HAM radio install pics?

[Bumbo]

Still work in progress over here, its more of an electrical project but the radios are part of it. I have two mobile radios and a few extras in a Pelican case for those more challenging adventures.

No HF capabilities yet, but would like to get there soon too.

I added some solar capability for those extended stays at camp and to feed the emergency kit.

DIY dual battery setup with Blue Sea ACR and programmable Low Voltage Disconnect which feeds an aux fuse panel.

I also have some strategically placed dedicated and fused Anderson Powerpole drops inside and outside of the truck for charging and accessories...

Yaesu FT-2900 (Drivers Radio)
Kenwood TM-v71a (Still waiting to be installed but its for 70cm capability and crossband repeater)

 

[Offcamber]

[MENTION=69441]Dawg4Runner[/MENTION] that is great info. Thank you very much. I'm going to work on mounting the antenna and running the cable this morning.

 

[Dawg4Runner]

[MENTION=69441]Dawg4Runner[/MENTION] that is great info. Thank you very much. I'm going to work on mounting the antenna and running the cable this morning.

[MENTION=140870]Offcamber[/MENTION] Good luck with your install today.

Just to clarify. I did not run the antenna cable all the way up to the front console. The antenna cable only needed to go a short distance to the radio chassis which is mounted in the rear storage compartment. The cable that connects the chassis to the head unit is what I ran under the rear cargo panel and under the door threshold(s) up to the console.

 

[Offcamber]

[MENTION=140870]Offcamber[/MENTION] Good luck with your install today.

The antenna install went smoothly. I had to use a different route to run the cable through the sheet metal since I didn't see a similar hole, at least not on the left side. I went in through the tail light, behind the rear interior panel, up and over the wheel arch, and then forward to the driver's seat. I'm going to try to mount the radio under the driver's seat next. It looks like a tight fit, but will hopefully work okay.

 

[Krayziekid]

Still work in progress over here, its more of an electrical project but the radios are part of it. I have two mobile radios and a few extras in a Pelican case for those more challenging adventures.

No HF capabilities yet, but would like to get there soon too.

I added some solar capability for those extended stays at camp and to feed the emergency kit.

DIY dual battery setup with Blue Sea ACR and programmable Low Voltage Disconnect which feeds an aux fuse panel.

I also have some strategically placed dedicated and fused Anderson Powerpole drops inside and outside of the truck for charging and accessories...

Yaesu FT-2900 (Drivers Radio)
Kenwood TM-v71a (Still waiting to be installed but its for 70cm capability and crossband repeater)

Hey man. Two questions for you. Going to take my exam in a couple of weeks! What handhelds do you have, and what size pelican?

I think I am going to start off with a handheld after I pass to get the gist of HAM and then put a mobile rig in when I have the time and money haha.

 

[Bumbo]

Hey man. Two questions for you. Going to take my exam in a couple of weeks! What handhelds do you have, and what size pelican?

I think I am going to start off with a handheld after I pass to get the gist of HAM and then put a mobile rig in when I have the time and money haha.

The very first handheld I bought about 12+ years ago... it is a Yaesu VX-7R

Its still to date my favorite radio I own... very feature rich and a pleasure to work with. Awesome screen, very rugged as its a bit banged up from an ATV riding accident.

The others are an older version of the Yaesu FT-270R and two baofeng uv-5r. The UV-5R is very popular but they scan slow as shit, dont have a lot of memory, and its receivers selectivity is kinda poor in noisy RF environments.

The Pelican case in the picture is a model # 1520.

Only tip I can give you is spend the extra cash on quality equipment as it will last you. Buy Dual band and or Dual VFO on both the mobiles and handheld radios... its that much better as its almost like two radios in one. For example monitoring a repeater and working simplex with a group.

In regards to mobile radios, owning something that does crossband repeat is now mandatory for me. I never knew how important / useful that feature was until I got a radio that could do it. Often times on road trips and camping trips I found a handheld didn't have enough power to get me into repeaters.

With crossband I get the freedom to use a handheld with the power benefits of a mobile when at camp. At least if I injured myself, I dont have to worry about not having comms or having to get back to the car to call for help.

 

[Krayziekid]

The very first handheld I bought about 12+ years ago... it is a Yaesu VX-7R

Its still to date my favorite radio I own... very feature rich and a pleasure to work with. Awesome screen, very rugged as its a bit banged up from an ATV riding accident.

The others are an older version of the Yaesu FT-270R and two baofeng uv-5r. The UV-5R is very popular but they scan slow as shit, dont have a lot of memory, and its receivers selectivity is kinda poor in noisy RF environments.

The Pelican case in the picture is a model # 1520.

Only tip I can give you is spend the extra cash on quality equipment as it will last you. Buy Dual band and or Dual VFO on both the mobiles and handheld radios... its that much better as its almost like two radios in one. For example monitoring a repeater and working simplex with a group.

