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Old 12-21-2017, 01:35 PM   #61
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_._. _._. de K0wtz!!!
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Old 12-22-2017, 03:10 PM   #62
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I am thinking about getting a 25' fiberglass telescoping mast and installing a wire inside with a mount on the front of the trailer where if the van is hooked up there would be some kind of ground plane.
I think that my MJF 939I and Icom 7000 will load it OK and perhaps get out.
Next year we are planning a grand tour up to Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone etc and perhaps I can make some contacts from each campsite.
Anyone of getting together for a QSO?

KE4MD
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Old 12-22-2017, 05:26 PM   #63
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Originally Posted by redbarron55 View Post
I am thinking about getting a 25' fiberglass telescoping mast and installing a wire inside with a mount on the front of the trailer where if the van is hooked up there would be some kind of ground plane.
I think that my MJF 939I and Icom 7000 will load it OK and perhaps get out.
Next year we are planning a grand tour up to Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone etc and perhaps I can make some contacts from each campsite.
Anyone of getting together for a QSO?

KE4MD
Lots of good ideas for portable antennas. I have two fiberglass telescoping poles, one 19' and the other 33'. My portable operation is to drive a steel fence post into the ground and bungee one of the fiberglass poles to it. Depends on the band I plan on using 20 meters gets the shorter pole 40 gets the longer. One end of an EndFDZ antenna goes to the top the fiberglass pole and the other to back of my truck. Hook up coax, and power (power is from a battery about the one on the front of my trailer with Power Pole connectors on a pig tail. And a second pig tail to plug into my solar panel. That's it and I'm on the air.
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Old 12-22-2017, 06:05 PM   #64
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My buddy said when his converter is plugged in to shore power it emits RF noise? Only remedy so far is to unplug his shore power. Anyone heard of this before?
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Old 12-22-2017, 10:06 PM   #65
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My buddy said when his converter is plugged in to shore power it emits RF noise? Only remedy so far is to unplug his shore power. Anyone heard of this before?
I haven't heard of this but I'm not surprised. After all, a converter is a switching power supply which are known for emitting RF when not properly designed and shielded.

The problem could be that the converter itself is not well shielded or a poor design but I seem to recall that most converters come in metal boxes which (one would hope) should provide sufficient shielding. It would be wise to check that the converter box is properly grounded just in case.

The more likely problem is that the converter is generating noise on either the AC or DC power cables. Putting ferrites on the cables next to the converter box might help.
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Old 12-22-2017, 11:45 PM   #66
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My buddy said when his converter is plugged in to shore power it emits RF noise? Only remedy so far is to unplug his shore power. Anyone heard of this before?
Many things can generate rf and create RFI. It's often hard to tell if in the air or over the power lines. It could be external to trailer. That's one of the reasons I operate battery powered and leave my converter turned off. (It's been off or over 5 years). I don't need the converter which is just a power supply.
I had a solar charge controller that would create RFI when the battery was fully charged. It died and I bought a new one and no more RFI.
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Old 12-23-2017, 11:19 AM   #67
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My buddy said when his converter is plugged in to shore power it emits RF noise? Only remedy so far is to unplug his shore power. Anyone heard of this before?
Indeed my converter really degrades reception on the HF bands. Also my Solar Controller, Fan speed controller, and USB charger also emit a ton of RFI (and even block out Comm FM radio broadcasts). I even have one LED bulb that consistently blocks out a TV station. I could spend a lot of time trying to cure it all, but instead, since I don't get on the air much from the Scamp, when I do I just shut everything off that causes bothersome FRI and run off the battery.
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Old 12-23-2017, 12:15 PM   #68
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rf generator

best plan run your rig off a 12v battery nothing else hooked to it. I spent hours on a Lincoln one time finally got rid of it went to gm no more trouble.

when in the Lincoln I ran just the separate battery!

bob
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Old 04-02-2018, 03:58 PM   #69
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I plan to take my Icom 7000 with us on our summer grand tour from Navarre FL. through Iowa to Yellowstone and points west and return.
I plan to use a long wire or fiberglass 25' telescoping mast with the tuner.
I just need to run a set of nice power wires from the battery or just use my AC power supply.
I am planning on rigging some sort of temporary mount on the tongue or rear bumper and some sort of ground plane.
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Old 10-19-2018, 12:36 PM   #70
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.
Thought I was replying to more recent thread
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Old 10-19-2018, 12:48 PM   #71
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Originally Posted by Dan-NS27 View Post
.
Thought I was replying to more recent thread
No worries.. we can resurrect old threads.. whats on your mind?

