Mobile Station

A Mobile Station is an amateur (or other) radio station which is typically man portable but not intended for on-the-go use as in a HT, mobile rigs fill the gap between HTs and Base Stations usually featuring more bands, modes and power then a typical HT.

Unlike a HT, a mobile station cannot be operated without supporting equipment similar to that of a base station, such as a power supply or battery/generator, microphone/key, and antenna (several types exist which are tailored to portable operation), a mobile station is intended to be transported to the operating location and setup for a temporary use.

They are commonly installed in vehicles, inside boxes (Go Boxes), and used in the field for things such as EmComm Practice and *OTA (such as the well known Parks On The Air)

History

Rigs that could count as being mobile were first used on board airplanes, airships and boats, smaller models were soon developed for military field use, in later years they saw use by Law Enforcement as well as Amateur Operators.