In regards to mobile radios, owning something that does crossband repeat is now mandatory for me. I never knew how important / useful that feature was until I got a radio that could do it. Often times on road trips and camping trips I found a handheld didn't have enough power to get me into repeaters.

With crossband I get the freedom to use a handheld with the power benefits of a mobile when at camp. At least if I injured myself, I dont have to worry about not having comms or having to get back to the car to call for help.

Thanks for all of the great insight! I was looking in to getting the UV-5R V2+ as my first radio so I can sort of play around with HAM after I get licensed. Then from there I was going to do a mobile UHF/VHF rig. What you said makes a lot of sense though.

When you say crossband repeat, what exactly do you mean? Does that mean you can use your handheld to broadcast to your car rig, and then that repeats it? Sorry if that is a dumb question lol

 

[Bumbo]

Thanks for all of the great insight! I was looking in to getting the UV-5R V2+ as my first radio so I can sort of play around with HAM after I get licensed. Then from there I was going to do a mobile UHF/VHF rig. What you said makes a lot of sense though.

When you say crossband repeat, what exactly do you mean? Does that mean you can use your handheld to broadcast to your car rig, and then that repeats it? Sorry if that is a dumb question lol

Yes, crossband repeat is just that. So if you are working a 2 meter repeater, your handheld will be talking to the crossband repeater on a 70cm frequency. It can be uni-directional or bi-directional meaning too. I only have to be able to hit my mobile rig and I generally do that on the lowest power possible. I have one in my attic too, so at home, I can use the lowest 0.05 watt setting on my radio. Lasts for days... My attic radio is a Kenwood v71a which is capable of being remotely controlled using DTMF tones. My handheld has everything programmed inside so its basically "speed dial" to make station changes.

Ill be honest, part of what made learning how to be a ham fun (at least for me) was decent equipment... The VX-7R or similar fancy radio really gave me room to grow into it. It has other really cool features like a spectrum analyzer, excellent memory management, and a wonderful information packed screen. 12+ years later its still my most used and favorite radio.

I only say this because the UV-5R, in comparison, makes me want to pull out my hair. Its dog slow, I hate programming it in the field, and I even keep a printed cheat sheet with it so I can tell what frequency and tone I am using when in Alpha numeric mode and so I can type in the exact channel # otherwise it takes me forever to scroll though them. The menus are clunky and cryptic, receiver performance is ok... even with SQL at max, I still get random noise that opens it up while my other radios are dead silent.

That said, I love how inexpensive that radio is, but it really does suck in comparison to other units I have tried. That said, its disposable cheap, and worth owning a couple of them.

If I could only own one, and had a serious budget, I would consider the FT-270R if you can live with 2 meter only. Or aim for something like a VX-6R.

If you can afford to push it a little and get yourself into a VX-8DR or one of their new digital handhelds like the FT1DR, it will probably be one of the last radios you will ever need in a handheld form factor.

If you consider how long I have owned mine, its money well spent.

 

[USA591]

For antenna, I put NMO mount it the middle of the roof (to get good ground plane....

Where did you drill the hole for the NMO mount? I understand it would have to be in the back third of the roof due to the sun roof.

I'm trying to wrap my head around a future install and would really like the ground plane of the roof vs. a tail light mount.


73

 

[Bumbo]

Where did you drill the hole for the NMO mount? I understand it would have to be in the back third of the roof due to the sun roof.

I'm trying to wrap my head around a future install and would really like the ground plane of the roof vs. a tail light mount.


73

I dont see any problems with a install in the back third. Its probably still better than a tail or hatch out. That said, am using a 1/2 wave antenna and from what I understand those are not ground plane sensitive when compared to 1/4 wave or 5/8 wave antennas.

All you need is a 3/4" hole saw, but reading about other peoples experiences its not an area you want to cheap out or buy the incorrect tool.

The ones for drilling roofs look a bit different... Ive seen some use a harbor freight hole saw only to end up with a really rough cut.

Here are two I have seen... there are probably more options out there.

PulseLarsen HOLE SAW HS1 Equipment Tools Kits, HOLE SAW HS1

https://www.amazon.com/Laird-HS34-a...=1501784449&sr=8-1&keywords=NMO+3/4"+Hole+Saw

You can shop around too... ive seen them for less.

 

[BagiMT]

Resurrecting an old thread. I just got a Kenwood D710 and I am debating on were to install the body. I narrowed it down to either in the back in the subwoofer space or under the passenger seat. Those who installed under the seat did you mount it to the carpet or drill holes in the floor. And if you attached it to the carpet did you use a back-plate under the carpet? The carpet does not seem very well attached especially where the vent is so I am worried that the radio would bounce around when off-road.

