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My Mobile Rig Installation!

I have recently completed a Mobile Installation in my Toyota Land-Cruiser 100 Series station wagon. I am of the impression that a Mobile Installation can be complex and is trying to do everything right the first time.

My intentions were to install an Icom IC-706MkIIG with an Icom AH-4 automatic antenna tuner and an Icom AH-2b HF antenna element. For 2m I will be using a Diamond M285 monoband mobile antenna. The installation works fine but I am already in the process of replacing the Icom whip and tuner with a Codan 9350 Auto tuing antenna!

I am an active pilot and an Icom IC-A110 VHF Air band Transceiver is already installed.

Note GPS antenna above open rear door!

Icom IC-A110 VHF Air band rig installed!

Call sign on back of vehicle for mobile QSO recognition on 2m in traffic. Vehicle will be used for HAMNET Emergency communications if so required. Call sign now ZS3OBE.

Lifting a Geocache close to Springbok!

The antenna base was split and a 90mm HDP pipe inserted to lift the antenna base and coil higher up against the vehicle. The mounting bracket supplied with the AH-2b had to be strengthened substantially (I made up a new bracket) to be able to accommodate the additional weight and moment arm to limit vibrations and movement on the bracket.

The antenna installation should be able to handle gravel roads and off-road conditions on a continuous basis without the risk of bending and/or breaking off.

The AH-2b has the additional advantage of adding a piece of long wire, attached with a heavy duty crocodile clip, to the top end of the whip for improving efficiency and to be used as a mobile field station.

Note: I have recently replaced the silver Cruiser with a white one but the installation is virtually the same!! Call sign also changed to ZS3OBE

To be able to run maximum power at all times on the rigs I have installed a dual battery system into the Cruiser. This allows for one battery to drain completely with an automatic isolating switch protecting the primary battery from draining. It should assure that the vehicle can never run out of battery power with the engine not running! The 100AmpHour secondary battery should be able to drive the Icom IC-706MkIIG for quite a couple of hours with the vehicle stationary and switched off.

Isolating switch in engine bay!

Heavy duty cable and plug to power IC706MkIIG

Six millimeter electric cable with a heavy duty plug and two 30Amp circuit breakers are supplying the Icom 706 with electric power when it is remotely installed in the back compartment. The electric cable is running directly from the heavy duty issolating switch.

The Icom IC-706MkIIG will be remotelly mounted in the back compartment of the vehicle, close to AH-4 antenna tuner. A heavy duty mobile speaker will be used or I might use the vehicles original audio system for audio.

The Icom 706 transceiver was installed with its matching AH-4b antenna tuner in the back of the loading compartment. The radio and antenna tuner were installed on a 4mm alluminium plate with short earth strap grounding the radio, tuner and mounting plate to the vehicle body. The alluminium plate is mounted on four small vibration mounts and is installed for easy removal. By de-coupling the antenna feedline, power cable and seperation cable the plate and radio with tuner can be removed, quickly, easy and as a complete unit.

Icom IC-706MkIIG transceiver & Icom AH-4B tuner

Icom IC-706MkIIG

The head unit of the Icom IC-706MkIIG was remote mounted just in front of the utillity box on the centre console of the vehicle. The head unit was installed on top of the cup-holders, filled with plaster-of-paris, for a solid mount.

The height of the radio is perfect if you are resting your arm on the centre console and this makes for easy tuning and function changes on the radio.

PLEASE e-mail RECOMMENDATIONS / SUGGESTIONS and/or CRITIQUE to: abco@kingsley.co.za

QRZ.COM SA Radio League HamCall.net

Grid Locator: JG80wi Coordinates: 29º 39' 49" S 17º 54' 23" E

Carel Oberholzer: +27 (0)27 712-2111 o/h or +27 (0)82-805-0181 mobile

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