That is so cool - thanks for the detailed pics. I hope you will post some additional ones. They should help me figure out where to put the gear in my 96 LX.
I kind of like the idea of a clean dash mount installation, but I don't want to scrap that great Lexus stereo. So a remote mounted transceiver with a small control head makes a lot of sense. Are they very common with the 2 meter radios and is one particular brand or model better in your opinion, for a raw newbie just learning the ropes? I would probably stick the remote transceiver under the driver's seat, but the rear compartment makes more sense from a protection/ theft deterence standpoint. Does it ventilate well enough to prevent overheating? Seems like on a hot summer day it would get toasty in there.
I'm sure you thought about mounting the control head down at the center console behind the parking brake on a RAM mount I'm not too sure I like it up by the mirror, and if it were low down you could toss a jacket over it to hide it from prying eyes, without having to remove it completely. Would it fit there, and could you see it well enough while on the road? Maybe I should just ask you, please just tell me why I need to mount it up high?
BTW, I also have a Milford Cargo Barrier. It's a fine piece of equipment and I'm glad to see it in other trucks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
John - All good questions. Here are some thoughts:
- Most of the manufacturers will make a detachable head version of a 2M radio. It may not be a really basic version (ie just 2M) as they often are dual band, etc. You will also pay more for the feature (ie a bit more $ for the same features). IMHO, I find the mounting ease and theft prevention value of a remote are worth the added cost. The good news is that both the head unit and the box will be a lot smaller for a 2M radio. IIRC, someone makes a remote 2M radio with a very small control head.
- All of the major manufacturers are fine. I have both a Kenwood hand held and the Yaesu featured in the link. ICOM is also fine. A lot of it comes to personal preferences, etc. Ideally, go to a store and have a look at all the radios before you buy anything. That said, in the near term, I would just go for a relatively basic dual band (2M and 70cm) radio. It will do lots and lets you ease into the hobby. You can still do APRS with a GPS, TinyTraker etc. I love the Kenwood APRS unit, but it is expensive.
- Some considerations on features: dual band with ability to monitor 2 frequences at the same time (ie monitor a calling freq while operating on a receiver), alpha memory tags, reasonable number of memory locations (200+), wide freq receive (ie ability to monitor EMS freq, FRS, marine, air, etc), big tuning knob (important for me!), reasonable scanning capability (it will never match a scanner's capabilities, but they are useful)
- The rear compartment mount is fine for receiving, but when I'm operating I tend to leave the compartment lid off.
- The head mounting location is also a personal preference. Most of the new radios use menu systems for many operations = you need to see what's going on with the radio. A friend of mine has his mounted low on the console, and I find it hard to see and operate. The dash mounts (in the radio area) are better, but still a bit low for me to easily glance at the radio and operate. For me, the high mount allows me to maintain a reasonable 'heads up' while driving to keep my eyes out of the 'cockpit'. So, I can be driving and easily glance at the radio to see what's happening.
- The way I mount the head, I can have it fully "up" and it doesn't block the rear view mirror and still allows me to access the sunroof controls. The "down" location is more for trail use but brings the radio closer to eye level
- Finally, for theft, my personal preference is to never leave the control head in the truck. In this location, I can easily pop it off to go into a store, etc and just leave the RAM mount and the box in the back (covered). In general, the head unit and the mount are completely removed (ie parked at home) and I tend to take all of the antennas off as well.
Yes, the Milford is great. It was the first "mod" I installed given that I often have three kids in the second row, lots of gear (see point on three kids!), and a dog. Makes me feel a lot better with luggage in the back and it's a great place to store antennas!
Cheers, Hugh
