micholder bling

[nakman]

hey it's in the 80 so it must be tech right?... I installed blue LED's in all my micholders today, three on the dash and two in the center console.

Treeroot you got nothing man

 

[VanGo]

Nakman-

I like it! Off topic, but how do you like yjour cobra 75 CB?

Van

 

[nakman]

Well for a CB, it's alright. Doesn't get used much though unless someone else on a run isn't on 2m.

 

[treerootCO]

I am working on the mic holder mod mod mod. I know Nakman will like this one...

2000 grit sand paper between about 5 coats of 1634 Low Gloss Black Dupli-color Engine Enamel matches an 80 dash exactly.

The nylon soaks up moisture so the first few coats have to be very light. Sandable primer may be the fix but I just used black so I didn't sand down to a different color.

 

[nakman]

Was wondering when you'd find this... man nice finish work! I give all of these a nice pass on the sander to knock down the high spots, and 2 coats of flat black, but man you've taken that to another level, I'm sure it will look great.

Also I tried running both mics right next to each other in the bezel and it was a little cumbersome, that's why i moved the hazards over to the left slot of the new bezel, to give it a little more spacing. And as you know (but maybe someone else doesn't) you can cut the tape that's holding all of the wires of the wiring harness for all the switches, giving yourself a ton more slack with various options. this is easiest if you have the radio removed, you can really get back in there.

But nice thing with that top row of buttons is how easy it is to switch them around. Can't wait to see how it all comes together!

 

[boydmick]

hey it's in the 80 so it must be tech right?... I installed blue LED's in all my micholders today, three on the dash and two in the center console.
Treeroot you got nothing man

Tim,

I've just got one questiion. . .

Why do you need five mic holders?

 

[nakman]

I've just got one questiion. . .

Why do you need five mic holders?

well Boyd let me tell ya- I've actually got 6, but only really need 5 of them. The one I could live without is the top left of the center of the dash, above the heater controls, but since it's either that or a "blank," I figure hey why not.

The two in the center console are great for on runs, on the highway, but if I need to dig something out of the center hole, or use that cupholder, then they can be in the way. Also given how touchy the Ham button is, it's possible that your drink can transmit for you. That's a picture of my center console on Groucho's center console cupholder page TallowPot Products (will put it below).

So I use the one above the radio for the Ham, and the one by my right knee for the CB, most all the time, with the ham being the most frequent to jump from the dash to the console. Also on a run I'll often have a passenger who may want to transmit occasionally, so having them on the center console or above the radio is within reach of both of us, which is handy.

Finally when the Ham is above the radio and an adjustment to the radio, or access to the ashtray is required, then I'll move the Ham to the center console. So as you can see having 4 (2 dash and 2 center) is pretty useful, two homes for each mic, and if it's in your way just move it to the other one.

And lastly, I've got one vertical one left of the steering column, near the mirror controls. Both mics will stretch above the steering wheel and clip to this one, which allows me to transmit without even removing it, just by bending down a little when standing outside the truck with the door open. This has come in handy several times on just about every run I'm on, during lunch, during a recovery situation where I'm out of the truck, or at the end of the day for camping/tailgating action to have the driver door open and be monitoring the 2m radio (which is direct wired so no key in the ignition going beeeeeeeeeeeeeep) and again if you need to talk back just walk up to the open door and talk away. I'm 5-10 w/ a 4" lift and 35's, and again it's pretty easy to bend down a few inches to speak right into the mic without removing it, which is dang handy if you have gloves on. And with the window open and the door closed, it's also super easy to reach in and grab it- again real handy if you do a lot of group runs where you want/need to get out, but still want to be able to quickly communicate if necessary.

So there you go, use for 5 mic holders... and I got 6, but we all know MIB.

 

[groucho]

Technically...

You don't need them all at once, but the fact that they are there, in spaces not previously occupied by functional accessories means they are static until in use. They don't interfere with anything else.

Plus, each one adds 5HP at the wheels.

Me likey...

 

[Brentbba]

You'd have to go green led's before Boyd would get them. Blue just doesn't match the OEM interior lighting.

