Installing Your Ham Radio In Your Vehicle, Tips And Tricks For Mobile
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 28 май 2018
- So I made a video showing a couple options that you can use for installing your ham radio in your vehicle. Every installation will be different. In this video I will be showing options for VHF and UHF, and In one of the next videos, I will show you some HF options for your vehicle, and some important factors that will help your HF installation.
Наука
I agree with all the comments about the fuse near the battery. The positive post you see in the hood is not the battery post, it is a fuseable link just after the battery. If anything shorts, I have that, plus the added fuse, plus the fuse on the DC cable that came with the radio.
HamRadioConcepts You don't really want to depend upon a high amperage fusible link as your primary battery side protection. What you ideally want to install is a fuse slightly larger than your peak concurrent loads attached to that conductor (taking into consideration that you are highly unlikely to be simultaneously transmitting on more than one radio at a time, so the peak transmit load of your highest power radio plus the receive current of the others, plus a margin). Basically ask yourself this question, if you get into a serious accident that cuts into your power cable, and possibly not enough to actually blow the circuit quickly (and fusible links are very slow to blow compared to fuses), how long do you want power flowing into the cabin area where a fire can be started while you are trapped in the vehicle -- the lower the fuse rating the faster power will be cut and the safer you are?!
That all said, #4 gauge copper (up to 150A for 105°C rated insulation) is a bit overkill to run amateur radios unless you are also installing a high power linear amplifier as well (or similar very high power load). 8 gauge copper can easily support up to 60-80A and would have been more than adequate for running multiple radios with considerable power to spare (one can easily run a number of amateur radios off a single 30A tap since only one transmits at a time).
My other piece of advice, which I realize may not apply for your company vehicle, is that it is safer if the radio controls can be installed at around dash height such that even as you glance towards them you never fully take your eyes off the road. Anytime you have to look downward into the cabin area to check a display or manipulate a control you are no longer in a position to see the road. So if the option presents itself, a dash, or similar, install is safer provided such will not impinge upon the field of view. Panavise also makes some great mounts that are readily adaptable to amateur radio installs.
Take care and thank you for taking the time to create the video!
KW4EK
Thanks, actually, I don't look or operate the radio while driving. One thing I learned while I worked at AT&T is good driving habits.. "Eyes on the road", (Smith keys of driving) "Texting while driving.. It can wait"
No need for me to be messing with the radio while driving. Set it and forget.
Ethan Poole. You are correcting him and yet he already said that he has the fuse in the DC cable going to the radio! So long as he has the proper fuses supplied by the radio manufacturer, one in the black lead and one in the red, he does not need anything else. Incidentally watch out for ICOM fuse holders! I have known some of them to get HOT and will drop the voltage. You will need to replace them with high current fuse holders, available on eBay if that happens.
Bry C I'm assuming you may not have viewed the video in its entirety or fully read the comments of that period, but in the video (see around 16:40) there is no fuse installed on the battery side until you reach the radio itself. That means that there is a very long run of #4 power cable that can, at least for a time, source up to several thousand amps running through the firewall and cabin area that, if it is ever damaged in an accident or worn through, can potentially start a cabin fire before we ever reach the first fuse. He does later mention (in the comments if I'm not mistaken) that the positive terminal he attached to has a fusible link in series with it, but fusible links are designed to blow very slowly and permit considerable overloading for an extended period before they fail open, so are not really a suitable substitute for a proper fuse. For safety in an accident (or any other source of damage to a power conductor) you want to have a fuse installed, the smaller the better (while still remaining adequate for attached loads), as close to the battery positive terminal/power point as practical (generally within the first 12 inches), not some ten feet later -- it's all about protecting the wiring itself along with the occupants, you can install an appropriate sized (smaller) fuse to protect the actual radio equipment wherever you wish after that if the radio, or other accessory loads, require lower amperage fuses to protect their electronics than what you selected to protect your power harness.
