Mobile HF
- Mount the antenna as high and as far from the body of the vehicle as practical; a trunk lip or
- Bond the exhaust, hood and trunk lid to the chassis with braid — vehicle body panels are joined by
- Run power directly from the battery with an inline fuse at both ends, not from the accessory
- Screwdriver or hamstick antennas for HF; a simple dual-band whip for VHF/UHF.
hitch mount beats a magnet on the roof edge for HF.
paint and glue, not metal, and the resulting noise and poor ground kill performance.
socket.
Safety
Operating while driving is legal for amateur radio in most states, and unwise in traffic. Use a speaker mic, and pull over for anything that needs attention.
Backpack portable
See parks and summits for the activity, and power and batteries for what to carry. Weight discipline is everything: every operator's first portable kit is twice as heavy as their third.
RV, camping and travel
A wire thrown into a tree and 20 watts is a complete station. Check license reciprocity before operating outside the United States — many countries honor US licenses under CEPT or IARP agreements, and you sign with a prefix indicating where you are.