plus 4, Reviews Summary for CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna - eHam.net

Reviews Summary for CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna - eHam.net
Test Driving the Electric Car That May Save a Rust Belt Town - The Daily Green
Electric Cars: Race is on, and the Road is Jammed - First Coast News
Electric Auto Dreams Becoming Reality - Denver Channel
Premarket roundup: China Web portals, Wyndham - Yahoo Finance

Reviews Summary for CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna - eHam.net

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 05:43 PM PST

The Chameleon V1 was purchased off e-Bay at a discount price ($110) from the manufacturer, after perusing the manufacturer's web site (where it was then offered retail for $150).

The Chameleon V1 is an approximately six-foot tall, two-piece, helically wound, fiberglass whip joinable at the center by heavy-duty brass 3/8" x 24 male and female fittings on the two pieces. The radiating wire is wound on the fiberglass so as to load, and effectively create traps for, the various amateur bands from 80-10M plus 2 meters. It's recommended that the entire antenna be used on 40M & 75/80M, while using the lower section only on 20M-10M -- although some users (myself included) obtained a good match and good results on all bands from 80M through 10M using the entire length of the antenna; i.e., with both sections screwed together.

I did not try the Chameleon V1 on any frequency above the 10 meter band.

I have used many different types of mobile HF antenna setups over the last 35 years, including a home brew helically wound whip, Hamsticks, a Sidekick, an SGC-230 and 102-inch whip, Hustler, and ATAS.

I had a somewhat challenging situation with my 1990 Nissan Axxess, which is a rather small vehicle. It is manual transmission, so I did not want to have to fiddle with a rocker switch as required for a screwdriver-type antenna, and did not want to crowd the cockpit with extra items such as a Turbo Tuner. I wanted multi-band QSY without stopping and exiting the vehicle, and desired something that would load more efficiently than a stainless steel whip or the out-of-ham-band 8 & 12 MHz-resonant type of stick marketed (at a hefty price, to boot) for the SGC-230. Although the SCG-230/stainless whip combination worked well in some other mobile installations and on a portable tripod setup, it would not perform well in the configuration necessary for this vehicle, and efficiency below 20 meters left much to be desired in any event.

I had been looking for, and considering trying to home brew, a helical mobile antenna designed to resonate on several ham bands, when I came across the Chameleon V1 and decided to invest $110 to give it a try, since the manufacturer promised satisfaction or full refund or replacement.

I run the Icom 706 Mark II G in the Axxess. I mounted the AH-4 remote antenna coupler on the small trailer hitch that is permanently welded and bolted to a steel framework as standard equipment on the AWD Axxess, a vehicle that was sold in the US market for one year, only.

As supplied, the Chameleon V1 comes with a C-clamp, small mounting plate and 9:1 unun.

For my purposes, I set aside the unun and C-clamp and mounted one pre-drilled end of a stainless steel antenna mounting plate (approximately 3/8" thick, 10" long, 3" wide) under the hitch ball, and the Chameleon V1 to the other pre-drilled hole at the opposite end of the antenna bracket, replacing the 3/8" x 24 bottom stud with an SO-238-type 3/8" x 24 connector and protective screw-cap from my connector "junkbox."

I next soldered terminal rings on either end of a a short No. 10 solid copper wire and connected it between the "hot" terminal of the AH-4 and the bottom lug of the antenna mount. A 1/2"-wide tinned, braided grounding strap (prefabricated with terminal rings on either end, obtained from HRO) was run from the ground lug of the AH-4 to a bolt underneath the vehicle fastening the hitch assembly to the vehicle body. After running the coax and control cable from the AH-4 to the IC-706MkIIG, it was time to give the system a try.

Simply pressing the "Tune" button on the 706 put it into tuning mode and it declared a "match" with very minimal SWR (a couple of small bars signifying perhaps 1.3:1) in the middle of 40M phone. The same result was achieved at both ends of the band, phone and CW, and likewise on the other HF bands 30-10 (I did not try 60M).

75/80M is usually the troublesome band, so I saved it for last. Although it took the AH-4 a couple of tries, it nonetheless "matched" to the 75 meter band at about 3850 kHz with barely any hesitation. Once it had done so, it instantly tuned throughout the 75/80M band. Realizing that this did not necessarily indicate a good antenna, but rather could mean that it was a great dummy load, I put out a CQ. To my surprise and delight, I was answered by a Maryland station who gave me a 5X5. This was quite satisfying after not being able to get a good match there using the SGC-230 and stainless whip. The AH-4 also worked well on 75/80M with a 75/8-M Hamstick (well, one would hope so!) and would couple to that Hamstick on 40-10, but not very efficiently as to anything above 75/80M.

The next day, I checked-in mobile into the Noontime Net on 7268.5; NCS W6FHZ in Reno gave me a "Very strong signal today!!" 5 x 9 report. That evening, I was easily heard by NCS for the Oregon Emergency Net on 3980 kHz; I am used to having to be relayed into that net when mobiling.