Fusing the negative side is optional on negative chassis vehicles unless you are connecting the negative lead directly to the battery terminal, in which case you will want to fuse it as well, though for different reasons -- if you are connecting the negative lead directly to the chassis for ground power then no fuse is necessary. The reason you need a negative side fuse if connecting direct to the battery terminal is to protect the negative lead from overload should the bonding strap between the battery negative terminal and chassis ever fail open as in that failure mode all vehicle power would then try to pass through your negative lead attached to the battery, through your radio and/or accessory loads, and then through the shield side of your coax in an effort to complete the electrical path from positive back to negative and that would severely overload the accessory negative lead. That scenario can not play out if you are drawing negative side power directly from the chassis rather than direct to the battery.
Of course, if one has a positive chassis ground vehicle then all that fusing advice gets reversed and it then becomes critical to shield/insulate radios, many accessory load devices, and the coax and antenna ground and shields from the chassis to prevent unwanted shorts since most vehicle electronics were designed with a negative chassis in mind (fortunately such vehicles are not especially common today).
73 KW4EK
Mr. Poole, great pieces of practical advise. You can add that if that positive is not fused properly, and a slow-fuse is not the answer, that positive wire, now cut or chafed, and you really have a "loose", and "hot", welding torch at the battery. And, more than likely, by the time this problem is noticed as to why your radio suddenly went "dead", you will have alot more than damage to the radio, maybe a fire --> under the hood and fastly traveling into the cabin!
Oscar (KG5ULB)
I haven't mounted my radio in my Jeep yet, watching this video for ideas, but for a funny story, I put an old CB in my truck, basically where the radio is mounted on the right hand side of the center console, just to see if it worked, my wife hit her funny bone three or four times in less than an hour on the road, so I threw it in the back behind her seat, the thing wasn't working, my guess it was the old antenna, I need to actually install it and replace the antenna wire, I will do it all when I mount the ham radio. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed week sir.
Great Video. And yes Ive read here about the fuse being closer to the battery. I made that mistake when I was a kid hooking up my amp for my stereo. It shorted out and started a fire the whole wire burnt from the firewall back to my amp and melted and the wire turned hot red inside of my Opal Manta. I quickly cut the cable next too the battery. I really like the cup holder Ram Mount Idea. The clip mount is nice also if your not using a magnet mount.
I have the same set up on my suv. the mount in the back, don't forget to put a ground strap from tail gate to the body of car. I have 3 of them, one on the back and 1 on each back door. works great, I got Cyprus 6,400 miles from spring hill Florida. thanks, Joe
I am going to show that in the HF mobile video. I havent had issues with VHF UHF but HF without that strap with a hatch or trunk mounted antenna is bad news.
Looks good Eric, just bought my 5100 the other day. Hope to see you on D Star!
That little wheel is an awesome antenna, I have one that is over 20 years old and still works as good as it did band new. I have puled it on and off so many times the plastic that holds the magnet on the bottom of it has come off and when you take it off its a two step process, take the antenna off then the magnet.
Thanks for sharing. I will check out the video on making it work for Ham purposes.
Im an still looking for a good solution to mount an antenna on my Jeep. I have seen the hood mounts, but not too sure I want the antenna on the front of the jeep, and not a ton of places to mount the antenna anyways.
Thanks for sharing sir and I hope you have a blessed week and Happy holiday, Enjoy your vacation this month. I totally get it. Enjoy your break.
Dale
Great video!!!! good pointers and I was looking at a option to add another antenna to my vehicle and the lip mount just solved it getting me one.
Great video for thought. I do like the universal mount. I need to get one. I have a 5/8 wave mag mount antenna on my Subaru outback. It's only a problem in parking garages lol.
Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
Thank you for this video, it helped a lot!
Good info. New ham, and there's a lot of nuance here for my level of knowledge. Thanks for posting.
