Clean VHF/CB radio installs

Great post!

I really like the idea of this speaker location. Nice and out of the way. I would be concerned about the velcro coming loose during an accident. The speaker could easily hit you in the head if it did.

 

ETA: I went out to the truck and once again the Velcro didn't hold in the heat.

So, I took a look and the upper B Pillar trim is easy to remove. I pulled down the weather stripping and pulled off the trim. Measuring carefully, I found a good spot to drill through the trim and still allow the seat belt adjuster to work.

The screws went in from the back and then the bracket was attached with metric nuts. I drilled the holes very tight and expanded them ever so slightly with an awl. Everything tightened up, placed back, seat belt adjuster operation test.

Two things I also discovered. There are airbags built into the seats. Which is why there are none in the B Pillar. Yes, I know, I've just won a PhD in "Duh."

Also, there is a seat back storage pouch on the passenger side. In that, I found a receipt for aftermarket window tinting from a local outfit. Oh, and a panoramic mirror that snaps on over the OEM rear view mirror. I have no idea what I'm going to do with that.

 

i like that location. Had I seen your post earlier, I may have done the same. I ended up installing two speakers into my sunglass holder this past weekend. I had the two speakers laying around so I installed them both. No clue what I'll use the second one for just yet (maybe a cb to go with my ham).

 

You have a different console that I do. I thought about that for me truck, but liked the B Pillar location better. Then again, when I get around to installing a ham radio, that's a possibility. Although I think I'll just go with an under seat speaker if there is room.

Decisions, decisions.

Also, is that a panoramic rear view mirror?

 

i like how the b-pillar install is less involved and the speaker is better aimed for me to hear it. I thought about hiding the speaker below the dash or seat but i tend to have to turn up the volume to hear comms on the trail (if i have music on + windows open) so figured to have it mounted up high somewhere.

 

Realized I never posted my Molle Panel CB. I got a lot of inspiration from this thread as far as making the install as clean as possible. The CB is held on by industrial Velcro. I ran a CB like this in my last vehicle and really liked it. I tried installing it with the speaker facing out but found it's actually louder with the speaker side facing toward the center console. Probably because the sound gets amplified that close to plastic.



For my antenna I used one of those ditch-light extension brackets and a 3' Firestik. It's pretty flimsy when you physically wail on it, but I haven't noticed it moving all that much under normal driving conditions. To keep the connection low-profile I used a FireRing.

 

Update on the Johnny III from President that I installed in January - the display died. Have an email in to them, will see how it goes.

 

Why not make a U shaped bracket and mount the speaker to it then slip it down over the top of the trim for the speaker. Could use a flat head screw to mount the speaker so it doesn’t scrape the trim when installed. Could even put some felt over the inside it so it won’t scratch.

 

That was my first thought, but the adjuster for the shoulder belt comes up almost to the top of the piece of trim. So, it would knock the speaker off or block the adjuster from moving all the way up.

Actually, I have a few of these neat mounting clips that Motorola used to include with their commercial radios that I thought would be ideal. Back when they were made even police officers for the most part didn't have handheld radios. The idea was you could unhook the speaker from the bracket and hang it on the side window of a vehicle. That way the officer could hear the radio when he was outside the vehicle.

Just about every Motorola radio shipped from the early 1970s until the late 1980s came with those. No one that I knew ever used one, but they were handy for hanging things.

 

I ordered an Icom IC2730A today along with the software from RT Systems, and mounting kit from The Antenna Farm. I already have a Tram Mag Mount I bought for the project along with a Comet dual band antenna.

I picked the Icom because the microphone attaches to the radio chassis so there is only the control head to chassis cable to deal with. Icom sells a microphone extender cable for about $70.00, but a friend of mine who used to have one said he used a Cat 6 Ethernet cable and female - female RJ45 pass through with no problem.

Chassis will probably go under the passenger seat, speaker in the rear console, and control head go ????. Thinking about options for that, but it might go on the dash with a suction cup mount and a sticky disk from an old GPS.

