My Ham Radio Install

Justintoxicated · 09-08-2007, 11:14 PM

Here is my Yaesu 7800 2meter/440 Ham Radio Install.

Mounted the Radio to my amp rack, Right next to the stereo amp.

Cheap Radioshack Speaker.

This is attached to the two holes in the aluminum bracket loacted above the gas pedal.

Wiring to back of the bed

Justintoxicated · 09-08-2007, 11:40 PM

Here is the mount my friend helped with to attached to the Utility track system

From Another Angle.

The antenna is a couple inches taller than the stock radio antenna, luckily the knob on the mount makes it easy to position to squeeze into parking structures downtown (if I will fit anyways lol) You can also pull the antenna up and it will bend to the side, slightly faster but it can flop around in a circle if you do it this way. It also unscrews from the base in a matter of seconds.

This is the location of the Faceplate. I had to drill a small hole here, but it is easily covered with the stock rubber matt. Actualy I'm either going to add a gromit, or cut a small hole into the rubber pad so I can lay it back down and clean it up a little.

Face detached, hit the botton on the side and unplug the cable.

Justintoxicated · 09-08-2007, 11:42 PM

Detached faceplate, take the Faceplate and Mic with you. Radio remains hidden with no real traces to it. Unless they pull apart my dash, or trace the connection under the door sills.

So far this is much better than CB Radio here is a link of what I can do with this setup.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...4&t=h&z=9&om=1
Hell I can reach Catalina Island from my Hand held and talk to my buddy in San Diego. I can do a hell of alot more from the truck with the dual band antenna with 3DB gain on 2 meter and 5 db gain on 440/70cm. plus 50 watts of power. With linked repaters I am able to talk to people across the US.

**loufish** · 09-09-2007, 12:14 AM

I didn't realize so many FM radios have remote faces...Pretty cool!
One reason I went with the mag mount was to be able to put it on the roof to get a wide ground plane effect, do you think you lost some by running the ant to the rear and to one side?

Justintoxicated · 09-09-2007, 05:10 AM

I don't think it would be that noticable, the range is increadable, I hit Catalina repeater from like 60+ miles away and they were telling me I must have a good antenna. With mag mount you need a ground plane, but with this antenna it is grounded to the utility track I believe, so I'm not sure it is necessary anyways. I did not like the mag mount because it puts the antenna up too high (which is good for signal of course) but it also leaves the wire exposed. I could have got a larger antenna but I wanted the clearance, this one only sticks up only a few inches taller than the antenna in the front, rather than towering over the truck. Plus the other antenna was like $120! I need to get a mag mount and some thumb screws for the radio, this way I can remove it easy to use it in my Dad's 3500 that we often take to pull the trailer, they sell a cigarette plug style dapter to power the unit.

Did you get your lisence yet?

The detachable face is sweet, but what made it better is that the remote mounting kit was free with the radio, and because the mic is attached the the Face and not to the radio it allowed me to mount it behind the seat. I also read somewhere that the yeasu controlls were much easier than the Icoms. Something like install and your practicaly good to go, but with the Icom you have more buttons and need to read the instructions untill you get it down, but what really made my decision was I already have a yaesu hand held and the menu system is very similar tot hat one. Less complicated is great radios can be complicated enough. Another thing was there were people at the store complaning about the ICom's Mic wearing out quickly and the owner said it was really really common, and that you should buy a better quality mic with that radio, which was like another $80 bucks or something ridiculous. The Radioshack speaker helps alot, but I hate radioshack junk. Oh well it seems to be working fine.

I really like the Kenwood radios since you can use the hand helds to remote controll the radio in the truck. But they are some serious cash like $1500 for the truck radio and another 200+ for the handheld. Crazy! I'd just assume buy a second high output radio or two or three or 6 lol.

**loufish** · 09-09-2007, 08:00 AM

I only run my radio system when going to the races, so I don't have ant height issues - which is also why I don't have a license....
Clean install, looks real good!

D/F · 09-12-2007, 06:10 AM

Thats nice! I have a yasue 1500m...can't figure out where to put it.

