Ceiling Mount CB, Spectra Mount, and Rear Mount Antenna

[djthumper]

Nice install, a few questions.

- Did you put the mount on the bracket after running the coax? I have yet to see an NMO that can be mounted that way, all the ones I have seen you start by running the coax through the hole and then tighten it.

I am definitely thinking about getting one of those but with a whip that will do 27-30 so I can swap the CB for a 10m radio, given that I have no use for the CB except when traveling and maybe the PA speaker if I do go with one.

-What is the Spectra for? is it for VHF Ham?

We ran it before mounting it; I cut the end off and then we ran it thru with a wire snake.

The Spectra is for CAP, Ham, and local public safety primarily - doing MURS is the tip of the iceberg and is rarely used at this point.

I have seen some that are generally used for a trunk lip mount but I have sen a few others.

He is using the spectra for MURS, though that is a bit overkill of a radio service limited to 2 watts. Which would mean the radio is either modded to go down to 2W or he is running it out side of the limits of the service.

The mount was originally a lip mount - if you look in my old build thread, you can see it on the front of the vehicle. We bent this into shape to function as it does today.

I originally caught onto this trend when I heard a group of aspiring communicators waiting to take their ham test; they were out of Cherry Hill...and further South. One guy was running 110 watts out of a trunk mount spectra, the others were on iComs or something with amps and directional antennas. "Free VHF," they said - "Modified CB Radio...without the idiots." They had their own PL tones and everything...it was really intricate.
Mind you, this was back when I had my EFJ-5300 in service; I've never heard or communicated with someone so far away before on simplex.

Since then, they stopped - moved on to bigger and brighter things. I talk to them on the BEARS network every now and then.

Ah, you had never mentioned that you were a ham before. There are several of us that are hams. I am actually running several different modes on the ham bands, GMRS and LMR all in the truck.

[SaltWaterDrinker]

Yeah, I believe the way to do it is to perform a HEX edit to certain values, then that switches everything, so if you put in a frequency that is within the range of the radio but shifted up from the real (eg. 152 on the software is 144 on the radio, 154 is 146 or something like that).

I have thought about picking up a couple of cheap Spectras to play with, as they're readily available in remote mount version, which is good with the TB, as it has like zero space to mount anything more than 1 radio within reach of the driver.

Unless you get an Astro Spectra, DO NOT buy them from eBay - buy them from an enthusiast website like batboards...UNLESS they say that they have been recapped. If not, you'll get one that doesn't RX or TX, or is completely turded out and doesn't work right. I fell for that trap far too many times. =[

dj - Yes sir, I'm a ham; KD7FLY

Thats some cool stuff you've got going on in there! Any rig shots? I'm curious to see how you've set it up.

[djthumper]

dj - Yes sir, I'm a ham; KD7FLY

Thats some cool stuff you've got going on in there! Any rig shots? I'm curious to see how you've set it up.

I think I have some older pics of a quick setup I did when I first got it. I am trying to get a few things together to rework the way things are in there. I have a Kenwood D700 running APRS (KC7QJO-7), ICOM IC-2820 DSTAR system and a ICOM IC-221 for GMRS and LMR. I want to get the D710 to replace the 700 with and replace the IC221 with one with a remote face as well. I still need to get a CB installed for the trail rides with others.

I have recently taken on the position of Communications Officer for a newly formed Search and Rescue team, so I am trying to get things reorganized to get things going for that.

[KE7WOX]

I almost forgot about the leaky/blown caps on the Spectras.