HAM Radio Install
Those of you that follow me on Instagram will know that about a week ago I took the HAM license test and passed getting my technician license. Those of you that don't, well now ya know. I've wanted a HAM in the truck for a while now and since the cost of the equipment has come down significantly and a lot of the guys I wheel with also have HAMs I decided now was the time to get one.
Just for the fun of it, I'll give a little bit of insight into the world og HAM and how they are different from CBs for anyone who might be considering getting their license and a radio to either replace their CB or add to their coms system.
Most of us are familiar with CBs, or Citizen Band radios which operate in the HF, 26.9650 MHz to 27.4050 MHz range. They are basically the goto radio for 4x4s because they're cheap, don't require a license, usually have adequate range, and basically, everyone has one in their rig. While CBs are perfectly fine for most people and when setup properly produce pretty consistent results, they do have a few pitfalls. One of these is that they are a line of sight radio, meaning they can not transmit through objects, they rely on the signal traveling directly from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna. So if you have a big hill, lots of trees, or rock in the way your signal will quickly degrade and reduce your effective range. The other major weakness with a CB is the transmit power restrictions, due to FCC regulations CBs are only permitted to have a transmit at a power of 4 watts. There are ways to increase the transmit power but they're technically illegal. The other option for better radio quality is to change the type of radio you are using, enter the world of HAM.
HAM is a type of amateur radio that uses several different frequency bands, has much higher power level restrictions, and in the right conditions can have a range that reaches around the globe along with the nationwide network of repeaters that can extend you signal. In the U.S. there are to major HAM bands, the 2 meter band (144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz) and the 70 cm or 440 band (430.000 MHz – 440.000 MHz.) The major advantages of HAM are that your output power isn't very limited, depending on your license level your transmit power can exceed 100 watts, greater level of audio quality, and a range that can easily double that of a CB. There is literally an endless amount of information on HAM but rather than bore everyone with that Ill get onto the install.
Cost Breakdown:
Radioddity QB25 quad-band HAM with antenna: $114.99
TRAM 3251 coax cable: $26.98
Uniden Pro 520XL CB: $47.53
Workman SWR2T SWR meter: $25.99
Total: $215.49
Some may notice the new cb in the parts list. That's because over the last few months my old Cobra 19DXIV Cb had started having issues transmitting and after some testing, I determined that the transmitter had gone bad. Symptoms were that it would receive crystal clear, SWR was a perfect 1:1, but when I would transmit I had about a 20 foot range and even then there was a ton of interference. I decided on the new Uniden unit because it was now cheaper than the Cobra and would fit in the same mounting location
The HAM I decided on was a Radioddity QB25, I chose this radio for a few reasons. 1, I have a couple buddies who also use this radio and really like it, 2, for its price it is packed with features that many more expensive units don't have, and 3, it's super tiny. It literally fits in the palm of my hand.
The location I choose to install it was directly under the CB, this way it is out of the way, relatively accessible, and visible from the driver's seat. First up was to tear the dash aprart, remove the old CB and then replace it with the new one. The ne Uniden is the exact same width as the Cobra and about a 1/2 inch shorter in height.
Comparison of the tree radios, Cobra on the left, Uniden center, and HAM on the right...
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CB installed...
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Mounting the HAM was the next challenge I had to figure out. There wasn't really any good way to make a bracket due to the limited space. What I ended up doing was using a really long ziptie to secure the rear of the HAM to the CB and then some JB Weld quick steel to securely tie to the two together. In this picture, it looks a little ghetto but once everything is installed you cant even see the JB weld ad it looks really nice.
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After I had the two radios mounted it was on to the wriring. I decided to ditch the original wiring I had for the CB in an effort to clean up the in dash wiring and to add the ability to run both radios without the truck running so when Im sitting at camp I can monitor stations. To do this I tied both radio harnesses together right out of the radio, leaving an independent fuse for each radio, and then ran a power and ground lead to the power inverter under the driver's seat. This worked great because it has a strong chassis ground and a direct power line to the battery.
After the wiring was dialed I needed to mount the antenna. Ideally, the antenna would be up on the roof of the truck for the best reception and transmit signals but seeing as I regularly drive through low hanging trees this wasn't very practical and I could see the antenna getting broken very easily. I decided to go to the next best location which was the front fender area since it was well away from the CB antenna to prevent any interference, I can keep an eye on the antenna to make sure it doesn't get snagged, and allowed the antenna to somewhat clear the top of the cab to give me the best signals I can get in my situation.
I made a small aluminum bracket at work that mounts to the hood hinge inside the fender and keeps the antenna mount low profile so it isn't visible when the antenna is off.
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I then routed the coax in through where the stock radio coax came in, down the door sill, under the back eat, and back up the center console to the radio. This way I didnt end up with a big coil of wire in he dash. After that everything just got put back together how it came out. I'm really looking forward to testing out the new radio. So far I have been able to have a clear conversation with someone that was 20 miles away, hook it up to a set of walkie talkies, and listen in on the police radios.
Final install...
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