Nice job on the installation instruct-able RUclips Eric =) I agree about a FUSE at the battery as if the wire was to touch the negative terminal or any metal the FUSE will be in the middle .... so the fuse AT THE end of the TERMINAL wire attachment to the battery =) Safety safety with power wiring and fuses =) Also another blast from the past in commercial radio wiring .... multiple radio make a BOLT TYPE wiring BLOCK to attach every thing too =) Great job Eric 8-)
Excellent video. I am new to AM hobby and I learned a lot from your experiences.
Perfect setup! I am installing the ICOM 2730, Diamond mount on the hood, and I am using the exact same RAM cup holder setup with XGrip. It really is amazing the options we have to mount our accessories for ease of use!
just the vid i needed to see. thanks!
Great video! Very helpful with a few questions I had. I sent you a message and would enjoy hearing back from you.
Thanks for the video. You should really move your fuse to be as close to the battery as possible. That way if the power wire shorts anywhere along it's length it will be protected and not turn into a welder.
Good advice. Also, that post I mounted the cable to, is not the battery but an accessible positive post on top of a fuseable link. Battery is way down under. So, I hope that is the first to blow.
That comment lip mount is awesome. Thanks for the ideas
nice options for the instalation radio....good job sir
If you mount your antenna to a door or hatchback, be sure to check that you have excellent electrical conductivity between the antenna mount and the car's electrical ground. I had to run a grounding strap from the frame of the car to the hatchback.
Outstanding!
Great video
I had a friend of mine at work sew me up a little screen protector made with black denim and some BB's to weigh it down and it covers up my screen when I am no using it to keep the sun off of it.
Sir, respectfully, you have good ideas on mounting your communication hardware. However, if you are trying to "hide" your equipment, which is a good idea against thievery, I would have the idea of "ventilation" foremost in my mind, for these radios are mid to high powered electrical equipment. Moreover, in installing your receiver antenna, under the hood, or attached to your fifth (5th) window or hatchback, your signals' strength are going to suffer because of how the radiated signal (lobes) will be presented.
Anyways, the best of luck on your ham radio install. Good video job too.
Oscar
Excellent details thank you! 73.....
I've been watching mobile installs, one thing no one mentions is placing gear in the path of air bags. I have been on the scene of accidents where the bags have deployed, trust me you don't want anything in front of an airbag. I've seen people black and blue just from being hit with the bags. Another thing to consider Is that I was taught to drive hands on the wheel 10 and 2 ... They now say don't because steering wheel air bags. Thanks for the video, it's almost impossible to install anything in today's vehicles.
I just have no air bags
pro player move!
Terrific
Nice episode, But I would like to see some Mobile installs on Touring Bikes like the Goldwings or Electraglides. I have joined and visited MARC Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club. But not alot of coverage on installs for new comers. I am in Mississippi and most of the Club is in California. Just some future coverage or episode Ideas. De WV1Q AL
Very nice video and a big shout out to Comet
This video is really helpful as I am still very new to all this. Could I possibly get a little more info on that universal lip mount? Does it come with the coax cable?
Great information video brother! Keep em coming!🙋
Putting a 8" lift with 37's on my truck I thought would hinder me from going through some drive thru's - it didn't. When I put a 36" A.R.E. DCU cap/topper with roof rack did.
You should look into STI flexible antenna for NMO mount. Very flexible and yet still tall enough for good gain.
I hate mag mount I had one of those things when I was pushing a semi and the sum bith yes I did misspell it I did it on purpose came off while I was going down the road yes, gravel when I realized it all I had of it was the coax from the window to the ground...never again!
Also don't buy a '11 equinox and xpect to mount it on the hatch it's lip on fender or hard mount.
Replied before I had the chance to watch it all. Great vid the only thing I would change is putting a link in the description.
Interested in ideas how I could mount an antenna in the trunk area of a 2020 Toyota Camry LE. I was thinking of a magmount but I have never had one that didn't scratch the paint. I have a tri-band DMR radio and I plan to use a small tri-band antenna for it, an older Austin Metropolitan. I have a couple Diamond lip mounts but this antenna doesn't weight much and it will have very little wind resistance so a lip mount I want would have to be smaller and hold either a 3/8x24 or MNO.
