Any Problems Using A PiP For A Mobile Amateur Radio Station?

I've dabbled in ham radio a bit, and I think the key to success is heavy shielding, filtering and a direct connection to a good battery. If you're going high-power, I'd recommend a larger aux battery, or at least an isolated secondary aux battery.

 

RFI shouldn't be an issue. Consider that AM radios in the PiP receive virtually zero RFI. However, if you "stop somewhere" and shut down the car, tapping into the 12V battery for your rig, you'll likely kill the 12V battery pretty quickly. You'll need to stay in READY mode.

If you remain in READY mode, the next question (I don't know the definitive answer) is whether your rig will interfere with the PiP's systems. Though I doubt that, it would depend on your transmit power, band, etc.

 

Interesting questions.
First of then all, you will have to upgrade the Auxiliary (rear) battery. You must utilize the vehicle as a power source in the READY mode, so the internal DC-DC converter will recharge the vehicle when in need.
I used to use a CB band radio (Prius Gen II) with out any interference whatsoever a while back. Now I use a cell based phone.

 

It would be nice to see a portable battery-pack that could be used as backup surge-capacity for accessories like that, tied into the rest of the system to stay charged, but detachable when you need portable power, either 12V or 120V.

 

No worries. There's no conventional alternator as there is in a conventional car. The power is generated by a motor-generator (which technically IS an alternator) however, a DC-DC converter is used to feed power from the hybrid battery to the aux battery, which I believe can supply up to 100 amps (plenty). A battery in parallel shouldn't be needed unless you are drawing a lot of current when the car is off, but it should work fine with a battery isolator. I prefer to use it in ready-mode, because that way, there's always a steady supply of power to the 12V system, and the battery never goes dead.

 

I added a PowerPole connector to the 12V battery via fuses. That is all. Everything works perfectly with the car in 'ready' to keep things topped up, no QRM, no difficulties.

Of course 70cm screws up the locking system royally, no locking or unlocking possible using the fob whilst transmitting. But that applies to all car wireless entry systems. UK frequency for wireless locks is 433.92MHz.

 

I'm confused.

 

About what?

 

I don't understand your post.

 

I believe Ian is just noting that his 70cm gear uses the same band as the keyless entry / smart key system, and effectively jams it while in use. The US smart keys seem to use 312-316 MHz.

As to EMI, I believe that it can be significant (primarily from the inverter) but I believe it is in the 5kHz range? Might be good to put a filter on that. I know early PHEV converters had challenges with their controller's digital com due to the amount of electrical noise, though this may be more of an issue when driving and the inverter is switching hard.

Rob

 

Ah. Anderson 30A PowerPoles are a propitiatory connector becoming the standard for 12V supplies in the Ham world certainly in the UK. Powerpole® Stackable Connector, Anderson Power Products

In the UK (and I suspect elsewhere) 433.92MHz is the frequency used for car wireless door locking with transmitted unique codes so a fob will only unlock one car although all use the same frequency to communicate but at extremely low power. 433.92MHz is in the band allocated in the UK for Ham radio use which is 430.00-440.00Mhz. This frequency has a wavelength of approximately 70cm long (0.7 of a metre, 27 inches) and thus the band is known colloquially as the 70cm band or just 70cm.

Again in the UK someone holding a full licence may transmit on that band using 400Watts. Using that amount of power, or even a few tens of Watts close to the car and that close in frequency just overwhelms the car locking system and it can't read the weak transmission from the key fob so the car won't lock or unlock. I can stand in a large car park and whilst transmitting on ten Watts on a handheld radio disable (but not unlock, no codes) the whole car park's locks.

We have had whole streets disabled for weeks by illegal transmitters until they are traced.

Cumberland News | The streets where key fobs don’t work and TVs are on the blink
I think this was eventually traced to a restaurant's waiter ordering/till system which had been illegally imported from the US.

 

lawyers.

 

Yes?

 

sorry, there's no more room at toyota.

 

Somehow, I don't think my legal specialty would match Toyota's needs anyway. Unless they have an in-house pharmacy.

 

mmmmm usually. That'd still be about 300 watts below FCC's legal limit. Not that some folks don't illegally run 2kw - 2kw amplifiers .... yes ... even mobile. Youve seen them .... mobile antenna farms?


The only thing this guy is missing is a discone - a log periodic, and a screwdriver antenna.

But yea ... even on a prius - they're out there. WAY out there. As Forrest Gump used to say, "power is as power does". Most folks typically only have a 2 meter/440 transceiver though - and typically they'll only pull 4 or 5 amps. No big deal.
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