I use a kenwood TS-450 mobile. I also use a Bug-catcher. I don't mind waiting to change bands until the next red light or gas station stop. I also use a 2-transistor mobile broad-band mo-biel amplifier. I had a 4-transistor amp, and it was great for ~150w of AM while mobile.
On One of those 'magical' nights on 75m, was able to break in on none other than Timtron, while mobiling through North East Texas. After a rather buzzardly transmission on my part, Tron came back and said 'I can't believe how solid your signal is. Half-way through that, I had to keep reminding myself '
This guys is Mo-bile!.
I think it was the transmission after that, when I discovered why I hadn't ran the 4-transistor amp before. Either a bug, or a bit of moisture in the wee hours of the morning, and there was a flashing when I would modulate the rig. It was Corona on the bug catcher coil. Pulled the 4-transistor amp shortly thereafter and went back to the two-transistor amp (after cleaning the coil and reworking the antenna) and never had that problem again. The Q of that center-loaded coil antenna was -that- high. Bandwidth of about 7kc on 75. ~25kc (2:1 points on SWR meter) on 40m.
Ease of operation with a screwdriver has been previously enjoyed by me, but the screwdriver was never as efficient as the bug catcher. I tap from the top of the coil down, and use an impedance matching coil at the base of the antenna, with a 102" whip, laying nearly parallel to the bed of the pick-up, raised above the cab of the truck. I'll post a pic of it tomorrow.
Hamsticks, Mosely center-loaded coils and screwdrivers that need to be re-built every 6 months (from changing bands while in motion will never replace my bug catcher again. I -would-, on that note, replace it with a Pirannah, from Hi-Q, if someone were to give me one.