IGBT · 09-13-2007, 12:46 AM

..I was wondering where I could do a temp.install of my 2 meter Icom mono-bander?? mabe on the front of the console? and run a mag mount Diamond on the roof. Your set up looks great.

AI6E

johnszcz · 09-13-2007, 02:48 AM

I have the navigation system so I have less space to put the head. Any ideas?

John

WB5KIC

Justintoxicated · 09-13-2007, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnszcz

I have the navigation system so I have less space to put the head. Any ideas?

John

WB5KIC

Well you can mount the remote face anywhere, I think I have like another 10 feet of extra wire lol. My friend up his under the dash in his chevy, but he has bench seats in the front. You might have to get a little creative but I'm sure you can come up with something. You need acess to the face to see signal and channel etc but the controlls on the mic are much easier to use while driving anyways.

IGBT, I'm not sure I was trying to figure something like that out myself, which is why I went ahead and purchased the 7800 even though I don't really use 440. Center console or under the seat, glove box etc if the face is detachable are some ideas.

- Justin
KI6LKS

IGBT · 09-14-2007, 11:22 PM

..any RF induced prob's from the ham equipment?? I usually only run 10 watts for local repeater use. Hope Titan is properly shielded. Loads of prob's in the Fords I hear. Cops had to get special RF shielding package so their Fords wouldn't die every time they keyed the mike.

**RobKar** · 09-15-2007, 01:48 AM

Justin,

Like the install but you did not want to do the NMO mount on the roof? Thats what I did (hole and all). I see you are using coax mini and that can be a problem "sometimes". I can check your SWR's if you want. let me know.

Here is where I mounted my toy:

The main radio is under the dash near the glove box , and I made a cable for my laptop to plug in for programing.

Nice to see other hams here and who use the same repeaters I do "Catalina" <-- thats a great repeater BTW.

**loufish** · 09-16-2007, 12:41 AM

Quote:

..any RF induced prob's from the ham equipment?? I usually only run 10 watts for local repeater use. Hope Titan is properly shielded. Loads of prob's in the Fords I hear. Cops had to get special RF shielding package so their Fords wouldn't die every time they keyed the mike.

I run mine at full power most of the time, no problems at all.

Justintoxicated · 09-16-2007, 02:13 AM

Nope no RF induced problems. Not even if I crank it to 50 watts.

Nah I did not want to cut a hole in the roof for the antenna. Have to fit in parking structures sometimes this makes it easy and the antenna is not as high. I have great signal as it is Not sure how much better it could be. I'm going to have to buy a mag mount anyways for my dads truck so I can take the command center with me to the dunes. My Friend check the SWR on 2 meter and said it as good. But he did not have the device to check 440.

Would be nice to get it checked out I suppose.

The shorter the run the less resistance, but seems to be working flawless none the less. The wire I used was all included in the remote mounting kit. My Buddy said it was good stuff.

Nice clean install. I would like to hang my mic there as well, but the 4x4 selector is in the way!

**RobKar** · 09-16-2007, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justintoxicated

Nope no RF induced problems. Not even if I crank it to 50 watts.

Nah I did not want to cut a hole in the roof for the antenna. Have to fit in parking structures sometimes this makes it easy and the antenna is not as high. I have great signal as it is Not sure how much better it could be. I'm going to have to buy a mag mount anyways for my dads truck so I can take the command center with me to the dunes. My Friend check the SWR on 2 meter and said it as good. But he did not have the device to check 440.

Would be nice to get it checked out I suppose.

The shorter the run the less resistance, but seems to be working flawless none the less. The wire I used was all included in the remote mounting kit. My Buddy said it was good stuff.

Nice clean install. I would like to hang my mic there as well, but the 4x4 selector is in the way!

I was kidding about the hole... most people wont go that far

When you get down to San Diego let me know and I will pull out the equipment and we can test your setup. BUT, if your OK on 2M then then there should be no problem with 70cm.

On a side note lets get TAZ into it as well. Lord knows we need some younger users! ... I get tired of hearing about who's retiring or needing to find a place for the battery on a walker ... J/K but um maybe not.