Topic: HAMs out there with a radio on their HONDA?

[westondc]

Finally got a 2 meter radio setup on the CB500. I haven't got to try it on the road yet but it should work just fine. the whole setup cost less around $150 and i have 2 way communication up to 60 miles with a repeater (15 miles radio to radio), FM radio, MP3 player, and weather radio. My friend is also a HAM so he's going to get the same setup on his bike so we can talk on long trips. just wondering if any other HAM riders are on the forum and if they have a setup on their bike???

you know there's actually a club for Amateur radio motorcycling 

[Bob Wessner]

Let us know how it goes. My father was a ham operator for decades. I never got into it. He built (from scratch) all his own equipment. After he passed away, went to FL to pick up his things. Along with his equipment was a carton filled with CQ cards from all over the world.

[westondc]

It's a fun hobby, just like motorcycling... so i figured why not combine the two things. I already had the radio so i didn't cost me anything extra to adapt it to 2 way motorcycle communications. It's neat because i can talk to my brother 60 miles away at his home while I'm on the road, when were done talking the radio switches back to the FM radio or my MP3 player automatically. I plan to post a short video of my setup soon.

On a side note, Bob that's cool that your dad was a HAM. if you ever get into the hobby and get your license (it's really simple by the way) you can have you dads old call sign. all you need to do is fill out the vanity call sign sheet and include your dads old call sign.

[onepieceatatime]

I have my Extra class license, but as of right now, do not plan to put a radio on the bike. I know of a Ham in VA that put a radio on his bike, but it is a newer bike, not a SOHC4.

[Bob Wessner]

On a side note, Bob that's cool that your dad was a HAM. if you ever get into the hobby and get your license (it's really simple by the way) you can have you dads old call sign. all you need to do is fill out the vanity call sign sheet and include your dads old call sign.

It's been a l-o-n-g time since I looked into getting a license, but back then you needed a certain skill and speed in Morse code. Boo! 

[onepieceatatime]

The Morse code requirement has been dropped. The technical examinations remain.

[Bob Wessner]

Good to hear they entered the 21st century. 

[faux fiddy]

My friend was making phone calls from a ham radio in a Mazda 323 in the eighties. Cell phones were Buzz Lightyear and for rich people.

[westondc]

My friend was making phone calls from a ham radio in a Mazda 323 in the eighties. Cell phones were Buzz Lightyear and for rich people.

if i could only get all my friends to be hams i could drop my cell phone bill 

[333]

6 or 8 years ago, I tried to hook up my Yaesu FT-50 on a bracket on the handlebar, with a home made headset and a PTT under the left side controls.  Everything worked great until I started the engine.  It had terrible ignition noise.  I could never get rid of it.  At first, I thought it might be the headset, but it was still there with it disconnected.  I might be tempted to try it again with my newer FT-60, but I'd see if it was noisy before I built another headset.

My "Elmer" tells a great story about using his 2 meter handheld with phone interconnect back in the 60s.  He was being ignored in a busy restaurant in Arizona.  He used his radio, through the club repeater telephone interconnect and dialed the restaurant, and asked for a waiter to come to his table.  The guy who answered the phone flipped out.  "How are you callin' me?".

[tramp]

as long as you get no wind noise should be fun
gave up my license this year kc8ngw
cell phones work better and have no distance problems