Welcome Paddletrucker!!!

[msmoorenburg]

Hi Paddletrucker, welcome to the xjtalk forum!

We would love to know more about you and your Jeep. How you found us, etc...

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[Paddletrucker]

Cool. I just found this forum while visiting detoursusa.com. i saw you have a ham radio section, so I signed right up!! (I'm KE5VSR, by the way).

Jeep? Haven't even got it yet. Bought it. Waiting for it to arrive from across the country. It's a stock 95 XJ, 4.0, 5-spd manual. It's really clean, runs and drives well, and was cheap. It is high miles, though. 200K. I don't care because it's a project.

I chose the XJ because it's a really practical vehicle for my hobbies, it's fun to drive, and there are TONS of aftermarket stuff to put on it. My wife and I had a '95 back in the day, coincidentally exactly like the one I just bought, but she traded it for a pickup and I had always wished I kept it.

Me? I own and operate a tractor trailer and I'm into kayak fishing, flying airplanes, RC airplanes (the XJ will be PERFECT for that!!), riding horses, HAM radio, and apparently now being a Jeep XJ owner.

Really wanted the XJ for camping and fishing, but might do some light 4 wheeling.:wink: Nothing too drastic on the mods and build, though, as it's going to be my daily driver.

Here she is, wanting to come to her new home!
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0410.jpg

[Mudderoy]

Cool. I just found this forum while visiting detoursusa.com. i saw you have a ham radio section, so I signed right up!! (I'm KE5VSR, by the way).

Jeep? Haven't even got it yet. Bought it. Waiting for it to arrive from across the country. It's a stock 95 XJ, 4.0, 5-spd manual. It's really clean, runs and drives well, and was cheap. It is high miles, though. 200K. I don't care because it's a project.

I chose the XJ because it's a really practical vehicle for my hobbies, it's fun to drive, and there are TONS of aftermarket stuff to put on it. My wife and I had a '95 back in the day, coincidentally exactly like the one I just bought, but she traded it for a pickup and I had always wished I kept it.

Me? I own and operate a tractor trailer and I'm into kayak fishing, flying airplanes, RC airplanes (the XJ will be PERFECT for that!!), riding horses, HAM radio, and apparently now being a Jeep XJ owner.

Really wanted the XJ for camping and fishing, but might do some light 4 wheeling.:wink: Nothing too drastic on the mods and build, though, as it's going to be my daily driver.

Here she is, wanting to come to her new home!
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/IMG_0410.jpg

Hey it does look nice. Yeah we were looking at a TJ in 1998 but we went with the XJ instead since we had two little girls. I decided a few years ago we'd just keep it forever. :D It has 170k miles on it, and it's been more than a little fun modifying it. It's not just a project, it's my daily driver. My wife's Mustang has a cracked head, or blown head gasket, so I found a pretty good deal on a 1999 XJ and got it for her.

I still have to fix that Mustang though. ;)

:welcome: to xjtalk and :thanx: for joining!

We like the Jeeps from mild to wild here, so please share anything you do.

Oh I'll warn you, if you are going to do any mobile HF my ICOM 706, auto antenna tuner and a 102" whip worked great on all the bands (well 80m sucked because the antenna is so short) but I got great reports on all the other bands. That was until I lifted the vehicle 7" and now I'll kill the motor if I try to talk on several of the high bands!

I've learned that the ground plain is really more of a capacitive coupling between the chassis of the Jeep and the ground, and if you raise that chassis you change the coupling, and the ground.

Now I have lots of work to do to try and get my HF function while the engine is on. ;)

[Paddletrucker]

Awesome.

I'm only a tech right now. I just haven't had time to upgrade to Extra, but it's in the plans. I run a regular nightly run between Tulsa, OK and Dallas, TX and all of us guys on that run used to run CB's and try to get away from all the BS. A fellow truck driver got me and a few of my buddies I drive with into ham radio. We LOVED it instantly. 2 meter works great for us and there is a really good network of repeaters down there that let us keep in contact with each other just about regardless of where we are on the run.

I haul mostly for FedEx, I've got a few buddies that drive for UPS that are hams, we have two other buddies who haul auto parts we talk to about every night on 2M or 70cm, and we find other drivers and people more often than I'd ever thought. One of the coolest things that happened to us was while we were using a repeater that has echo link. About 3:30AM, the echo link keys up and we had a nice QSO with a gentleman from Germany. COOL!!:thumbsup:

I usually run an Icom 2800 in my semi, but it's down right now and I'm running the radio I started with, an Icom 2200H. It's a great radio, too. I also have a Yaesu 8800 in my pick up. I'm lusting after an Icom 7000 for my semi, and I'll get that after I get the Extra ticket. I'm planning on an Icom 208H for the XJ. It's a nice little unit that I like a lot. A buddy has on and I think it will be great for my Cherokee.

As to the issue of grounding. My old Freightliner has a moslty fiberglass cab. Antenna grounding is a NIGHTMARE!:bang: I began using a Diamond antenna that doesn't require a ground or a ground plane and it has worked amazingly well. One of the things we deal with in big trucks is the trailer blocking our signal. With the Diamond antenna, I just screwed the mount up near the top of of the fairing on my truck. It puts the tip of the antenna above the trailers, but it's not so high that I've ever hit it on anything. It made a HUGE difference after moving it from a mirror mount.

