Ham Radio Install - Top of Dash?

I'd like to install this ham radio on top of the dash. Seems simple enough. Two screws into the bezel and the radio's attached. But I'd like to route the wires (two power wires, positive and negative, and an antenna wire, likely all combined in a single comb-type cable shell) towards the back of the dash (where the windshield and dash meet) and route somewhere to the bottom of the dash so I can pop them all through the firewall into the engine compartment for hookup to power and an antenna I'll install in a lip-mount on the passenger side of the hood.

My question: any easy way to get that cable routing hidden? Are there dash components that will easily pop-off and have a bit of space to route such?

Photo attached for location concept.

 

This thread might give you some ideas: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-vhf-cb-radio-installs.415584/

I personally wouldn’t mount the radio there.

 

so if you're going to mount there why run all the wiring into the engine bay I have mine tapped into the power outlet. which in my 2n gen is a constant hot, up under my steering wheel. and that still allows me to remove the radio if I end up in a new truck. though mine is mounted in the footwell against the center console area, and ive the same radio.

 

vssman: Yes, saw that thread previously, but aside from the in-dash adaptation to the lower left of the driver's side haven't seen anything especially appealing. I was initially intriged by the in-center-console install, but I don't want to drive around with the center console cover up all the time (my elbow likes to position itself there when I drive); and if the cover is down, it seems extremely inconvenient since you can't then see the unit's display. The above-dask install has some wiring-visibility issues I haven't figured out yet (hence the question to the forum), but I like the location very much: very visible to both driver and passenger, and easy enough (I think) to find a place to hang the mic.

BigCountry762x39: yes, I've seen those, but wasn't a big fan of wires hanging around in the cab. The antenna's to be mounted on a Comet 730 hood-lip mount on the passenger side, so that will end up in the engine bay and come through the firewall into the cab, and for power it seems easy enough to find a convenient source in the engine bay (lots of options for pursuing that). Do you have a photo of your install? Aside from where you got the power (the cigarette lighter I guess) where did you put the actual radio?

 

Realize being on the dash may result it in being in the way of the airbag deployment. The passenger side airbag is pretty big and it does fill a lot of the dash when it goes off. Use care in that it doesn’t become a projectile. Also being really visible from the outside may entice theft. But I understand that there isn’t a lot of other spaces to mount a radio that doesn’t have a remote faceplate.

 

Yes, it looks like that central location above the display is right in the middle and not likely to be involved during airbag deployment. Definitely don't want a claymore mine in the cab with me. And yes, being visible from outside might be attractive to a thief, but it's a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment ($125 or so; much cheaper than a broken window a jerk might pop to gain access), but I keep it garaged at home, so feel relatively comfortable with the risk. Good advice; thanks.

 

I am not a fan of on the dash, I've put a single din radio in my last 3 trucks and glued the radio under it. Probably not an option for you

 

Here is another good link with lots of pictures.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/luckys-new-comms-ham-radio-install-pic-heavy.473757/

 

I shave a muddy with the radio mounted to a DMM in that spot. He wouldn’t recommend it.

The plastic you bolt into there is super thin, and I would not trust it to hold a 3lb radio in the event of a wreck. It honestly barely holds the radio on a normal dirt road. That thing wobbles around a ton.

 

And as for wiring. I've mine run behind to the fuse panel next to the wheel. And my programming cable tucked up next to the shifter area.

sorry my truck is a mess here this was moments after competing it, and putting all the stuff back, and moments after sending my daughter into the house to grab a beofeng, for testing. before CHIRP programming.

oh and my wife who often ends up in the passenger seat hates the fire extinguisher way more then the radio location

 

Final install. Not my favorite, but as others have noted here and elsewhere, the Tacoma doesn't have a lot of great mounting options. I still like the top of dash location, but figuring out how to mount it and then how to hide the wires turned out to be beyond what I was willing to suffer through.

 

I put my MXT500 (GMRS.. I know) on my dash just so I can easily change channels, adjust volume, or do anything really to it without taking my eyes off the road

 

thekytaco: yeah, I like that location best, but I didn't want to have the visible power and antenna wires. If there were a way to route them to the back of the dash and then drop them into the footwell area I would definitely go that route.

 

you can easily drill a hole right behind the radio and fish them down. my power wires aren't even visible once I just scooted the connector the right a bit.

 

thats cra cra

 

thekytaco: do you have a photo of that install? Thx...

 

Sadly no. I'm at work and also never really thought to take any photos of the install because it was pretty simple