The antenna continued to work very well for the next six months. One design deficiency, however, is that the very sturdy -- and relatively heavy compared to the fiberglass whip -- center coupler holding the two sections of the whip together, renders the antenna quite unstable in the air blow-by produced when the vehicle is in motion. The antenna will bend back as much as about 75-80 degrees and also whip from side to side. Use of a base spring is recommended. I found that it must be a very heavy duty base spring (e.g., the $80 one available at HRO) in order to hold the bottom half of the antenna vertical while the vehicle is in motion, while still protecting the antenna from damage from overhead limbs, etc. Use of a less heavy-duty base spring will permit the bottom section of the antenna to lean back nearly 45 degrees while the top section bends back to almost 90 degrees relative to the roadway, when the vehicle is in forward motion at appreciable speed. I solved this problem with a kind of bungee cord that has caribiners on each end and that is about 10 inches long in the relaxed state. I clipped one caribiner to the back rail of the roofrack on the Nissan Access, and slipped the other caribiner over the Chameleon V1 down to the level of the top of the joint connecting the two antenna halves. This worked quite well.

I also took to bending the antenna forward and hooking the tip under as recessed spot on a plastic bracket located about two-thirds of the way toward the front end of the the roofrack, which would place the antenna in a curved forward shape, when entering a parking structure or even while traveling at high speed; when operated this way, it produced nice NVIS on 40 and 75/80- meters.

Unfortunately, that eventually proved too stressful for the antenna and it cracked just above the center joint.

I emailed Alexander (manufacturer) requesting the price for replacement of the top section only. To my surprise, he immediately replied that a replacement was being shipped the next business day at no charge beyond $12 postage I could send via Pay-Pal. I suggested that an adjustable center coupler be offered for joining the two sections, that would have a thumbscrew allowing the user to place the antenna top section at various user-selected angles.

Alexander also indicated that he would send me, free of charge, a prototype of the new V2 version of the Chameleon, which is only about 4.5 feet tall and promises coverage from 3.0-500 MHz, seeking only my honest evaluation. I agreed to do such a beta test, and likely will post a review here at such time, if ever, as that antenna may be offered retail.

This review is objective and is not influenced by Alexander's provision of a replacement top section at no charge, though I do deem that worth mentioning again (even though this section is not for reviewing vendors) because such strong customer support is so rare these days.

CONCLUSION: Despite the "Achilles' heel" of the Chameleon V1 (wind resistance deficiency)having been found, I highly recommend this antenna to the HF mobileer. Reinforcing the center joint with a few layers of electrician's tape or such, would adequately shore up that weak link.

MSRP: $170.

Google "Chameleon HF antenna" for a link to the manufacturer's pages.

73 de Kevin WA7VTD

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Test Driving the Electric Car That May Save a Rust Belt Town - The Daily Green

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 03:34 PM PST

DETROIT--I am in the driver's seat of one of the most heavily anticipated electric cars, the Think City. The car comes to us from Norway, though it has a long and colorful American history. Think (or as it's sometimes written, Th!nk) was owned by Ford from 1999 to 2002. The company was then producing another, less-evolved version of the City and the Think Neighbor, a golf cart-type electric vehicle for local use.

Ford did little with the brand, but some 1,000 cars were produced (mostly sold in Europe). The Ford venture ended in ignominy when the remaining cars in the pipeline were crushed, just like the GM EV-1s in Who Killed the Electric Car?.

Think struggled for a while, and went through the Norwegian version of bankruptcy, but it is now on a roll. Indiana-based battery maker Ener1 is the lead investor in reviving the company's fortunes, and it is once more churning out small batches of EVs (now from Finland's Valmet, where the Porsche Boxster and the forthcoming Fisker Karma are built).

Think, having produced 500 of its second-generation cars, is coming to America again. With great fanfare, the company recently announced that it is building a manufacturing plant in hard-hit Elkhart, Indiana (once "The RV Capital of the World," now largely a showpiece for unemployment). Believe me, they were celebrating in Elkhart when the factory was announced. Keith Takasawa, a former Ford engineer (ironically enough) who now is director of product development for Think North America, said that he expects volume "in the low thousands" for the first couple of years.

"It's very helpful to have the relationship with Ener1," said Takasawa. "We're now joined at the hip." Ener1 supplied the lithium-ion batteries in the car I drove, but it is available with Zebra batteries in European editions.

The Think City will be sold as early as later this year, with the inventory initially consisting of cars made in Europe. But the U.S. factory, in a former RV window facility, will have the capacity of 20,000 a year. The initial price will be under $20,000, but that's minus the battery (which will be leased) and including a $7,500 federal tax credit and other incentives.

On the road (I know you were waiting for this part) in downtown Detroit, the Think City moved off the line with alacrity, albeit a bit noisier than some of its competition. Steering was heavy, but U.S. versions will have power assist. The two-seater, with a 100-mile range and a top speed around 70 mph, is no luxury car. It's comfortable, and it's utilitarian, and it's also a driver's seat waiting for volunteer posteriors of the nation's global warming-motivated early adopters.

