KI4LIV Shack On Wheels Updated.

[KI4LIV]

Updated to include removal of one scanner, which was replaced with a CB. One additional antenna added as well.

First - the console.... Exterior pics in next post.

I apologize for the quality of the photos in the dark - I wanted to show the contrast of the different colors on the radios but unfortunately the FT-7800R and BC785D look the same color...

This truely looks great lit up at night! These pictures don't do it justice!

 

[KI4LIV]

Exterior photos

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

Man! That is an excellent setup. Nice CB. I like the blue backlight. I know how different the Yaesu looks compared to the scanner, but those dark photos are great compared to my camera.

That's cool that you're not one of those anti-CB ham-snob types. I think CB has some advantages over ham. It's cheaper, more user friendly, doesn't take hours to program, there's always someone with their ears on, and you don't need a license.

 

[KI4LIV]

Thanks! The blue backlight isn't original to the radio - I actually changed the white bulb out with a blue LED... kinda helped stay with the color theme of the rest of the radio!

I am the same way with CB - I actually got interested in radio while riding with my grandfather on a cross-country haul when he used to drive an 18 wheeler when I was 12. Then came my scanner interests when I was 18, which led me to becoming a police officer for a few years... and then my scanner interests put me between a rock and a hard place - either get my ticket, or not be able to listen to the scanner in my vehicle (Florida recently changed their laws.. before, you couldn't have one installed in your vehicle unless you were a member of the media on the job, a public safety officer/worker, or a ham... Now you can't even have a hand-held scanner in the vehicle without being one of those!) So, I went and got my ham ticket with no intentions of really getting into the ham aspect of it, but , alas, curiousity got the best of me - and I'm glad it did!

This is my first CB since I got my ticket.. got it mainly for traffic reports, as I drive 35 miles each way to/from work on the interstate and want to know if I should ditch I-95 and go to the surface streets, or suck it up and go slow for only about a mile.

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

The CB is the best thing for traffic reports, hands down. That's cool that you changed the light bulb. Was the original bulb an incandesant? That's smart using an LED so you don't gotta worry about it blowing out.

What do you use for speakers ?

Are all 3 radios hooked directly to the vehicle's battery? Man, I'm just jealous.......

 

[KI4LIV]

yep - incandesant... horrible bulbs LOL!

For the CB and Yaesu I use two small speakers that were originally sold with Kyocera cell phone mobile kits ... Pics can be see with the original setup here: http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34529

They sound really good, but the scanner never quite had the oooomf that I wanted it to, so I put in a Radio Shack amplified speaker...

 

[policeMonitor]

thats the best looking set up i seen so far looks great!!

i also have a cb in my wacker mobile great tools for the road saved me from alot of tickets lol:lol:

 

[ScanDaBands]

Very NICE looking install.

 

[W8TUZ]

Very Nice

One of the best mobile setups I've seen, I'm envious! The 7800 and the Uniden look great together.

I too started out in CB way back when... If I had the room in the mobile, I'd have one.

Nicely done.

 

[KI4LIV]

Thank you sir!

Ok - I realize this is one of the worst things a ham could say, but I was looking for a non-type certified CB that is made by Uniden, sold under the name of President Herbert, simply because it had the orange lighting and backlit buttons so I could stick with the same color scheme! http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/president_herbert.htm , or the Present George - the pics don't show it, but everything shown in white lights up orange - http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/president_george.htm

The Virage Night Talker didn't last on the market long even though it's type certified.. It's made by RCI, same people who make the Texas Ranger type-certified CBs, as well as the same people who make all the "Export" "10 meter" radios - Galaxy, Connex, General, etc etc... I guess the Virage name just wasn't known well enough... Yes - it's known for being a "10 meter export" radio manufacturer, but never for CBs. I must admit though, DAMN it looks nice at night! As I said, the pics don't do it justice! I appreciate the kind comments!

 

[scannerpro]

I really like the Yaesu and the Uniden Scanner!!!

CB I really don't care for but other than that it's nice!

Good Job!!

 

[N4JNW]

Awesome install man.... Props to you! Very neat, very clean install..

