Ham radio

Search has failed me again.
Looking for a good way to mount an amateur radio in the Taco. Handheld isnt cutting it like it did in the jeep. Guessing the full cab interferes more than the soft top and fiberglass top on my jeep did.

Saw a picture of one mounted on the left side where the cubby is but couldnt find out what radio or how they did it.

Also need antenna an antenna mount ideas.

 

Ditch light mount for antenna.

Need a remote face mount and place in the center console cubby under the climate controls. Mount the main body under the seat.

 

Giant pit of a center console.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/and-so-it-begins.518718/#post-16591430

 

Have mine a on Lido Mount mounted on the passenger seat bolt.

 

How did you mount the faceplate?’

 

Here is what I did. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-vhf-cb-radio-installs.415584/page-60#post-20504043

Bought the mount on Etsy (see below for example) as my Icom 2730 has a metal plate you can attach to the head unit. Next I removed the center console/wireless charger area and just looped zip ties around that to hold the radio body on the passenger side in the footwell.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/631496...14e4stKG0ylW9Az2zIpxPWHHs6KRU4VAaAjz2EALw_wcB

 

Here's mine. Easy to see, no looking down and everything is at eye level. The transmitter is behind the back seat. I use a magnetic mount antenna.

 

Love RAM mounts but don’t want to invite shady people to try and take it. I’m leaning to putting in the console area below the climate controls or left side like LLOD did.

 

Let's see if this is helpful. This is a Yaesu FTM-400 install in my 2020 TRDOR. The system is accessible, removable, and serviceable without being in the way of the driver or passenger or interfering otherwise with the cab space. Pardon the dog hair, because dogs do like trucks.

The head unit is mounted using a Tacoma Track Mount bought through TacomaBeast. (https://tacomabeast.com/collections/accessory-mounts/products/tacoma-track-mount-2016-2019)


The antenna is mounted using a CBI antenna/ditch light mount. (https://cbioffroadfab.com/product/3rd-gen-tacoma-antenna-mount/)


The main unit is mounted using using the Yaesu MMB-60 bracket. (https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ysu-mmb-60)

 

Did you really wood screw that shit in? That's what that looks like...maybe it's not.

 

It was machine screws, not wood. I'll _always_ have two radios in my truck, mobile and handheld. The thing that took the most time was deciding where to mount that damn thing were I could move the seats and use all the storage. I restored to permanently affixing the bracket.

 

There is a video on you tube that has a remote face plate in eyeglass holder in overhead console and main unit under seat. Very clean install. Unit they used was a Yaesu FT7900r.

 

Love the size of the Yaesu 400 and ICOM 5100. Both will work in my console area but trying to decide which one.

 

Nice to see everyone's setup. K9TXS...you use a magnetic antenna...it's not flexing the roof too much? On my 17 Taco the metal of the roof is so thin that it flexes when I attach a 6" magnetic base antenna. I am going into remote areas of Death Valley and with the washboard I am concerned that it may damage the roof. I actually have an appt on Friday to have a permanent antenna installed on the left front fender.
Ideally I would like to install the VHF radio I have below the heater controls in that open compartment that has the (real or imagined) cell phone charger built in. But I do not know where I can drill holes to bring the cable in. The shop will bring it in past the firewall but then I need to direct it to where I need it. I have not been able to find a wiring diagram and the dealer could not provide the necessary information either. I would like to drill a hole and feed the wire though the plastic on the left side of the compartment but I know there are wires running in behind.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

I just noticed Woodrow F Call's post from 2018. He's installed it in the center console cubby like I want to do. Where to run the cable and wires??

 

Magmounts suck. I've had great luck with using a ditch light bracket for the antenna mount. There is a rubber boot around where the main wiring harness comes through the firewall. With a small knife carefully put an incision into that boot. There is then enough space to shove through both the antenna cable and power cables.

I've done installs like this on four Tacos (two of them mine), a Subaru XV (that was a pain), and a few other vehicles.

 

That sounds great EDS, thanks. What about mounting the actual radio unit in the cubby in the console below the climate controls? I would like to bring the antenna cable and wires through the left "wall" of that cubby but I don't dare to drill a hole when I don't know what's behind it. Any thoughts on that?

 

Take it apart and look at what’s behind it.

 

Mine is mounted to the left side of my console, up by the dash. I’m running a Diamond K400 lip mount with a Larsen antenna. This is a horrible pic of the antenna mount, but you get the idea.