N1IV's Ham Radio Page

My mobile is a 2007 Ford Ranger Sport 4X4 pickup with a Leer 100XL Cap. The Ford front console was tiny and very basic and there was very little space to mount anything. I ordered a Galls® Space-Saving Under-Dash Console and added my own sides and top panel to increase available space. I mounted the radios, power strip and microphones there. I used a Ram Mount and then made my own upper bracket to stack both Kenwood control heads on the top plate of the new console. The GPS is mounted on Garmin's rotational dashboard mount up where it's easily visible!

N1IV/M at Sandy Neck Beach on Cape Cod during a recent Nor'easter.

The Ranger hosts my Kenwood TS-480HX HF/6M rig, a Kenwood D-700A FM dual-bander and my Garmin StreetPilot III GPS. All the wiring is fed through a fused and filtered DC power strip and connected directly to the car's battery with number 6 wire and 50A Anderson Powerpoles. The HF rig draws a significant amount of current so it's fused, dual multi-conductor power cables are run through the firewall and directly to the battery along with a separate #8 ground wire.


*Finally, after all these years, Call plates!*

For antennas, I run a Diamond SG7500A dual-band unit for the D700 and a High Sierra Sidekick motorized antenna for the HF and 6 meter rig. The Diamond uses their K702M magnetic mount and the Sidekick is attached to the Leer cap using a Hustler SSM-2 commercial ball mount bolted through the upper left side of the cap (see photos below). The Sidekick is grounded with a special ground strap by High Sierra and connected to the radio using their special Coax with integral motor wires. I also use Garmin's external roof magnetic mount antenna for the GPS. It's a little cramped up front now but the console does the trick for local chats as well as for mobile DX'ing!

"QRZ, QRZ... this is N1IV mobile!"


*Sidekick on a Hustler SSM-2 ball mount.*	*Grounding ring attached to bed chassis bolt.*

Amazing DX sitting on Sandy Neck Beach looking across the Atlantic!

The Ram mount gets both Kenwood control heads within easy reach.

The Galls®/N1IV* Space-Saving Under-Dash Console is finished...

...and houses both radios, control heads, the High Sierra k-Box EZ-Tune

Controller, two external speakers and the power strip.

* I used the Galls console as a base and then fabricated new aluminum sides, a new top and a custom face plate to fit the Ranger and accommodate both Kenwood radios... it worked very nicely! I also fabricated the internal aluminum mount for the TS-480 and suspended the TM-D700 from the new top plate. I then screwed my modified Ram mount for the two Kenwood control heads and the High Sierra k-Box Antenna Controller to the new top on the console. The system ends up being an almost fully self-contained unit, albeit very tight. Hope to catch you on the air!