I'd really like to try some 2M side band out of the truck. I'd also like to run the Icom 7000 in the truck and a screwdriver antenna! That'd be kick butt!;)

Really looking forward to posting, reading, and messing with my XJ. I WISH IT'D HURRY UP AN GET HERE!!!!!!!!!!

[Mudderoy]

Awesome.

I'm only a tech right now. I just haven't had time to upgrade to Extra, but it's in the plans. I run a regular nightly run between Tulsa, OK and Dallas, TX and all of us guys on that run used to run CB's and try to get away from all the BS. A fellow truck driver got me and a few of my buddies I drive with into ham radio. We LOVED it instantly. 2 meter works great for us and there is a really good network of repeaters down there that let us keep in contact with each other just about regardless of where we are on the run.

I haul mostly for FedEx, I've got a few buddies that drive for UPS that are hams, we have two other buddies who haul auto parts we talk to about every night on 2M or 70cm, and we find other drivers and people more often than I'd ever thought. One of the coolest things that happened to us was while we were using a repeater that has echo link. About 3:30AM, the echo link keys up and we had a nice QSO with a gentleman from Germany. COOL!!:thumbsup:

I usually run an Icom 2800 in my semi, but it's down right now and I'm running the radio I started with, an Icom 2200H. It's a great radio, too. I also have a Yaesu 8800 in my pick up. I'm lusting after an Icom 7000 for my semi, and I'll get that after I get the Extra ticket. I'm planning on an Icom 208H for the XJ. It's a nice little unit that I like a lot. A buddy has on and I think it will be great for my Cherokee.

As to the issue of grounding. My old Freightliner has a moslty fiberglass cab. Antenna grounding is a NIGHTMARE!:bang: I began using a Diamond antenna that doesn't require a ground or a ground plane and it has worked amazingly well. One of the things we deal with in big trucks is the trailer blocking our signal. With the Diamond antenna, I just screwed the mount up near the top of of the fairing on my truck. It puts the tip of the antenna above the trailers, but it's not so high that I've ever hit it on anything. It made a HUGE difference after moving it from a mirror mount.

I'd really like to try some 2M side band out of the truck. I'd also like to run the Icom 7000 in the truck and a screwdriver antenna! That'd be kick butt!;)

Really looking forward to posting, reading, and messing with my XJ. I WISH IT'D HURRY UP AN GET HERE!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah a screwdriver was the first antenna I was going to go with but parking garages, and the garage at home, I just didn't want to have to worry about getting out, taking off the stinger, getting in, getting out, blah blah blah. The ICOM auto tuner and 102 whip worked great, and I can just reach out the passenger's side window and unhook the whip, even while I'm driving down the road.

I was just looking at the ICOM 9100(?) that has USB interface and there appears to be some Internet software that allows you to control the radio PLUS transmit and receive via VoIP (guessing), so really all you need is a good laptop, a good headset and a decent Internet connection. Now you don't have to worry about RF grounding! lol :thumbsup:

[prerunner1982]

Paddle...welcome. Glad to see another Okie on this board finally. All these Texans are starting to wear on me. :D;)

[Paddletrucker]

Paddle...welcome. Glad to see another Okie on this board finally. All these Texans are starting to wear on me. :D;)

Your XJ is spec'd out exactly like mine, just two years older. Even has about the same number of miles. I'm glad to see you get 20+ mpg. O was wondering what kind of mileage I'd get. Glad to see that's achievable.

Of course, I'd like to lift it a little, add 31" tires, and go to a 3.73 ratio. I pull a lot of trailers and my XJ already has a trailer especially for it to pull. It will haul a little hay and feed, tow a boat, my kayak trailer, and whatever else I decide to put on it's little trailer. I'm basically giving up a truck bed in favor of a small 5' x 10' trailer for the Jeep. I doubt any of that will be conducive to 20+ mpg!

I'm over here about 20 mins. east of Tulsa, BTW.

[cantab27]

hi Nate welcome aboard.....one reason i built my xj is to get up the rivers fishing...fresh water fishing miles from no one ,,ya cant beat that....there is a fishing thread on here somewhere,, will post link....

http://www.xjtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2988&highlight=fishing

[modestmar00xj]

Paddletrucker! welcome t o xjtalk!

[prerunner1982]

Your XJ is spec'd out exactly like mine, just two years older. Even has about the same number of miles. I'm glad to see you get 20+ mpg. O was wondering what kind of mileage I'd get. Glad to see that's achievable.

Of course, I'd like to lift it a little, add 31" tires, and go to a 3.73 ratio. I pull a lot of trailers and my XJ already has a trailer especially for it to pull. It will haul a little hay and feed, tow a boat, my kayak trailer, and whatever else I decide to put on it's little trailer. I'm basically giving up a truck bed in favor of a small 5' x 10' trailer for the Jeep. I doubt any of that will be conducive to 20+ mpg!

I'm over here about 20 mins. east of Tulsa, BTW.

I can get 20mpg... infact last tank got 23mpg... but it certainly is no fun to drive it in order to get that kind of mpg. Slow and easy keeping the RPMs low. Doubt I could get this kind of mileage with an auto though.

Unloaded I bet you could get decent mileage if you drive it like I do. :driving:

At least you are close to a wheeling area... not much around her.

[modestmar00xj]

Paddletrucker! welcome to xjtalk!

[bluedragon436]

:welcome: to xjtalk from Delaware/Maryland!!

[1ATony]

Welcome to the site. I used to be in a CB club when I was younger we had a blast on those things.