Well, recently I picked up an Icom 706MKIIG and AH4 tuner for my 91 Explorer and yesterday I got them installed. I can't park near my townhouse so installs I do have to be covert or easily removeable. MY IC-207H is covert (bought an ashtray at an auto wrecker and carved it up. The radio is under the passenger seat and the control head is in the ashtray. Hides real nice!

For this install I ran the power leads direct to the battery (the only way to fly) and brought the power cable up under the passenger seat so I can tuck it away when I don't want to see it. The radio sits nicely between the seats (I have the 60/40 front bench, not buckets) and doesn't seem to move around at all with no support. I am going to make up some straps from hook velcro to tie it down to the seat for off road.

The antenna cable and tuner control box cables get pressed down between the seats and run along the top of the hump in the back seat. Again between the 60/40 bench seats, where they meet the tuner that is held in place by the cargo net.

The tuner needs to be very well grounded so I lifted the carpet in the back and ran seperate ground wires (14 guage insulated wire) from the two rear cargo hold down rings. I used a piece of RG8 cable to feed the radiating element. I stripped off the black outer jacket and removed the copper braid. I just run this out the back of the door and close the gate on top. This is temporary until I get some 15kv insulated wire from my brother, then I will bring it out through the floor and try and get the shortest route to the antenna.

The antenna is a 9' stainless steel whip on a quick release stud mount that is attached through the bumper ball mount hole. It leans back about 35 degrees which will make it a little easier on the trees, and prevent it from whacking the back of the truck. Also, the angle helps the radiation pattern a bit by not paralleling the rear body sheet metal.

So, after getting it all wired up I tuned her up and worked Atlanta, Georgia on 20 meters from an indoor garage. I went up one of the local water resevoirs last night and workd three Siberian station with 55 and 57 reports.

I did the full coverage modification to this radio and the tuner will load up on CB with no problem. This will give me 100 watts on SSB and 40 on AM if I want to chat on that band when I am out.

The whole thing took less than 10 minutes to remove from the truck when I got home that night. Leaving only the stud mount and attached wire visible from the outside. Also the Larsen Dual band antenna on the front fender and a thru the glass cell antenna on the front passenger side.

My 91XLT is very stock with Michelin LTX M/S tires and running boards only. I don't do any heavy off road, but do use the truck to get to isolated sites to camp and hunt. I am really looking forward to my next trip at the end of the month! Anyone want to make a sked?

73
Icom IC-207H (covert mount) http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/images/ic207h.gif
Icom IC-706MKIIG http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/hf/index.html
Icom AH4 antenna tuner (just a white box with wires running out of it, no pictures)

Rick, we have the 706 also. Ours is the first or second version though. We now run a fire stick or a 114" whip. We have tied it to the roof rack with weed wacker line to prevent it from smacking things like our truck and other people's vehicle. We have a ball mount on the rear passenger side. However, because of the last mod to the truck, no roof rack. Won't fit in the garage. So we'll probably be stuck with the fire stick. Ours will also do CB, but have a definitely problem with overload if the person is to close. Don't remember what Rick does to fix that. That's his radio and I don't mess with is much. Ours is where the ashtray was. We don't smoke, so we don't need no stinking ashtray.

Enjoy! We've had a lot of fun with our HF mobile.

Char, KB7TKQ - slow code general

VA7RX,

FB on the 706 mobile! Got a couple of questions for you. How did you deal with with the Explorer RFI curse? I've still got S4 QRM after installing the Ford RFI filter in the tank on the fuel pump... it was S9 prior! Have you added any other filters, shielding etc.? I gave up on whips anywhere near the rear of the car becuase of the fuel pump noise, and went to rooftop antennas, but HF antennas come out pretty tall that way :). I'm working on an "Auzzie style" mount (on the front brush bar) for my Outbacker Perth. Does your antenna at the rear give you problems??

I'm running an Alinco DX70TH, remoted with the chassis mounted on the folding Filler panel, that fills the gap when the rear seatr is folded. I also need to re-do my power wires. I now come off the battery witha pair of #10, to a terminal block inder the dash that powes several radios, incl. the CB and the VHF/UHF. From that block I ran the factory power cord to the radio. I recently measured the voltage at the radio: only 10.5V on Xmit! I'm going to run dedicated #8 's from the battery to the radio.

Any hints or thoughts about noise reduction you can come up with will definitely be welcome.

73 de Ray, AE6H

Originally posted by Ray Hutchinson
[B]VA7RX,

How did you deal with with the Explorer RFI curse?


Well, I got lucky. I don't seem to have a problem. No significant noise that I could detect. Although when my buddy pulled up next to me in his 93 Explorer the noise went up considerably.

I gave up on whips anywhere near the rear of the car becuase of the fuel pump noise, and went to rooftop antennas, but HF antennas come out pretty tall that way :).

I actually thought of doing that as well. I did want to use the tuner because I hate changing coils. Putting the whip on the roof was going to put the top at about 15 feet. We have trolly buses here in Vancouver, and I didn't like the thought of getting close to them so the roof was out for me.

I'm working on an "Auzzie style" mount (on the front brush bar) for my Outbacker Perth. Does your antenna at the rear give you problems??

I thought about the front of the truck too. Problem being the tuner has to be close to the whip. I didn't want to put 100 watts of rf anywhere near the engine. The only place left was the rear, or a body mount. Couldn't bring myself to drill holes in the sheet metal either.

I'm going to run dedicated #8 's from the battery to the radio.

I was able to use the stock power cable. It ran from under the passenger seat to the battery without any need for extension. Generally the manufacturers give ample wire size for power so it seems ok. I did not add any additional fuses or junctions.

Any hints or thoughts about noise reduction you can come up with will definitely be welcome.

I was quite worried about the possible noise problem from the fuel pump. Thank god it didn't crop up. A friend just resigned himself to only work HF when he was parked with the engine off.

On the other hand, I notice my tach drops about 500rpm when I tx on ssb. I also have an imobilizer that had a keypad on the A pillar. When I tx it lites up. RF can be a strange thing!