Bicycle Mobile, From a Beginner's Point of View
The ARS Sojourner
I began by visiting the Bicycle Mobile Hams of America web site at http://www.lafetra.com/bmha/. I went to the member's list and checked out those who had web sites. By reading the text and looking over the pictures I gained enough insight to start my own installation.
I made a list all the parts and pieces I had on hand. It included a bicycle, a 20 meter Hamstick style antenna, a couple 20 meter QRP transceivers, several gel cell batteries, a set of homebrew finger paddles, headphones, wire and a junk box overflowing with nuts, bolts and other hardware.
I faced two challenges. I had to attach the antenna to the bike and figure out a way to mount my homebrew finger paddles on the handlebars. The transceiver and battery pack were set up in a small handlebar bag so that part was already done.
I found some 3/4" aluminum tubing in my junk box along with a short length of aluminum strap. A couple hours at the workbench was all it took to create a stable mount for the antenna. One end attached to the seat tube and the opposite end bolted to the rear luggage rack. The next task was to fashion a holder for the paddles. After a couple false starts I ended up converting a mount from a cheapie bike headlight to a small platform to hold the paddles. But something happened before I was able to bring all the parts and pieces together. I bought a new bike.
My new bicycle, a Rans Rocket, was a completely different design than my old bike. Instead of a conventional diamond shaped frame , the Rocket was a recumbent . That meant I had to design a different mounting scheme for the antenna. I bought a piece of 3/4" rectangular aluminum tubing at the hardware store, cut it to length and hose-clamped it to the main tube (place link to antenna.jpg here) of the bike. The paddle mount and handlebar bag (place handlebar.jpg here) fit the new bike without modification.
I had my first bicycle mobile QSO on a sunny Saturday morning in October while sitting on the sidewalk in front of my house. I didn't get much of a signal report but at least I knew the system was working. I spent a good part of the following Friday getting used to pedaling, tuning and sending CW all at the same time. In the interest of safety I restricted my riding to back roads with little traffic and wide shoulders. I found that I could send decent CW as long as the road was fairly smooth but bumps in the pavement translated to corrupted characters. The headphones were somewhat distracting (and no doubt illegal). A small, amplified speaker would have been a better choice. Regardless, I was able to work numerous stations from my perch on the bike, both while in motion and at rest. As an unexpected bonus, I created a small pile-up with stations curious about my setup.
My plans for next spring include a week long trek from my home in central California to the Pacific coast and back. While the primary focus will be on the ride itself, having a 20 meter rig along will be a most welcome addition to my gear, especially at days end in camp. Both bicycling and ham radio are exciting hobbies. Combine them and you have an unbeatable combination.
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Bill Jones, KD7S, is a gifted outdoors person, constructor, and writer. He lives in Sanger, CA.