1 motorcycle, 6 bands, 2 antennas

[N8YX]

Spent the afternoon modifying a Hondaline antenna mount to accept a Diamond tri-band antenna (SO-239 base) and attaching it to my '00 Valkyrie Interstate...then connecting a RAM mount to the right-side master cylinder clamp so a VX6R can be fitted. The installation of a splitter for the OEM stereo and CB finished things up.

AM/FM/CB on one antenna; 2, 220 and 440 on the other. Both are foldover tyoes so I don't have to disconnect them if wanting to cover the bike in the event of rain.

If anyone is interested I'll post pix of the setup.

[N5RLR]

Pics, and plenty of them. :mrgreen:

[N8YX]

Addendum:

Took the rig for a test drive last evening. Don't have a way to TX - yet - but RX operations while in motion were promising. There is no easy way to interface the Yaesu's PTT/speaker/mic circuitry to the Hondaline OEM (Clarion) radio. I built a workable interface a couple years ago for 'DSG's bike but I'm wondering if the Kennedy Technologies integrator might be a better way to go.

Pics when I get a chance.

[kd6nig]

If you can get it working good, it sounds great-though I'm sure switching settings while in motion will probably be out, except for maybe memory channel changing?

[N8YX]

If you can get it working good, it sounds great-though I'm sure switching settings while in motion will probably be out, except for maybe memory channel changing?

Memory channel changing and/or VFO operation while in motion...other keypad-based operations when stopped.

http://www.cellset.com/95336photo.jpg

This is an FRSet4, and will work with our VX6/VX7. I'm going to call Kennedy after Dayton and get an idea of pricing. If they're in attendance I'll buy a couple of the units during the 'fest.

What would be really neat is to incorporate the tuning functions, channel/frequency readout and so forth into the bike's existing electronics infrastructure but I don't think that's a viable option, given the fact that Clarion is reluctant to release engineering details of their OEM electronics equipment.

[kd6nig]

Or some kind of external mountable display thats thin and would fit right above it, maybe. If they have the control you would think they have the logic for that. Well, maybe :)

I've only been on a bike a few times and I know you want to have stuff in reach for sure.

[N8YX]

Just got off the phone with Kennedy...the integrators are $85 each, and another $100 or so per bike for interface cables should make this doable...

[N8YX]

2 FRSet4 units, a bunch of connecting cables and miscellaneous whatnots later, we're ~$430 poorer. :roll:

Cool thing is that my Valkyrie Interstate's CB PTT line and switch can directly be used to control the rig in transmit. When this thing is hooked up and playing properly I'm going to dial into our local Echolink node then look a few of the QRZ Echolink fanbois up and give 'em a radio whuppin' while motorcycle mobile... :lol:

[N8YX]

When I arrived home this evening I found a box from Kennedy Technologies waiting for me on the back porch. -IF- Ohio's weather cooperates this weekend I'll install one of the units and take some pix.

[N8YX]

It's been a while since the last update. To wit:

Got the FRSet4 and matching PTT Interface all cabled up and installed on the bike. Of course, the damned VX7R either stayed keyed or wouldn't key up at all, depending on how I connected the PTT Interface to the bike's OEM radio PTT line.

An e-mail to Kennedy revealed this would never work. Zip, zero, nada...no flippin' way. Impossible. Don't attempt at home. Radio on my bike is different than the ones which their Interface was designed for use with.

So...I became determined to make this work. The aim was to be able to use the bike's stock audio controller PTT button to switch either the VX7R or the bike's CB, as per the FRSet4 product documentation.

A minor modification to the passenger's PTT switch interconnect lines (series diode) had both radios keying properly through the supposedly "unusable" PTT Interface. Next was the driver's PTT switch. This proved to be a tougher nut to crack. In short, I had to completely isolate the switch circuit and run 12v via a pair of wires which snaked from the PTT switch through the OEM sleeving to the coil of a miniature DPDT relay. When activated by application of 12v through closure of the OEM PTT switch, the relay keys both the CB PTT and the VX7R (FRSet4) PTT lines simultaneously. One sets the 'TX Lockout' function on the HT if one doesn't wish for it to transmit with the CB...or one just turns off the undesired electronics before using the other.

A breakout cable which sits between the OEM audio/CB controller connection and the bike's main wiring harness was used to get at the CB TX lines and therefore to facilitate the entire exercise. I just spent (too much money) on OEM Hitachi connectors last week, so building up the cable was straightforward.

All this componentry was neatly tucked into a couple of small project boxes which mount inside the bike's fairing, out of sight.

Pix to follow. The owner of Kennedy is interested in my design, claiming "untold frustration and renting of clothes" during his attempts to figure out a solution some years back.

[N8YX]

We tested the bike mobile setups this weekend, which is a large part of why I haven't been around the board very much.

Using the Yaesu HTs on 223.640 simplex with 50mW output works very well for short-range bike to bike comms, and running the rigs on low power will result in longer battery life. I carry a spare battery for each HT with us and if we were on the road for an extended time I would also pack a drop-in charger.

This looks to be very workable as a communications solution.