Clean VHF/CB radio installs

Installed the radio under the rear seat. Ran cat6e to the front and the antenna out to the rear and using the bed stiffeners as a nmo mounting point. Gets good reception there. Of course it temporary but it'll do for the time being.

 

Part 2 of the radio install.

All of the parts are in, the weather is finally cooperating, and my friend who has worked in radio and electronics for over 50 years was available to help. He's good to bounce ideas off and hold things in place while I run wires.

Here is my first post for reference purposes, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-vhf-cb-radio-installs.415584/page-80#post-23619749

First, per my first post, the negative battery terminal was disconnected. Airbags still scare me!

Then I took the lower dash panel down to run the power wires for the Icom.



See those wires plugged into the lower dash panel? Don't forget to plug them back in when you replace the panel or some things won't work. Ask me how I know.

I took the same path for the wires that I used the first time. Ended up replacing the wiring loom because the 12 gauge power and ground wires took up a lot of room. Plus the flat telephone style cable for the Uniden GPS, and a 20 guage wire from the panel light circuit to control the display dimmer wire for the SDS display. Just a bigger version of the loom I used before. Should have thought that one through and I would have done that job the first time.

Speaking of the 12 gauge power wires, here they are connected to the fuse and grounding block. Most ham radios come with fuses in both the positive and negative power wires. Since the manufacturers recommend connecting directly to the battery, the negative wire fuse is to protect the radio in case the negative battery wire loses it's connection and the whole truck tries to ground through the radio. That would be bad. As you can see, I used a blade fuse connector on the negative wire. The heat shrink tubing is to keep from confusing people into thinking I did some bad wiring. I'm guessing that most factory trained Toyota techs won't know that unless they already knew it. If that makes sense.



After the center console was out, I looked to see if the main unit of the Icom would fit in the space where the auxiliary heater goes, but no dice. So, out came the passenger seat so that the main unit and a Motorola speaker could go there. I kept them both away from the heat ducts, so there should be no problem with that. The wire to the control head is also in there somewhere.



Next up, the stereo came out to make running the control cable up to the dash a lot easier. By now, I'd already had my quota of small cuts on my hands from running wires around sharp brackets behind the dash.

Here is where my friend came in handy. He held the radio while I ran the wire for the control head, so I didn't have to unplug the radio. The black wire is for the control head. Of course I had to remove the Panavise phone bracket to take the radio trim off so I could run that cable. That all had to come off anyway so that the DSM could be installed.



Before all of the dash and console pieces were put back, I powered up the truck and tested the radios. Here is where I discovered that the scanner antenna connector had popped off. Considering what a PITA that had been to get put together I was dreading having to do that again. Fortunately, the tip hadn't popped off the wire, so all I had to do was put everything back together and recrimp the collar. That worked. The ham radio worked, I could receive and transmit with no problem.

Time to start re installing all of the dash and console trim. Oh, and bolt down the seat too, of course.

Here's the DSM installed and the trim piece back in place I also drilled a hole for the control cable. That looks gray in this picture, but is that same black wire. efo



Everything back together and working (finally). I'm still waiting for the RJ45 panel to come in from China. That should be here by the end of the week and then the microphone will plug into that instead of the female - female connector. Icom uses a goofy microphone hanger, so I have to figure that out too. There used to be an add on knob that allowed you to use the standard mic hanger, but I don't know if those are still around any longer. I'll have to do a search I guess.



I like how the DSM mounts the radio. Very neat looking and I can take the head off when I need to and hide it.

The audio from the ham radio is loud through the Motorola speaker. I think it has louder audio output than the old Yaesu, but in any case it's a lot more clear. I just have to get used to the different controls on the Icom, especially the scan function. I use that radio as a second scanner for my local FD and PD. It's always nice to see what my tax dollars are up to.

A few things went wrong in addition to the afore mentioned scanner antenna connector.

When putting the lower dash back, one of the clips snapped off. Doesn't seem to be any way to fix that, but it's the small piece between the ignition key and the radio bezel so it fit in anyway. Still, I hate when that trim stuff breaks like that.

I did about three function tests on the radios and other electronics while putting things back together. Which meant disconnecting and reconnecting the negative terminal several times. You'd thing that with all of that testing, I wouldn't have missed anything. Yet, when I started the truck to take my friend back to his house, I noticed that the display dimmer wasn't working on the scanner. WTF? Then it struck me. Remember those three connectors I mentioned that you shouldn't forget to plug in? Yeah, I forgot to plug them in. My whiny excuse is that the hood release lever was a PITA to get back in place and it distracted me.

So, off came the lower dash panel (again), plug in the wires, put the panel back on and test again. Everything worked fine. Why it worked the first time with the engine not running, but didn't work with the engine running, I don't know. My guess is that some part of the circuit runs through the cargo lamp switch, but only when the engine is running.

Oh, my remote start worked too, so I didn't knock any of those connectors out either.

Overall, I'm very happy with the way this came out. I still have to run the mag mount antenna cable, put that RJ45 panel in, figure out the microphone mount, and neaten up the wires for the main unit under the passenger seat. Also have to order a RJ12 six wire extension for the Uniden GPS. Since I ran the wire up the A pillar on the driver's side, that will be easy.

