Mobile Install Complete

My install of the FT-857 is complete. All went fairly well. I opted to use the separation kit and mount the transceiver under the drivers seat and mount the control panel on the dash. There was a small cubby hole next to the cigarette lighter, so I was able to trim a small piece of a 2x4 that I screwed to the back of the opening, and then mounted to display panel bracket to the front side. The cable comes in through the hole that held the cigarette lighter.

I ran the power cable right to the battery. I attached a Radio Shack external speaker in the opening below the control panel. I re-routed the coax for the 2m/440 antenna under the passenger seat to the drivers side seat where the radio is. The microphone extension cable also is in the opening where the speaker is mounted.

I researched antennas quite a bit. I didn't really want to spend a few hundred dollars more right now for a screwdriver type antenna. A bug-catcher style didn't particularly appeal to me. Since I have an SUV, options for mounting are limited. Bumpers are actually about the worst place to mount an antenna from a performance standpoint. Simce my vehicle is a 2001 model, I'm not too worried about drilling a hole or two. I actually have an NMO mount already in the roof. I also wanted a permanent type installation. I hate having wires getting tangled up all the time.

I decided to go with Lakeview Ham Sticks. Just 40m and 20m for right now. I have read many positive and negative comments about the product and the company. For $30 a piece, why not try them out?

Since I had never had a mobile HF before, I had to look a little harder than I expected to find a mount I liked. Most were either mag mounts, mirror mounts or trunk lip style. Also many of them seemed very cheaply built. Luckily I found out about Breedlove Mounts. This guy has a machine shop in Georgia and he makes a number of high quality mounts. I decided on a fold-over style mount with quick disconnects.

The mount is made from brass. A few turns of the knurled quick disconnect knob and the mount folds over. A few more turns removes the antenna. Since my 2m/440 antenna is just about dead center of my roof (I have a moonroof, so a good bit of roof real estate is used up), I opted to put the mount off-center towards the drivers side. By doing this I can fold over the ham stick without interfering with the VHF antenna. I also took advantage of the ridges in the roofline (for luggage) for a little extra strength in holding the mount and a long antenna.

Most of the Ham Sticks are around 7' long. The height of my vehicle roof is maybe a little over 5 ft. So the tip of the whip is around 12 ft. I wasn't sure if I would ever truly operate "mobile" or not. But I drove around some with the antenna in place, and I come awfully close to some low hanging wires, but haven't touched any. Trees are another story. So far mostly leaves and small branches. The antenna is flexible, so old over/underpasses will be the biggest worry.

Ignition noise was quite noticeable, but the Noise Blanker in the FT-857 pretty much takes care of it. I still will be looking into a way to eliminate or reduce it either way.

I listened during lunchtime for a few mintutes today, and worked a station in Michigan on 20m. The band didn't sound that great, no DX at all. But on the way home I worked Russia, and he gave me a 59. Though the Ham Stick may theoretically be a poor design, results do matter. I think having a good ground plane under the antenna helps.

I've attached a few photos.