[HCRA] Mobile installation help

[Rick Lindquist, N1RL]

Hi, Eric

I had to look that one up on AES; that's quite a lot of radio for not much
money at all! And we OTs like to talk about how great it was in the "old
days" of ham radio, when, if we were fortunate, we might have a big, green
Heathkit with crystal control (or that later model where you set the
frequency using "convenient" thumbwheels). 

At first I thought maybe you were talking about an HF mobile installation;
that can sometimes get a bit more complicated. The manual for the 180 should
give you some installation instructions, considering that radio is most
likely gonna end up in someone's car.

The 180 looks quite small, especially for a 50 W radio, so here are my
suggestions:

(1) Find a suitable location where you can easily operate the radio while
not having it pose a safety hazard. Most of today's vehicles don't have room
under the dash, but I have my TS-480HX mounted on the passenger side of the
shift console. This works better if you don't have frequent passengers,
although my wife doesn't mind the somewhat reduced knee room - much. It's
not that hard to read the sort of vertical display. 

(2) Dunno what you've got planned for an antenna, but you can use a decent
mag-mount and run the coax right through the back door (the one you use
less).

(3) You always want to connect the power cabling directly to the battery
when installing any mobile radio. You also should install a good ground
right to the frame at the radio itself (a good spot to do this is to attach
the frame end of the ground braid to one of the bolts that secures the
passenger seat to the floor). 

(4) Getting the power cabling through the firewall is always fun and often
involves working while lying on your back with your head upside-down for
long periods. 

>From the engine side, look for any rubber plugs that fill unused holes in
the firewall. Most cars have at least one or two of these to accommodate
accessory equipment you didn't order because you were too cheap (hams, as a
rule *are* cheap, let's face it) or for export model styles. These make
great pass-throughs for power cables, and if you're really clever, you can
modify the rubber plug to fit back into place around the cabling (usually
cutting a slit from the outside edge toward the center will be sufficient;
then slip the wires into the slot and push the plug back into place).

(5) Make sure your fuses are as close to the battery as possible. I would
suggest installing some suitable lugs on the ends of the wiring to attach to
the bolt that holds the battery connector in place on the positive side.
Attach the negative wire lug to a suitable spot on the frame, using a
convenient bolt that's holding something in place. You may want to add some
star washers on these connections. When your done, spray 'em with T-9 or
some kind of goop to help prevent corrosion.

(6) At 50 W on VHF, it's possible that your radio might cause RFI to some of
the car's electronics, so you may want to consider shielding your power
cabling or installing some good ferrite cores as it leaves the radio. The
latter is easier, of course, and, in fact, Yaesu may already have done this
or supplied snap-on cores (not as good as *real* donuts) to install.

Anyway, these are some tips I've found useful. I hope they help. The
Handbook likely has more. The League also publishes a mobiling book, but I'm
not sure how deeply it delves into installation issues. Sorry, I don't have
one.

73, Rick, N1RL










-----Original Message-----
From: hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcra-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Eric Richardson
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 10:48 PM
To: HCRA at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [HCRA] Mobile installation help

______________________________________________
-------Hampden County Radio Association-------
-----------e-mail list (reflector)-------------
______________________________________________
Greetings all!

I just purchased my new mobile rig and I need a little help installing it.
I have all the equipment, except for the knowledge on mobile radio
installations. All I would need is a helping hand (or just someone to walk
me on through it). If you would like to help me, please respond.

Thanks everyone and see you at Field Day!

73's

KB1JVI

Eric Richardson
Proud owner of a Yeasu FT-180

------Hampden County Radio Association-------
An ARRL Special Services Club celebrating 60 years
------------http://www.hcra.org------------
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