Clean VHF/CB radio installs

What gooseneck is this? I've been looking for one to mount my mic on like this.

 

hes my antenna mount I made up

 

How is it fixed under the canvas?

 

this is another one i made it had to mush spring in it .I had a firestick attached. I used the two screw holes in the rail.

 

Good idea, I have the same radio and am strongly considering this spot, as well. I have two switch blanks there and am thinking about popping them and using them as the basis for a bolt on mount. Still tinkering.

Two fast questions:

What CB do you have to the right of the Icom mic? That's a tiny little bugger.

Any tricks to popping the switch blanks without scarring them or the plastic surround up?

 

Thanks @MeefZah .
1. President Johnny III. They are crazy expensive, but were offering a "free" antenna + $50 rebate, which brought it in line with comparable units. The primary reasons I chose it are the channel up/down buttons on the mic, and the blue display compliments the dash lights. If those aren't important to you, the Uniden 510/520 are even smaller and a lot less expensive.
2. The tabs on the blank are top/bottom, so prying from the bottom is easiest. I used an auto trim tool (sets for for ~$10 and a crazy useful), but you could probably get by with the corner of a credit card or a tip of a thin, wide-blade screwdriver.

 

Where did you get such a good deal on the President Johnny?

 

I got mine from an ebay seller that no longer lists it. Every listing I found when I bought it (November) offered the free antenna. The rebate ended 12/31. It's a great little radio and has some unique features, but I don't see how they justify the regular price.

 

Ahh shucks. I just got a Luiton LT-298 that I'm excited to try out. Hopefully it fits in the center console well.

 

Thanks. Good info. I have a Cobra 75WXST but the President looks interesting.

 

OK, knowing that those blanks are exactly 2 inches apart, inside edge to inside edge, I decided to try to use them as the basis for a bolt on mount for the 2730 head unit.

Basically all you need for this install are two M2.6x12 bolts (very unusual size), two M2.6 flat washers and two toothed washers, and two small nylon spacers.

Pop out the blanks, measure, drill two holes, and voila! The final picture of the unit "installed", it is actually just set into the switch blank holes, I did not 'click' it in because I am still waiting on my connector cord to arrive and I don't want to get the head unit clicked in without the cord installed to the back (left the original one installed in the truck I traded in as it was a PITA to remove it from under the dash and console).

The nylon spacers give enough of a stand-off from the back to get the cord routed behind the unit.

I'll post a final install pic once I get everything put together.

 

Anyone running GMRS? Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Midland-MXT100-MicroMobile-2-Way-Radio/dp/B00Z7XNWAK

N00b question...whats the benefit of running HAM?

 

Slick install @MeefZah !

 

Google it for more info. I find ham way more versatile than gmrs. If you go gmrs get a license to enable you to use local repeaters which is the way to go. You may have to get permission to use a gmrs repeater or even pay a fee. Not so with ham. You can talk simplex or use repeaters which greatly extends range without permission or fees. Depending on your area you can talk 30,150 or even thousands of miles using a repeater connected to the interweb. With a gmrs your whole family can use your radio, not so with ham. A ham license is granted for the one person who passes the ham test.
Its not that hard to get a technician license. My Kenwood TM-710G cost way more than that Midland gmrs, but you can get a good Chinese ham for about the same as the midland gmrs. I went ham because I travel to remote areas where cel service is not available or reliable. Ham works great for my needs. So if you're serious about getting a two way radio do your homework and what your needs are. Look into both then decide.

 

Thanks for posting that. That opens up quite a few possibilities!

 

Here's my Ham Clean Install, in my 2016 ac..
Head unit mount under trim, 3m double tape and two screws secures it.

Control Head unit locked on. Controls close to steering wheel.

Radio guts under seat wired directly to both battery terminals.
Stored in a pelican box and brought in.

Auxiliary speaker, and mic within reach, I keep mic in the square cup holder when in use.

Rig does both 2 meter and 70cm. The Kenwood TM-710G is a Dual bander, also cross-bands, which I like. Also use the aprs feature which comes in handy while out and about for when I want my friends to know where I'm at when out of cel service. Been a ham for seven years and love it. Started on cb back in the sixty's as a kid with walkie talkies then CB which went stupid crazy in the 70's and 80's.
Dropped CB and went to gmrs then now a general licensed ham. 98% ham 2%gmrs. Ham for me is the way to go. My dual band antennas (3) are mounted on my rack. The third one is for High Frequency when out in the boonies. Between my radios and cel I have comm options. Take time to learn your radios limits and exploit its strengths. I can talk 152 miles from the sierras back to my home repeater in the bay area. And that's just one repeater, there are many spread out and some are even linked together to saturate a vast area say like half the state of California. As they say, Kx6xxx, 73...

 

Just got a 2016 and pulled my CB out of my 07s center console and put it in my 2016

 

Where did you provision the GoPro mount with the threaded hole? Are you planning to re-use it?

 

Got the Icom and Cobra installed today. Pleased so far. It took me a minute to figure out how to adjust the contrast on the Icom, because at the angle it is set at, the factory contrast (which I had never changed) made the display unreadable. You can see how bad it was in the pictures below. But...once I got it... golden!

A couple minor notes if anyone cares: the mic clips on both mics are replaced with Motorola mic clips, and the Icon mic (because of the stupid proprietary Icom mic hanger thing) has a replacement Firestik mic button on it, which makes it the same style mic hanger as every other microphone ever made. Both the Icom and Cobra radios are mounted under the passenger seat with velcro to the carpet, and the head units are mounted where you see them on dash. Wiring runs under the passenger side of the console. Wiring to power and coax to the VHF antenna runs through the firewall on the passenger side, through the factory wiring grommet. I did not use an external speaker on the Icom and I'm glad I didn't; the built in speaker actually works better than the external speaker I used to run in my 4R.

I like the mic placement of both radios but unfortunately I didn't really think about how the cords to the mics would interfere with the other - I'm not in love with the way the VHF radio mic cord partially obstructs the CB... but hey, what are you gonna do?

 

That right there is great... The Icom is the jimmies. If I didn't have the tech package I'd be on this.