My Mobile Radio Operating Position

For anyone interested in how I mounted all the radio equipment I have antennas for, here is a photo of the operating position in my truck.  Every piece of equipment shown in the photo except for the GPS is held on the dash by 3M 5# double stick outdoor foam tape.  The mount for the FT-857d is made by Lido.

 

 

From left to right:

    1. Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS (the only screw mounted equipment on the entire dash!)
    2. Behind that, a Pryme Pro-460 GMRS handheld running on 12dc held to the FT-857d speaker with Velcro and hooked to an Antennex 5db antenna
    3. The control head for my FT-857d, which is mounted under the driver’s seat
    4. The video display for a two camera rear view system
    5. On top of the display, my radar detector which is also mounted to the top of the cell phone speaker behind the display
    6. Below that is a bracket to hold my Yaesu VX-7R
    7. Right of the display is my hands free cell phone holster made by Nokia.
    8. Directly below the cell phone hanging on a cheap stick on hook for showers is my Remote mounted CB radio mike and controls.  The CB has a speaker below the drivers seat due to the terrible audible from the tiny speaker in the control set/mic.
    9. Next to that is my indoor/outdoor digital temp

 

A Description of the Antennas

 

Hooked to the FT-857d:

a.      ATAS-120a for 7 – 50 MHz with above spring mods when not traveling

b.      Antennex Genesis Antennas w/springs for 3 db 144 – 165 Mhz and 5 db 440 – 466 MHz.  They are tied to the VHF/UHF connector of the FT-857d through a Comet duplexor

For the CB radio I use an Antennex VHF antenna 27-30 Mhz w/spring for 27 MHz.

For the GMRS handheld radio I use an Antennex 5 db w/spring for GMRS

Not pictured is a home brew Squalo style 50 MHz antenna for mobile SSB made from extra ¾” aluminum tubing that mounts near the rear of the pickup bed.  I use this antenna when traveling and put a manual antenna switch on the FT-857d HF connector to select which antenna.  I plan to rebuild this antenna out of copper when I have some time to make it more durable.  The ¾’ aluminum stresses and fractures from the wind drag at 70mph.  However, as a performer, this antenna is outstanding!

 

How I power my Equipment

 

One last thing I have not mentioned is that all of my equipment runs off of a deep cycle marine battery mounted in the tool box and isolated from the main truck battery by an ignition controlled relay under the hood.  I can run all of my equipment in receive mode for 8 hours without starting the engine to charge the battery.  Yes, the tool box is messy but that is typical for any truck tool box here in rural Central Texas! 

 

Return to previous page