MV Ham Radio Equipment Pic thread?

[ke5eua]

I picked one of these up to handle intercom and radio chores.http://www.ps-engineering.com/pma5000ex.shtml
while a bit spendy it give me the ability to connect multiple radios for receive/transmit through the headsets as well as integral stereo intercom and cell phone interface, plus I can connect my music into it and have full stereo. There are modules available that allow you to connect it to just about any R/T out there.

Building a comm console right now for my gear, will post pics once completed.

I think I had a mini heart attack when I saw the price. I could buy a new rig instead, lol

I'm debating on how I am going to integrate radios, cell phone, and stereo radio into a headset. Might use an aircraft system, my grandmother works at an aircraft parts place so I will see what I can come up with.

Would love to use my CVC with it, but then I would have to go all out military gear.

 

[Aerialfred]

I am in the process of mounting an RT-246 in my deuce under the passenger seat. Trying to stay as near original equipment as I can. There are holes under there with nuts on the bottom of the floor plate, but they are spaced out a little farther than the radio mount. I am making an adapter plate to use those holes, and use my radio mount.

 

[plode]

I took apart an AS-3900 base and removed the tuning circuitry, and soldered wires directly from the bottom BNC connector to the top SO-239(if that's what you call it). Checked the SWR with a friends MFJ antenna analyzer and it's below 1.5:1 probably around 1.2 or 1.3:1 on VHF. It's more around 1.5:1 for UHF(440). I checked it with a few local repeaters, came in crystal clear, the same as my vertical on my tower.
Down on HF, it's excellent on 10-20 meters, surprisingly. I listened into a bunch QSO's from all over the U.S. on 20...even with the antenna just leaning up against a fence around my pool. I didn't try calling anyone.

...just in case anyone wanted to know if it would work.

 

[ke5eua]

I took apart an AS-3900 base and removed the tuning circuitry, and soldered wires directly from the bottom BNC connector to the top SO-239(if that's what you call it). Checked the SWR with a friends MFJ antenna analyzer and it's below 1.5:1 probably around 1.2 or 1.3:1 on VHF. It's more around 1.5:1 for UHF(440). I checked it with a few local repeaters, came in crystal clear, the same as my vertical on my tower.
Down on HF, it's excellent on 10-20 meters, surprisingly. I listened into a bunch QSO's from all over the U.S. on 20...even with the antenna just leaning up against a fence around my pool. I didn't try calling anyone.

...just in case anyone wanted to know if it would work.

The antenna is around 8 feet so it won't tune very well on anything outside 10-12 meters. VHF is finicky, you can use a 6 meter antenna on 2 meters no problem, UHF don't count on it.

I love my MFJ-269 and it's about to go to MFJ for some repairs after 8 1/2 years of faithful service. I tuned a ham stick with it, hooked it up to the 857 and the swr meter on the 857 went high. Since then I couldn't trust it. Actually looking at getting a vna so I can test the entire band at once.

I have actually worked 20 meters on a stock antenna on my contact truck at NTC.