Nice video Eric! My only concern is where you have the power line fused. For safety, it should be fused right at the battery. Otherwise, a short could cause real problems, potentially a fire. Just my $.02.
Or engine noise.
@@txpatriot7044 The fuse location will not affect noise
In case you might not have noticed, the 70 cm band is roughly the third harmonic of the 2 m band.
Try to snag a 102" whip and cut it down for 10 meters. The swr stays low a good portion of the band. I'm running a 5/8 wave mfj for 2m that works very well. Can't say as much for their dual band, but they may have improved on them since I bought mine. 73s kf4gff
What’s the part number for that ram mount that you featured in this video? I finally got my ham license and bought the 5100. Looking a getting the mount for the head on my 5100.
Im looking for a mount just like that and was wondering where I can purchase that particular antenna mount, dont want to be drilling any holes on my hatch
good common sense ideas.
Do you have any hand held car mount option suggestions? I have a Yaesu VX8DR and I would like to use the Yaesu inside the vehicle and be able to take it on hikes with me. Any advice/options would be great. Thank you. I am studying for my operators license too. Cheers.
How do we ensure good grounding with magnetic mount antennas? Some of them often even come with a protective rubber layer to prevent scratching the car's paint.
The ram screen by chance is it the RAM® X-Grip® Universal Holder for 7"-8" Tablets with Ball? I’m looking at having a mount system like the one you showed.
I’m not getting your definition of “counterpoise” with a mag mount unit. I’m thinking that in order to have counterpoise the ground actually has to be connected to the metal. I’ve heard the term “ground plane” which is the signal the antenna sees in order to send signals. Correct me if I’m wrong. Another problem, particularly in Fords, is the electric fuel pumps. I still can’t solve that issue.
Great video. I have been trying to figure out how to get an antenna on my Toyota Sierra. Every antenna I have had on it so far has quit working, despite the fact they use RG-174 cable. How do you get the power leads from the battery through the firewall?
David KJ4CMY: your use of RG-174 cable might be your part of your problem. In the 2M band, this cable has a loss of 13 dB per 100 feet so your radiated signal is greatly attenuated. If unsure about cables check out Universalradio.com website for their coax cable attenuation chart. You might try RG-8X or similar but good luck with your hamming.
Stake hole mounts are great for mounting along a truck bed.
Can this antenna be effective inside? Vacation condominium doesn't allow outside antennas looking for something that my husband can get a signal with this setup on his hobby table inside
Here is a question. Have you heard of problems with magmount antennas and the newer Ford F150s? I got one of the last STEEL F150s and have heard that the local contractors are furious about the aluminium bodies of the new Fords. Magnets don't work. The hood on my truck in aluminum and I tried the mag mount for a quick QSO while stopped. Not happening.
Bob814u With an aluminum body you will need to use some sort of a fixed antenna mount system, whether that be a lip mount (as demonstrated in this video) or an NMO style (through the roof) connector to secure your radio, then you can attach your antenna to that fixed mount.
I hate all new vehicles;there's never enough room for your legs or a radio.
Will we ever have vehicles again that don't resemble diner rolls on wheels?
love your videos Eric...73's
Great video Tjhanks for your work
19:15 That is a bad place to put the radio. They do get hot. They need to be an open air space.
how did you route that coax through your vehicle through the hatch? RS730 by comet mount...
Hey I have a question about the 19:32 mark of this video. Doesn't the radio need to have good ventilation where ever it is mounted? I was thinking if having the radio where you have it would not give off much ventilation.
This video is years old, I didn't have it long in this configuration but it held up just fine. Normally yes, you do need ventilation if transmitting for a long time
Will u have to use locktite with those Allen screws
Another thing is, if your radio has a negative fuse, get rid of it. Just do a wire to ground. You don't want the negative to pop without the positive and having the current finding ground through something else.
