I just got my ham license, so I went and got a radio for my truck. It's a Kenwood TM-V71A, which is a dual band setup. Nice radio - I'm still learning all about it, but in the short time I've had it I really like it.
Anyway, the 'where am I going to put this thing' has been bugging me. Last night I set out to figure out the answer, and it became clear to me once I started taking the glove box out to route the antenna wires and head unit remote wire - rip out the old factory amp, and put it there!
Since the head detaches and can be located just about anywhere, that was the first thing to mount. I like the idea of up high, so I put it right by the sunroof controls using some 3M VHB tape.
I ran the wire inside the black gasket that goes around the windshield, then down the A-pillar and up inside the dashboard.
The factory amp is behind the crappy dash speaker on the passenger side. You can see I've already removed the speaker and I'm ready to pull the amp. All it takes is a few connectors to get pulled and two screws, then it's out.
Here was the 'test fit' before I went crazy trying to make it fit:
It was like it was made for it! The Kenwood has a speaker built into the top, and it would alight just about perfetly to work in this situation as well. However, I have a remote speaker anyway that I'll be using... but I might put a switch on the external speaker just in case I don't want to use it for whatever reason. There isn't a whole lot of room in there if you want to change connections once this is all done.
So I took the mounting bracket and drilled out some 1/8 holes so the factory screws that hold the speaker in place could be re-used. Drilled thru the plastic and into the bracket, and whadda know, it's in there!
The other issue is the mic line. It actually uses an RJ-45, but it wasn't long enough to go all the way around to where the radio is mounted. I had a ton of CAT-5 stuff laying around, so that wasn't a problem. I just made a straight-thru cable with a keystone jack on one end, and routed it from around the e-brake handle back thru the dash, and over to the radio.
Perfect!
A picture of it finally set in there:
Works like a charm, completely out of the way.. I love it. By the way, I routed the antenna cable thru the evaporator discharge hole in the firewall up to its mount on the hood. Except for the roof, this is probably the best place you can mount an antenna on one of these trucks.
Anyway, the 'where am I going to put this thing' has been bugging me. Last night I set out to figure out the answer, and it became clear to me once I started taking the glove box out to route the antenna wires and head unit remote wire - rip out the old factory amp, and put it there!
Since the head detaches and can be located just about anywhere, that was the first thing to mount. I like the idea of up high, so I put it right by the sunroof controls using some 3M VHB tape.
I ran the wire inside the black gasket that goes around the windshield, then down the A-pillar and up inside the dashboard.
The factory amp is behind the crappy dash speaker on the passenger side. You can see I've already removed the speaker and I'm ready to pull the amp. All it takes is a few connectors to get pulled and two screws, then it's out.
Here was the 'test fit' before I went crazy trying to make it fit:
It was like it was made for it! The Kenwood has a speaker built into the top, and it would alight just about perfetly to work in this situation as well. However, I have a remote speaker anyway that I'll be using... but I might put a switch on the external speaker just in case I don't want to use it for whatever reason. There isn't a whole lot of room in there if you want to change connections once this is all done.
So I took the mounting bracket and drilled out some 1/8 holes so the factory screws that hold the speaker in place could be re-used. Drilled thru the plastic and into the bracket, and whadda know, it's in there!
The other issue is the mic line. It actually uses an RJ-45, but it wasn't long enough to go all the way around to where the radio is mounted. I had a ton of CAT-5 stuff laying around, so that wasn't a problem. I just made a straight-thru cable with a keystone jack on one end, and routed it from around the e-brake handle back thru the dash, and over to the radio.
Perfect!
A picture of it finally set in there:
Works like a charm, completely out of the way.. I love it. By the way, I routed the antenna cable thru the evaporator discharge hole in the firewall up to its mount on the hood. Except for the roof, this is probably the best place you can mount an antenna on one of these trucks.
Great spot! I also like my Kenwood 2 m TM281A but it fits in the dash like a single din radio. I kinda like the flexibility of the unit youre running for where you can locate it.
