HAM Radio Installed

[Ext1809]

First I would like to say I am humbled by the advise and information I received here. I did some research, took some information and just kept talking to people and it all came together.

To the folks who showed me the center dash rig, thank you. I put down a plastic bottom, added a plastic block because I needed a riser for the faceplate head. It was easy to get out and screwed together but I never could get it to pop back in all the way. I did have to JBWeld in clear and silicone caulk to seal off, but it turned out ok.

I ran the wires under the passenger dash and pushed the face plate cord through pretty easily. Taking off the glovebox was a huge help in terms of being able to see. I found a huge grommet on the passenger side behind the radiator overflow that made it really easy. I did NOT take off the antenna connection, PL-29 because the grommet was big enough to let me through. I did super glue the grommet star cut back. Power wire was easy from the passenger side. I found a ground tap under the air intake box that was easy to grab. I have a long 12v run but I also have zip ties and a fish tape to feed it to the battery.

I have the super cab so I was able to install the radio under the passenger seat and out of the way, the cables all ran in the door jam tray. This spring I will get up into the mountains and see where I can talk to. Yaesu FTM-310Rasp

ps: sorry I don't know how to put the pictures in order.

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[Grandaccess]

when I hit 100k miles I will start drilling holes, I havent really found a spot I want them yet, and I dont want to spend the money on a remote face kit yet for my Icom 706 MIIG or Kenwood D700A, I also have a GT60-Pro 85W from radioddity 10, 11 & 12 meter, for now I am just going to carry handhelds, and its too damn cold to be doing anything outside
73s W4RFD

 

[cgrey]

You're in my radio region. I've just installed an ftm-150RASP. Antenna wire through the same port, slightly different nmo mount but essentially same location. Same antenna but added the optional lower element spring section replacement to prevent damage if the antenna strikes a tree branch. It's called the CA-SPR CA-2x4SR spring kit from comet antenna. Installing the face and mic on a lido seatbolt extendable mount, check lido radio for all their mounts. Main radio body may go under the seat. For power I ran a heavy gauge battery wire to a distribution block in the footwell for ease of powering any accessories, fused at the battery. Might want to consider that and never run another power line through to the battery again. Hoping to test the radio this weekend. Maybe I'll catch you on the air.

 

[73Elsinore]

Hey brother thanks for posting this up. Super helpful. Question for you. I'm not clear how you ran the power wire: did you run it through the same grommet as the antenna cable and then to the battery?

Also, for the ground, everything I've read says that the ground should go back direct to the battery in modern vehicles due to the number of onboard computers. Apparently if the radio ground is connected someplace to the truck chassis it is possible to get interference in the radio from some ground loop someplace caused by one or more of the computers. Just wondering if your operation seems to be normal or if you're getting any weird interference or noise. If not, I'm going to do what you did. Thank you sir for your thoughts and help.

 

[Ext1809]

Hey brother thanks for posting this up. Super helpful. Question for you. I'm not clear how you ran the power wire: did you run it through the same grommet as the antenna cable and then to the battery?

Also, for the ground, everything I've read says that the ground should go back direct to the battery in modern vehicles due to the number of onboard computers. Apparently if the radio ground is connected someplace to the truck chassis it is possible to get interference in the radio from some ground loop someplace caused by one or more of the computers. Just wondering if your operation seems to be normal or if you're getting any weird interference or noise. If not, I'm going to do what you did. Thank you sir for your thoughts and help.

I used the same grommet for both antenna, power/ground. The grommet is on the passenger side behind the radiator overflow. I cut an "X" in the rubber and pushed the 3/4 inch antenna coupler through. I super glued the grommet back around the antenna wire. the power/ground was a red/black 14 ga dual wire. I found a grounding strap on the firewall that I grounded to that goes back to battery. For the power, I put it on a switched relay and have NO problems I can determine yet.

I put it in the backseat and all of the wires went down the door seal. the extension cable for the radio head I ran between the seat and up underneath the dash. 36" zip ties make great fish tools for pulling wire through dashboard. ~~~ let me know if you need any other help but short answer, no interference.

 

[73Elsinore]

Ok thanks. That's very helpful and clears it up for me. The relay is a great idea.

PS thank you for choosing to serve. The nuke program came calling for me when I graduated engineering school but I didn't make that choice. My dad was a WWII sailor, FC3 on a destroyer escort in the Atlantic. Lied about his age and went in when he was 17. Purple Heart recipient. They got torpedoed. I don't know the ships he served on because he would not talk about it at all. What little I do know, I remember from him talking about it when I was little, me not knowing there are some things we don't talk about. As I got older, I didn't ask any more because I learned to be sensitive to the situation. My mom has his DD214 someplace so when I find it that, it will fill in some blanks for me. I have his photo when he completed boot camp so when I get the ship names off the DD214 I'll get some photos and make a little memorial box with a DE ship model. Thank you again.

 

[Msfitoy]

Nice clean install!

 

[Msfitoy]

First I would like to say I am humbled by the advise and information I received here. I did some research, took some information and just kept talking to people and it all came together.

To the folks who showed me the center dash rig, thank you. I put down a plastic bottom, added a plastic block because I needed a riser for the faceplate head. It was easy to get out and screwed together but I never could get it to pop back in all the way. I did have to JBWeld in clear and silicone caulk to seal off, but it turned out ok.

I ran the wires under the passenger dash and pushed the face plate cord through pretty easily. Taking off the glovebox was a huge help in terms of being able to see. I found a huge grommet on the passenger side behind the radiator overflow that made it really easy. I did NOT take off the antenna connection, PL-29 because the grommet was big enough to let me through. I did super glue the grommet star cut back. Power wire was easy from the passenger side. I found a ground tap under the air intake box that was easy to grab. I have a long 12v run but I also have zip ties and a fish tape to feed it to the battery.

I have the super cab so I was able to install the radio under the passenger seat and out of the way, the cables all ran in the door jam tray. This spring I will get up into the mountains and see where I can talk to. Yaesu FTM-310Rasp

ps: sorry I don't know how to put the pictures in order.

What brand antenna is that?

 

[Ext1809]

What brand antenna is that?

Comet 2x4 that also handles GMRS

 

[Msfitoy]

Comet 2x4 that also handles GMRS

Cool...thanks, Jeffrrey!

 

[Toto]

Congratulations, Jeffrrey, well done.
I currently use a LIDO mount for a Yaesu FTM 100D.
I did not hear about the removal of the center top dish console. I searched, but nothing came back. Any particular words that you used?
I brought the power cable from the battery and the antenna cable from the firewall grommet on the driver's side. I did not know about the passenger's side grommet either.
73

 

[Ext1809]

Here are some links for you:
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/custom-dash-tray-mod-with-dimensions.6164/
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/dash-tray-part-number.4700/

After what I went through, I think to do it again, I would look for some kind of epoxy to pour into the tray and make it all-in-one flat. I would drill those out to fit the Lido holder or, I would go with a suction cup one. I spent a lot of time hand sanding my plastic base to get it to fit in there just right.

I am using a comet lip hood mount.

When I cut the grommet on the passenger side I went back behind it with some super glue to close off my big X cut to push the coupler through.

 

[Toto]

Fantastic, thank you for the references and tips.
Hope to meet you "on the air" someday.
Best wishes
73

 

[Ext1809]

Fantastic, thank you for the references and tips.
Hope to meet you "on the air" someday.
Best wishes
73

~ tip of the hat and 73 back atcha

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