Share with me your HAM Radio Setup (1 Viewer)

[4x4mike]

I've got a third generation 4Runner, 1999, and I've had a couple radios mounted. One of my first mods after buying the vehicle was to mount a DIN sized CB in the dash.

I do volunteer work and wanted better trail communications so I ventured into the world of HAM radio. My first radio was a Yaseu 2800 and I put it in the DIN slot under my stereo (removed the CB). The 2800 is smaller than the DIN size so I trimmed it out with some thin metal and added an aux USB port for charging phones and such.

The 2800 is a great radio. Loud audio, sturdy buttons and knobs. I understand the Yaseu menus and their layout so I bought an FT-60 and when the time came an 8800R. The 8800R replaced the 2800. I had no problems with the 2800 but I wanted/needed a dual bander as well as crossband repeat.

The 8800 has a removable face and is a smaller unit than the 2800. I wanted to put it in the spot the 2800 was so I'd have to rework things.

This is what I ended up with. Because of the removable face the mic input to the radio is on the radio body and on the side, not very conducive to dash installations. I made an extension and mounted the input on a bezel plate I made and stuck the entire thing in the dash. I like it quite a bit.

For antennas I run a couple depending on the need. I've got NMO mounts for my CB and HAM on the roof. I've got 1/4 and 5/8 wave Larsen 2m whips as well as Comet B-10 dual band.

In this pic the B-10 is installed on the NMO, the 1/4 wave is just sitting there for photo purposes and the CB NMO is covered with a rain cap.

 

[1FZj80]

I'm also a new ham and curious about other's set up.

I purchased a Kenwood TM-281A to get me started. This is a basic inexpensive 2m with 65W. I recently purchased this and a Larsen 1/2 wave NMO from HRO. I made my own bracket mounted off the rear tail gate latch point on my 80. The installation also basic. The range is incredible, I can hit repeaters over 75 mile away.

The Kenwood is also easy to mod to include the MARS/CAP frequencies in Tx. This allows me to use the radio on the MURS frequencies with someone who is not a ham (although I think MURS is limited to 5W so I am a little over power).

I also purchased a China made Wouxun HT for $99 This is a great HT for the price! It is easy to program with the provided software and operates in both Rx and Tx 136-174MHz, 420-520MHz. With this frequency range I get 2m, 70cm, MURS, GRMS, FRS, business frequencies (Motorola RDX) plus more. I've been using it as a jobsite radio then can chat on 2m on the drive home. And because it is only $99 I don't worry about losing or breaking it.

I'm thinking about a 2m/70cm for my DD but can't decide on which unit. I will need a detachable faceplate and may stick with Kenwood and go with the V71A. Any other recommendations???

 

[jonheld]

Mine is also the entry level Kenwood 271A. It fits below my single DIN radio in the dash of my 80 very nicely using the OEM radio brackets with spacers and longer screws. The flash in the pictures really did a fine job of illuminating all the imperfections of the mounting job I did. In reality it look almost stock. The front firing speaker is loud and clear and the radio is simple to program.
For the antenna mount I used a Diamond K400SNMO with a 10' RG316 extension cable I had made, so it makes it to the dash easily.
I have 2 different Diamond antennae that get mangled in trees so I went with a Larson 150 whip that gets the crap beaten out of it and doesn't care.
Some pictures below for your amusement...

 

[Roc Doc]

I too will be installing a Kenwood 281 in dash along with a single DIN Alpine head unit. For antenna I have installed a Laird Trat 1420 antenna that when mounted only sticks up above the factory roof rack about 1". This antena is not perfect in terms of performance as it's a zero gain design, but it's more than fine for talking in a group, and if I need to reach out farther I carry a Diamond SG2000 that has 5.2db of gain.

Laird.

Diamond

 

[Randy88FJ62]

So I wanted to follow up. I ended up purchasing a Kendwood D710A and a Garmin Nuvi 350. With these two I can run a mobile APRS setup and have the cross band repeat capability if needed. Hopefully installing it this upcoming weekend.

 

[lugueto]

4x4mike: DO you have any pics of the ellaboration of the faceplates for both your radios in DIN installations?? or perhaps details of the install, what di d you use exactly?? That looks CLEAN

I would LOVE to do this with my 2900R, which is mounted very similarly to 1FJZ80, but a clean "in dash" install would be amazing. I would also have to make some sort of ventilation for the radio since it will now be enclosed, but that shouldn't be particularly difficult.

