mountainpete
Spamicus Eliminatus
Hi all,
I did this install months ago, but never took pics of it. I know, I know... It's about time :costumed-smiley-007
When selecting my first Amateur Radio, I went through the same challenge as most of us. What radio do I buy? What features do I need? What will I actually use? There were a few must haves for me:
After reviewing a number of options and how easy local servicing is (with surprising importance here in Canada), I chose the Yaesu FT-8800R. Not only did it hit all of my critical points, it also had one very important feature - dual band / dual receive. What a great feature this turned out to be. I can monitor two frequencies at the same with ease. Perfect for monitoring a local repeater and a commercial forestry frequency at the same time.
On to the install, which I did twice. The first time I did the install I connected the radio directly to the battery. But it didn't fit into my long-term plan so I will focus on the final version.
For power, I ran two 8 gauge Monster Cable power wires directly from the battery, along the frame rails and up through a floor drain plug under the rear seat floor. The wires are covered in a loom and where it is brought through the floor and is sealed with a generous amount of silicone. The wires then work their way under the rear seat to a Blue Sea fuse block. The block is so simply attached - I have some industrial velcro and it sticks to the carpet perfectly. Just as solid as if I screwed it on.
To mount the transceiver, I first started under the drivers seat. Well since up here in Canada the heater gets a lot of use, I found that it doesn't work well in a Tacoma. The heater vents hot air right on the unit - not good. So I went with a better location behind the rear seat.
The backside of the rear seats are covered with a plastic panel, so I drilled two holes to mount the transceiver bracket. Along with two screws, I also used two sided tape to lock it in place. The mount is really solid. Air circulation is excellent. With the transceiver in the mount, it looks like this:
The headunit connects to the transceiver using a LAN style cable. I ended up purchasing the remote mount kit which included all the wiring (cable, ext speaker extension, etc) but you can easily make your own cable if you have some cable and the right crimper. The cables are run under the carpet and brought up under the drivers seat and to the centre console. I added an external speaker on the drivers side firewall with two side tape - a must with this install, otherwise I couldn't hear the audio.
For the headunit, I went back and forth on a bunch of different versions. I ended up making my own mount - now don't laugh here... You know those flat pieces of steel you can buy at home depot that you use two connect joists? Well I found some small pieces, bent it to the right angle, filed down the corners and painted it black. Then I secured it with two-sided tape. The result was this:
It's totally solid and easy to get to and if I sell the truck I can remove it with no perminant marks. Now for the mic... Again, I hate to drill holes when I don't have to and I will do a lot of different things to avoid it. So I used that industrial velcro again. A soft loop side went on the back of the mic and the hook side went on the blank spot where the passenger airbag cutoff would be on non-doublecab versions. I expect to have to replace the velcro about ever 6 months. The result is this:
For the antenna, I ran the cable out through a different floor drain hole under the drivers seat and to a fender mount. The antenna I am using right now is a simple VHF steel whip. That thing is tough and it sounds great. It's smacked against it's share of trees with no serious damage.
After a few months of use, I have to say that I am happy with the decision. The radio was a good selection and will give me lots of flexability for the future. I do have a small ignition or alternator noise that I am still tracking down though. It's a receive only static that only occurs when the engine is on and gets worse with higher RPMs - and the further I am from the repeater, the worse it is.
Any questions or comments? Let me know :smiley_drive:
Pete
I did this install months ago, but never took pics of it. I know, I know... It's about time :costumed-smiley-007
When selecting my first Amateur Radio, I went through the same challenge as most of us. What radio do I buy? What features do I need? What will I actually use? There were a few must haves for me:
- Remote Mounting. This was one of the most critical pieces to me. I like clean installs and do not like to crowd the area around the front seats. The radio I chose must have the ability to cleanly seperate the headunit from the transceiver body.
- Dual Band (2M & 70cm). Although I wasn't sure if I would even use 70cm at first, I wanted the capability. Not only for options, but for the ability to monitor GMRS and FRS frequencies.
- High output. Min 50 watts on VHF and 35 on UHF.
- Good scanning features. Ability to scan through frequencies in the memory, as well as through the entire band.
After reviewing a number of options and how easy local servicing is (with surprising importance here in Canada), I chose the Yaesu FT-8800R. Not only did it hit all of my critical points, it also had one very important feature - dual band / dual receive. What a great feature this turned out to be. I can monitor two frequencies at the same with ease. Perfect for monitoring a local repeater and a commercial forestry frequency at the same time.
On to the install, which I did twice. The first time I did the install I connected the radio directly to the battery. But it didn't fit into my long-term plan so I will focus on the final version.
For power, I ran two 8 gauge Monster Cable power wires directly from the battery, along the frame rails and up through a floor drain plug under the rear seat floor. The wires are covered in a loom and where it is brought through the floor and is sealed with a generous amount of silicone. The wires then work their way under the rear seat to a Blue Sea fuse block. The block is so simply attached - I have some industrial velcro and it sticks to the carpet perfectly. Just as solid as if I screwed it on.
To mount the transceiver, I first started under the drivers seat. Well since up here in Canada the heater gets a lot of use, I found that it doesn't work well in a Tacoma. The heater vents hot air right on the unit - not good. So I went with a better location behind the rear seat.
The backside of the rear seats are covered with a plastic panel, so I drilled two holes to mount the transceiver bracket. Along with two screws, I also used two sided tape to lock it in place. The mount is really solid. Air circulation is excellent. With the transceiver in the mount, it looks like this:
The headunit connects to the transceiver using a LAN style cable. I ended up purchasing the remote mount kit which included all the wiring (cable, ext speaker extension, etc) but you can easily make your own cable if you have some cable and the right crimper. The cables are run under the carpet and brought up under the drivers seat and to the centre console. I added an external speaker on the drivers side firewall with two side tape - a must with this install, otherwise I couldn't hear the audio.
For the headunit, I went back and forth on a bunch of different versions. I ended up making my own mount - now don't laugh here... You know those flat pieces of steel you can buy at home depot that you use two connect joists? Well I found some small pieces, bent it to the right angle, filed down the corners and painted it black. Then I secured it with two-sided tape. The result was this:
It's totally solid and easy to get to and if I sell the truck I can remove it with no perminant marks. Now for the mic... Again, I hate to drill holes when I don't have to and I will do a lot of different things to avoid it. So I used that industrial velcro again. A soft loop side went on the back of the mic and the hook side went on the blank spot where the passenger airbag cutoff would be on non-doublecab versions. I expect to have to replace the velcro about ever 6 months. The result is this:
For the antenna, I ran the cable out through a different floor drain hole under the drivers seat and to a fender mount. The antenna I am using right now is a simple VHF steel whip. That thing is tough and it sounds great. It's smacked against it's share of trees with no serious damage.
After a few months of use, I have to say that I am happy with the decision. The radio was a good selection and will give me lots of flexability for the future. I do have a small ignition or alternator noise that I am still tracking down though. It's a receive only static that only occurs when the engine is on and gets worse with higher RPMs - and the further I am from the repeater, the worse it is.
Any questions or comments? Let me know :smiley_drive:
Pete
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) and have no issues with the LCD blacking out either. Overall, I have been very happy with the location. 