Unwilling to make a major investment in QRP hardware I eyed my IC-7300 for possible mounting options. Too big for under dash mounting I began observing emergency EMS and police vehicles which typically accommodate a lot of gear. How did they mount large equipment? I didn’t see any over sized radio equipment but the common component was a pedestal mounted lap top computer stand. Most emergency vehicles place a laptop stand over the front passenger seat for easy access by the driver. While providing laptop access to the driver the occupied space negates any normal usage of the passenger seat. Having divorced many years ago the laptop stand solution became a viable option and for a few hundred dollars I procured a sturdy floor mounted unit. Installation was a simple task. A base flange mounts sandwiched under the front passenger seat and floor (removing and reinserting the front two seat mounting bolts). A vertical tubular steel pedestal welded to the flange accommodates an adjustable swing arm and equipment platform. After drilling a few holes an Icom mobile mounting bracket was quickly attached to the assembly. After routing coax and power cables I was on the air, mobile with my IC-7300. Cool.
Having the IC-7300 mobile brings all the convenience of home shack operation. Band spanning activity can be observed at a glance and signals of interest can be tuned by touching the screen. After a few weeks of mobile HF operation on the IC-7300 I swapped it with my IC-9700 (they use the same mounting bracket). It was equally cool to have the 9700 mobile. With one hundred watts on VHF, direct QSOs on 146.520 become possible with fewer drop outs. Eye level SDR display makes mobile radio operation a breeze.
What next? After another few weeks of mobile operation with the IC-9700 I wondered if the mobile mount would support both radios (the 7300 and 9700). I had to try. I found some steel mounting brackets at a local hardware store which enabled me to stack the two radios on the pedestal mount. Success. Stacking the two radios took only a few minutes (see the photo). What was really cool became super cool having both SDR rigs in the car. While snapping the photos I laughed out loud to myself thinking it was all a bit too much (but still really cool). Having achieved an almost ultimate mobile installation (no legal limit HF linear yet) I began to consider more practical alternatives. The stacked radios and mounting platform weighed almost thirty pounds. On a bumpy road the top heavy assembly rattled and rolled to the point where I would support the pedestal with my right hand, not good while driving. The stacked installation was great for field day or stationary mobile operation but unstable for off road activity without additional reinforcement.
The Malahit receiver is very small and can be seen mounted with the TimeWave on the pedestal platform. Mounting was achieved with double sided tape.
Not to worry, I'm keeping all my Icom equipment. The Malahit is not a replacement but an SDR complement to my IC-7100.
Thomas D. Jay, W4TDJ
The Malahit demonstrates good performance and value for hams seeking a supplemental SDR receiver at reduced cost. It's not a replacement for your existing tranceiver, but its SDR display makes it viable for use a signal spotter. Its small size and functionality demonstrates the ease with which major manufacturers might incorporate enhanced designs and performance in future products.
Be safe everyone. Wishing you good DX. Have fun out there.
Be safe everyone. Wishing you good DX. Have fun out there.
Best regards,
Thomas D. Jay, W4TDJ
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