My home location is unfortunately very poorly suited to ham radio. That’s a subject for another post, but suffice it to say that if I want to get on the air I need to go portable. A lot of the time I adore going out and setting up on a park bench, putting on the headphones, and making QSOs. But other times I’d like to be able to just turn on the radio and get on the air without all that setup and tear-down fuss, you know?
Well, that’s where Going Mobile fits in, I hope. Since my only HF radio at this time is made for portable and mobile use anyway, I’ve decided to do a proper mobile installation in my Honda Element. I’ve been inspired by KI6ZHD’s excellent mobile install that bypasses the main car electrical system except to keep the radio batteries charged. I’ve just ordered a TG Electronics N8XJK voltage booster and West Mountain Radio Powergate PG40S to handle power distribution and charging. Once the wallet recovers a little, I’ll head down to Ham Radio Outlet and inquire about the Little Tarheel II mobile HF antenna and a good mount.
Hopefully by the end of October I’ll be getting on the air with a /M after my call sign. It’s not exactly the DX-ing wonder of a home ham shack that I’d like, but it’s a heck of a lot better than not being able to get on the air at all!
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