Amateur Radio on Bikes

Wondering if any of you are hams and have a radio mounted on your ride? I'd like to know how you've mounted different radios and antennas, any problems you've had, types of headsets, etc.

I have my hand held in my tankbag connected to my Garming GPSMAP 76CSx for APRS

Hello from VE7YAT-7

Victoria, B.C., Canada

Someone posted a crazy getup a while back with a massive antenna on the back of the bike for their ham radio. I can't remember the thread it was in, hopefully someone will know the one I mean and link to it.

I have one of these: http://www.gme.net.au/products/radio-communications/uhf-477mhz-cb-radios/TX4600

I think USA frequencies are different however, and I plug mine into my Baehr comms system.

Greetings from W1SPB...

www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=600677

We run 2 meter Yaesu HT's in the tank bag with Larson's 1/2 wave mobil antennas. And we also use the Sena SR10's to BT to our Sena headsets. All works very good.

Awesome link!haha Glad to see so many responses. I have a vx6r I can take with me, and I have a wilson mag mount antenna, but I'm thinking something different on the bike... although it'd be an easy fab.

Any noise gremlins on the bikes? (especially electrical)

I use a Yaesu VX-7R in the tank bag, and my wife uses a Yaesu FT-60.

Last year I added a permanently mounted antenna at the back of my FJR. My wife just uses the duck antenna for now, but I plan to add an external antenna this year.

The antenna is attached to an aluminum L-bracket that is mounted to the license plate points and runs behind the side-cases.


While I have my amateur license VE6IMS, my wife does not, so we stick to GMRS freqs.

Ian

Albrecht DB 271 Dualband Transceiver in a Ram-Mount AquaBox connected to a Baehr Verso XL on a BMW R1200GSA. Sirio SDB270 Dualband Antenna on the windscreen



Regards, Andreas

I used a VX-7R mounted using a radar detector mount from Aerostich and wired into my Starcom system with a PTT button on the handle bars. Like Klay said, too distracting, so I have not used it since.

Greetings from EA3GLF!!

I use for all a Baofeng UV-3R V-UHF 2W (copy of Yaesu VX3) lightweight, cheap (35 euros with shipping costs) and a clear TX/RX.

Antenna use the original or a Diamond NR-77 with magnetic base.

Good radio!!

Nice to meet all you guys, and I'm enjoying all the varied responses. This is exactly what i was looking for:)

I'm afraid, like some of you have found, that using the radio while riding may be too distracting. Which if it is, all is not lost. I live in a very rural area and don't venture out in the woods too far along w/o communication, cells don't work too many places out here, so I could use it while parked out in the woods, or God-forbid broke down out in the woods. Plus with wide receive on the vx6r I could program some SW freqs in to listen to while riding... or catch some of the local FM stations.

Have any of you had need to use your ham in an emergency whole riding? I'm using emergency pretty loosely. Not necessarily a wreck, but a flat, broken part, or the like that you were glad you had your radio?

My wife and I are on the radios all the time when riding together. The primary use for the radios for us is bike-to-bike.

The radio itself is connected to a Starcom Digital, with a PTT button on the left handlebar. Being able to talk back and forth has been a Marriage-saver.

Is it distracting? I don't think so, in fact I feel we're safer in many ways with four eyes looking at things and we can easily communicate stops and other maneuvers.

Ian

I'm speaking out of school somewhat but here goes. I had a ICE agent tell
me I should get a ham radio instead of a Spot Messenger for emergencies when I ride. I ride alone most times and I rarely have cell service here in Montana.
The agent said I would have coverage all over the world as well as locater service. Any insight would be appreciated.

