Ham Motorcycle Install?

[KK4JUG]

Do you want to be that close to the antenna if you're wanting to increase transmit wattage?

 

[nokones]

Are you relying on BT for the linking? I did mine back in 1999 with a coil cable and it worked great.

I have no clue if they can interface with the Yaesu, they aren't cheap, but if anyone can make it work right, it is Setcom.

Home

The easiest to use, most versatile high quality and affordable headsets for Industrial workers, Fire Departments and Police Motorcycles.

setcomcorp.com

PVP Communications is another source for motorcycle communications.

 

[nokones]

Keep in mind there's a risk of RF exposure since there's nothing such as a metal roof between you and the antenna if you're using high watts.

You should be running the radio RF output power 25 watts of less because of the electrical draw on the on-board electrical system.

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

I'm interested in mounting a radio on my motorcycle as well. Following.

 

[CaptCaveman22]

Hello Krokus. While looking for a good and dependable dynamic mic (required for my Yaesu rig), the BM-10 seemed like the best choice. I use ram mount products for the mount and found this great PPT button on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNVFZDN6?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3
I'll attach a photo of all that as soon as I have the chance.

 

[CaptCaveman22]

You should be running the radio RF output power 25 watts of less because of the electrical draw on the on-board electrical system.

Nokones - I could not find a successful way of running the radio off my MC battery/system without experiencing a drop in power and signal during transmit. I simply place a LiFePO4 battery in my saddle bag and stay independent of the MC's electrical system (highly recommended).

 

[merlin]

Well, I did like K6CPO, I rode a gold wing and they have provisions for ham/cb.
The thumb PTT is the hard part of transfering to about any bike 600CC or better.
Getting power, maybe a saddle bag setup with like 400 W/H battery.

 

[W8KIC]

Here's an update to my original post at the top of this string... I chose a wired solution for audio going from the FTM500 base unit in my saddle bag to my helmet where I installed the mic and speakers from a Heil BM-10 headset. The head unit is on my handle bars using RAM mounts. I found a chrome PTT switch to go next to the clutch on the handle bars. A half-wave antenna works well given poor grounding on an MC. This set-up has worked great when volunteering at public service events such as marathons (see photo) and 100mi bicycling events. Thank you for all the input in the messages above. K9MSG
View attachment 183497

Cool setup, although there doesn't appear to be much of a counterpoise to take advantage of for what looks an awful lot like a mag mount. If in fact it is a permanent mount, it sure could've fooled me. Lol! That aside, your setup looks very professional and I'll bet it works very well for you. Be safe!

 

[CaptCaveman22]

W8KIC - You're exactly right... in advance of public service events last fall where I rode my MC as pacer/rover at a bicycle event, I had little time to perfect an antenna set-up. So, I sent quick dimensions to sendcutsend.com to have them fabricate and mail me a mounting plate for a 1/2 wave mag mounted antenna which has worked great. They were cheap, fast, and accurate! When time permits, I'll be transitioning to something with a cleaner look.