Thanks to everyone in the thread for inspiring me to do a "clean" install with the bare minimum of exposed wires, holes drilled or cut, and overall neat install. I think it might be the best work I've ever done on a mobile install.

Thanks also to Taco Garage for the making the DSM and short stubby ball mount. It's really the perfect solution and I should have ordered one from the start.

Feel free to comment, make jokes, laugh at my workmanship, or ask questions.

 

Looks good!!!! One question, where'd you get the Motorola speaker from?

 

Thanks.

Probably a ham radio flea market. I used to have about 20 different ones, but sold most of them off. There are a lot on Ebay, but you have to make sure that they are 8 ohm impedance. Some Motorola radios used 3.2 ohm speakers for reasons I never understood.

 

I want to get the mag mount antenna routed into the cab this week. I thought there were pictures of how people did that in this thread, but can't find it. What is the easiest way to get the cable into the back of the cab? I plan to cut the

$38 PL259 USA Made PL-259 Improved Double Shielded RG-58u for FireStik Antenna K-8A 18-Foot Single CB/Ham Coax Cable

PL259 off and solder a new one on, so that's not an issue. I seem to remember that there are rubber grommets somewhere back there, but don't recall exactly where.

Thanks.

 

Link to the RJ45 pasthrough from Ebay? I’ve searched and can’t find it... thanks in advance.

 

Here ya go.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/363029547489

 

Mine just came. Fits in the slot perfectly.

 

Good to know. I'm still waiting. It's been about a week. Hoping it comes soon. That way I can get finished with this haha

 

Mine shipped August 3, was supposed to be here sometime after the 17th, but came today.

I got it installed and was just starting on the mag mount antenna cable when the rain we weren't supposed to get started. Maybe it will stop and I can get that finished.

Here it is installed. Very clean look, IMHO. I just have to figure out where to hang the mic.

 

I'm finished. I think.

I got the mag mount antenna cabled, but had to do it twice. First time I put the cable in the wrong hole. That is to say that I used the hole in the floor on the passenger side that is between the front and rear seats. When I got it all done, I rolled under the truck to see if the cable would drop onto anything bad if I took the antenna off the roof for clearance. Oh boy. It would potentially hit the exhaust (bad), or the drive shaft (potentially worse).

Fortunately, while underneath I found the right hole. It's the one almost at the back of the cab, more or less centerline.

I undid the original installation, in the 95 degree heat no less, and started again. Overall pretty easy once I loosened the rear mounting bolts for the front passenger seat. That gave just enough room under the carpet for the cable with the connector still attached to slide through.

Connected everything up, transmitted on a couple of VHF ham repeaters to make sure the cable was still intact, put all of the trim pieces back, and then torqued the seat bolts down.

As I said, I think I'm done. You never know with this Tacoma thing, though.

 

For those interested, DonGar has the SimpleUSB power adapters for the Tacoma available. Orders will be shipped on the 18th. Next, I just have to find a dash cam.

 

For guys using this with the uniden do it use just a basic Ethernet cable?

 

I bought a shielded cat6e cable. I think the shielding is important with the way new vehicles are but maybe I am just over thinking things.

Either way, it is just an Ethernet cable that is needed.

 

Cool, thank you very much

 

Clean install, I just got the same Midland setup and I think I'm going to copy how you mounted it in the dash and the pass through. What type of CAT cable did you use behind the dash? Can I use regular CAT5e cable?

Sorry for the n00b question, I'm just starting to get into GMRS stuff...

 

I have the Alinco dual bander installed in the little cubby and the Icom for APRS with a MobilLink TNC under the driver’s seat. I use APRSDroid on a Motorola phone for APRS. Just installed the USB power in the center console connected to my Aux fuse box from my Aux battery to keep the phone charged.

 

I finally got around to putting in my cb all super hidden like I do. It’s a small

$120 Uniden CMX760 Bearcat Off Road Series Compact Mobile CB Radio, 40-Channel Operation, Ultra-Compact for Easy Mounting, Large 7-Color Backlit LCD Display on Mic with Built-in Speaker Mic, Black

Uniden CMX760. I double sided taped it under the charging pad. I mounted it to Totalchaos stiffeners. I originally got the Cali raised rear light mount but changed my mind after everyone said there cables rubbed bare. I’m just waiting on the plug to mount the mic in the meso spot.

 

Sorry haven't been on this site for a week or two. I got this cable because it was one of the cheapest. Works great.

$5 Monoprice Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable - RJ45, Stranded, 550Mhz, UTP, Pure Bare Copper Wire, 24AWG, 3 Feet, Green - Flexboot Series

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KXDGBLQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mxDpFbJ5NW445

 

I’ve been dragging my feet about installing my cobra 75w st and firestik.

Quick question, I think the antenna has an 18’ coax to the fire ring connector.
Can I trim the cable down as needed or does it have to stay that length?

.....if it stays that long iirc that coiling it is bad, do you just weave it around under the carpet?