Mobile Command Install

[SKYNET156]

My Neighboor has sold me a Chevy Step Up Truck, AKA A Bread Truck, It's 14' Long,

I am converting this into a hobby project as a mobile command center,
I have a few questions about doing this and i would greatly appreciate all the help i can get, As i said, this is a "Hobby Project"

1. I want to power Motorola Maratracs, Police Scanners, and Computer Equipment, What am i going to need to power all of this for receive and transmit?
I know it can not go to the battery that powers the vehicle, so what power will it go to?

2. what are the legalities of having your own command center?
I am not going to be driving around in this vehicle, it's just for fun, and i might go to special events in my area just to monitor communications, and show it off to Ham and Radio Buffs in Charlotte,

3. As far as Mobile Repeaters go, what kind of license do i need? and how much power can be put on on a Mobile Repeater?

Any information would help, as i said, this is just a hobby project, i am going to get into building these for Ham Clubs and who ever else desires one,
I thought this would be a good hobby to get into,

 

[925]

Not to be harsh but ... perhaps you need to chose a different hobby?

You appear to have no idea what any of the requirements are from the basics to the legal issues and yet you want to start building them for private groups?

Secondly... what civilian in the world needs a personal command post?

 

[PJH]

If you need to ask (not too much offense), but then your really not quailified to build one. Seriously. In short, for what your going to do, is not much different than any mobile install. However thought and planning needs to happen.

As much as ham clubs say they want one of these, most cannot afford one even though they would order it, and each person/club/wacker has their own requirements so you really can't cookie cutter them.

Either way, scanners and maratracs are just not going to cut it.

There is nothing illegal about building one (as long as the vehicle meets your state's traffic law), but unless your putting in foley dump station, a hamabout charging station, and a complainers station...don't waste your time.

 

[SKYNET156]

Well, i have all the equipment, and the truck, and the extra cash, so why not?
While i understand that many people are pushed away from this hobby, i guess it's over to google to answer my questions.
Not everyone comes into a hobby with the know how to do everything, this was my attempt to learn, but i can see there is no one here willing to teach,
Thanks for all the info that was provided, but i guess all i can do is trial by error.

 

[n0vza]

I concur with the statements and opinions that have been expressed, but this sounds like fun! Do your homework and enjoy the learning process.

I would suggest talking to someone in your local and/or state Emergency Services department, Salvation Army, Red Cross, and as many Amateur Radio operators in the local area. Also check with the businesses in your area that “build” ambulances and/or outfit police and fire vehicles. Doing so, you may get the answers to your questions. If you are really lucky and motivated, maybe you can get a group project together and build something “really cool”!

 

[SKYNET156]

I really do appreciate everyone's input, Im not ungreatful that everyone put their thoughts in, but this is just for fun, this isn't a "whacker mobile"
this is just a fun project, i have all this equipment sitting around, and i thought i would put this to use, plus i have the truck which cost me $300,
So i just thought i would put this together, i have 2 Pro 96 scanners, some toughbooks, and 4 Motorola Maratracs that i want to throw in there, i thought it would be a really cool radio project, But i am going to program GMRS/FRS/MURS for TX and then have alot of RX Frequenies...like i said, this is just for fun, i wanna see where i can go with this....

 

[925]

No one called this a "whackermobile" but on top of your initial costs you have insurance, registration, maintenance, Etc. Not only that but what are the repercussions of having such a vehicle if you are approached at an event. You could be questioned by the authorities occupying a a van with communications equipment there in an unofficial capacity with no legitimate reason for being there you could be considered suspicions.

 

[62Truck]

C'mon give the guy a break, he asked a question no need to bash him, his money, his equipment, his vehicle, his insurance. Couple years back, My step father got a hold of a old radio station Winnebago, with a mast. We used it for Races, field day, and public safety events. What my step father did for power was, he had two deep cycle RV/Marine batteries connected into a inverter, and generator the mast was raised and lowered with a pancake air compressor, and there was plenty of counter space, had 3 mobiles 2 meters, 70 cm's and 220, and a HF rig,and the clubs portable repeater when needed, mostly for races and public events. Most of the stuff he needed he already had, and most of the time we had access to power so we ran an extension cord. Hopefully that answers some questions for you.

