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Setting up a slip-seat combination...

T

The Jerk

Active Member
May 6, 2008
647
66
38
Reading, PA
I drive all over for my work...wasn't a problem as I drove my own junk from 2001 until I traded last year and started getting rental cars. Just made a run from PA to FL and back last week, and really missed not having the radio for up to date traffic. I had been using a Hustler Magnetic and a Midland 75-822, but its hard to use.

I've got a spare magnetic Wilson 1000 (need to replace the coax) and a Uniden 78 (weather, night watch) and I'm thinking of setting up a slip-seat style radio...something I can setup on the passenger seat. I'm guessing a standard power outlet would have enough juice to run a barefooted type-accepted radio??

I'd probably build the box/mount myself, something that could sit on the floor or seat and be either wedged into place or held onto the seat with the seat belt.
 

The Jerk said:
I drive all over for my work...wasn't a problem as I drove my own junk from 2001 until I traded last year and started getting rental cars. Just made a run from PA to FL and back last week, and really missed not having the radio for up to date traffic. I had been using a Hustler Magnetic and a Midland 75-822, but its hard to use.

I've got a spare magnetic Wilson 1000 (need to replace the coax) and a Uniden 78 (weather, night watch) and I'm thinking of setting up a slip-seat style radio...something I can setup on the passenger seat. I'm guessing a standard power outlet would have enough juice to run a barefooted type-accepted radio??

I'd probably build the box/mount myself, something that could sit on the floor or seat and be either wedged into place or held onto the seat with the seat belt.
Click to expand...

I frequently use a Magnum S45HP with the 12v outlet in rental cars. Wilson 1000 or 5000 fill the bill for the antenna depending on which suitcase I take! I don't use a slip seat mount just to keep the bulk down for travelling. Most of the rental cars I get these days have a center console big enough for the S45HP to sit in, and have an outlet inside the console.

73,
RT307
 
Well, I dug everything out...

I actually have a decent length of Coleman Cable RG-8X coax from somewhere...its in good (almost new) shape, and should fit the bill for installing on the Wilson's mag mount. I have no clue where it came from in all my projects, but I'm not going to complain.

I dug out the PC78XL. If anyone remembers BootyMonster; I traded him a Uniden Washington base for this 78XL. I can't remember if he told me that he had DTB through this or not (been more than a few years since we made that deal)...it seems to work good, tested it about six months ago on a power supply. Figure I'll put this setup together and drop by DTB during one of my excursions, I typically end up going right by his shop. I think I have a NC mic around somewhere that's a four pin...

Stopping by RatShack later today to grab a lighter plug, and some other things. Probably make a trip to Walmart for the cutting board. Not sure I'll install an external speaker, rental cars seem to be fairly quiet; so its probably not necessary in my case.

OOOH, bonus! I just found the lighter plug I needed in my desk drawer of field equipment...one step closer!
 
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Well, got it done...didn't use a cutting board, but used a regular pine board instead (actually an old stair tread). I figured its going to be a PC78, in a rental car, and its mine...so its not like it'll be getting abused or a highly desirable radio. I got enough wire to sit it on the back seat if needed... I never had this radio hooked up to a decent antenna before, but it must have been set up to run an amp. Sits about 3/4 of a watt and peaks around 10 watts (using my Aries, which doesn't do PEP very well; its typically reads low). I tried spinning some of the knobs around to see if it had a variable installed somewhere...seems to be an internal adjustment. Seems to sound alright. Got my Wilson rewired, it seems to work...even sitting on the wood bench in the basement, its around a 2:1 SWR. Probably take the Wife's ride up into the back yard tomorrow night and see about tuning the antenna. Then it should be a done deal.
 
Well, it works fairly well for barefoot. Got good reports on this week's trip to Florida and back. The sensitivity is pretty good, considering how noisy the band has been lately.

My only thoughts on upgrading would be a touch more power. But I'm not even sure that its worth the effort. I'm not sure who was in this radio last, but I'm thinking BM told me it was DTB...so its likely already set optimal.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk
 

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