Quote Originally Posted by 222FL View Post
First off welcome to the forum.
Now about the amp. With the radio you have you really would need an 8 pill amp to use with the radio you have. A 2x6 won't work. Can't have an amp with a driver section, I.E., the 2 pills that drive the 6 pills, with a high power export radio. You want to run a setup like that, sell the 98vhp and get a uniden 880, or 980, a TNT 600HD or the T800 which is a 2x6. You want a single final radio and low power with an amp with a driver section. If you want to keep your 98vhp look at the TNT T1500HD. To do this you will most likely have to beef up your alternator as well as have a good antenna setup. Not just flat swr either. You'll most likely need an antenna analyzer to get the antenna setup correctly if you haven't done so. SWR or (VSWR), isn't everything when it comes to antennas. There are other factors as well as vswr to take into account. Also before adding an amp, do some reading on bonding of the vehicles body panels and such to frame using flat braid grounding straps. Then you'll need to look into a larger alternator as well as a decent battery backup system. When you start messing with power above 1kw, things can get a bit tricky with some newer vehicles. You need to have all your ducks in a row!! Like I said, look into bonding your vehicle before you start buying amps. And also get ahold of an antenna analyzer and see what your entire antenna system looks like. What is the R and X values as well as the vswr. Also as you bond your vehicles hood, doors, trunk if you have one, exhaust, and so forth and you may have to re tune your antenna but will most likely have a better overall antenna system and setup with what you have now. Your radio will do 200 watts pep, with a good antenna setup and the right conditions you should be able to get your name called. But remember your competing with stations that may be running several KW's of power or very large beam antennas. Hard to compete with that with most mobiles. You need some power for sure at times. But there are times you should be able to get your name called. But IMO, before you buy an amp, look into the other things I mentioned above to get your setup the best it can possibly be before adding any amps. JMHO. And again with that radio, an 8 pill amp is the minimum I would look at as far as amps go. A straight 8 pill. Not a 2x6. You'll blow the 2x6 up real fast keying into it with the radio you have. A straight 8 pill would be a better setup. Hope this helps and have a good day.
Thank you very much. I presently have an 08 Chevy Trailblazer 4 x4 with a stock 150 amp alternator. Will I have to get a larger alternator for the 6 pill? Or larger if I go 8 pill? Also the battery backup system? What size battery? CCA? How many? I was thinking of adding two batteries at 900CCA using (2) 200 amp isolators inline and using 0 gage cable from the isolator to the batteries and an 8 gage wire connecting to the 150 amp stock alternator. Which in turn I would connect the amp from one battery and the radio from the other battery.
I have bonded the hood, doors and lift gate. However, I have not bonded the exhaust, never thought of that. And I am not attached from each bond to the chassis. I suppose I need to bond each door, fender, lift gate and the exhaust directly to the chassis separately is my understanding as of now.
As for the antenna system I am center roof mounted for the lowest swr I could get at the moment with the bonds I have using an antenna analyzer on channels 1, 20 and 40 with 18' of LMR-400 coax.
Please advise me if I am going in the right direction. I understand that I won't be able to compete with the big stations running beams and high power amps. I not trying to be the biggest out there just trying to get in there where I might have a chance to be heard when the conditions are in my favor. I am sure from my previous post it was understandable that I don't have a clue what I am doing. I am learning as I go. I travel 95% of the time and don't have a place for a base station setup. So until I come off the road and settle in one spot I have to rely on a mobile. I appreciate your advice and guidance in this matter. I will look at the other radios and amps you mentioned. I was hoping to keep what I have but if it makes better sense I will go another route. Please advise as to your thoughts in this matter.
Thanks,
73's
Unit456