Mounting a radio ON the dashboard?

[Spikepretorius]

Is there any practical reason why I shouldn't mount one of my radios on top of my dashboard? Heat from the sun, glare etc
With SAR callouts I need to twiddle the radio quite a bit so having it right in front of me would be a help. Reaching between my seats behind me to make adjustments is a pain because it's difficult to see the LCD screen.

 

[gary in ohio]

Is there any practical reason why I shouldn't mount one of my radios on top of my dashboard? Heat from the sun, glare etc
With SAR callouts I need to twiddle the radio quite a bit so having it right in front of me would be a help. Reaching between my seats behind me to make adjustments is a pain because it's difficult to see the LED screen.

The heat it the big one, it will cause LCD issues. Not sure why your twiddling with your radio for SAR's. Should you have a very fixed set of freqs pre-programmed? If the radio is behind the seat that is an issue, it should be accessable but not on the dash. Other issues with dash mounting, In some states its against the law, and you will get an obstruction ticket. Unless you fully secure the radio it becomes a very heavy missle in an accident.

If your having issues with the radio, maybe the radio needs to be change to one with a remote head. heads range in size but the small ones will fit just about anywhere

 

[Spikepretorius]

I'm in South Africa so your laws aren't an issue.
Yes I have a gazillion pre-programmed frequencies but there're times when we need to flip between them depending on the the situation.
I had a call out the other day and it was a wake-up call for me to get better organised inside my "office"

 

[ntsqd]

The mentioned heat, readability of the display, and the possible obstruction of view out the windshield (regardless of legal/illegal) would be my only concerns. Sometimes LCDs can be hard to see if there is glare on their face. If you do mount it on top you may find that some sort of anti-glare shield is needed to make the display readable. If this shield is a feature of the mounting from the start then it may act as a heat dam as well. Just leave an air gap all the way around the unit and it will act like an LR "Safari Top."

 

[offroad_nomad]

Another SAR Junkie. I have my VHF mounted on my dash using heavy duty Velcro. This is a temporary measure, althought it works fine. I've used a piece of white cardboard, spare topo maps or other paper as a sun shield during the summer, seems to work along with the radios built in fan. Whenever I get my new Alpine stereo, I'll mount it in the empty space below. It's not the best shot, I can get better ones if you like.

Is there any practical reason why I shouldn't mount one of my radios on top of my dashboard? Heat from the sun, glare etc
With SAR callouts I need to twiddle the radio quite a bit so having it right in front of me would be a help. Reaching between my seats behind me to make adjustments is a pain because it's difficult to see the LCD screen.

 

[Spikepretorius]

Cool. I just needed the reassurance that somebody has done it and is happy.
I may end up attempting to make a neat pod type cover for it for heat protection as well as making it look like it's supposed to be there.
Mine doesn't have a fan. Just a heatsink.

 

[offroad_nomad]

The nice thing about using Velcro is that you can store the radio in a case when it isn't needed. I store mine in a Pelican case and pull it out when needed. Having things on the dash in VA is frowned upon too. When it comes time for state vehicle inspection, I just pull it off the Velcro if it isn't already done and remove my GPS too.

 

[Spikepretorius]

Yeah I don't pack my radios away. They stay on most of the time so we can chat to club buddies during the day when in the traffic. Liven up your commute.

I have to remember to switch off in the evenings though. Once I heard voices in the middle of the night and went out to do a rambo and it turned out that I'd left my radios on in the truck in the garage and some guys were nattering. I felt like an idiot, switched off, and went back to bed.