Ham radio antenna install location questions

Oh and don't forget the FJ gauge pod above radio retro fit

 

Left antenna is VHF/UHF right antenna is 10-80 meter HF. Personally I would not mount an antenna on the roof unless you never drive into a garage use a parking garage or never go off road. Quite often it takes the antenna off mount and all and leaves a nasty hole in the roof.

 

Damn you, Anthony...now I'm gonna be spending all my money INSIDE my truck instead of outside where I need it!

But all of that sounds like what my truck should look like when it's done. I want to switch EVERYTHANNNG. I want a Panavise iPad mount, Lowrance Baja GPS, Ultragauge, Po-Po siren and PA, etc.

But back to ham radios

 

Proforce- thanks for the pictures. That helped a ton. I was watching a YouTube vid of a guy that dismantled his interior and saw the airbag controller and you're right, I definitely do not want to hit that or cause that thing to go haywire.

So if I gather correctly, your first attempt at cutting the bucket, you cut too large of an opening and covered it with carpet? I can see myself doing that, but seeing as it is going to kill me to fire up the dremel in the first place, I'll take my time and measure about 500 times.

The thread got a little jumbled but the Larsen Antenna in the right angle mount in the bed was what I had in mind. I don't park my truck in the garage, but if I ever did I wouldn't want to have to fiddle with taking the antenna off the roof.

Thanks for all the pics and posts. Keep them coming and I plan on making a video of the install or at the least take pictures of it.

 

Yeah I knew the SRS module was there but didn't anticipate it being in the way, so I cut the very bottom of the pocket and that was a fail. So then I cut in the middle so it dit just above the SRS module but just below the dash above it. So that left me with a giant hole underneath the radio. I am OCD with clean installs and even though it wasn't visible I still had to fix it. So I got a sheet of abs plastic, cut it to make a trim around the radio, used a heat gun to mold it to shape, then carpeted it for a finished look. I basically rebuilt the panel I cut so its all covered up back there. Here is a different angle to kinda see where in the middle of the pocket it needs to be mounted. Still hard to see but you get the idea. I can get a better one later if you want.

 

The point of the carpet was to clean up the hole around the radio. Even if its cut to the exact perfect size and filed down clean, you can still see the rough edge of the plastic as seen in the picture below. Look at the top left corner of the radio. Its a clean cut but still looks tacky. The carpet was the only thing I could think that would make it look smooth and clean.

 

The higher you cut in the pocket the better. I've installed 3 or 4 in that spot now and it seems like every time I move it higher and it gets better. But keep in mind manually transmission is different because their pocket is smaller. Radio model and size also makes a difference. Just measure before you cut. It'll be fine. The radio only goes into the hole about 1-2" at most. It doesn't go very deep at all.

 

That angle shows it much better. I was thinking of mounting it more "flat" like that than up and down for viewing purposes.

Can you tell me how much room from the top and the bottom you have for the "middle"?

Thanks again for the responses. Now if gigaparts would remove their finger from their rectum and get my order shipped out.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/au...ose-installs-ham-radio-nmo-antenna-mount.html

 

I cant really get in there to measure, but here is a picture i just took. It looks about even top and bottom.

That's an awesome write up! If I did the install all over again, I would definitely use the remote face mount kit. It would be installed in the same location it is now, except without cutting the hole. And obviously I'd need a remote speaker but that's cheap.

 

When measuring clearance from the radio to SRS module, keep on mind that once you connect the antenna cable, it usually sticks out further than the radio as seen here:



The radio only sides into the hole a little. Where my finger is in this picture is how far it goes in



If you cut the hole correctly, there is no need to "attach" the radio to the panel in any way. It sits in there tight enough to not move. Besides, it needs to be easy to insert/remove because that the only way to put it all together after you cut the hole. The radio should sit perfectly on the lip in front of the cup holder so that if you remove the face plate the radio doesn't fall. as see here:

 

Also note how the cut is in the middle (top-bottom) but far left (left-right) this is so the mic connection has room. This may vary based on your radio model. Its also easier to get to the radio and see and work the controls if it's furthest left as possible. Also easier to cut the hole the way. My recommendation, start with a hole that's slightly too small with the dremel, them use a file or rasp to finish the rest

 

When you said mount the radio more "flat" I'm assuming you mean cut the hole higher up in the pocket correct? Be careful because if you cut too high, you will lose the retention clip which holds that whole center console piece attached to the dash. Also if you go to flat, then the radio will slide in/out too easily with nothing to hold it in place so it'll be loose and you'll have to attach it some way. Also it may construe visibility of your screen, especially in high lighting situations.

 

I'm waiting for my bed rack I had antenna mounts added to the sides one for HAM one for CB, I mounted the HAM unit behind the rear back seat.


And mounted the face in the lower storage box with heavy duty Velcro so I can remove it from sight when parked.

 

Nice and clean

 

I mounted my Icom 207h control head on the edge of the headliner using the belt clip from a cheap tape measure. Used a small screw to attach the clip to the top of the head. Then clipped the whole thing on the front edge of the headliner. Got that idea from a thread on here about mounting a scanguage. Ran the control cable down the DS A pillar and under the carpet. The transceiver is under the driver's seat an inch or so above the carpet. I used some L shaped mounts (like rack ears) on both sides of the transceiver and velcro'd them to the carpet. Used CAT5 cable to extend the mic connection and ran it out hole for the parking brake handle next to the steering wheel. Blue Sea fuse box is mounted under the hood with relays. Larsen 2m/70cm NMO antenna is mounted at the DS edge of the hood using a homemade bracket that is similar to the West Crystal mount.

Icom 207H




Aux Fuse box and relays

 

I appreciate the tips and pics. It would have been easier to get a remote face plate model, but the budget did not support it. My radio is expected to arrive tomorrow but installation will have to wait until next week due to work this weekend.

One thought though, I considered fabbing a mount so it wouldn't easily slide out of hole. A lot will have to depend on how things look with the radio in hand.

 

Where do you get automotive carpet?

 

Its subwoofer enclosure carpet. Not sure where you can buy it. Its super super thin which makes it easy to work with. Its the really cheap stuff. The good stuff is too thick. I got it from shop I used to work at. Best buy used to sell it, but I doubt they do anymore, that was when I worked there like 6 years ago lol. Try a stereo shop or ebay

 

My Install:



..and you can see from the side profile it doesn't stick out to far.



I opted for drilling the roof for the antenna seemed to be the best option IMHO. I usually dont run around with the antennas on only when doing road trips. A nice NMO mount will come a with a screw on weather cap.

Not the best shot but the only pic I have of the Antennas.