The new improved EA5ON/M

At the beginning of July, my 14 year old Opel Corsa sprang a leak in the cooling system, leading to all sorts of problems that meant a repair was not an economically viable option. So, I went and bought myself a new car. I chose a fairly similar type of car, but different brand, this time going for a Toyota Yaris. I decided on a small petrol engine since most of my driving is in city traffic and also it was a lot cheaper not only to buy but to tax and run. Although being without a car never comes at a good time, it was an especially bad time for me as I was really busy. And so it wasn't until last week that I finally got round to installing the radio.

First disappointment was the hustler ball mount I ordered, which is much flimsier than the one I had on the Corsa. EA7JX says Hustler moved their manufacturing to Mexico and a lot of the stuff is slightly changed from what it used to be. Second disappointment was the tin foil like roof of the Toyota, having been used to my chunky old Opel. However the guys who helped me fit everything (Marpi car audio) did find a cross plate underneath the centre and bolted through that but it's still pretty flimsy and I do not want to be putting my screwdriver on it:

Here you can see it with the 17m quarter wave. And yes, it's not quite vertical either....:(

All the rest of it went OK and the basic format is as before, rig connected to the main battery and the amp connected to the back battery. What I did change for this one is that the rear battery is also connected to the alternator, using a relay and a timer. It means that the amp will run off 14V and so put out a few more watts, and a cleaner signal, while lasting longer between charges at home. Sorry don't have any photos of that yet.

So it's great to be back on the air! This week I have a bit more time on my hands and have managed a few more radio hours than normal and it's been great to catch up with lots of old friends and make some new ones too.