@HamRadioConcept Will the mounting system work for the IC 7100?
running it in the compartment will get hot fast with the top closed
Very nice install and cool tips! 73 KG5SDE
I enjoyed this video what's up with that vape machine in the background @ 6:24 haha. 73 sir and more success to yea
See that cubby hole? I have a 3D printed slide/rail mount for the 5100 that needs to be perfected. Maybe I should get back to that... lol
Hi again, Eric! I just purchased a 2021 GMC Sierra SLT 1500 with not much space under the dash and am looking for creative options to mount the radio. Maybe I look into floor mounts or something. But I have no idea of what to do. Can you point me at a web site or book that would have good ideas. I haven’t done this since 1975 when I installed a Cobra CB radio in my Dad’s truck in high school. No am retired. Recently licensed as Ham (General) and I feel like I should know this, but no dice. Thanks for any help you can provide. 73 de KI5HXM
Hey can you explain the beed thing with a video? Im interested in getting rid of engine noise but did not understand what you did there 73s VA3 KIL
He was talking about ferrite cores. You can get them like a clam shell that snaps over your power leads close to the radio. They block high frequencies.
I see you have a bat phone in your vehicle :-). Are you moving the 7100 to the compartment? THANKS!
👍👍👍👍👍👍💎
What did you do for the speaker?
can you splice the red black wire and join wires to circinate ligher plugin
What about using a window mount antenna? That way you don't have to run the coax outside.
I use a mag mount Larsen 2/70 with the NMO mount, but if it rains I have to take down my antenna or else I end up with water inside the car.
Great video. In it you mention the M-24M antenna is 'set' and does not need to be tuned. Is that the same for the SBB7 antenna - does it need to be tuned?
Michael VA6XMB
generally, all vhf and dual band antennas come factory tuned. I havent tuned one of them in my career, they just work out of the box.
Whats with the old DTMF telephone in the back seat?
How/where did you run a power cable from source e.g. battery, route through firewall without compromise to keep moisture out? Thanks
There was rubber grommets through the firewall, slice and insert
I passed the Ham Technician license test and bought a Yaesu FT-60R. I had no idea that using this equipment would be so darned complicated! I just need a way to communicate in emergency situations when in the wilderness in my Jeep. I've watched You Tube "how to" videos and even those assume a lot of basic knowledge about radio operations. So, unless someone can point me to a really basic "ham radio for dummies" site, I'll likely be returning the equipment or offering it for sale....
With your radio in your center console does it overheat
In mine they reversed the polarity. If you did everything right and the fuse is still blowing. Open the unit and switch the orange(+) and black(-) wires.(common manufacturing mistake) worked fine after. Orange(+) should be furthest from the back plate.
Can you tell me more about the RAM mount. Where to get one. I do have the 5100 as well. I want to mount it in my car, but would like to use that mount in my shack as well. Thanks. Nick - WA3GTU
Where did you get the cup holder from. Desire one for Icom IC-7100 radio head. I enjoy your video as I am a newbie, just received my Technicians license.
Congrats on your new license, and welcome to the hobby. I'm newly licensed myself. Around 10:15 he said he got the Ram Mount from gigaparts.
Thanks for the info. It looks like I will be using a VGC VR-N7500 and connect through my car radio through bluetooth.
Whats up with the red landline phone in the back seat of vehicle?
I've had a 5100 for many years, maybe since the day they came out. What is wrong with it, is the display. It gets washed out by heat, and mine failed to work properly and got replaced under warranty. Now the replacement display has gone bad, not just from heat, it has parts of the screen that don't respond all the time. In my opinion, that display ruined a great radio. The 4100 uses a better display that is not as big, but it is bright and sharp, and has not been effected by the heat so far. So my advice about the 5100, is to remove the head when you leave your vehicle in the heat of a bright sun. Also, about those edge mounts, my vehicle has no lip to mount it. There is no way to use that on my Vehicle. Comet, or Diamond makes a NMO mount that has a spring in the base, so when the antenna gets hit, it just bends down and does not get hurt.