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Electric Cars: Race is on, and the Road is Jammed - First Coast News

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 02:23 PM PST

by Justin Hyde
Free Press Washington Staff

DETROIT -- The road for electric vehicles is starting to get jammed, and no one's sure where it leads.

Every major automaker at the Detroit auto show this week offered some flavor of electric-drive vehicle, with several start-ups, such as Commuter Cars from Spokane, Wash., jostling for attention, too.

While some were concepts, a handful of the models are to go into production this year, including BYD of China's all-electric e6. A few others, such as minicars made by South Korea's CT&T United, already are on the road in California.

But questions remain: Where to plug in on trips? Who will pay the higher price tag that comes with many models?

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said that even though GM will build the Chevy Volt and eventually a plug-in hybrid, the electric movement would have to be tempered by real-world demand.

Other automakers and experts warn of a traditional industry hubris that's slow to catch shifts among consumers.

"We are an industry that summarily discounts new competition," said John Mendel, executive vice president of Honda in America.

Challenges remain

Last year, Chinese automaker BYD made a braggadocio appearance in Detroit to tout its plug-in hybrids, electric battery technology and investment from Warren Buffett.

This year, the company, whose name stands for "build your dreams," is a little less dreamy - and an example of the challenges facing all automakers forging an electric future.

BYD, which built batteries before entering the auto business, made waves last year with its F6DM sedan, technically the first plug-in hybrid sold by an automaker to the general public. But BYD sold only a couple hundred last year to businesses and government agencies in China, mainly because of high costs, and said it hasn't decided whether to export it.

BYD said today it hopes to launch its all-electric e6 hatchback in the U.S. by the end of this year, but hadn't started the process of meeting federal regulations. Henry Li, general manager of BYD's auto export division, said the e6 might cost $40,000 to build and would need incentives to hit the market.

Throughout the show, every reveal of a new electric-powered vehicle raised the same set of hurdles that lie outside the auto industry's control. Half of the cost of an electric vehicle comes in the battery pack. Governments around the world have supported electric vehicles so far, but many executives worry about relying on subsides.

And many consumers appear unwilling to justify the extra cost of even a regular hybrid unless oil prices surge far higher. Outside Toyota, and to a lesser degree Honda, no automaker has successfully sold hybrids in high numbers, and hybrids accounted for less than 4% of U.S. sales last year.

Several automakers admitted they were pressing ahead even though electric vehicles would not be profitable to launch. Nancy Gioia, who oversees Ford's plans for new hybrids, a plug-in hybrid and a battery-powered Focus, said the automaker's main goal was making its hybrids more affordable.

"Our goal is to have a three-year payback that makes sense to the customer in combination with other incentives," Gioia said.

Government aid "exists to jump-start" the industry, she added. "It can't exist as a subsidy over time."

Even GM attempted to rein in some expectations for the Volt, noting that its impact in production would be relatively small. At full production, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said the automaker would build a maximum of 60,000 Volts. Last year, it sold 68,000 Chevrolet HHR crossovers.

The high costs and slow rollout of models leads industry research firm CSM Forecasting to predict sales of hybrids and electric vehicles will hit just one million by 2016 - with most of them regular hybrids.

"Even with gas prices at $4 per gallon, the business case for the consumer doesn't begin to work until they've driven their vehicle 6 to 10 years," said Eric Fedewa, vice president of global powertrain forecasts.

Some executives say they are far more hopeful. Elon Musk, whose Tesla showed off the prototype of the Model S all-electric sedan, marked the production of the 1,000th Tesla roadster at the show. Tesla drove a roadster from California to Detroit, charging at homes and RV parks along the way to show how such a trip could take place.

Musk said battery improvements combined with some adjustments in habits would quickly convince many consumers to choose electric vehicles.

"In my view, the future is all electric," he said. "It's only a matter of time."

Free Press staff writer Brent Snavely contributed to this report.

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Electric Auto Dreams Becoming Reality - Denver Channel

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 07:42 AM PST

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Premarket roundup: China Web portals, Wyndham - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 06:37 AM PST

Among the premarket stories for Wednesday, Jan. 13, from AP Financial News:

-- News that Google Inc. may pack up its operations in China boosted shares of its Chinese rivals.

-- Wyndham Worldwide's attractive stock price and free cash flow strategy led a Deutsche Bank North America analyst to boost his rating and price target on the hotel operator.

-- The sell-off in shares of MetroPCS Communications Inc. prompted an upgrade of the stock from Deutsche Bank.

-- A Baird analyst said dealers are ordering more recreational vehicles after a big decline in inventories, likely helping sales at RV makers. But demand from customers -- key to a sustainable rebound -- is still uncertain.

-- Solutia Inc., a specialty chemical maker, should get a lift from improving demand and recovering automotive markets, an analyst said as he raised his rating on its shares and increased his profit estimate for 2010.

-- A Deutsche Bank analyst upgraded Werner Enterprises Inc., saying the trucking sector is improving and the company will be able to increase its rates.

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