Outdoor Adventure USA

A good, clean, neat installation of your mobile radio will ensure years of noise free operation. Every vehicle presents new problems for antenna placement, power pickup, and radio installation.
What does it take to meet the objectives above? Share your good practices, tips, techniques, and clever solutions from your experience with mobile radio installs since the last time we discussed this topic.
Post up pictures of where you mounted radios heads, antennas, speakers, and the body of the radio for different vehicles.


http://forums.outdooradventureusa.net/v ... =70&t=3709

Some tool for supplying power to your rig

RIG runner
I am a big fan of incorporating a RIGrunner distribution block from West Mountain Radio in my mobile radio vehicle installs. The model 4005 with 5 outlets is small enough to fit easily into the vehicle (6x3 inches x 1.4 thick) and give me one more outlet in the same space as the 4004 model (unless you need a USB port). I like the idea that that as I discover the need for more radios I didn’t know I couldn’t live without, I already have a clean power source to plug into. The use of30 amp powerpoles makes it easy for others to tap into the power if they need to.
This model will handle up to 40 amps and each outlet is separately fused. While they expected you will use the powerpole on the end for power in, any of the powerpoles can be used for power in or out. There are models that have USB ports also.
http://www.westmountainradio.com/rigrunner.php
If you drill one hole in the firewall and insert the Day Star boot, you can add more wires as you need them later on with out drill another hole.



Anderson Power Poles
Quote from the Manufacture

Anderson Power Products are becoming the new standard in DC power applications by the amateur radio community, radio control (cars, planes and boats), automotive winch installation and many other industrial DC power applications such as forklifts, wheelchairs and UPS battery backup systems.

Anderson Powerpoles have been adapted by most RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) organizations and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) units. Our
Please check our Help Center page for quick answers to Powerpole Frequently Asked Questions and other common customer support issues.

Read more: http://www.powerwerx.com/anderson-power ... z3RN1N8X9l
Crimper
Buy the crimper. It will make your life with the power poles a lot easier.

Here's my install. I just finished it a couple of weeks ago. Last December my jeep was rear ended and it was totaled. I got this 2014 Rubicon, and did this install. I used powerpoles and the Red-Dee-2 8-Way Powerpole Splitter. I thought about getting a rigrunner, but it wouldn't fit at the place I had in mind for the powerpole splitter. The PWRcrimp Crimp Tool works really well.

I wanted a very clean install, with everything positioned in a way that it's discreet, doesn't draw attention and it's functional:

Here's my FT-8800 head:
I'm very happy about this mic placement. I had never seen it before, and it works great because it's not in the way of anything and it's right there. The cable to use as an extension is the RJ12 to RJ12, it has 6 pins, and I connected it to the mic through a coupler. The RJ12 to 12 in black was really hard to find, even online.
The body of the FT-8800 is at the left side of the brake, out of sight, far enough from the foot that it's really hard to hit it even purposely. I don't like it under the seat, because they're heated and could affect the radio. Also, this way it's higher up so if water gets inside of the jeep it'll be in a safer place.
Here's the power pole splitter:
I put the speaker in the back:
And the antenna:

As a ham, and certified gadgetaholic with OCD, a clean installation is important to me (as well as necessary to leave enough real estate for the other goodies).

Here is my FJ's interior:

Nicely done Roger!

Making good and secure electrical connections will help insure that your radio will continue working for a long time. Keeping a close watch on your battery voltage is another way to make sure that you don't over=do it on those long QSOs. The following products should be considered;

1. Ancor adhesive-lined heat shrink connectors are ideal for any area exposed to moisture. Available at West Marine

Butt Connectors
Ring Connectors

2. Waterproof fuse holder Available at West Marine

3. Heavy duty adhesive lined shrink tubing Available at West Marine
4. Volt meter Available from Daytel - http://www.datelmeters.com/cgi-bin/webs ... g=ent-home