My HF radio installation project

[aki]

good day everybody,

this forum often helped with my projects. so, I thought I share something I believe I did at least ok and which be of interest to others: a dirt cheap and very effect HF installation.

cheap, because the antenna and base did cost 25$, the wing tops were cut by a mate, the box under the clubby box I is selfmade and sums up to 12$, the automatic antenna tuner I got from the US for 220A$.

effective, because all the values I measured are really very good (ground connection and SWRs on all bands from 40m to 6m); test driving the installation the other day I established a contact to eastern europe from sydney suburbia. there is a frequency on the 10 m band, if I transmit on it the dashboard lights up because the RF is triggering the relays. :)

the essential trick is to mount a whip (as long as possible) and a tuner right next to the base. the length of the unmatched cable from the tuner to the antenna must be as short as possible to avoid loss.

now, the photos show best how things were set up.

all the best, cheers, axel

[aki]

more pics ...

[bblaze]

Just went through fitting a hf myself (and winch in same day), my only problem to daye is the base unit wont fit under the seat in the disco (will have to pull out the seat and have another go). Mounted the head unit just above the mirror. Multi tap on the bull bar, just waiting on a new spring for the base as it flops around every where. Best I could hear as abc tenant creek from nw tassie, thought that was pretty good.
cheers
blaze

[maca]

Amateur radio I assume?

Does the tuner seem to have any dramas with the heat (being next to the header tank)?

[aki]

thanks for your interest!
I just came back from a 10400 km trip with 46 C degree for a couple of days in a row ... heat not an issue :-)) actually, no issues at all and very good signal reports.
cheers, axel

[mfc]

thanks for your interest!
I just came back from a 10400 km trip with 46 C degree for a couple of days in a row ... heat not an issue :-)) actually, no issues at all and very good signal reports.
cheers, axel

sorry to bring this post back from the dead but...
i am putting in a similar setup and was just wondering did you consider mounting the auto tuner under youre guard {foward of unused air vent cover between guard and wheel arch liner} just a thought i had .
regards mark