INSTALLING AMATEUR AND CB RADIOS IN 2016 TACOMA

OK; Finished, and thank you all for your patience in waiting on it.

 

Hi John,
That "Dinky" Ferrite on the radio wire isn't to power the radio, the radio power input is on the bottom of the radio, coming from the power box. The choke you see goes to the Radio control head on the dash and is just control voltage; Kenwood provided it in the radio kit, to be mounted there. The power is also not hitting me in the face; I worked with both radars and Electronic Warfare equipment in the Navy; know the safe levels, and am below safe limits. I seldom use full power anyway to avoid overheating the radio (A problem with the TM-V71 set); normally I am at the the 10 watt setting, or the 5 watt setting.
Actually I do have a larger power ferrite on the engine side of the firewall, where the power comes into the truck cab; I just didn't show it. These smaller ferrites are just to clean up what may still come into the cab, or what may be inside it, for RF interference.
Thanks though; you can't have to much safety when dealing with RF.

I fall just under the safe level at 50 watts out (Both VHF and UHF); and normally run the 10 watt, middle level, output.

To calculate your exposure, all frequencies, (CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000). http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm


See posts 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38 below for RF Safety information.

Fred, KG6ZMN
P.S. Love the Kenwood, great radio.

 

Hi, Chief from a fellow EWC! I mounted the control head in a similar fashion as you did, but as you can see from these 2 pics, I actually mounted directly to the trim piece around the radio/vents. I find I like having it a bit lower than yours for visibility out the window. Am running a Larsen dual band through glass antenna mounted on the rear window. Works ok, but am thinking about a roof mount instead. Will be adding a CB soon, so will certainly be borrowing some of your ideas for that install!

 

Saw a disclaimer/warning in the 2018 manual that transmitting radios could interfere with a bunch of the tech systems in the truck- Ive seen a linear amp make a S10’s cruise control speed up whenever it was fired up, but my legal 50 watt 2M hasnt caused any problems that I noticed on my 2017. Has anyone noticed anything wierd happening with their Taco radios?

 

Here's three websites that have authoritative information on the subject.
Please see my note on my installation above, about not using a linear in modern vehicles. Post #1
As mentioned in my installation, Toyota limits allowed radio power in all their vehicles (Except first responders; and their vehicles are modified with extra shielding.) to 100 watts; and that means a good installation 100 watts, not a sloppy one.
All the below are qualified sites for reference; ARRL is the American Radio Relay League. Also posted this in the Technical Forum of this site at:
USING LINEAR AMPS IN MODERN VEHICLES

See posts 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 below for RF Safety information.

Your question is very valid.
Please pass this along to anyone else with this question.
It's very important you do not have stray RF, or excessive power, floating around in any modern computer controlled vehicle; unless you like really seriously exciting, however short they may be, rides.
(Or it could just stop, and refuse to move again; until your dealer tells you that your warranty is now worthless, because you fried all the electronics.)

http://www.arrl.org/auto-manufacturer-s-policies

http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=38793.0;wap2

https://books.google.com/books?id=PImqHW34Bt0C&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=RFI+problems+with+airbags&source=bl&ots=bBbeiLT_Qd&sig=QPEPJlCml6u2ppf8BONZgcSNwdc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjirYP8ns7XAhXhjlQKHaSpDLsQ6AEIYTAJ#v=onepage&q=RFI problems with airbags&f=false

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

Update:
Tested out my 2016 Tacoma; empty road, Kenwood TM-V71 on both 144 and 446 bands, full 50 watt output power.
No effects at all on truck or center dash infotainment system. Toyota rates their trucks to full 100 watts anyway; just making sure.
Keep you installations clean, well grounded, and well shielded.
Will usually keep it on the 10 watt output anyway.

 

First: Your mounting idea is better than mine; it looks much neater, and I may move mine there.
Update 26 Feb. Went there, did that, photos below; post #28 and #29.

Second: Worried about confiscation?
Don't; here's the FCC Rules, and they trump state and local law (See last page, upper left side). I carry copies of this in my vehicle at all times.
Be aware that this ONLY applies to Amateur radios, not specific scanners.
Used to be common in some states, or locations, to pull you over and confiscate Amateur radios if they could also receive police frequencies (most can). The last state that did it, after this ruling went into effect, wound up paying federal fines until they stopped.
If a state or local police officer, or judge, still wants to take your radio let them; then contact the FCC and let the fines mount up, and if you don't get your radio back the FCC has no problem adding to the fines.

Remember garage clearance on roof mounts.

 

Thank you for the information on the subject from ARRL and of your own well documented project. I ended up running my coax for my 2M radio from the center seat cubby to the rear window and up to the roof where I have a mag mount set up there and have not noticed any issues while transmitting. Its interesting Toyota was able to provide recommendations, as well as the ominous warning that runnong a radio may void a warranty if it damages any electronic components. Will have to be sure to remove my setup if I ever have to get it seviced for electrical issues under warranty.

