response 1 of 34:

Nov 22 22:48 UTC 1999

I need a mobile mount bracket for a Kenwood TR-7850.  The Kenwood dealers
can't help me because the radio was made in about 1982.  Anyone know where I
might get one?

response 3 of 34:

Nov 23 17:42 UTC 1999

I made a GPS receiver bracket/holder out of a plastic wiring box, with a
little cutting and folding over of its edges (aided by heat from a torch). 
Bending 0.125 aluminum is not particularly easy without a brake. You might
also look at other plastic boxes that could be adapted. 

response 5 of 34:

Nov 24 00:43 UTC 1999

For a while I kept my ICOM HT in a cup holder, made for cars, that clipped
into the space between the window and its frame. Very convenient, in fact.

response 7 of 34:

Nov 24 16:35 UTC 1999

I'm supposed to know what a TR-7850 is? 8^} I put my mobile in a
cubby-hole in the dash - presumably made to keep keys, gum, who-knows... -
. It just sits in there, though propped to better expose the speaker. I
brought the power and transmission line to it via the hole where the
ashtray was, so there are no wires trailing around the front seat. In
another car, I cut a hole in the dash and made a simple bracket to support
a mobile in that. I have noticed, however, that new cars don't have holes
for "miscellaneous", and it looks difficult to get behind the dash to find
spaces to install things. 

response 9 of 34:

Nov 27 15:00 UTC 1999

There's the classic (damn this qwerty keyboard, I've forgotten how to use
them) 'velcro platd' method, where you mount a sheet metal plate that matches
the bottom of the radio, then cover it and the bottom of the radio (or the
top...) with velcro.  Very strong, has the secondary use of reducing
trasmission of vibrations to the radio.

response 11 of 34:

Nov 28 01:10 UTC 1999

Re #9:  Didn't think of that!  What I ended up doing is fastening the radio
to the top of the dashboard (there aren't many good locations to stick one,
in a Ford Club Wagon) with hangar strap, using existing screws in both the
radio and the dash.  Some 1/2" self-stick foam weatherstripping I had lying
around serves as a cushion between the dash and radio.  So far, I'm happy
with the results; the radio is staying put, and doesn't rattle.  It's also
at a good location and angle for me to see the display without taking my
eyes too far off the road.  The power and antenna wiring go across the dash
to the edge, then are tucked between the dash and door post.  The coax then
goes under the carpet, and the power wiring goes to the fuse panel.

Other ideas that I ultimately rejected: Fastening the radio to the metal top
of the dash (behind the padded part) or to the metal seat pedestal using a
Ridiculously Strong Magnet.  I also pondered attaching it to the inside
engine cowling between the seats, but the engine cowling on the Club Wagon
XLT has a really nifty fold-out table, and I didn't want to lose use of
that.

response 13 of 34:

Nov 28 23:37 UTC 1999

I'm aware that wiring the radio to the battery would be better, but so far
noone's reported alternator whine on my signal.  If I discover it's a
problem, I'll change that later.  The circuit it's on currently is the cigar
lighter circuit, which has a 20 amp fuse and has nothing else on it except
the radio and cigar lighter.  The radio is supposed to draw 9 amps at full
power, when transmitting.  This is enough to pull the ammeter on the dash
into the 'discharge' range if the engine's idling and the van's just been
started, but at higher speeds it stays in the 'charge' range.

response 15 of 34:

Mar 3 13:22 UTC 2000

I check their site quite frequently.  They have good internet only sales too.
I ordered one item from them so far and I was very happy with the price,
delivery and reasonable shipping charge.

response 17 of 34:

May 24 23:42 UTC 2001

Anyone have a copy of one of QST's "Hints and Kinks" collections?  I 
need a circuit that I'm reasonably sure appeared in one of them.

Basically, I want a circuit that'll switch on when a transmitter keys 
up.  I'd like to do this without tapping into the PTT line.  I recall 
seeing a circuit that did exactly that by sensing leakage from the coax 
line.  It was intended to switch on a cooling fan, and used several 
turns of wire around the coax to pick up RF leakage.  I think it used a 
MOSFET.  It was really simple, but I don't remember much about it other 
than that.  Can anyone help me out?  I've tried doing the same thing 
with a Darlington pair (I'm more comfortable with bipolar transistors 
than with MOSFETs) but I can't get it to work.

response 19 of 34:

May 25 14:06 UTC 2001

you may also find a section of the radio where there is some RF to tap into.
Rectify it and use it to turn on a FET.  You may not have enough current to
turn on a current device like a transistor, darlington or otherwise.  A
voltage device, like a FET, would be better.  You may also want to tune your
pick-up loop to the 2M band so that it will be more effective.

response 21 of 34:

Feb 8 15:43 UTC 2003

The box should be fairly small, you could clamp it to the coax, near a
support point for the cable.

Another option for doing all this would have been to use small reed relay
to switch a bias for a transistor.  Sorry I couldn't offer this before,
but this just popped up as new to me.  :)

response 23 of 34:

Feb 8 22:38 UTC 2003

True - lots of those are available, but the other half of the chassis
slides into the one in which the board will go, and I want to mount the
board parallel to the open sides of the half-chassis. There is no place to
fix standoffs and they would interfer with the other half of the box. (It
would take too long, or require pictures, to explain why I need to mount
the board as indicated.)

I would think that others would want edge guides for board - after all,
some plastic boxes are made with guides for inserting boards. 

I guess I can cut some strips and glue them into the sides of the box to
make guides, but it would sure be nice if guides came preformed and
attachable. Just another construction convenience.