Two-Way Radios, What do you have installed and carry?

For a mobile radio I have a Yaesu FTM-500 I dash mounted the control head using Tackform mounting system and for the radio body I used the Mountains2Metal under dash mount. I am currently using the COMPACtenna LMR-I Land Mobile Radio Antenna which is wide band and allows a good match between GMRS and 70cm and that is mounted to my driver’s side A-pillar. For portables I carry two BridgeCom Systems Echo GMRS handhelds.

Thanks @AB8DT
Did you use the Mountains2Metal antenna mount for your antenna?
KennyB
KB9TT

Yes the A-Pillar bracket

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Do you have a polar lights too? How did the mount do with SWR and ground plane? I am looking at the Diode Dynamics rear light mount that has an antenna mount, but I like the A pillar idea too.

Lights, oh yea I have lights :sunglasses: I had the Mountains2Metal rear mount but I could not get it to work with the rear tire shelf I have from JcrOffroad. The match is good but not a very good ground plane so it is directional and not ideal. Works fins for the trails for GMRS. The bronco is just a pleasure vehicle for us & not a daily driver so my RF reach is not really a concern. Someday I will go with the Midland HD GMRS and either bumper mount or roof rack mount (when I get a roof rack)


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Good info. I think I am going to try the DD rear light mount and maybe try to get a big enough ground plane to kind of “max out” what I can with my Midland 15w radio. Getting the antenna 6” higher will probably be the biggest difference.

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I have the DD HitchMount LED Pod Reverse Kit and it is very bright so i can image that the dual one will be even better.

@AB8DT and @MattMIBronco how did you run power for your radio? did you run from the battery and through the firewall? or did you utilize one of the Aux switches and factory wiring harnesses?
Thanks for the help. Trying to figure the best way to wire my ham radio that I used to have in my Jeep.

I opted to go to the battery due to being a 50 watt radio & knowing that the FTM300 & 500 are finnicky with a drop in power. I have a lot going on with power management, distribution blocks, relays for lighting & utilizing all the uplift switches. I am using one of the firewall to below the passenger A-pillar to the rear to power a switch for KC Cyclone lighting for the rear/bed area but I would not want to power anything that has amps that would heat up the small gauge factory wiring.

My radio is powered off an aux switch, but it’s a 15w unit. I am in the process of changing my wiring set up, as I do have an aftermarket amp and crossover, under hood compressor, lights and winch. Currently I have a 10ga and 12ga power wire from the battery to under the passenger seat. I am adding a breaker and 4 position fused distribution block and I will run all the unswitched 12v from the panel.

Thanks @MattMIBronco and thanks @AB8DT

Interesting enough, I noticed my radio was making my screen go blank when I transmit. Ron K had some recommendations when we were at Holly Oaks, so more tweaking to come. I also made an upgrade to my under hood setup, adding a breaker for my compressor, based on Ron’s nice power distribution set up.

Have a Midland 275 radio which I installed in the glove compartment with the antenna cable run through the firewall and mounted on the hood — there’s a great spot that Ford put in for running wires through from the dash. This was the video that had a bunch of good tips that I used for my mount: https://youtu.be/IO2-3ZIreJA?si=gdugj3zVtabS43HU

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That was one of the videos I referenced as well. It’s a pretty straightforward install. I do need to figure out why keying my mic now dims my front camera.