Operating mobile

One of the reasons I want to build a highly portable QRP rig is so I can operate mobile from a bicycle. The area where I live in North Idaho offers many biking trails, like the Palouse Trail, and the Hiawatha Trail, where it's easy to pull off, set up and operate mobile.

I still need to devise portable antennas for HF, 6m and 2m, but a lot of the antenna work I'm doing around the house is giving me ideas, since I'm pretty much forced to devise antennas that are lightweight, compact and easy to set-up and take down. I'm reading Lew McCoy's book on antennas which has good ideas on design and construction techniques.

The bike I ride now is actually my Dad's old Fuji which he bought in the late 1960s or early 1970s. It's old but rides well. The major drawback to using it to operate mobile is that it's a touring road bike with narrow tires, not good for riding on unpaved surfaces. At some point I'll have to get a good off-road bike. But for now the Fuji is fine.

I could probably operate mobile now with the IC 706MKII but I need to obtain gel cells for power. The motorcycle battery I'm using is not practical for mobile operation on a bike. Ideally, I'd like to obtain some kind of flexible, portable solar panel for power, but that technology is still a bit pricey for my budget.