Thread: HF antenna mounting

Originally Posted by DeanoH

I saw a folding mount for a spring base multi tap when I was in Alice springs last year, so they are available.
Deano
VKS-737 Mobile 1366

re folding mounts - I recently purchased on of these ... havn't quite worked out where to deploy it yet, but it opens up options.

I've just been and spent an hour or so with a bloke who is an experienced HF radio technician and has recently moved into Bunyip, very handy being only 10 minutes up the road and on my way to work. He certainly seems to know his stuff, is a Codan dealer and has a shed full of spares for these radios, plus an impressive array of test equipment.
We have established that the antenna system is in good working order, however there are a couple of problems with the radio itself, some dead characters in the LED channel display, also the first 4 channels are not remaining stable on frequency; have left the setup with him to investigate further. Also needs the EPROM for the updated channels, everything in it is sadly obsolete.
With regard to the antenna mounting, he has ruled out my two preferred mounting options due to proximity to metalwork. I will be fabricating a folding mount for the rear of the vehicle, about the only thing to do with HF radio that I have the skills and equipment to do myself. The Codan folding mount would not work for my application. I could mount it at the base of the bullbar, but would involve fabricating a mounting point for the bullbar anyway, so may as well get it back where I don't have to look at it.

G day POD sorry to hear there was some dramas with the radio, all would be fixable in the right hands. The 8525 is a good robust radio. I have a couple of the 8528 remote head versions and believe there is another 6 or 7 kicking around our 4wd group and only a couple of probs over many years. Both with the remote heads, that yours doesn't have that anyway . Sounds like your onto a good technician. I would recommend joining the vks and the book they send you is very good as a reference on how to use the network effectively. Remember when you get it all installed, take the time to play with it, beacon call a few bases, on different channels. To get an idea for the whole frequency an time of day thing. Log into a couple of voice call skeds, to get comfortable talking on the airwaves. And maker sure the good lady ect have a basic idea of how it works before you head off. Hope to hear you on the airways soon


Sent from my HTC_PN071 using AULRO mobile app

I went with this fold down antenna mount.



image-484726630.jpg

The 8525 that I have does in fact have the remote head, however it doesn't have the selcall business. Apparently this means that I can only make contact during sked times. Being able to contact outside help during sked timeslots is enough peace of mind for me. The VKS-737 site has a page about a selcall app for smart phones, I've downloaded this and it is essentially a tone generator, you hold it to the mike to make a selcall. The radio guy was extremely skeptical, dismissive even, of this kind of thing. Will have to give it a test sometime.
Having the antenna mount fold down back along the guard is an interesting option, hadn't considered that, I'll have to see if the guard is long enough for this flagpole of an antenna. It is almost exactly as long as the car is wide, so i had considered folding it laterally across the bullbar. I have so many projects and jobs hanging over my head at the moment, I will probably just make a fixed bracket for it and attach it only when needed. Might get time to do something more fancy later on.

Edit: the antenna is too long to fold back towards the windscreen unfortunately. I think at this point I'll make a simple bracket, stow the antenna when not in use, and look at getting a more compact type of auto-tune at a later date.

Oh yes got my codan models mixed up
Was thinking yours was the same as mine. But that model sellcall was an option. As for that app on your phone we have played with this out of interest and it does work. But maybe not as well as sellcall fitted in the radio. What we found was it really come down to getting the distance from the phone speaker to the Mic right, but it did work. Just remember it only works to call out people can't sellcall you.
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using AULRO mobile app

Another option might be to mount the auto tune base so it folds across the front of the 'box' behind the cabin (for more protection) and only affixing the whip when reqd, raise the antenna assembly when needed, removing the whip section when done.

If it's Selcall/Telcall you aspire to, a West Australian company, Jenal Communications, make a compatible (for your HF radio) microphone (Model SC2) that has a keyboard on the front, 1 - 0 * & #. This allows Selcall and Telcall facilities on HF radios that don't have this facility built in and is a good piece of kit.

I have an old RFK105 SSB HF radio that has one of these connected. The only reason I haven't tossed this antique set out is because of this after market microphone. It's free to good home if you want it. Your HF radio tech should have no problem fitting this to your 8525. BTW, this set does work and I have contacted VKS-737 Adelaide with it from my home, just down the road from you, but I definitely would not recommend it as a viable HF radio, but the microphone is very good.

Originally I was going to connect this microphone to a Codan X2, arguably the most robust Codan HF set built (but without Selcall/Telcall) but bought the 9323 instead.

Deano

Originally Posted by DeanoH

Another option might be to mount the auto tune base so it folds across the front of the 'box' behind the cabin (for more protection) and only affixing the whip when reqd, raise the antenna assembly when needed, removing the whip section when done.

If it's Selcall/Telcall you aspire to, a West Australian company, Jenal Communications, make a compatible (for your HF radio) microphone (Model SC2) that has a keyboard on the front, 1 - 0 * & #. This allows Selcall and Telcall facilities on HF radios that don't have this facility built in and is a good piece of kit.

I have an old RFK105 SSB HF radio that has one of these connected. The only reason I haven't tossed this antique set out is because of this after market microphone. It's free to good home if you want it. Your HF radio tech should have no problem fitting this to your 8525. BTW, this set does work and I have contacted VKS-737 Adelaide with it from my home, just down the road from you, but I definitely would not recommend it as a viable HF radio, but the microphone is very good.

Originally I was going to connect this microphone to a Codan X2, arguably the most robust Codan HF set built (but without Selcall/Telcall) but bought the 9323 instead.

Deano

Hi Deano,
If POD passes on the Janal mic, I'll put up my hand for it for my Barrett SB250.

Tony