From my last post, you know that I bought a new vehicle. I am selling my old vehicle, the 1997 Dodge Dakota, to my youngest son. When I had that truck, I had a Cobra 29 in there with a top loaded magnet mount antenna on the roof. I planned on getting a different CB radio with SSB, anyway, so I figured I would pass the radio down to him. There’s not a lot of activity in the area, so I’m sure he’s not finding it too interesting, at this point.
My new CB should be here on Tuesday, though, so at least he’ll have somebody to talk to. He also told me, yesterday, that one of his friends plans on getting one, too. I know from experience that CB is the gateway radio drug, so things are looking good. He already seems to have some interest in studying for his tech license, which I said that I’d help him with.
Back on October 12th, I talked to my brother who lives in Wisconsin. During the conversation, we got on to the topic of radio, and he let me know that he still has his CB with SSB, and just talking about it made him want to throw up his antenna and git it on the air, again. I, of course, made the pitch that he should think about amateur radio, but I figured that a first step back was exactly that… a step toward the next. After talking with him, that day, I wanted to find a good SSB CB radio that I might be able to use to talk to him. I found what looks like one of the best on the market, right now.. the Uniden Bearcat 980SSB. I ordered it and a 35″ K30 and they should both be here by Tuesday.
I’m still looking at the options of where to mount the radio in the new van, but hopefully I can have everything up and running by Friday. My “weird” power problems still exist in the van, but I’ll run the wiring and leave myself enough room to attach everything to a second battery, once I get that installed. I’ll be adding a Stinger battery isolator and a couple Optima Yellow-Top batteries, so I’ll have plenty of power for everything I have planed in the future.
For now (before I install any NMO mounts), I’ll be routing the antenna wire through the third taillight that’s on the top of the van, and running them to the magnet mount antennas that I currently have. The mid-section of the van’s headliner should be able to drop down and allow me to run the cables to the back, while still remaining “out of view”. If not, I’ll run them down the side trim, all the way back.
I don’t actually plan on converting the van, right away. Next summer (after a trip to Colorado), I should be able to start taking things out, and really making some changes. The wife and I are taking three of our grandkids to Colorado, so I want to keep the interior pretty much intact, until after that trip. The chairs, seatbelts, and bed/couch all work the way they should, so for the safety of the kids, we’ll keep it that way, for now. After I convert it, it will still be safe, but it will be more “geared” to just the two of us, and our maximum enjoyment.