BTW, I ended up with a few 20 meter QSOs on one trip to Florida from the Scamp. Thats about all. I still plan to get it going again someday.. maybe some FT8.
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Old 10-19-2018, 01:58 PM   #72
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No worries.. we can resurrect old threads.. whats on your mind?
Post 26 on this thread is what I meant to post.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f56/emergency-response-scamp-ham-shack-87239-2.html#post721225

I'm trying to get active again on the radio. Been licensed since April '95 but recent years, military deployments got in the way. Retired 6 months ago so looking to get back into it. Right now, I'm in an HOA restricted house so I now have some equipment in my truck.

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Old 06-24-2019, 10:19 AM   #73
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Well, I just got a Uhaul CT13. Seeing this thread, I clearly need to finish up my uBitx build!

73

de KK4AMP
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Old 04-15-2020, 09:08 PM   #74
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Camp antennas

One thought is to get a mast and use a vertical wire. I snagged an MFJ-1910 mast at Shelby, NC hamfest a couple of years ago, it works well as a vertical. Light enough to not need guying, looks like a really large collapsing fishing pole. I have it clamped to an old military fiberglass antenna pole about 4' long. I then clamp it to the frame by the hitch. The auto-tuner in the Kenwood TS-480SAT handles it rather well. I do toss out a couple of radial wires beside the camper to avoid snagging anyone's foot. Not a "contest station", but works well for my use. I also have an old umbrella base, cast iron, and a couple of poles that I can use. When tent camping,. I'd throw a 43' pushup collapsing pole into the truck, the umbrella base, and three antennas for 2M, 220mhz, and 6 m. The base I would hold in place with the front tire of the truck (TV), and use the Armstrong method of rotating the beams. Lots of fun during the VHF/UHF contests. Looking forward to trying it again with luxury accommodations with the 16' Scamp. I use a Yaesu FT-736 for most VHF/UHF operation, it can run on 12V, so a solar panel and a good battery will last me the entire contest. Much better than lugging a battery and rig up a hillside, which I have done. Air conditioning, a cold drink and playing with a radio in a neat camper. Does not get much better than that!


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Old 04-16-2020, 08:15 AM   #75
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I have found that having a radial system to spread out on the ground made a lot of improvement in operation from the Scamp Command Vehicle.
With 300 watts of solar and twin 12 volt 105 AH batteries we are good to go.
I used to have an IC-7000 and used the separation cable along with a mount for the front panel and the radio on the floor worked well.
I used the auto tuner in a Tupperware box at the antenna on the front at the antenna and radial. I found that with digital operation the RF field tended to interfere with the CAT USB connection as it did when I used a 43' vertical that was on the other side of the garage wall at the home shack.
Perhaps one of the later model Scamps or Casitas with the Reflectex insulation would limit the RF field, but the Ensolite has no shielding whatever.
My rig is setup to be a Hurricane Go Box and ARES response vehicle and has been used for field day operations to test for the last few years, winter and summer.
To augment the solar panels I also have a 2200 watt inverter generator that will run on LP or gasoline. That allows for the use of the A/C and coffee pot both critical for emergency operations!.
Previously I used a genuine Harbor Freight 2500 watt inverter generator (not a cheap Japanese knock-off) and had a problem with RF noise and the internal connector from the alternator coil to the inverter broke down.
I fixed this and added Ferrite filters to the alternator leads and an RF filter to the output of the inverter that took care of the RF radiations. The Pulsar 2200 has proven to be free of RF noise so far.
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Old 04-16-2020, 08:26 AM   #76
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more hint....
I have found that most of the masts and telescoping antennas have an OD of 2" and a 2" PVC pipe mounted on the Scamp would work well .....Except if it is schedule 40 as is most available it is just "That Much" too small ID.
I used 2" schedule 20 PVC and it is strong enough to work and the 2" od will slip inside of it.
It also would help to make it where it swivels up (an pivot at the base of some sort and a clamp at the top to hold in place).
Mine is mounted on the stainless box I made to hold my tankless water heater on the tongue and does not swivel and it a little bit of a PITA because of that.
I have used this to hold the TN07 and a 1 1/4" mast section I have used to mount a Hy Gain DX77A just above the trailer.
The 28' DX77A is really a trial as you need a ladder and some help without that swivel.
Also by the way a genuine Harbor Freight swiveling trailer jack with the jack screw removed makes a pretty nice swiveling mount, but needs a little more bracing to be stable.
I haven't gotten around to making a setup for the Scamp yet, but I use one and a 4" X 4" post with the jack clamped to it so that I can swing the other DX77A I use at home up and down easily to tune, adjust and maintain easily.
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The wooden base is a rig I made I call a Quad-Pod for field day antenna mounting. Made from 2 - 2 X 4 X 10s and on 4 X 4 post and some J bolts to hold everything together.
I think the swivel jack could be clamped over the frame or the rear bumper and put to good use, but I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.
I use a short length of ratchet strap to tie around the mast and post when up to keep it from wobbling around.
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Old 04-16-2020, 09:27 AM   #77
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Nice setups! I have used the front jack as a mast support just using big hoseclamps, for the fishing pole type mast, it works ok. For the big pushup pole, not enough support. Working on a new battery box now, would love to find one big enough to hold the propane tank as well as my two batteries. I would have the smaller but high wattage panel mounted on it, with the second and third panels sitting on the roof. Little Urethane pads protect the fiberglass from scratches from the panels. Just got my hot water tank welded up (PO left it full over winter, split at the top.) Need to do a boondock test soon. Wonder how the trout are up in the New River?



