Using Your Portable Handheld Amateur Ham Radio In A Car

Using Your Portable Handheld Amateur Ham Radio In A Car

Can a handheld, or handy talkie, be used in a car? Of course it can. There are however several accessories that you will want to consider to make mobile operation safer and more robust. While not necessary, here is why you should consider the following to make mobile life less complicated.

Keep your radio powered! On a long road trip the last thing you want is to make a call for local directions as you approach your destination and the battery icon starts to flash. Dead battery. This is where the BATTERY ELIMINATOR comes in handy. With a battery eliminator you are able to power the radio from the 12V power port in your car (cigarette lighter) and always have a constant 12V DC power source going into it. What this means to you is maximum power out, and always ready. Good bye dead batteries, hello endless highway QSOs.

Now, have you ever tried to drive and talk on a handheld radio at the same time? Radios are big and bulky. Not really conducive to mobile operations. This is where a SPEAKER MIC comes in really handy. Most have clips on them so you can keep it at an arms reach, and always know where to find it. With a speaker mic the audio will also come through the large speaker on it so if the radio happens to shift speaker side down, you won't miss a call due to not being able to hear who's on the other end.

Have you noticed you don't seem to get the range while in a vehicle? Thats because the inside of the car acts as an insulator, blocking your signal from getting out. Here is where a small MAG MOUNT antenna will give you a real boost. Simply attach to the roof of your car and instantly distant stations will become clear, and your signal will go much farther.

So there you go. How to make your handheld HT amateur ham radio a robust mobile solution. The bold caps links above will take you to the various accessory pages. If you need any assistance don't hesitate to contact us. We're more than happy to help you select the right gear for the right job.

73s Bill

VE7IKX

*** Disclaimer: Please understand and follow local laws regarding the use of handheld electronic devices while driving. This blog is not giving legal advice or endorsing any activities relating to mobile operation of handheld amateur ham, or two-way walkie talkie radios.

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