 

[boydmick]

well . . . .
So there you go, use for 5 mic holders... and I got 6, but we all know MIB.

You've got way to much time on your hands
Don't get me wrong, I love your mic holders; but my mic is usually on the clip or in my lap

Just be sure to only move one at a time. Otherwise I can picture some serious macrame with all those. . .lemme see, I put the ham by the door and the CB in the console. No, wait; I need the CB on the dash and the ham on the console. No, no, no; the CB by the door and the ham by the door. Wait, er, eh, if I twist this one over here and that one comes over the top and around, then the other one can reach to the backseat. . . . .

You'd have to go green led's before Boyd would get them. Blue just doesn't match the OEM interior lighting.

I don't care what color they are as long as they are all the same
Green just happens to be what Mr. T put in mine.

I take it back; that's not totally true. . . blue is a little to Fast and Furious for me. Maybe add some blue neon rock lights and a nitros button on the steering wheel.

 

[nakman]

Yeah they've been a little twisted but not so bad, usually just the Ham gets used if they're both in action. You can see it all first hand in Moab, I'll bring extras

 

[Brentbba]

I don't care what color they are as long as they are all the same
Green just happens to be what Mr. T put in mine.

I take it back; that's not totally true. . . blue is a little to Fast and Furious for me. Maybe add some blue neon rock lights and a nitros button on the steering wheel.

LOL!! I asked if they came in Green, so I'm guilty as charged!!!

 

[nakman]

Quick update... 93-94 versions for next to the rear heater are in development, turns out those need to stick out a little further than the 95-97 dashboards. Stay tuned...



And I found time to upgrade my vertical one that's over by the mirror controls tonight to LED, so now I can rest easy knowing everything is backlit. I actually like the blue, it's bright enough that it's obvious where to stick the mic when driving/talking at night, but not so bright that it's a distraction. You can compare the brightness to the fog light switch, which is almost impossible to see in the dark, IMO..

 

[retrofive]

Sweet! keep us posted on the 93-94 ver. Im in need

 

[1973Guppie]

your car looks like the starship enterprise.......

 

[nakman]

your car looks like the starship enterprise.......

dude that could be one of the nicest things I've ever been told on here.. thanks! anyway....




I have had some requests to post up how to do the GREEN LED lights. As you guys have seen on my web site I offer red and blue, and the reason I don't offer green is because red and blue are off the shelf items I can easily plug and play. But yes you can make these green too, or just about any other color for that matter, for about $5 and 20 minutes. here's how:

You start by buying some 4mm Neowedge bulbs from Superbright LEDs Get a couple in every color, they're only a buck and you could very well break one or lose one in the proceeding operation. Plus you want options... anyway peel back the wires from the sides, then solder about a foot of some random speaker wire you have laying around. Once soldered, apply some hillbilly shrink wrap to make sure everything stays protected.

 

[nakman]

Pop off your center dashboard bezel for the 8000th time, then carefully cut away the surrounding tubing protecting the wires that go to your ashtray light. Then carefully strip back the insulation of both, and loosely connect the wires from your new mic holder.

Turn your lights on- if the mic holder lights up, then flip the lights back off and do a better job of twisting those together, then secure with more hillbilly shrink wrap. If they don't turn on, flip the wires around, they will. Also tape the new wire to the existing loom, to act as a strain relief so there isn't ever any pull on this new connection.

 

[nakman]

Tape it all up real nice, route the wire so it doesn't interfere with any future R&R of the dash bezel then button it all back up. You now have an illuminated mic holder.

 

[thisilldefend]

Geesh,
I was excited about getting one of these mic holders. I bought the extended version so I could put it next to the rear heater fan switch. But I guess it will not work with my 93 dash. OOPS...I guess I wasted my money. That is one of my problems trying to build this thing from halfway around the world. I have to guess on alot of things.
I have a cobra 75 too..

Nakman.......any pics of where you put the cb connector thing??? Does it come out the transmission hump???

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

Tape it all up real nice, route the wire so it doesn't interfere with any future R&R of the dash bezel then button it all back up. You now have an illuminated mic holder.

Thanks Nakman, looks easy enough.