ZWJ

Howdy All!

OK, as per "popular demand" here is a "before" picture of the new van. They claim the color is "Berry Red" but I think that is just another name for Maroon.

Currently, I am looking into getting some stripes to dress up the outside appearance. I am also looking at adding some running boards as it does sit higher than the Fords do and some folks may have a bit of difficulty getting in/out without them.

Present radio/antenna plans include: 1) dual band rig with APRS 2) dual or tri band backup rig 3) scanner 4) HF rig w/ screwdriver antenna

Hole drilling to commence following a further planning session and pending assistance being available.

According to KXM, I am no longer a Ford guy - but, I still own two of them - OK, one and three quarters.

Respectfully submitted,

Keith, WA8ZWJ (new Chevy owner)

Progress is being made on the radio installation. It may seem as though progress has been slow getting started, but quite a bit of planning has been done as well as chasing down the necessary hardware. It is amazing how much time one can spend just getting everything together to do a job! The past few days I have been busy routing wires for control heads, cutting and drilling pieces of plastic dash and making the necessary preparations for mounting the control heads and other assorted hardware. In the shots below you will see an "in progress" shot of the dash area as well as a part of the collection of hardware being assembled to complete the installation .

OK, we had a very productive day today. Lou, N8KXM, came over and we measured and drilled the holes in the roof for the 5 antennas. He ran the mini RG-8U through the ceiling and down the post by the passenger seat and they all ended up under the passenger's chair where the dual band rig and tri band rig will be mounted. There is an exception to that which is the coax for the dual band antenna at the back for the mobile repeater which exits in the rear of the van. We then ran the cable bundle from the control heads and microphones across the passenger side of the dash and along the step panel to the area under the passenger seat as well. Lou says one of the antennas is a quarter of an inch off. Can you decide which one? Antennas front to back are: 1) a two meter whip which is in place temporarily until the 220 antenna arrives 2) the dual band antenna for the APRS/UHF rig 3) the 6 meter antenna 4) the 2 meter antenna 5) the dual band antenna for the mobile repeater system.

A very special thank you goes out to Lou, N8KXM for his hard work today and also for his assistance in all the planning that has taken place up to this point.

Today Lou and I finished the inside installation of the radios in the new van! In photo 1 you can see the fuse block for the two 60 amp service supplies. In photo 2 you will see the 60 amp fuse block for the radios and accessories. The other 60 amp service goes directly to the HF amplifier. In photo 3 you will see Lou's idea for mounting the radios under the passenger seat. This is a top view prior to moving the assembly under the seat. In photo 4 you see the radios in their installed position under the seat with all the wires connected. In photo 5 you see a view of the HF rig looking down upon it. In photo 6 you will see me in QSO with WD8JPP (Tom) as we tested the dual band and tri band radios. Congratulations Tom on being the initial contact from the new mobile radio studio! Photo 7 shows the dual band and tri band control heads on the dash, the HF rig mounted to the front of the console and the HF amplifier underneath the dash on the passenger side. Photo 8 shows the location of the GPS from the driver's view. Photo 9 shows the GPS, dual band control head, tri band control head and HF rig. Finally, photo 10 shows the dual band and tri band control heads mounted on the dash!

I really appreciate Lou's (N8KXM) assistance in both planning and installing the radios! I am VERY pleased with the results and look forward to many happy hours of operation!

OK! We now have stripes! All that is left is adding the HF antenna assembly, which has yet to be totally engineered and running boards (running boards are scheduled for Jan 12th).

Yet more progress! Again my thanks goes out to Lou, N8KXM, for his expertise and assistance! The screwdriver antenna installation is temporary because we plan to mount it in a more permanent position on the left rear so it won't have to be removed to have full access to the rear doors for loading and unloading.

We are nearly done with this project! This will get me by for my trip to Michigan later this week.

OK, we got the running boards on and all that is remaining is to do the permanent install of the HF antenna! Yippee!

Measurements have been made for the final installation of the screwdriver antenna. The end is near!

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 12, 2004 (yes, just before HamVention) the final installation of the screwdriver antenna was completed. A special adapter bracket had to be constructed to mount between the end of the existing trailer hitch bracket and the antenna bracket. Thanks to John Kovach (No Call) for getting the adapter bracket made. A special thank you goes to Lou, N8KXM for all his effort, insight, assistance and perseverance to make this installation top notch!

At last the saga has come to an end. No, there will still be a few more minor details, but nothing important enough to report here. Best 73, Keith!

ZWJ's New Van