 

[SKYNET156]

C'mon give the guy a break, he asked a question no need to bash him, his money, his equipment, his vehicle, his insurance. Couple years back, My step father got a hold of a old radio station Winnebago, with a mast. We used it for Races, field day, and public safety events. What my step father did for power was, he had two deep cycle RV/Marine batteries connected into a inverter, and generator the mast was raised and lowered with a pancake air compressor, and there was plenty of counter space, had 3 mobiles 2 meters, 70 cm's and 220, and a HF rig,and the clubs portable repeater when needed, mostly for races and public events. Most of the stuff he needed he already had, and most of the time we had access to power so we ran an extension cord. Hopefully that answers some questions for you.

I really appreciate your advice,

I am a huge Nascar fan, and as you know, NC is just about the best place to do scanning like that, so i was thinking of using this for Nascar day when myself and wife tailgate, and for other events, we have alot of football events around UNC, they have alot of medical staff, ambulances, filming crews and what not around gameday for both nascar and football,
I also was going to throw my Icom HF receiver just for fun, i like to monitor the aircraft and ships and military HF,

So like i stated, this would be a great weekend hobby project,

I appreciate your advice about the batteries, i am going to look into prices of them, my brother in law has a 18' maco, so he should know something about the batteries, thanks for the help

 

[PJH]

Here lies the problem:

Emergency Communications/managment is NOT A HOBBY!

Building a comm trailer for field day, ham club weekends, contest events is completely different matter.

1-Do you have any APCO/NA/State/NFA telecommunications training?
2-Do you have any NIMS training?
3-Do you have a HAM license?
4-Do you have any GMRS licenses?
5-Do you have liability insurance?
6-Do you have state new/used vehicle seller license(s) (if required)?
7-Do you have any state mandated training for emergency operations?
8-Do you have any MOU's with local public safety agencies?
9-Do you know when to deploy or not to deploy?
10-What kind of training, and what training do you have to train operators?

Etc

 

[jim202]

Aside from all the flack that you have received over your quest, there are a few simple things for
you to consider.

1. How are you going to power the equipment?
I would consider installing a completely separate battery system for your radios. In order to do
this, you should install a battery diode isolator. this will charge both batteries any time the engine
is running. There are a number of companies that make them. It needs to be sized for the amperage
output that the truck alternator has. The installation is simple. Lift the high current wire on the output
of the existing alternator. Run this to one of the battery connections on the diode isolator. Take
and add a wire from the common input of the diode isolator and connect it back to the alternator
from where you removed the high current wire from originally. Now the other battery post on the
diode isolator will get connected to the second battery that you need to add to the truck for your
radios. A good marine deep discharge battery is the best if you plan to run the voltage down on
the second battery you add.

2. You might want to consider installing a battery cut off switch. This will allow you to totally
shut off power from the second battery. There are some high current circuit breakers that have a
manual shut off switch that can be used for the same purpose.
3. If you add a second battery, it needs to be tied down so that it won't move around while driving
the truck from one p[lace to another. You might consider looking at a marine supply place and
see if they have a plastic or fiberglass container to hold your battery.

This might get you started on your project.

Jim

My Neighboor has sold me a Chevy Step Up Truck, AKA A Bread Truck, It's 14' Long,

I am converting this into a hobby project as a mobile command center,
I have a few questions about doing this and i would greatly appreciate all the help i can get, As i said, this is a "Hobby Project"

1. I want to power Motorola Maratracs, Police Scanners, and Computer Equipment, What am i going to need to power all of this for receive and transmit?
I know it can not go to the battery that powers the vehicle, so what power will it go to?

