Any radio operators around?

[n4aof]

I haven't been very active either in the forums or on the air lately. I was thinking about trying to stuff a mobile somewhere in my 2017 Explorer XLT and noticed that Ford seems to have made it extraordinarily difficult.

Right from the start I had realized that I would need one of the split mobiles with the body stuffed somewhere and just a control head within reach, but when I started looking around the idea really looks difficult. There aren't many decent places to mount a control head, and God only knows where I'll be able to put an antenna on this thing without getting a shop to pull the headliner and drill the roof for an NMO. I had thought I'd be able to use some sort of lip-mount on the rear hatch or a back door, but none of those look doable. Now it looks like I'll have to settle for a mag-mount antenna unless I want a hole in the roof.

I'm hoping someone has better ideas than what have occurred to me so far.

73 de N4AOF
Tom

 

[peterk9]

These might help. Found them using the 'Search' feature.

Any 2011+ ham radio guys??

Just wondering if any of our 2011+ owners are ham radio operators. We have quite a few who own the previous models. My ham callsign is AB7FH.

www.explorerforum.com

2-way radio Installation experience on late-model Explorer XLT

I thought I'd share my own experiences with installing a trunk-mounted Motorola PM1500 VHF 2-Way Radio in my own 2018 Explorer XLT, in the hope that it helps anyone else considering doing a similar project. I do volunteer work with our local fire departments, and am also a ham radio operator...

www.explorerforum.com

73, Peter

 

[n4aof]

These might help. Found them using the 'Search' feature.

Any 2011+ ham radio guys??

Just wondering if any of our 2011+ owners are ham radio operators. We have quite a few who own the previous models. My ham callsign is AB7FH.

www.explorerforum.com

2-way radio Installation experience on late-model Explorer XLT

I thought I'd share my own experiences with installing a trunk-mounted Motorola PM1500 VHF 2-Way Radio in my own 2018 Explorer XLT, in the hope that it helps anyone else considering doing a similar project. I do volunteer work with our local fire departments, and am also a ham radio operator...

www.explorerforum.com

73, Peter

Thanks, the second one did turn out to be quite useful -- in a daunting sort of way.

73 de Tom

 

[Barry Trobaugh]

KQ4DTM

Barry in West Tennessee

 

[jwolfe]

Bulletpoint mounting solutions has an excellent dash mount for a radio and so does Proclip if you’re willing to give up your dash speaker. I’m running the Bulletpoint. Then you can run your wires down behind the dash. I assume someone makes a lip mount for the hood. I’m running a mobile but there’s also nothing wrong with a roof mount antenna. Takes 30 seconds to take it off.

Another possible mounting area for the head is the center console. I’ve seen quite a few heads mounted at the bottom of the dash area. Find a local radio shop or a ham club to help you.

 

[peterk9]

Bulletpoint mounting solutions has an excellent dash mount for a radio and so does Proclip if you’re willing to give up your dash speaker. I’m running the Bulletpoint. Then you can run your wires down behind the dash. I assume someone makes a lip mount for the hood. I’m running a mobile but there’s also nothing wrong with a roof mount antenna. Takes 30 seconds to take it off.

Another possible mounting area for the head is the center console. I’ve seen quite a few heads mounted at the bottom of the dash area. Find a local radio shop or a ham club to help you.

Pictures?

Peter

 

[kennyrkun]

I use a Tram 1192 U/V thru-glass glue on window antenna, mounted on the moon roof. SWR is below 2.5:1 on all the frequencies I care about, and below 1.5:1 on the ones I *really* care about like GMRS and MURS. I get good signal reports and pull in a decent signal, although it isn't the cleanest I've heard. Coax run thru headliner, down A-pillar under door sill, under driver seat. It whistles a good bit at high speeds, but some heatshrink (or scotch tape, if you're on a cash/time budget) wrapped around the coil fixes that right up.

Radio is a 578 just stuck between the driver seat and console, although you could use the BT-01 remote head (wired or Bluetooth) and mount the radio elsewhere. BlaydeFab also makes a faceplate relocation kit, although it is limited to 36 inches because of the analog signals sent over the cable.

 

[peterk9]

I haven't seen an antenna installation like that before.

Peter

 

[kennyrkun]

Really did everything I could to avoid drilling a hole. I'll have to eventually, because I need more antennas :3 but for now this has done a fantastic job.

 

[Gerry1]

I mounted the radio (Kenwood TMV71A) on the removable dash panel under the steering wheel on my 2018 sport. Mounted the control head on a goose neck bolted to the passenger seat bolt. Mounted the Larsen dual band glass mount antenna on the driver side rear window. I'm impressed with the performance of the thru-glass antennas.

 

[kennyrkun]

I mounted the radio (Kenwood TMV71A) on the removable dash panel under the steering wheel on my 2018 sport. Mounted the control head on a goose neck bolted to the passenger seat bolt. Mounted the Larsen dual band glass mount antenna on the driver side rear window. I'm impressed with the performance of the thru-glass antennas.

They really are surprisingly good. Unfortunately, I can't stick with it forever, since in order to park in my garage the antenna has to come off. I will eventually be resorting to stubby/stealth/puck/whatever antennas that are only a few inches tall in order to be able to leave the antenna permanently mounted to the car.

I really wish there was a radio comparable to the 578 in features that had a remote head option, so that I could get it out of where it is now. Soon, I'll be acquiring a BT-01 bluetooth/wired mic and relocating the unit to the very back of the car.

 

[peterk9]

The last time I had my rig in my vehicle, I used a stubby on a magmount on the roof because I always use my garage. That was quite some time ago.

Peter

 

[kennyrkun]

The last time I had my rig in my vehicle, I used a stubby on a magmount on the roof because I always use my garage. That was quite some time ago.

Peter

I didn't want to have a cable getting pinched by door or hatch run into the cab. I also didn't want to scuff a hole in the clearcoat on the roof.

Holes... 3 of them... sooooon....