I'm jealous now....

 

[navyplt182]

Mounting plates

Hi...cool setup. What are the plates that you used to mount your equipment in made of? Also, where did you get the plates? Thanks in advance.

 

[KI4LIV]

They are powder coated steel.. I got the entire console from www.jottodesk.com , it's the 9" short stack.

 

[OpSec]

JW-

When did you move the mounts from the doors to the bed rails...I thought they were on the rear doors in the version 1.0 install...?

Looks great regardless.

 

[Rayjk110]

Man! That is an excellent setup. Nice CB. I like the blue backlight. I know how different the Yaesu looks compared to the scanner, but those dark photos are great compared to my camera.

That's cool that you're not one of those anti-CB ham-snob types. I think CB has some advantages over ham. It's cheaper, more user friendly, doesn't take hours to program, there's always someone with their ears on, and you don't need a license.

Totally agreed, Johnny. If it's one thing that pisses me off about some ham ops, it's the Anti-CB attitude. I run 100w on CB and dang proud of it. Lots of good information you can gather from talking to people on there, and laid back too! (not all "HI HI FINE BUSINESS THERE ON THE FINE BUSINESS HIHI QSL")


Nice mobile setup !

 

[KI4LIV]

JW-

When did you move the mounts from the doors to the bed rails...I thought they were on the rear doors in the version 1.0 install...?

Looks great regardless.

Stateboy,

I decided to move them to the back about 3 months ago, didn't like the truck looking like it had "horns"... They perform just as well back there, plus it helps me give some distance from the CB antenna. I am using the same mounts as well.

 

[policeMonitor]

Totally agreed, Johnny. If it's one thing that pisses me off about some ham ops, it's the Anti-CB attitude. I run 100w on CB and dang proud of it. Lots of good information you can gather from talking to people on there, and laid back too! (not all "HI HI FINE BUSINESS THERE ON THE FINE BUSINESS HIHI QSL")


QUOTE] LOL


i run quite abit of power myself im gonna state because of all the radio police on here but yea i use my radio as a tool and i shure as hell dont act stupid like the guys that get there radio from the local walmart to mess around


i run all 10meter and ham radios

 

[KI4LIV]

Totally agreed, Johnny. If it's one thing that pisses me off about some ham ops, it's the Anti-CB attitude. I run 100w on CB and dang proud of it. Lots of good information you can gather from talking to people on there, and laid back too! (not all "HI HI FINE BUSINESS THERE ON THE FINE BUSINESS HIHI QSL")


Nice mobile setup !

Trust me, there is a lot of attitude to be passed around in the ham world.

They are not just snobs towards CB users, but snobs towards anyone with a lower class license than theirs - ESPECIALLY when you don't have one that requires CODE!

Go out to QRZ.com or Eham.net forums... You'll see more than plenty of trashing of no-code technician class license holders...

You'll see crap like:

"You're not a REAL ham unless you know code."
"You're just a CB user with a license to use repeaters."
"Go upgrade your license, then come talk to me. Until then, I'm not listening to you."

It never ceases to amaze me why they complain that it's a dying hobby, wondering why nobody is interested! Well, DUH, if the first time I got onto a repeater or onto SSB on HF and called CQ, and some old fart with an attitude chased me off "his frequency", I would be left with a bad taste in my mouth too!

I was lucky - my first CQ call was onto a local repeater, and was welcomed into the hobby by a man who I consider a very good friend at this point, David Glen, KD4SFR , and he dragged me down to the local club's monthly meeting.

When he introduced me, everyone said hello, and then there was some grumbling from the old timers when it was said that I only held a technician class license, but for the most part, I was welcomed with open arms, and have attended everyone month since then, as well as having participated in numerous club events.


I guess everyone's milage may vary !

 

[ScanDaBands]

so I could stick with the same color scheme!

Nice Idea on the color scheme, I've owned the Prez George , very NICE radio. I said it before above but again NICE INSTALL , that looks way nice.

ALSO on the George , it has a security feature on it for operation so if you buy used make sure you're all set with that from the owner ok?