Hybrid Vehicles

[WA6IRQ]

I am thinking of buying a Hybrid vehicle. Most likely it will be a Toyota Prius.

I am concerned about RFI from the electric motors or from the brake regeneration systems.

Anyone out there drive one and have any words of wisdom about putting a VHF / UHF HF radio in the vehicle

Wes

WA6IRQ

[Andy N1ORK]

Just got a 2006 Prius about a month ago. Bought it used w/38k miles. Nice little car with alot of room inside. No long trips yet, but averaging about 41mpg so far (a little highway mostly around town). Got my IC2200H mounted in slot below display. Ran 12v directly from battery jumping location in front. Using a 2m mag mount for now. The 12v battery is in a compartment next to the rear passenger lights in the trunk. There is another take-off point there if you want to mount your radio in the back and remote your head to the front. Shorter run for HF antenna/tuner. The HV Battery for the electric motor is under the rear seat. You don't want to play with that. Let me know if you want pics and I'll email them to you or post on the site. Oh yeah, no RFI or Whining noises either, but I haven't tried HF yet.
73

[Richard Stouffer]

My wife has the Camry hybrid, gets almost exactly 30mpg. Nice car. I can't halp you on the RFI question- wife won't let me put anything on or in her car, but it sure would be a great power source. When the battery gets low the engine starts. It's a very quiet engine. It should be a great field day or emergency generator.

[k3mp]

I thought (here I go thinking again) that those vehicles were 24 volt ???

[Andy N1ORK]

Not sure what the battery voltage is for the electric motor, but the Prius has a seperate 12v battery for the gas engine and other electronic systems.

[Manual Garcia O'Kely]

My parents have the Lexus and I believe the battery is something like 400 volts, 7 amp/hours - you don't want to mess with THAT.

[bnmcgraw]

I think the Camry is 380 volts. Don't want to even try!!

[Andy N1ORK]

So Wes,
Did you ever get that Prius? I'm averaging about 48mpg going back and forth from CT to our camper in NH. About 215 miles. The head of my FT8800R fits just right in the little compartment just under the radio and the rest of the unit is under the driver's seat.
73
Andy - n1ork

[w6pea]

I have been looking at getting a Tahoe Hybrid or a Ford Escape Hybrid, not a Japanese beer can.

I really like the Tahoe or the GMC Yukon Hybrids.
I have always owned Ford Trucks or Freightliner Trucks. I had a GMC P/U a long time ago, I have never owned a car always a P/U.
73 de w6pea

[KC1BUD]

Originally Posted by Richard Stouffer

My wife has the Camry hybrid, gets almost exactly 30mpg. Nice car. I can't halp you on the RFI question- wife won't let me put anything on or in her car, but it sure would be a great power source. When the battery gets low the engine starts. It's a very quiet engine. It should be a great field day or emergency generator.

Richard,

This isn't meant to offend you or anything but my wife had a '04 Malibu that got 30 miles to the gallon and now has an Colbalt that she regularly gets 32 miles to the gallon, neither are hybrids and don't have all that extra complex circuitry, or batteries.
Why would anyone buy a vehicle that costs so much more just to get the same milleage?

[Richard Stouffer]

I know I lot of cars that kinda get great mileage. Our real mileage is over 30 even with the 10% ethanol blend, but almost all of that is city driving. We looked at the Malibu and had a very favorable opinion of it, but a Cobalt was not on our radar screen and neither was the Prius or the Yaris. So gas mileage was not the only considerations.

We bought the Camry because we thought it was a great looking car it and it's get very high consumer ratings. We also wanted the experience of the hybrid without looking like a tree hugger.

And did I mention that it really gets over thirty miles to the gallon?