73’s
KC6OXY

 

Liking "sdwf"s Kenwood TM-V71 control head mounting on top of the dash (Post #23 above) much better than my own placement above the dash, I copied it with a minor change.
Didn't want to trim the mounting's vertical adjustment brackets off the back to make it fit closer; just mounted the control head a little further forward, and a fraction higher.
The ugly black tape holding the wire was for temporary mounting, until everything checked out.
Cleaned it up after taking this photo; and you can find self-stick mounting clips for holding the wiring in hardware stores and on Amazon.
Be aware the dash plastic material makes it very difficult to stick anything to it; including my ugly black tape.
This photo and the next one below it.

 

Second photo of the new mounting location for the Kenwood control head.
The ugly black tape holding the wire was for temporary mounting, until everything checked out.
Cleaned it up after taking this photo; and you can find self-stick mounting clips for holding the wiring in hardware stores and on Amazon.
Be aware the dash plastic material makes it very difficult to stick anything to it; including my ugly black tape.
You can now also see the remote Uniden BCT-7 speaker I added below the CB for better audio out of the Kenwood Amateur Radio set. The new speaker fits perfectly there.
73s, KG6ZMN

 

Tested out my 2016 Tacoma; empty road, Kenwood TM -V71 on both 144 and 446 bands, full 50 watt output power.
No effects at all on truck, or on center dash infotainment system.
Toyota rates their trucks to full 100 watts RF anyway, just making sure.
Keep your installations clean, well grounded, and well shielded.
Will usually keep it on the 10 watt output anyway.

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

 

RF (Radio Frequency) safety in vehicles.

My reference is The ARRL Handbook (American Radio Relay league), Safety Chapter (28).

Your CB is on what is known as 11 meters (11m) at 27 MHz. This is near the upper end of the HF frequency band (High Frequency).

My Amateur radio is on both VHF and UHF, and my max output power is 50 watts; although, normally I leave it on the middle power setting, and don’t run at the full 50 watts.

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

Post #35 below is for a calculation of a one kilowatt linear amplifier at CB Radio frequencies.
Post #36 is for a 500 watt linear amplifier, CB Radio frequencies.
Post #38 is for a simple 100 watt linear amp at CB Radio frequencies.
This is another reason why I would never install a linear Amp in a vehicle.

Four pages enclosed; first is front cover of my reference, and this manual is available from the ARRL, Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) and other sources.

 

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

 

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

 

To calculate your exposure (All Frequencies) CB Is 27 MHz or 27.000. http://hintlink.com/power_density.htm

"DX Engineering" Catalog: "Electromagnetic Exposure Meter" 50 HZ to 18 Ghz.

 

Example: This is what you get with a one kilowatt transmitter, on the CB Radio band frequency 27.000, Antenna distance 10 feet, antenna gain of 2.2. (A good CB Antenna with gain.)
"Distance to Compliance" in the tables is the minimum safe distance for this power level.
"Uncontrolled Environment" Are you near any highly Radio Reflective Surface; like a metal wall, or the hood of your vehicle?
Note the difference between safe level power density, and your power density, at this distance.

 

500 watts output, CB Radio Frequencies (27.000 MHz), Antenna six feet away, Unitary gain antenna (No Gain).
"Distance to Compliance" in the tables is the minimum safe distance for this power level.
"Uncontrolled Environment" Are you near any highly Radio Reflective Surface; like a metal wall, or the hood of your vehicle?

 

I used a CBI ditch light bracket for mine

 

Finally, a 100 watt linear amp in your vehicle at CB Radio Frequencies, Antenna five feet away from you.
Note that in the Uncontrolled Environment it is still not safe.
"Uncontrolled Environment" Are you near any highly Radio Reflective Surface; like a metal wall, or the hood of your vehicle?
My background is Electronic Warfare, 23 years; worked around high powered jammers, and radars, one radar on one ship was 4MW at peak pulse (That's a 4 million watts peak pulse radar).
Have not acquired Cancer, Blindness, or "Glow-In-The-Dark" syndrome; hence knew what I was doing while around RF and Microwave Fields.
Just because you have been using linear amps for years now successfully, without apparent effects, does not mean the cumulative effects will not catch up to you eventually.

 

It's a cartoon, but the principle's accurate:


Now move that antenna from the center of the roof onto the fender right in front of the windshield, and the pattern moves with it. No matter the power level, I'd still rather be shielded by some metal, rather than have the main lobe hitting me in the face. The radiological health standards were developed based on risk to a population, not an individual. Some individuals get lucky -- I know people who have smoked cigarettes for 40 years and didn't develop lung cancer. I also know non-smokers who lived in a home with a smoker, and developed cancer. Personally, I'm not willing to bet that I'll be one of the lucky ones and not get cataracts or a tumor from a transmitting antenna mounted a few feet from my face.

73,
John DE K5JY

 

I love the idea of placing the CB there in the front cup holder area but that gaffer tape is giving me some uncomfortable twitching