Any pointers for doing such an install??

Congrats on the ingenuity and craftmanship.

Luis

 

[4x4mike]

First off you need to make sure the DIN slot is deep enough for the radio. I wanted mine pretty flush with my stereo face plate but also in a location that allowed my face plate to hinge down as that's how the stereo face plate is removed and how you get CD's in there.

I got some paper sized pieces of galvanized sheet metal from Home Depot that is intended for roof flashing. It's easy to cut and bend so it's almost perfect for this application.

On all my installs I removed the stereo and it's carrier and took it to the work bench. The stereo is held to it's carrier with a couple of screws on each side. I would fashion a carrier for the HAM radio/CB and mount it to the upper carrier with the same screws.

My fashioned carrier holds the Yaesu where I want it and the metal is stiff enough to hold the radio gapped from the stereo so the speaker can still be heard and one doesn't heat sink off the other. It can also hold it centered or to one side if you wish, just bend away. Screws hold the Yaesu in the fashioned carrier like the stereo.

Below is the only picture I have of one of my carriers. It's an old pic from 2007 and it's showing the stereo and a CB. The CB is the black radio and I'm holding the assembly upside down. The bracket is actually the factory Toyota piece that originally held a stereo in one DIN and a CD player in the other. I just lined up the CB where I wanted it, drilled some holes and attached it. If you don't have a bracket like that, that is what you construct out of the flashing.

 

[Mrtwooooo]

I'm in the process of installing a kenwood D710G. It's just like the D710A that was mentioned earlier but has a built in GPS receiver so you don't have to have a separate unit. The main radio unit will be under the driver seat. And the faceplate is going in front if the transfer case shifter on my 80.
Going with a Larson dual band antenna with an NMO mount on my stock front bumper.
I'm adding a blue sea fuse block to provide the power. Just waiting on it to show up.

 

[CV Kurt]

I've recently installed a Yaesu FTM-400dr in my FJC. Loving it. Still carry my VX-8gr HT for out-of-cab communications. -- Kurt

 

[Mrtwooooo]

Got my kenwood 710G installed and operating

I'm using a Larson dual band antenna

 

[lalitv74]

Heres is my shack.

Kenwood D700 and V708 for VHF/UHF and APRS, and an ICOM IC7000 for HF. And of coarse a computer. :0

 

[CruiseOrlando]

I installed a Kenwood TN-V71A in my truck. The face is remotable (is that a word?), and I put it up by the sunroof controls.

The radio is behind where the factory amp used to be. I did a more detailed writeup over in the 80-tech section:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/kenwood-tm-v71a-install.800249/

 

[CycloSteve]

Shack in Rig = FT-8900R

Shack in the workshop...a bit more complex = FT-2500M (will go into the 45 eventually), FT-736R for 70cm, 2m and 6m, and FT-890AT for HF. Obligatory computer, stereo, and TV to round out the entertainment options.

 

[retlaw]

Mine is also the entry level Kenwood 271A. It fits below my single DIN radio in the dash of my 80 very nicely using the OEM radio brackets with spacers and longer screws. The flash in the pictures really did a fine job of illuminating all the imperfections of the mounting job I did. In reality it look almost stock. The front firing speaker is loud and clear and the radio is simple to program.
For the antenna mount I used a Diamond K400SNMO with a 10' RG316 extension cable I had made, so it makes it to the dash easily.
I have 2 different Diamond antennae that get mangled in trees so I went with a Larson 150 whip that gets the crap beaten out of it and doesn't care.
Some pictures below for your amusement...

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Did the coax follow the weather seal and route under the vehicle? Im getting ready to install the same type of mount. Do you still use it?

 

[jonheld]

Did the coax follow the weather seal and route under the vehicle? Im getting ready to install the same type of mount. Do you still use it?

That install was on my old 91. For my LX450, I used the same mount in the same location, but I ran the coax under the outer lip of the hatch gasket and into the body behind the left tail lamp assembly. This keeps the hatch gasket in 1 piece and protects the coax.
I also upgraded to a Kenwood V71A.