 10-12 amps constant.  You also have to disassemble and rework it a bit, tweaking the voltage up--and sometimes you've got to substitute resistors to get 13.8 volts out of it.  The other problem is you have to put a small load on the 5 volt section on most supplies to get the regulator to work and give you a steady, regulated higher voltage out.  Without that regulation, you may have serious problems, such as a high or low voltage condition.

If you can get a used 450 or a 500 watt supply AND you can take it apart, rework it and tweak it up to 13.8 volts, you may have a good 20 amp constant power supply.  However, getting a 20 amp supply, even used, is better--the reworked supply may give out because of the difference in what you're now asking it to do versus what it used to do.

Agreed on staying away from wiring harnesses--unless you want a noise problem.  

There is usually a grommet for the standard vehicle antenna (if it is mounted on the front fender, that is) that you may be able to get your wiring through.

Look on both sides of the firewall if you can, and slowly and carefully work an awl through the grommet, away from the antenna cable.  Carefull enlarge that hole a bit, then work your wires through it.  When you get the wires into the proper position, seal the poke-through with a bit of silicone sealer--you may not need to if you've been careful.  Remember to fuse both wires at the battery with weather resistant fuseholders, make your connections under the dash and you're done.

I've been doing simple installations like that for years with no noise and no damage, and when it comes time to remove the wires, you can pull them out and leave no trace of them being there at all.

K7AAT is entirely correct about two ground rods.  The grounding should be done for safety purposes rather than RF purposes, however.

A small 1 or 2 amp AUTOMATIC charger will also fill the bill without breaking the bank.  It'll cost twenty to thirty five dollars for one.  Every two or three weeks just plug the unit in for one or two hours to bring the battery back up to full charge.  If the box is needed, the batteries won't be far from fully charged and will be OK for use.

You are not using material that is meant to support anything higher than a few feet.

May I suggest antenna mast?  You can get five foot sections at Radio Shack for about $8 each.  You can go furthur up with that, too.  You may have to use another base, though.

An alternate way to support the mast sections is to use tent stakes for the bottom of the mast and three points around it, and sash cord for temporary guy lines.  If you can't use tent stakes because of the ground, (cement or asphalt) or just rather not use stakes, use cement half blocks.  Stuff some material around the mast into the center block around the mast.  You can use cloth, paper or plastic--or make a support out of wood with a hole in it to fit the mast and put the block on top of that.  Just tie the cords to the other blocks for the guy lines.  I have such a setup and use four sections for a twenty foot height.

Either way you do it you'll have a good temporary antenna mast (you seem to not want to make it permanent) that you can set up just about anywhere and that won't move much unless a windstorm comes along.

About the e-mail, yes.  The company should post the proper addresses on their website, and expects the e-mail to be sent to those addresses.  Lets say (keeping it simple) the addresses are:

     parts@company.com,     information@company.com,     sales@company.com

OK, now these addresses are on their website, or maybe there are no addresses on the website.  

In the first case, where is an e-mail addressed to "specs needed" or "help" routed?  In todays world where companies may receive thousands of e-mails a day, probably to a person that does nothing but reads e-mails all day.  You may get an answer in a few weeks.  But that person costs money--so the e-mail is routed to another place, the dead letter office, more commonly know as deleted.

In the second place, if the address doesn't pinpoint a specific department, the same thing happens.  As I said, when a company receives thousands of e-mails a day, they don't care if a few of those e-mails go unanswered.  After all, they have thousands of customers--lose a few here, gain a few there--they don't care.

I had a similar experience with another antenna, asked for the sheet over e-mail to the company and got no responce.

I telephoned the company and spoke to the customer service people.  They put the sheets I needed into the snail mail system and I had them three days later.

One thing you have to remember is the e-mail you send gets routed to the appropriate department IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHICH DEPARTMENT TO SEND IT TO!  If you don't, it just may end up getting deleted.  A phone call, on the other hand, is interactive.  The person at the switchboard can ask what you want and you can answer them and get connected to the right department the first time.

People depend too much on e-mail nowadays, and there is too much of it being sent and received--if it isn't addressed properly most often it is just deleted.