do you have any pictures of how the ram mount is attached to the radio mounting backet? What's on the other end of the Ram arm? Thanks.I've been working on my mobile amateur radio install for a few weeks now. Its been slowly evolving as I've been collecting pieces and trying a few different things. I am pretty happy with what I have as of today. Here is what I've come up with.
50 watt Mobile Dual Band Radio install - FTM-400XDR.
Comet SS680SB NMO dual band antenna with lip mount on hood. (mount and cable "borrowed") from my Motorola GMRS kit. The antenna is halve wave on the 2meter band so less dependent on a ground plane. Also this antenna includes a spring so a bit more trail friendly.
Power:
10 gauge cable with inline 40amp fuses connected directly to battery terminals on both positive and negative. Left a little slack in case I decide to add a breaker or relay to control off a switch or anything.
Power cable comes in through firewall grommet on driver side then runs behind infotainment system to the passenger side.
Tucked behind glovebox and infotainment system I mounted a small fuse box that the incoming power cable is connected to.
I used Anderson power pole connectors to to connect the incoming power cable and a pigtail on the fuse box. This will allow for the fuse box to be somewhat easily removed if additional connections are needed to be added to it.
In addition there are 2 pig tails coming off 15amp fuses from the box for radio use. This FTM-400XDR install and a midland GMRS mobile coming soon.
Ram Ball mount (C size ball with M6 bolt end) fits in the bronco bolt holes from the removed center console grip. Aram arm that goes from C size to B size tucks the radio out of the way.
Before I put the glove box back on I ran the control cable that connects the base unit to the screen unit. It runs behind the glove box up the A pillar then across the dash to the center accessory mount point.
With the glove box back in place the radio could be installed and extra cables cleaned up a bit.
Not too bad once the floormat covers up the extras.
This install does block quick access to the glove box, but the ram arm can be easily loosened and rotated to allow access to the glove box.
It does eat up some leg room on the passenger side, but not horrible for a quick trip around town. Here is my big 6' 1" ~300lb self sitting in the passenger seat for reference. Seat not all the way back.
Here are some other shots, you will notice another ram ball is available for mounting a midland GMRS radio. This will probably be more of an occasional use radio for out on the trail and will most likely be with an ram arm holding the radio up. as opposed to tucked away as the controls are on the base unit of that radio.
As for APRS, the pickup truck icon isn't accurate, and neither is the jeep icon obviously. So I went with horse "/e" icon.
This is my first real mobile radio install, just been using an HT with an external antenna up until now on my old truck. Let me know if I missed something or you have any suggestions. Hope this helps some people out planning their comm installs.
73 de KI5JCL
@mootruck98 I love the pictures documenting the panels that were removed. No matter how many times I've removed plastic panels in various vehicles, I always get scared that I'm going to break a panel. I also hate trying to figure out how much of the car I'm going to have to take apart just to get the few wires routed that I need to. None the less, it looks like you routed your wires the same path that I was plotting for my CB wires.I've been working on my mobile amateur radio install for a few weeks now. Its been slowly evolving as I've been collecting pieces and trying a few different things. I am pretty happy with what I have as of today. Here is what I've come up with.
50 watt Mobile Dual Band Radio install - FTM-400XDR.
Comet SS680SB NMO dual band antenna with lip mount on hood. (mount and cable "borrowed") from my Motorola GMRS kit. The antenna is halve wave on the 2meter band so less dependent on a ground plane. Also this antenna includes a spring so a bit more trail friendly.
Power:
10 gauge cable with inline 40amp fuses connected directly to battery terminals on both positive and negative. Left a little slack in case I decide to add a breaker or relay to control off a switch or anything.
Power cable comes in through firewall grommet on driver side then runs behind infotainment system to the passenger side.
Tucked behind glovebox and infotainment system I mounted a small fuse box that the incoming power cable is connected to.
I used Anderson power pole connectors to to connect the incoming power cable and a pigtail on the fuse box. This will allow for the fuse box to be somewhat easily removed if additional connections are needed to be added to it.
In addition there are 2 pig tails coming off 15amp fuses from the box for radio use. This FTM-400XDR install and a midland GMRS mobile coming soon.
Ram Ball mount (C size ball with M6 bolt end) fits in the bronco bolt holes from the removed center console grip. Aram arm that goes from C size to B size tucks the radio out of the way.
Before I put the glove box back on I ran the control cable that connects the base unit to the screen unit. It runs behind the glove box up the A pillar then across the dash to the center accessory mount point.
With the glove box back in place the radio could be installed and extra cables cleaned up a bit.
Not too bad once the floormat covers up the extras.
This install does block quick access to the glove box, but the ram arm can be easily loosened and rotated to allow access to the glove box.
It does eat up some leg room on the passenger side, but not horrible for a quick trip around town. Here is my big 6' 1" ~300lb self sitting in the passenger seat for reference. Seat not all the way back.
Here are some other shots, you will notice another ram ball is available for mounting a midland GMRS radio. This will probably be more of an occasional use radio for out on the trail and will most likely be with an ram arm holding the radio up. as opposed to tucked away as the controls are on the base unit of that radio.
As for APRS, the pickup truck icon isn't accurate, and neither is the jeep icon obviously. So I went with horse "/e" icon.
This is my first real mobile radio install, just been using an HT with an external antenna up until now on my old truck. Let me know if I missed something or you have any suggestions. Hope this helps some people out planning their comm installs.
73 de KI5JCL
Taking the stuff apart is the thing I hate the most. I had found a video of someone taking apart the dash for a stereo upgrade that helped me out although in the end pretty much just the panel under the steering wheel and the glove box had to be removed. And the a pillar covers for the head unit control cable. No clips were broken in the making of this post.@mootruck98 I love the pictures documenting the panels that were removed. No matter how many times I've removed plastic panels in various vehicles, I always get scared that I'm going to break a panel. I also hate trying to figure out how much of the car I'm going to have to take apart just to get the few wires routed that I need to. None the less, it looks like you routed your wires the same path that I was plotting for my CB wires.
I have a couple questions though.
Did your display wire simply come out at the base of the A pillar and lay across the dash or did you route it inside the dash and come out near the center speaker? I was so hopeful someone would discover the best route to get wires up to the top of the dash w/o having to lay them across. Wouldn't it be great if Ford had designed a easily accessible wire chase straight through the dash from top to bottom.
Also were any panel clips sacrificed during this project?
Thanks for posting the install.
It is working very well for me. I think there is a little directionally with it on the side of the hood, but seems to work well around town. Most the active repeaters are all across town so 15 ~ 25 miles away as the crow flies.Checking in! How is this working so far? Are you still happy with the antenna mount?
I'll try to grab some pics and post this weekenddo you have any pictures of how the ram mount is attached to the radio mounting backet? What's on the other end of the Ram arm? Thanks.
do you have any pictures of how the ram mount is attached to the radio mounting backet? What's on the other end of the Ram arm? Thanks.
Better late than never.I'll try to grab some pics and post this weekend
Can you post a link to the video of someone taking apart the dash?Taking the stuff apart is the thing I hate the most. I had found a video of someone taking apart the dash for a stereo upgrade that helped me out although in the end pretty much just the panel under the steering wheel and the glove box had to be removed. And the a pillar covers for the head unit control cable. No clips were broken in the making of this post.
Speaking of that control cable it pops out of the A pillar on the passenger side and just lays along the dash. There is a bit of a ridge that it tucks into the base of so you don't see it as you sit there.