Pictures when I get it all done.

 

I have a 2730. Great radio! Search ETSY for Tacoma phone holder. This thing is 3D printed and clips onto the dash. You can then just attach the mounting plate, if you have it, and the radio sits great. Also the mic can attach to the head if you want. I just took the front console out and slid zip ties in to hold the radio body in the passenger footwell. I’m using a lip mount antenna on the hood which works well for me. I should have pics earlier in this post.

 

Dashtop Multi-Mount might work well. That's how I'm planning on mounting the head for my d710g.

 

i ended up ordering a 2730 specific dash/window suction cup mount made by Lido. I hope it will work, but if not I'll definitely look at the mount on Esty. I want to keep this all as low profile as possible. With the suction cup mount, I can take the head off and toss it under a seat or something when I don't want to leave it out.

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/lido-radio-lm-501.html

I think the chassis will go under the passenger seat and the mic will be attached to that. There's a guy on Ebay that has microphone extension cables for about $15.00 including shipping. He makes them himself and at least from the pictures they look okay.

Icom accessories have always been pricey, but $70.00 or so for what is essentially a CAT 6 RJ45 cable with a female end is ridiculous.

I went with a friend of mine to pick up some dry wall for him this morning. He didn't notice the antenna, scanner, or speaker the entire time we were in the truck. He used to comment on all of that stuff when we'd go somewhere in my old Tundra. I take that as a low profile, neat install compliment!

 

Pretty simple install of the

$165 Midland MXT115 - 15 Watt GMRS MicroMobile Two Way Trails Radio - Off Roading Outdoor RZR Farm - 8 Repeater Channels Extended Range - External Magnetic Mount Antenna - NOAA Weather Alerts

Midland MXT115 GMRS radio.



There's a little light above the Qi charger that is easily unscrewed and I pushed it inside (didn't want to fully cut it, so just left it inside the dash). The light is extremely dim and I didn't even realize it was a light until I was looking for ways to get my wires inside. Not much of a loss to lose it.


I fed the antenna and power wires through the light hole and into the dash. Industrial strength velcro to the radio bracket and dash, no screws. Soldered the power wires onto the cigarette lighter. I debated running the power directly to the battery but decided against it. The DC power is easy and shuts off when the truck is off. I ran the

$30 Midland MXTA24 Low Profile Antenna Cable with NMO Connector – CB Antenna Cable Extension – 6 Meters (19 ft) with Removable UHF Connection

Midland MXTA24 6m antenna wire with NMO connector behind the dash and through the passenger front firewall hole, connected it to the

$50 midland MXTA25 3DB micromobile® compatible gain ghost antenna – 3.5” tall with 1.5” base diameter – low profile GMRS NMO connection

midland MXTA25 antenna on a Victory 4x4 Antenna Mount.

Amazingly, the antenna does not hit the windshield when the hood is up! Probably not the perfect mounting location for an antenna but it's great for my needs. I like it being on the passenger side but the Victory bracket can be used on either side.

 

Just installed a Kenwood TM-D710G in my 2017 Tacoma. Has anyone tried to run the speaker output into the aux radio input? Would the input level be too high?

 

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. It's just what came with the radio, double-sided taped to the panel. I actually ended up having to add some screws because it kept falling down.

 

In my experience, black RTV adhesive works great. Holds much better than double sided tape, but can be fairly easily removed when you want.

 

I used industrial velcro (the soft side) cut strips and installed on either side of the mount where it runs through the tail gate. That way when it flexes its rubbing the velcro and not metal to metal.

 

Most of the stuff I need for the Icom 2730A install has arrived. Except, of course, for the radio itself. I'm going to wait until everything is in so that I only have to take the console out once. Photos and more details than you'll like want to follow in a separate post.

 

I received a shipping notification from Universal Radio. Apparently, they have received the a supply of IC 2730A radios and are shipping.

I'll do a Part 2 install post when I'm done. I hope to have this all done before the last week of the month in time for our trip to SC.