NE7X HF/VHF Mobile
Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona USA
2005 Toyota Corolla
Arizona State Veteran License Plate
9TH68 = 9th Infantry Division 1968
Larson VHF/6M antenna left rear trunk lid
XM satellite radio 5 GHz antenna left rear trunk lid
AM/FM Stereo antenna center rear roof
HF High Sierra SideKick Screwdriver antenna right rear side fender
High Sierra "SideKick" 80 through 10 meter HF mobile antenna
Screwdriver type (note red/black motor control wires)
HF mobile mount
Yes, I drilled holes into rear-side fender of the car
When you are drilling holes in your car, make sure you know what you are drilling into. What is on the “other” side of where you are drilling into? You may drill into something you did not intend like: electrical wire harness, window bracket, gas line, air-bag, or just make a hole in a place you did not want. THINK BEFORE DRILLING !!!!
Also make sure you have room/space inside behind where the antenna ball mount is going for your hands and tools. You will need to get your hand and a crescent wrench behind the bolts to fasten the mount bolts and make the coax connections.
Once you made all the holes, sand paper off the paint around the holes to expose the car chassis bare steel metal. Do this to both side of all the holes.
There are two connections to the ball mount, center of the coax goes to the ball center (screw) and the coax braid go to one of the three ball mount bolts, car metal chassis, ground. I used crimped-on round hole lugs on each coax lead.
Ground both the radio and antenna to the car chassis. Make sure you scrape off the paint around the hole or bolts where you make the ground connections. If possible, run a ground braid between the radio and one of the antenna mounting bolts.
My ICOM 706MKII has been modified for 60 meters.
When operating on 60 meter band,
I add the DX Engineering HotRodZ Capacity hat above the coil section of the SideKick
The HotRodZ capacity hat must be mounted the length of the coil or more “above” the coil, not at the immediate top of the coil. Actually the higher above the coil the better. The capacity hat brings the current of the antenna higher to the top, resulting in less turns needed for the coil. The coil is a dummy load, so you want to use as few of turns as possible. When using a capacity hat you have less coil turns, so the antenna becomes more efficient and radiates more RF into the atmosphere.
(left) Larson MNO-150 VHF 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna.
A 5/8 wave on 2 meters is a 1/4 wave on 6 meters
So I use this antenna for both 2 and 6 meters
(See duplexers diagram below)
(right) XM Satellite 5 GHz antenna
Looking inside trunk of car.
ICOM IC-706MKII and MFJ-907 Z matching transformer hanging under rear quarter panel
Car rear stereo speakers also shown in photo
ICOM IC-706MKII mounted in trunk of car hung under rear quarter panel
MFJ-907 (50 ohms IN : 2-50 ohms OUT) torrid Z matching transformer
This allows me to match the HF antenna to less then 50 ohms antenna base Z
I get a flat 1:1 SWR on all HF bands when selecting the proper Z torrid tap
Note black torrid choke on red/black motor wire
This eliminates motor brush static in the receiver
Note ground braid
All paint was removed before mounting components
Duplexers
This is how I get 2 & 6 meters onto the same antenna
ICOM IC-706MKII mounted in trunk hung under rear quarter panel
ICOM IC-706MKII and Duplexers inside trunk of car
One of car's stereo speakers also shown
Car battery with DC fused power connections for IC-706MKII
Inside view (what the driver sees)
Inside view (center console)
(left) "EZ Tune" screwdriver motor UP/DOWN rocker switch
(black box with green light & red wires)
(center) XM Satellite Radio
(right) ICOM IC-706MKII radio head
Clear-Speech DSP Speaker
Mounted to rear of arm-rest console between front bucket seats
This is a MUST for HF mobile operation. Makes 40 meter SSB sound like FM
DSP removes all the background static and ambient noise floor
Listening to HF is less fatiguing
(left) XM satellite radio
(right) ICOM IC-706MKII head
"EZ-Tune" screwdriver UP/DOWN motor control switch
Two-way center off rocker type switch
Switch mounted on center arm-rest console between front bucket seats
When pushed, antenna motor turns (CW/CCW) and transmitter is keyed to 5 watts CW carrier
I tune for minimal SWR (1:1) then let go of the switch
Green light indicates end-of-travel (SideKick coil fully extended [up] or contracted [down])
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