Hi.

That is a sore subject around here.  I use a extended duck that is supposed
to approximate a quarter wave on 2m and a 5/8 wave on 70cm.  Many drivers
take a very dim view of two-way radios on the bus even if the receive audio
is kept low enough that one must press their ear to the radio to hear
it.  On more than one occasion, I've been told that if a particular driver
sees the radio again, I'll be put off the bus.

For the drivers that don't care one way or the other, I've found that
blockage of the signal is only half of my problem.  The buses in our city
are quite the little noise generators.  In fact, a useful side effect of
this is that I can tell when a bus is pulling up to my stop because when it
gets within about forty feet of me the squelch will go open on my radio!

73, de Lou K2LKK



At 08:26 AM 6/26/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I am experiencing difficulty using my handheld on the local transit system
>here in the Seattle area.  Very few of our repeaters hear well enough to
>give me a nice clear signal into them with my rubber duck from inside the
>bus.
>
>Does anyone know of something available or has anyone made some kind of
>antenna that might use suction cups or some other method to attach it to the
>bus window or clamp it to the metal ledge right below the window to give a
>better signal?  If so, please let me know what you have done?
>
>Thanks much and very 73.
>Kevin, K7RX
>
>Kevin Nathan, Independent Living Coordinator
>Dept. of Services for the Blind
>3411 S. Alaska
>Seattle, Wa 98118
>Voice:  (206) 721-6450
>Cell:  (206) 604-4767
>Toll Free:  (800) 552-7103
>Fax:  (206) 721-6403
>Email:  [log in to unmask]

Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
Home e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
Work e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
Work Telephone:  (585) 697-5753