@mt800 I have been told the same and just purchased a VX8dr for that exact reason. I travel from Montana to mexico for work. I have a spot w/the pnw 60 from delorme i have that dialed and send text from all over the planet. Its a great tool but with repeaters Ive been told you have coverage all over. I also have been told (which is of interest to me) that it's sometimes better in Baja and Mainland Mexico than a cell if you have a mechanical in Baja. I have a Baja and Copper canyon trip planned coming up. I am just now studying the book for the license test. I hope this tread continues so we can get some education from Veteran ham's who are ADV riders. I am not really concerned with bike to bike because I have a Cardio Scala g4 which by the way I feel is one of the best communicators on the market. 80 miles an hour on dirt into a headwind today and my 11 year old called me from home. He said I cant even tell your on your bike (950 with uncorked akra, it aint quiet), So for me it will mostly be a safety thing for mechanical or other.

I have a license but I've never used the radio while riding but I do carry my Yaesu VX-7 sometimes while on the road.

KB1LPV

I think he was overselling ham radios. What he was saying was technically correct, but I don't think you want to carry the HF radio and antenna that would allow reliable communication from anywhere. A practical radio (handheld 2 meter radio) will probably have coverage in more areas than a cell phone but certainly not everywhere and you need to bring a book to figure out the frequencies and tone codes to use. You are also relying on the good will of strangers to help you with ham radio. Where I live, you would have very good response, but I have heard of places where they are not so friendly and helpful to strangers. There is APRS for location but it is also not universal coverage and requires more equipment (though I know there is at least one HT with a GPS and APRS built in). For emergency use I think SPOT would be a much better tool. If you crash your bike you will probably not be in the mood to be building up your amateur radio station at the crash site . That being said, don't let me discourage you from getting a ham radio license, it is an interesting hobby and could be of some value on remote motor cycle rides, but not really a replacement for SPOT.

Using mobile phones is brilliant, they cover 99% of the population, but they do not cover anything like 99% or the country. Go out in the sticks exploring on your bike and frequently mobile phone coverage is zero. A mate who is also a radio ham like me was at home in Basingstoke listening to a distant 2M repeater, a bit of a lift and this repeater was in Wales. Through this repeater he spoke to another ham with a 2M handie up a mountain with a broken leg, suffered after a fall. The emergency services were called from Basingstoke and the mountain rescue team were co-ordinated through ham radio.
So if you are exploring some amateur kit or CB radio kit is very usefull. Always let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to arrive the other end.

You would be amazed what kit you can fit on a bike. Look at a Police spec R1200RT for example. And with a bluetooth link from a Scala Rider headset many options are possible.
This webwobin is a G4 and has just got a R1200GS to play with!.

N1XF here,

I used to do 2M on my '99 RT, I'm investigating getting back into it on my '10 GS.

I have a Sena SM10 bluetooth headset, there is a new bluetooth dongle (SR10) that would allow me to run my THF6A with the same setup which is very interesting.

I also have an unfinished RockMite QRP transceiver that I keep telling myself I will complete some day. It would make a great little rig to go county hopping at some point.

I live in central Idaho and carry either my VX-6 or VX-7. I usually put the radio in the back pocket of the Wolfman Explorer
tank-bag if on a road trip. If I am in the back country with friends, I am the only one with a radio. I carry it in a load bearing vest in a nylon pouch, and have a mic wired into my XD Arai helmet. If I'm off the bike, I put a dual band antenna made by N9TAX up in a tree for distant repeaters.
On the bike, I have a dual band flexible antenna wound into my vest shoulder strap, which works okay and I leave it on 146.520 or on a fixed repeater depending on where I am. I have used a throat mic, but the audio is mushy.

The bike antenna is a dual band, unity gain thing mounted to a rear rack corner of the Happy Trails SU rack. It works so-so.
I tried a mobile radio, but it's too much of a PIA with the higher power output. I have, however, carried a small two-meter quad in a bag for longer range stuff. From the higher mtn peaks in the Salmon River area I have been able to reach central Oregon with 5-watts, depending on where I am.

If anyone knows of a group that focuses on ham radio and bikes other then MARC, please advise.

Thanks, and I am glad to see so many guys using Ham radio on their rides.

N7IBC-McCall, Idaho