?'s Re: Long distance drives, HF radios & things 2 do in

[Widdletink]

Hi All,

Well, I will be stretching my new baby's legs on Friday and driving her to Tucson, Arizona for my hubby's Ham Radio club annual meeting (Cactus Intertie System). I have told him that he can put Alinco DR-605 in my car (temporarily) and wanted to know if there is anything special that needs to be done to protect the car, the radio or anything else. He will be using a mag-mount antenna and will be powering the radio from the accessories port.

I have never driven my car this far in one fell swoop before so I am wondering if there is anything that I need to be aware of before I depart. I have 1440 on the ODO right now so I don't want to do anything that will hurt my car. The manual says that breakin is 600 miles but I have read that it is more like 2000.

Also, as he will be pretty much occupied from 6AM on till about 5PM I will be on my own in a city that I have never been in before, in a state that I have only driven through. So, I was wondering if there were any suggestions for things to see or do while I am there. I am particularly interested in Swapmeets, Antique Malls, Thrift Stores, Outlet Malls, or Museums/Cultural Interest/Local History.

And if there is anyone who will be near where I will be on Saturday and wants to take a close-up look at my car I will be happy to play show & tell :-).

Thanks in advance, I appreciate all the help and information that I have gleaned in the short time that I have been a part of the Prius family.

Take care,

Tisza

[Frank Hudon]

check tire pressure before you leave! Drive with care, have fun.

[Widdletink]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion, I will check and adjust my tires as needed today.

Any other suggestions and ideas are welcome!

Take care,

Tisza

[K6YXH]

I looked up the current requirements for the DR605: 11.5 amps for maximum power on VHF, and 10 amps for UHF. That's going to be pretty close to the maximum for the power outlets, and I'm pretty sure they're fused. So I'd recommend operating the radio at its low output level, 5 watts; the manual didn't say what the current would be at the lower output level, but I expect it would be less than 1/2 the max.

By connecting through the power outlets, there's no danger of leaving the radio running when the Prius is off, because the outlets are switched off when the car's power is turned off.

I'm using a similar powered radio connected directly to the 12V battery, and have had no problems with interference to the car, but my power and antenna cables are very, very short - I'm not sure what would happen with longer cables, and I'd be a little weary of running high power (50W and 35W) with the radio under the dash, close to the control electronics.

If he keeps the power down to 5 watts, I expect it will be okay.

He should also try to put the mag-mount as far as he can from the Prius antenna to avoid damage to the Prius radio - I'm sure he'd do that anyway, but you can impress him with the suggestion. The signal from an antenna so close, even running only 5 watts, is still thousands, maybe millions of times stronger than the signals coming from AM and FM radio stations, so the radio will appreciate a few feet distance and the lower power.

[Liam]

We just drove from northern Delaware to central Florida , 960 miles, 16 hours. We stopped for gas three times and stopped a few more times just to take a rest break or eat. The prius is a realy fun car for long distance travel. The seats were very comfortable for the whole drive. Enjoy your trip!

[KTPhil]

Tucson is a great place to visit. I used to travel to the Hughes (now Raytheon) plant regularly.

Try to see the desert museum, if you haven't been to one. Also, if you are a history/architecture buff, go southwest to the San Xavier del Bac mission. There is always Old Tucson, where uncounted westerns were filmed. They have a great aviation museum near the Davis Monthan AFB.

You could also go south to Nogales (US or Mexico) for some fun!

[tochatihu]

A piece of paper under the mag mount roof antenna to prevent scratches.

Inflate the donut spare to 60 psi

Desert Museum and X de Bac are great ideas. Can you also visit Kitt Peak?

[azddavero]

The desert botanical gardens is on the NW side of the city, might be worth a trip. If you like caves the Kartchner Caverns are a must see. A little farther South of Kartchner is Tombstone, it's a fun touristy town. Go a little farther South still and you'll be in Mexico!

Have a great and safe trip.