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Ham Radio on a Goldwing Part II

4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Bob Myers 
#1 ·
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A while back I asked anyone if they had ever installed a VHF (2-meter) ham radio on a goldwing. Well... I went ahead and did it. I used a 2m/70cm dual band handheld radio connected to a dual band antenna mounted to the back of the bike. With only 5 watts of power I can get into all the local repeaters just fine.

For power I connected it directly to the battery with a fuse. An added benefit is that this radio has an option of displaying input voltage, so now I have a volt meter!

I'm still looking for headset/mic/PTT ideas. I'll either cobble something together from radio shack parts or buy a cheap speaker-mic and cannibalize it.

Here's a photo of the radio mounted to one of the windshield struts.
 

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#2 ·
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This is the base of the antenna. It's a Larson 2/70 dual band with an NMO mount. I added 1/2-inchwidegrounding ribbon to ensure a good connection for grounding the antenna.
 

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#3 ·
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The radiogoes off and on in just a few seconds. I clamped an old radio battery pack to the windshield strut to serve as a quick-disconnect fitting.
 

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#4 ·
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Thanks for the update.
Please keep posting with your install.
I have the exact same radio and will get to hooking up to my 82 Aspy' real soon.
I want to double its use with ARPS so family can see where I am on a map. (any idea how to do thus?)
I look forward to seeing how you go with the headset and mike.
I had my old FT-470 on my old bike. Just used a standard speaker and electret mike, put the PTT on the left hand bar where it was easy to hit with my thumb. Just made up the cables to make it all fit. Details are on the web. The tricky bit is getting the 4 way plug, but they are more readily available now than back then. Audio reports were Ok, most said it sounded like I was in a noisy car. Readability was always a solid 5x5.

Good luck with your current install!

Ben.

VK3GR
 
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#5 ·
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astrotlv wrote:
I want to double its use with ARPS so family can see where I am on a map. (any idea how to do thus?)
Ben.

VK3GR
APRS (automatic position reporting system)... now you have me thinking!

It would be pretty simple to connect a TNC and GPS for APRS. If I were to do it I'd use a Kantronics KPC3 TNC because of itssmall size and low current drain. For the GPS you'd need one with an external output (NMEA-0183 connector). There are smaller TNC's, but not as reliable.

Other than that its a matter of making up cables and configuring the TNC. I don't know if you have any experience with packet, but for APRS you don't need a computer after initially configuring the TNC. The most difficult part of packet is getting the cables right.

I sometimes go off on rides when my wife is working. It would be nice for her to go to a website and track my whereabouts.

http://personal.riverusers.com/~aprswest/javAPRS/10151.html
 
#7 ·
Kinda cool to do position reporting that way, but smartphone/bubbler GPS app/spotwalla.com is kinda the next generation. Here's mine I did this summer (I just rode back - was helping a friend out moving to Boise, and trailered the wing out behind the Penske truck. https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=766c51f53aa49b25c

Kinda neat to look back at - you can see where I rode out on the salt at Bonneville even!
 
#8 ·
I hooked one up to my bike as well. I used a pigtail that connected to my radio that was specifically made for the headset. I tied it in to my headset and only had to solder a small resistor/transistor on to a small board that tucked into a heat shrink tube. I added a push to talk button and it works great through the headset. I have to have my intercom on and the radio off or when I transmit when the radio is on it goes through too. I will have to get the specs and put them on in a different post. It was a few years ago that I did this and I can't remember everything I had to do to make this work but it was not as difficult as I thought it would be.
 
#10 ·
My wing is the next recipient of a Kenwood TM D700 with built in TNC, I succesfully installed and use another KW TM D700 with operational APRS on my Venture Royale'.

For the wing I am using a Mix-It2 audio combiner plugged into the Aux port on my wing, (dang sight easier than the Venture to combine). When the ham radio emits audio the Mix-it2 mutes the sirius unit, putting the audio directly into tthe helmet speakers.
For the Gps receiver I am using a Byonics2, was going to use a Garmin Nuvi 350 for that but steered away from that for the moment.
Have a Yaesu FTM-350 in the Magnum, watch my track on APRS.fi, N4RWM-9 is my call for that.
 
#13 ·
Maybe he's from Down Under!
 
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