[ICOM] IC-7000 and Better RF antenna controller

Thu Jun 16 23:01:16 EDT 2011

I have run HF mobile for a lot of years without this trouble and with 
little bonding maybe I was lucky.

Yes I know better, I am an advocate of creating 100 sq foot ground plane 
in the bottom of a boat for Marine SSB using 3 inch wide copper strap 
where others try to take a short cut and use Dyna plates for the RF 
ground which generally don't work. Told hundreds of boaters to do that 
work during my Icom years. Here I am taking a  mobile install short cut 
I am as bad as the boaters who don't want to do the work.

I think back to the most bonded vehicle I had was my 1986 GMC S-15. 
since I had a 96 Ford Ranger, 2005 Toyota RAV4 and now a 2009 Toyota 
Tacoma all with HF mobile installed. The Ranger was the most noisy with 
the electric fuel pump issue the factory fix did not do much. The RAV4 
had some ignition noise and I never got around to installing Magna-Core 
ignition wires onto it. The Tacoma seems to be real quiet and unaffected 
by radios I run 80 meters through 1.2 GHz inclusive mobile. Just 100 
watts max though.

However on the last vehicle, RAV4,  I did have a nice big copper strap 
from the antenna base to the frame as the mount was bolted to the 
trailer hitch. I have started bonding the 2009 Toyota Tacoma and will 
continue. I have some 1/2 inch braid, am installing No 8 ring eyes, 
soldering them,  on it and installing using a No 8 self drilling screw 
with the ring eyes sandwiched in between two star washers. I have the 
tail pipe bonding strap, not installed. I do not have No 31 Mix ferrite 
beads other than the one sent with the Better RF controller and I wound 
a coil onto it to power the antenna according to the instructions 
provided with the controller.

Funny I had a 706 MKII  non G model, installed, used an AM-COMM 
controller and did not have any troubles with no bonding always seemed 
to reach a tune and I was able to make contacts to my satisfaction.
Was able to talk up and down the west coast on 40 and chatted with a one 
in Washington, DC and one at 7,000 feet in Alaska the same evening on 20 
several months back.
Bought a new IC-7000 and can't use the AM-COMM so its in a box. They are 
out of business anyway so if it went bad I would be out of luck.

I will do more bonding work and maybe look at the Turbo Tuner. I like 
the way it connects better, you do not have two pieces of gear to make 
one controller.
I have had good luck with the HS-1800 / PRO. The antenna always seemed 
to reach a minimum SWR point until now.
Only takes a few minutes to clean it up again so I will do that too.

  I'll get this issue solved. Need to get out the 6lb cross peen hammer 
and let the truck and radios know who is boss ;)

SAY  Thanks for the input and insight and letting me vent a bit !!!.

Gary K8IZ

On 6/16/2011 7:23 PM, goldtr8 at charter.net wrote:
> I use the N2V2 turbo tuner with my 7000 and Scorpion.  It works exactly
> as advertised.
>
> I purchased it at Dayton after discussing tuner options with the
> different antenna manufacturers.  I went this route instead of the
> Better RF due to information on the web that the behavior that you are
> having can happen quite a bit if there is any RF in the vehicle.
>
> Second the guys at Tarheel stated that they would not warranty their
> little antennas if the RF was used and recommended the Turbo Tuner and
> they would honor warranty with this unit. Something about over current
> for the drive motor.   This pushed me over the edge for the Turbo Tuner
> and I have not looked back.
>
> However I also want to state that my system is bonded and bonded some
> more.  Lots of ferrites for a common mode choke on the coax outside of
> the jeep and other stuff to make HF work on my vehicle.  So maybe
> anything that I used would have worked for me.
>
> Like Mac said HF mobile is not for the weak or something like that.  You
> have to do a lot to make stuff work and when it works it is fun.   I
> hope you find your problem because when these things work it is much
> safer for driving.
> Don
> KD8NNU
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Gary P. Fiber wrote:
>
>> Any one running the combination of IC-7000 and the 2 piece Better RF
>> Screwdriver antenna controller combination along with one of the
>> screwdriver antennas?
>> I have it operating my HS-1800/PRO antenna. It works fine some days
>> and some days is seems to have lost its mind and will not find a low
>> SWR point.
>> Yesterday I turned it off hitting the tune button and in a few moments
>> it turned back on and put the rig into transmit and moved the antenna
>> to one end of its travel.
>> I will do a reset this weekend and go after it again.  Likely I need
>> to do more bonding on my 2009 Tacoma but sure seems to be apparently
>> bothered by any possible RFI and I don't notice any in my other
>> equipment.
>>
>> Another question have any of you used a similar combination using the
>> N2VZ turbo Tuner?  Are you happy with either?
>>
>> I actually got spoiled using the IC-706MKII non G model with the
>> HS-1800/PRO and the AN-COMM controller it mostly never missed a beat
>> unless I hosed it up a few times.
>> Then a quick reset and I was back in business and I did not have every
>> piece of the vehicle bonded when using that combination.
>> Had that combination for probably 9 years running on 3 different
>> vehicles.
>>
>> -- 
>> Gary P. Fiber K8IZ
>>
>> General Radio Telephone Operators License PG-19-6691,
>> with Shipboard Radar Endorsement.
>> Washington State Resident.
>>
>> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any
>> attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient (s) and may
>> contain confidential and privileged information.
>> Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is
>> prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the
>> sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
>>
>>
>> ----
>> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC:icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
>> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
>> Icom FAQ:http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>> To support QSL/QTH.net:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC:icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
> Icom FAQ:http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> To support QSL/QTH.net:http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 
Gary Fiber K8IZ
GROL PG-19-6691 with shipboard radar endorsement
Washington State resident