Truck Upgrades
I've been doing some upgrades to the truck to get it ready for camping and some portable HF operating. The Go Fast Camper is super-slick and quick to deploy or stow. It basically leaves the entire bed of the truck free. I've added a 100W Renogy solar panel connected to a PowerWerx battery box containing a Bioenno Power 50Ah LiFePO4 battery. A West Mountain Radio Epic PWRGate manages the solar input and keeps the battery charged up. At some point I'll get it integrated with the starter battery on the truck so it'll charge from the alternator as well. Primary function of the battery is to run a 32qt ARB Fridge, but I'll be making it pull double duty to run my FT-891 HF radio when I'm camping. I've tested the setup with my FT-847 and had no issues operating on a sunny afternoon. For an antenna, I string a Hy-EndFed Portable Mini 4 bander between two 10m Jackite poles.
