Car Caravan Radios
Thread Starter
Moderator emeritus
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,599
Likes: 3,954
From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Car Caravan Radios
Our club does a gazillion caravans to activities. I use a Midland GXT1050 as a hand held radio. It uses a Ni-MH battery that gives 6V and 700 mA as power. I can't keep a charge!!!!! Damn batteries. So, to keep this as a "car" thing, can I wire in one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Painless-Wir.../331377159451#
...and run a wire from it to my handheld and run off the car battery and totally negate the useless batteries in the handheld.
The link is a 12v to 6v 4A device for an automobile.
We just got back from a cruise and both my Ni-MH batteries croaked almost immediately as soon as the caravan pulled out. Luckily I carry spare AAs in the hidey-hole and was able to stay in touch with the other 40 cars in the caravan.
So, will it work or will it fry my poor hand held radio into a lump of smoldering plastic?
Is there something out that will run off of the car battery for the GMRS channel band?
Elmer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Painless-Wir.../331377159451#
...and run a wire from it to my handheld and run off the car battery and totally negate the useless batteries in the handheld.
The link is a 12v to 6v 4A device for an automobile.
We just got back from a cruise and both my Ni-MH batteries croaked almost immediately as soon as the caravan pulled out. Luckily I carry spare AAs in the hidey-hole and was able to stay in touch with the other 40 cars in the caravan.
So, will it work or will it fry my poor hand held radio into a lump of smoldering plastic?
Is there something out that will run off of the car battery for the GMRS channel band?
Elmer
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,035
Likes: 134
From: North Augusta, SC
The reducer you linked to would probably work, just be sure to fuse it and use a good heat sink. I'd start with 5A supply and 2A output fuses and see what happens.
Do you have a 120vAC wall charger for the radio? If yes, try something like this in the car. If it works well you can hard wire one to the fuse box and make a permanent out-of-sight mount above the passenger footwell
Do you have a 120vAC wall charger for the radio? If yes, try something like this in the car. If it works well you can hard wire one to the fuse box and make a permanent out-of-sight mount above the passenger footwell
Thread Starter
Moderator emeritus
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,599
Likes: 3,954
From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
Ok, I'm just chasing my a$$ around in circles on this issue.
Is the a gmrs radio that is small, can be mounted in a car, run off the car battery? If I need to have an external antenna, any suggestions (C7 convertible)? License plate antenna? I don't need but 1 or 2 miles range on the darn thing (more would be swell).
Elmer
Is the a gmrs radio that is small, can be mounted in a car, run off the car battery? If I need to have an external antenna, any suggestions (C7 convertible)? License plate antenna? I don't need but 1 or 2 miles range on the darn thing (more would be swell).
Elmer
Thread Starter
Moderator emeritus
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,599
Likes: 3,954
From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
If there was a "cb" like small unit that I could find that did the gmrs crap I'd get it.
Oh, the 36 mile range is ********. 2 miles if you're lucky, usually only a mile and that's stretching it.