Derswede (Who hangs out on 17m around 18.150) N4ABA
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Old 04-16-2020, 09:55 AM   #78
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Calling all ham radio people – HF op in a Scamp?

I just made this simple Drive On Plate and use a Penninger Radio Tipper on it to put a 32 to 40' aluminum mast up for an MS150 event and for Emergency Relief ops and it works well.
The Tipper that I have is 2" O.D. and you can get them in various diameters as needed and I can easily slide most push up poles right inside of it or clamp bigger ones to the outside.

We usually have a huge Diamond Fiberglass vertical AND a 70cm commercial Yagi on it together and have had no issues at all and it deploys in about 10 minutes too!

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Old 04-16-2020, 07:31 PM   #79
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Some good info has been posted, some about VHF operation, but getting back to my original topic (HF operation), let me tell you this:

For a few years at the home QTH I have been using an end fed wire antenna and I have been very happy with it when you consider its multi-band coverage and ease of use. The 10-80 meter version is over 120 feet long and therefore maybe not suited to many camp sites. I have used it in less than 90 feet by adding a plastic pulley and bending it, and that worked well also. But I am thinking the 10-40 version would better fit in many campsites, and hopefully work as well, at least for 10-40.

Speaking only about the full length version, the end can be mounted quite low, and in fact it works pretty well (with a low SWR also) if the entire length is only 15 feet or so. So, for the half size version, maybe the feed end could be mounted on a short mast and the far end strung from a tree 65 or so feet away with similar results. The coax run would be short, no ground or counterpoise is required - easy peasy if you have a far end support at reasonable height.

I am pretty sure I am going to give this a try. The 10-80 version I have is from https://myantennas.com/wp/. Once could build a similar end fed long wire but this one seems to have got the design of the antenna and transformer just right, and the components are high quality, so I dont mind paying a little for it.
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Old 04-17-2020, 06:55 AM   #80
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Personally I often use a non-resonant long wire antenna on whatever band it will load on.
I doubt that there is a lot of difference in the radiated power or lost power in the matching networks. Best would be an antenna that is close enough to 50 ohms that there is no matching circuit other than that the transmitter has normally and there is a low swr and close match.
However in the case of an endfed resonant antenna there is a lot of heat loss in the transformer ans often they still require a matching tuner as well.
I think that the majority of the radiated signal takes place at the high current portion of the antenna, which would be at the base of a quarter wave vertical or the center of a 1/2 wave dipole.
Some kind of wire in the air matched the best way gets you on the air, so do what you can and get on the air.
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