 

[Bumbo]

Resurrecting an old thread. I just got a Kenwood D710 and I am debating on were to install the body. I narrowed it down to either in the back in the subwoofer space or under the passenger seat. Those who installed under the seat did you mount it to the carpet or drill holes in the floor. And if you attached it to the carpet did you use a back-plate under the carpet? The carpet does not seem very well attached especially where the vent is so I am worried that the radio would bounce around when off-road.

Subwoofer area seems nice if you still have space back there... but you do have to extend both the headunit and mic because both attached to the body. Yaesu the mic attaches to the faceplate. Both have pros and cons depending on the situation.

I haven't tried it yet but I was thinking of using the included U bracket that comes with these radios to mount to a small piece of plywood and then Velcro that assembly to the floor.

Seems like it would hold just fine, have some clearance and be easily accessible if I ever need to make changes.

If you have an phone jack / Ethernet RJ45 crimper and keystones I am pretty sure you can make your own extensions. Might be worth looking into as the extension kits get expensive.

 

[blm]

Underseat Mount

I cut a 1x6 board to length to fit under the seat without blocking the vent. I then mounted the radio to it with the provided bracket. It holds in place fine and is really easy to take the whole thing out if needed (truck cleaning, radio programming, etc). I've had plans to build a bracket in the subwoofer spot but still haven't done it yet. Will update when I get that done.

P.S. No worries on keeping this thread going...it's a classic and still a good reference!

 

[BagiMT]

Kenwood TM-D710 install

After looking at different options I decided to install the body of the radio in the storage compartment in the back. That way it's out of the way and won't get wet or muddy. I got some inspiration from [MENTION=69441]Dawg4Runner[/MENTION]'s install. I already had the antenna mounted on the back door running the wire in through the tail light. I bought the radio used and it came with the extension kit and an external speaker so I had everything I needed for the install.

I modified a 3D printed mount (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2155881) to fit the TM-D710 and put some magnets on it to hold the radio in place without having to permanently mount it. I put all the cables in a large wire loom and ran them alongside the existing wires coming from the back under the floor boards by the doors up to the ECU. The power went through the firewall there and the cables for the head unit, mic and speaker went under the glove compartment and under a large opening at the bottom of the center console.

I was going for an OEM look and mounted the head unit right above the radio. To mount it I used an L-bracket from Home depot and a 3D printed mount (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2469904). The L-bracket is just stuck between the dash and the center console but it's very solid. I ran a flat Cat5 Ethernet cable up on the driver side of the center console. The flat cable was very easy to tuck away without removing the center console.

For the mic I used a strong magnet to hold it in place (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7KN9tELaxs), will see how it holds off-road.

The speaker is mounted next to the HVAC unit to the right of the gas pedal. The Kenwood speaker fit perfectly and all I needed was some strong double-sided tape. It's out of the way and loud and clear.

I am very pleased with how clean the install turned out and I can remove everything, including the base, in about 2 minutes if I want to use the radio at home or take it out for programming.

 

[BagiMT]

Kenwood TM-D710 install

Here a few more pictures.

 

[Dawg4Runner]

[MENTION=145671]BagiMT[/MENTION] Clean install. Nice job!

 

[YetiX]

I passed my test last Saturday (KM6WTD) and am now looking for a radio to complement my pos Baofeng UV-5r.

After doing some research, my current plan is to get a Kenwood TM-V71A. I'll mount it in my center console with the remote faceplate on a RAM mount somewhere near my head unit. Planning on doing the same antennae(s) as Dawg4Runner (wish you were in San Diego to help out).

Does anyone see any issues with any of this?

Just for reference, here's my current set up...

 

[Offcamber]

I passed my test last Saturday (KM6WTD) and am now looking for a radio to complement my pos Baofeng UV-5r.

After doing some research, my current plan is to get a Kenwood TM-V71A. I'll mount it in my center console with the remote faceplate on a RAM mount somewhere near my head unit. Planning on doing the same antennae(s) as Dawg4Runner (wish you were in San Diego to help out).

Does anyone see any issues with any of this?

Just for reference, here's my current set up...

Congrats on passing the exam! I also went with the Kenwood TM-V71A and have been very happy with the set-up. Where do you plan on mounting the transceiver?

 

[YetiX]

Congrats on passing the exam! I also went with the Kenwood TM-V71A and have been very happy with the set-up. Where do you plan on mounting the transceiver?

In the center console. [MENTION=129593]MTN4RNR[/MENTION] did it in his and it worked well. Seems reasonably close to the battery for power and close to the dash for the remote head unit. I think that would also be a good location so I wouldn't have to extend the microphone cord.

 

[04rnr]

I want to do this: http://im.toyota-4runner.org/attachments/4th-gen-t4rs/77531d1355535068-looking-cb-radio-antenna-mount-ideas-pictures-yeasu02.jpg