HF ops from a smart car

[WH6DIQ]

Aloha,

For those smart HAMS out there, I have posted images of my ft-897 setup here:

http://www.smartusainsider.com/photo/albums/ham-hf-antenna-for-portable-base-operation

I have made good contacts to Japan, Canada, Cook Islands, and many areas of the US mainland with this rig, on 10 and 20 meters recently.

73

wh6diq

[K0BG]

Why didn't you just bolt the antenna to the car, and operate mobile in motion?

I don't know the guy personally, but there is one running around Roswell, with a Tarheel 200A hanging off the back, driven with a TS-480HX. I've not heard he complain about any aspect, except for eh room he needed to mount the main part of the radio. He says he can now only carry one bag of groceries, instead of two!

[ZENKI]

I am sure you can make a dummy load work DX when you near the ocean! I have worked a number of ""Near Ocean Mobiles""  from Hawaii all with  great signals.  Even the miserable ham sticks work!  G4AKC has been active around the bands with his trolley mobile, he even has pileups when he is pedestrian mobile near the ocean. Its just unfortunate  that  many coastal strips  are nothing more the strip club strips with tons of RF pollution.

Aloha,

For those smart HAMS out there, I have posted images of my ft-897 setup here:

http://www.smartusainsider.com/photo/albums/ham-hf-antenna-for-portable-base-operation

I have made good contacts to Japan, Canada, Cook Islands, and many areas of the US mainland with this rig, on 10 and 20 meters recently.

73

wh6diq

[N2RRA]

LOL! I think that's awesome.

Hey...what ever works! The sky is the limit when you want to make something work. The way propagation is right now a tin can would get you across the Atlantic. LOL!

If you can compare your 40'ft vertical to be better than the best and tallest screw driver antenna out there keep doing what your doing. If the screw driver isn't that much different then it's a no brain'er.

What ever it takes to get the most outta your smart car I'm all for it.

Enjoy and 73!

[AC4RD]

This is GREAT!  Congratulations--though I realize sadly that I do *not* have the tiniest car ('06 xB) with an HF setup.  :-)   The comment about the R/C car controller is hilarious!

[K2OWK]

How do you keep it from tipping over?

73s

K2OWK

[WX7G]

I run an FT-857 to an ATAS-120 on my Smart Car. The ATAS is mounted at the roof line. It all works well and I have work DX everyday. Of course I run CW.

The dash board area has little cubbys to each side of the steering wheel and the keyer paddles fits perfectly in the right-hand cubby.