That is what I addressed in the previous video....
19:00 Does that not get hot in there?
I’m so torn on this ic-5100 vs the yaesu ftm-100. Or just getting a disco yaesu 8900r
which one did you choose?, I'm new in this matter and looking for my first harm radio
Great video! KD4WTF
Do CB's and ham radio's use the same coaxial cable?
Typically yes both use 50 ohm coaxial cable. Coaxial cable used in mobile applications is usually RG-58.
Will 102 inch CB whip work on a 80 W ham radio ?
Ramrod fishing Outdoors the antenna is tune to 27 MHz, not the 80 meter band.
if i lived in a HOA and told me no ant on my car would tell them to go pound tar
Samuel Spade have never heard that for a vehicle. I work for a HOA and the only vehicle issue with us is commercial vehicles. We do have restrictions on tower antennas at your home. I do know one fellow ham that has a nice antenna in the pine trees around his house. You would never know they are their if you were not told. In my opinion out of sight out of mind. I know he has addressed the tower issue with the board but no changes yet. Just know that not all HOA’s are as evil as you hear about.
prob illegal for a hoa to say that...
@echosixnoble HOAs are kind of the opposite of tyranny. No one has to live under an HOA. People freely choose to associate and live together in a community with strict HOA requirements.
I would never live under a restrictive HOA. I would rather risk seeing my neighbor park his car on his lawn and his RV out front than suffer any HOA restrictions upon myself.
These free choices are what liberty is all about.
@echosixnoble You described HOA's free associations as tyrannical but you live in an actual tyrannical state, California. I am still trying to figure that one out.
Maybe you are confused because you have been living under state tyranny for so long that you don't understand what liberty even means. My advice: MOVE! Flee that corrupt state as fast as you can. Escape before your property value plummets.
Hey Eric, thanks for the discount code on my test prep. I was wondering about installing my radio in my car but I want it to turn off with the ignition. Is that a good idea with hams? How do I do it?
now is it possible wiring the radio to the cars speaker?
You could run the external speaker port into a aux on the stereo as long as the gains are turned down on the radio I would think.
What is in that wrapped ferrite noise eliminator and how is it wired?
RicoMnc The wire usually goes through a ferrite core it’s properties acting as a sort of filter ..you get something similar on PC screens that black nobbly thing in line with the cable. We used to install a noise capacitor connected to the chassis of the car. This filtered or should I say canceled , the noise from the alternator etc resulting in clean modulation rather than the whining or motorboating effect in the background.
www.analog.com/en/analog-dialogue/articles/ferrite-beads-demystified.html
Battery wire should be fused within 18” or as close as possible seen many car burn because of that
A Midland commercial radio actually being used? I always thought their LMR was a flop.
Want !!!!
My antenna is short. My neighbors laugh at me.
Is there an antenna mount that is made to fit in a receiver hitch?
I have used a company based in Connecticut, USA with great success. They will partner with you to create a custom tailored solution.
repdesign.us/
That would be an awkward day if you were let go from your job and you had to remove all of that haha.
yeah Vero beach.... the old 64 machine rocks
do not sand off pain!!! the mount comes with two metal plates to put under the hex bolts that tighten the mount
Ground cables should be as short as possible.
Cup holder mount
Then where do you put your drink
Looks like Florida, kinda like Port Saint Lucie
Sebastian Florida
Center console is not ventilated.
Seeing the main unit stuffed into the center console made me cringe. It won't get any cool air and do nothing but cycle its own hot air with the lid closed. Transmission times aside, it will get hot in there even at 5W if you're doing a lot of QSO's. If that's the only place for it, buy an extended warranty.
its in a whole different vehicle now... but it worked well in there lid open
RED FONE IS THE BAT FONE
Is that an antenna on your truck or are you happy to see me?
;^)