2. what are the legalities of having your own command center?
I am not going to be driving around in this vehicle, it's just for fun, and i might go to special events in my area just to monitor communications, and show it off to Ham and Radio Buffs in Charlotte,

3. As far as Mobile Repeaters go, what kind of license do i need? and how much power can be put on on a Mobile Repeater?

Any information would help, as i said, this is just a hobby project, i am going to get into building these for Ham Clubs and who ever else desires one,
I thought this would be a good hobby to get into,

 

[925]

C'mon give the guy a break, he asked a question no need to bash him, his money, his equipment, his vehicle, his insurance. Couple years back, My step father got a hold of a old radio station Winnebago, with a mast. We used it for Races, field day, and public safety events. What my step father did for power was, he had two deep cycle RV/Marine batteries connected into a inverter, and generator the mast was raised and lowered with a pancake air compressor, and there was plenty of counter space, had 3 mobiles 2 meters, 70 cm's and 220, and a HF rig,and the clubs portable repeater when needed, mostly for races and public events. Most of the stuff he needed he already had, and most of the time we had access to power so we ran an extension cord. Hopefully that answers some questions for you.

NO ONE is bashing the guy. You are looking for advice and just because its not what your looking for does not mean its advice. IF you cant accept "negative" advice don't post the question. Some of us don't think its a good idea. I personally do not see the point you can do more with a few portable scanners or some type of portable device or system why limit your self to a permanent install with multiple computers. You are all so concerned with feelings its like your 5 year old children that still suck your thumbs "Mommy i don't like what that mean boy said to me"... Just because the advice is not what your looking for or goes against it ... does not mean its not advice. There are hundreds of ways to go about what your looking to do. I would be careful of the advice you follow. Half the mobile set ups shown here are fire traps anyways with inappropriate overload protection, Etc. IF you want to do this fine.... but 1) I do not think it will be as affordable as you may think and 2) your using a box truck where will all your antennas go? your limited in what you are trying to do here and personally I think a portable setup would suit your needs better and you would enjoy it much more.

 

[62Truck]

From his profile info it seems he is into paint balling, so maybe he wants to use it for that. Just a thought.

 

[SKYNET156]

So i want to comment on a few things before i get into what and why i am doing this project,

I am not obliged to people's comments,
I totally appreciate the fact that there is a postive and negative side of this forum, I don't have a problem with taking it in, it give me alot of things to consider,

Secondly,

This is not for public safety use in any way shape or form,
I work as a general contractor, i do landscaping, and building maintainence,
I DO NOT AFFILIATE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY IN ANY MANNER!
I just wanted to put that out there, this is just for monitoring purposes, such as a mobile shack,
I would love to use this in paintball, i think this would be a cool command post for the paintball operations that a few life long friends and i have invested in here in kannapolis,
but most of all, this is just a hobby shack,
As stated, i have all the radios, and truck, I just don't have the correct information to put it all together yet,
We have this idea of using GPS for our Urban Warfare Paintball Games, hence the idea for the toughbooks, We are pretty big with capture the flag, and Urban Warfare paintball Games,

But any information is always helpful, please keep it coming if you have it!

 

[gewecke]

If you had your ham license...

You could maybe offer to help your local races/ares team with this vehicle? I know a guy who did this with a vehicle similiar to yours for his local salvation army chapter,and they built a pretty nice mobile canteen that the area fire dept.would call on during extended duty fire calls.
Just some ideas.
Good luck!
N9ZAS.

 

[SKYNET156]

You could maybe offer to help your local races/ares team with this vehicle? I know a guy who did this with a vehicle similiar to yours for his local salvation army chapter,and they built a pretty nice mobile canteen that the area fire dept.would call on during extended duty fire calls.
Just some ideas.
Good luck!
N9ZAS.

