Ham/CB Radio Location in a Land Rover

[mhb907]

Has anyone installed a transceiver (amateur radio or CB) in a Land Rover LR3 (Discovery 3 in some countries)? If so, where did you mount the transceiver and did you have any issues in running the required cables?

 

[nwoods]

I mounted an Icom 208H in my LR3 (Disco3). It was straightforward, but I was unable to use the wiring loom grommet in the firewall due to access difficulties under the brake master cylinder assembly (in the spare battery compartment on the left-hand-drive Driver's side). So instead I went through the steering linkage grommet, taking care that the wire would not foul with the steering rod, and sealing everything back up with dabs of black silicone sealant. I ran positive and negative (earth grounds) straight to the battery, using 18 gauge wire if I recall correctly.

I mounted the radio itself under the second row seat, along with a speaker, all on a removable wood platform. All in all, it seemed to work pretty well for me. I was able to remove the assembly completely without leaving any marks or visible holes.

Here are a few photos:

Cheers,

Nathan

EDIT: I found a few more photos on my web server:

 

[mhb907]

Nathan thanks for the information.
Will the seat still fold down with the radio mounted underneath it? Also, what are the details of your antenna mount.

 

[gary in ohio]

Looks nice. My only recommendation is replace the wood base with a sheet metal base and tie that into the chassie ground.

 

[nwoods]

Nathan thanks for the information.
Will the seat still fold down with the radio mounted underneath it? Also, what are the details of your antenna mount.

Good question, probably not if you have the typical seats. My LR3 was a bit unique and had different middle row seats that allowed that space. You can put the radio just about anywhere, some people put them in the left rear fender cubby. But if you do that, you'll need a to find a spot for the remote speaker location.

Here are photos of my seats so you can see how they differ from the norm:

My antenna was a simple dual band Diamond folding antenna, mounted to a Diamond (or Commet which is similar) mount that attached to the side of the lift gate. I ran the antenna cable through the spare grommet behind the left rear taillight assembly.

 

[soonenough]

Interesting idea for the mounting location of the speaker. I have the same speaker (and my radio's mounted under the seat as well) but I can't find a good place to mount it in my Tacoma. I never thought of mounting it next to the radio...I'll have to look into that.