2004 F-250 Mobile HF setup

[Azgunguy]

I installed my FT-891 in my F250 as I’m on the road pretty often. Finished the install this morning and had 3 DX contacts rather quickly on 10m. I used a Lido mount for my 891 head, a magnetic mic mount for the mic, and mounted the body behind my back seat. Ground is about a foot long to the body, and 10 gauge wire ran directly to the battery. I have very little RFI from my vehicle, and only a bit more when I turn on my HVAC system. Very surprising as it’s a 19 year old truck! My antenna is an MFJ Hamstick for 10m. Mounted to a custom bracket I made bolted to the bed. Coax is ran under the bed liner, out the bed through a grommet hole and then into a cab grommet hole. The overall height for the antenna from the ground is about 13’.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

well be careful of low bridges with your antenna being that tall. You have to obay signs for trucks that are 13' and over.. Nice job on the install .

 

[Azgunguy]

well be careful of low bridges with your antenna being that tall. You have to obay signs for trucks that are 13' and over.. Nice job on the install .

Right. The lowest I’ve seen so far is 14.5’. No more drive thru places though! All my highway driving is on major interstates so it hasn’t really been an issue for me.

 

[dave3825]

You could most likely find a hinge type mount or if your handy, fabricate something. Then you could fold the antenna back a bit and still be able to hit your favorite fast foods drive thru.

 

[mass-man]

Or use the antenna as a “weight loss device” and stay out of fast food lanes😁

 

[03msc]

Or use the antenna as a “weight loss device” and stay out of fast food lanes😁

Hey hey, such negativity and hate speech is not permitted here in the forums!

 

[KK4JUG]

I noticed your pictures didn't show either of the two trees growing in Arizona. Your setup is perfect for the area. Here in the deep South, I couldn't drive around the block without losing that antenna. Here, even my 19" antenna sometimes bounces off the tree limbs. Yours looks good, though.

 

[mass-man]

Yea would be nice to be able to do that! I wouldn't get down my driveway!!!

 

[PACNWDude]

Very nice install. You even have some room for another control head or two there, when the urge comes up for VHF or UHF comms. Glad that works with little noise in that truck. On a good note, real steel instead of aluminum like the newer trucks.

 

[03msc]

when the urge comes up for VHF or UHF comms

In the background under the dash I see a Kenwood v71a with a dual band antenna on the front fender. He could move the control head of the v71a to this mount, though, and remote the body for a cleaner and easier-to-reach setup, though, if he chose.

 

[Azgunguy]

In the background under the dash I see a Kenwood v71a with a dual band antenna on the front fender. He could move the control head of the v71a to this mount, though, and remote the body for a cleaner and easier-to-reach setup, though, if he chose.

Good eye. I have the remote mount for the v71a. I just use my hf rig so much more often. I turn on my v71a to just monitor my local repeater or simplex and highway patrol on my drives. Not much TXing on it.