Now to answer Duke’s questions:
I am not aware of any safety considerations for mobile installations. I also reviewed the Mobile Installation chapter of the ARRL handbook and did not find anything there either.
I don’t see any issues with the under tire mounts. Many folks use them for portable operation. They are quick and easy. I have a telescoping fiberglass mast attached to my camper that I use to get an antenna up. If I’m in the woods, I usually hang a wire antenna in the trees.
Cross band repeat is great. At home, I can set up my Kenwood TM-V71 for cross band repeat and use the Handy Talkie (HT) anywhere around the property. For those not familiar with cross band repeat, it’s when you set up a dual band radio to receive the low power signal from an HT and send it out a higher power. You can set it up to hit a repeater or a simplex frequency. You can set it up in your camper to extend your range when you are out hiking or whatever. Note that this is for VHF/UHF (2 meter/70 cm) only. So you are limited in your “reach”. If you are in range of a repeater, then great. Otherwise it’s hit or miss whether you would be able to reach anyone. I would guess I can hit a repeater in about half of the places I’ve camped. To get out reliably (100% of the time for me so far) requires HF capability. Of course HF access requires a General class license (unless you know morse code). I regularly make contacts on 20, 40 and 80 meters. I figure if I can talk to someone with a phone and know my location, then I can get help.
Thanks for the questions. Let me know if you have follow up questions. It can be a lot to take in. I will be sure to include these topics in my article.
Thanks,
Joel
