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Another ham radio install!

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amateur radio cb radio citizens band ham radio
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14K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  jlobaugh  
#1 ·
I've noticed a few hams were on this site too, so I wanted to share my setup on this forum too for those that are looking for install ideas.

I liked the Patriot enough that I chose it even though the radio mounting options are not the best. The shifter seems like kind of a waste of space for what it is. No one makes radio consoles for the Patriot, apparently.

My goals were to keep the install clean and unobtrusive. That was actually an easy goal to reach since there was nowhere to mount the radios in the first place. I mounted the Uniden BCD-996T in the glove compartment, leaving just enough room for the owner's manual, insurance card, registration, etc. It works well, but the only downside is not being able to see the screen (still looking for an RH-96 if you have one you're willing to part ways with!) and having to reach over into the passenger's area to use some of the functions. I mounted the Icom ID-800H transmitter under the passenger's seat and then bought the 23-foot separation cable, ran the cable up to where I mounted the remote head just below the dome light and above the mirror. My only complaint about that is it's still a bit of a tight space between the volume knob and the headliner and the viewing angle isn't the best, but it works well.

I ended up sacrificing my Kenwood D-710A and putting those funds into the first few car payments. I do miss the APRS functionality, even though most of it was passive interaction. If I ever add APRS back in the car, I may install a RAM mount on the passenger's seat and use the universal arm and cradle to hold the remote head for either the D-710 or Yaesu FTM-350AR head. So far, I'm not missing it that much, but I haven't been on a long trip yet, either.

Both radios are wired to the ignition. I considered a switch like the APRSWorld APO3 but it wouldn't be that useful unless I was still running APRS.

The radio and scanner are connected to one Motorola HSN4039 13-watt water-resistant speaker each.

Since it is a leased vehicle, I asked around about others' experiences in drilling NMO mounts (see thread http://forums.radioreference.com/ra...om/radio-equipment-installation-forum/216939-drilling-holes-leased-vehicle.html). From what I gathered, most said that it really didn't matter since it will go to auction anyways (if I don't end up buying the vehicle at the end of the lease). This was affirmed by the fact that all of the appraisers that looked at my Impala with four NMO mounts said that they didn't really matter and appraised it higher than KBB trade-in value.

Two holes were drilled on the roof in between the luggage rack. I am using a generic Motorola quarter-wave (from eBay My World - precision-communications-equipment) for 144-152 MHz that I use on both VHF and UHF ham. Why did I choose this one? Because they look nice and simple, they're more flexible, and aren't very noticeable. Dual-band ham antennas are rarely chrome and if they ever are chrome, they've got crazy traps and coils that, in my opinion, are ugly. If I go any taller than that antenna, I'll be scraping the beams in the parking ramp at work. For the scanner, I'm still using the Laird Phantom Elite ETRAB8063, the 806-866 MHz fin-type antenna, with great results.

Considered installing a CB, but ultimately decided it wouldn't really be that useful to me right now and I didn't want a long antenna on the Pat right now unless I installed it on the tailgate. It might still happen later on down the road, but right now I'm trying to be budget-conscious.

So enough words, let's do some pictures:

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The previous install in my retired 2004 Impala can also be seen here: http://forums.radioreference.com/pictures-your-shack-mobile-setup/155173-newsphotog-rig-2-0-a.html
 
#2 ·
That's a nice clean install. I am running a Yeasu FT-7800 with the head mounted directly in front of the shifter. Some day in the future, I would like to add an all-mode HF/VHF/UHF and stash the head in the cubby above the glovebox.
 
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#3 ·
The 7800 is a nice rig. That was the first radio I ever had. I wouldn't mind having something like an 857 in the Jeep... that way I'd be able to get away from all the repeaters when I want to talk to someone else!
 
#5 ·
Made a few changes to the install... of course, the radio was overloading the scanner a little bit so I wanted to give the antennas a little more separation both vertically and horizontally to eliminate this. It was also bothering me that I didn't have a display or controls readily accessible for the scanner except from the glove compartment. So I wanted to add the Uniden RH-96 remote head as well.

The fender was pretty much the only other place to put the scanner antenna. Because the Patriot has a unique hood shape, a regular 90-degree fender mount bracket wasn't going to do. I found a thread on JeepPatriot.com (Two-Way Radio Install? - Page 2 - Jeep Patriot Forums) in which they used a Dodge Ram fender mount to accommodate the lip. I used the Laird SBH3400 bracket (Laird Technologies SBH3400 Dodge Ram Antenna Bracket | TESSCO) and it works fine. We drilled a new hole in the center of the bracket to bring the bracket in tighter against the fender so it doesn't stick out. It's bolted on using a bolt that was already there, so no new holes. I am slightly concerned about some rubbing, but some adhesive felt or the hook side of Velcro might cushion it nicely.

Instead of the Antenex ETRAB8063 Phantom Elite Antenna that I've been using, I figured I'd do well with a nice traditional-style antenna on the fender. I am now using a Laird B8065CN 806-866 5dB no ground plane antenna that I had laying around. Talk about super gain! This pulls in trunked systems further than any other 800 MHz antenna I've tried. It works well on UHF as well, but not so hot on VHF, but I rarely ever need that band.

I moved the BCD996T out of the glove compartment to underneath the passenger's seat with the other radio. When trying to find a spot to place the RH-96 head, the only decent place to mount it was in the cubby above the glove compartment (no, it's not in the air bag deployment zone). I'd rather have everything in one place instead of all spread around, so I moved the ID-800H head down to the cubby too. We took the rubber mat out of the cubby, drilled through the bottom to run cables, and stuck the heads down and replaced the mat. You can't even tell the difference. I like it a lot better in the cubby... I don't have to reach as far to turn the volume up/down as I did when the radio head was in the headliner. The only bad thing is that my ProClip mount that I haven't ordered yet might get in the way.

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#11 ·
A Nikon Coolpix P3, actually :D

I used to be a contract photojournalist, but I moved to a different industry last December and ditched all of my SLR equipment. I don't mind using point-and-shoot cameras over SLR's now. A lot easier to manage. I don't have to mess with composition or anything. I also find that I'm a lot less critical of the pictures I take with a point-and-shoot. It's good for my blood pressure.
 
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#12 ·
Installing DVD players and screens is way outside of my realm, sorry. Might want to try your luck with search -- there's good info all over this forum.
 
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