Thats's an awsome idea, i just need to get crackin' with the Ham Book, i purchased it 6 months ago, and still haven't opened it yet!...to many things going on....but as soon as i get this thing off the ground and get my Ham ticket...i'll offer local groups idea's like that...

 

[N2JDS]

Like a few others suggested , your battery add on is the best way to power your system. I actually found a great resource for power distribution in boating stores, specifically the ones that cater to the cabin cruiser type, but you can find what you need in a lot of areas.
More power to you, every man needs his own projects to work on, and you found yours. One guy ask about your licenses, but do you actaully have a drivers licesne to drive this thing once it's done, just kidding ya. I'd consider a dual power supply switch, so you can have a 110v power supply so when you are home, you can just run off of that, maybe a shoreline to plug it in to keep everything charged up. When the budget increases, would be cool to see a solar panel on the roof to run everything. I wish I was in your predicament. Good luck , and make sure to post pics of your project when done, as well as some before, during and after pics.

 

[DieselFF918]

Sounds like a fun idea, one that I have thought about doing myself.

Few things to consider:

1. Do you have the necessary programming software for your Maratrac radios?

You can get the software from Motorola, if you want to spend a couple of hundred dollars and jump through some hoops. If you were thinking of getting it from the internet, think again, you will be big time busted if caught with it.

2. do you have licenses to operate these radios?

These are Government and Enterprise radios. You need to have the proper licenses to operate these radios. The FCC does pay close attention to these things, just go to their website and read some of the violation notices, they dont look very highly on people operating radios they are not licensed for.

3. Would your local government approve of you using radios that could interfere with their communications?

4. Again, these are commercial radios, more often than not a commercial radio will only be able to be programmed to a simplex frequency and will not work on a repeater because they may not be setup for the proper tone frequencies or off set frequencies.

 

[SKYNET156]

Sounds like a fun idea, one that I have thought about doing myself.

Few things to consider:

1. Do you have the necessary programming software for your Maratrac radios?

You can get the software from Motorola, if you want to spend a couple of hundred dollars and jump through some hoops. If you were thinking of getting it from the internet, think again, you will be big time busted if caught with it.

2. do you have licenses to operate these radios?

These are Government and Enterprise radios. You need to have the proper licenses to operate these radios. The FCC does pay close attention to these things, just go to their website and read some of the violation notices, they dont look very highly on people operating radios they are not licensed for.

3. Would your local government approve of you using radios that could interfere with their communications?

4. Again, these are commercial radios, more often than not a commercial radio will only be able to be programmed to a simplex frequency and will not work on a repeater because they may not be setup for the proper tone frequencies or off set frequencies.

All of this is great advice!, i would not be using the Radios to Transmit, They would all be set to RX Only,
I would be looking to get a FCC License so we can add TX Frequencies, I would also go through a friend of mine who runs a radio shop to Program the radios for RX Only, we would have scanners onboard for trunking purposes, and other monitoring purposes,
i want to make everything legit!, and there is going to be no I left undotted and T Crossed, ECT,
This is great advice to think about, Thanks

 

[bubbaearle]

Don't put the cart before the horse........

Thats's an awsome idea, i just need to get crackin' with the Ham Book, i purchased it 6 months ago, and still haven't opened it yet!...to many things going on....but as soon as i get this thing off the ground and get my Ham ticket...i'll offer local groups idea's like that...

Why don't you start getting your ticket and while you're in the process shop your idea around to some experienced folks. I'd bet you'll get great advice and prolly some help to boot.

Have ya Googled the subject yet? I'd bet there's already a post here on RR with pics in the Mobile Install forum.

If I were you I'd build a camper / mobile ham-shack / love machine.......well, maybe drop the last idea :twisted:

You'll draw some hard looks if ya try to make just a mobile command post type vehicle, but if ya have a bed, a sink & stove, and a porta-john / shower stall in there and as long as ya have your ticket the law can't touch ya.

No problems with ya monitoring......just do it from a reasonable distance

Good luck & post pics of the progress!!!