2006 Chrysler Pacifica Mobile Setup (never before seen.... I think)

[WTRickman]

I've been wanting to post for a while - I'm enjoying my mobile scanning setup a great deal these days.

The car.

My inside setup.
Scanner: PRO-2096 mounted in the dash, which is tied into the car stereo for better audio.
Laptop: A Dell Inspiron 1525 running Streets and Trips 2009 - tied to a GPS unit mounted just above the headliner.
Connectivity: A Blackberry 8700c with a tethered Data plan, giving me Internet on the go.
Other: Audiovox Xpress XM Radio Receiver
Not Pictured: My Motorokr T205 Bluetooth Speakerphone (mounted just between the map lights)

The Antenna:
I built this antenna using a universal radio antenna from Radio Shack, which I removed the included coax, and replaced with RG6. It's mounted to my rear luggage rack using a modified mount originally intended for a CB antenna. I grounded it to the frame of the vehicle - that's the smaller of the two wires.

 

[bezking]

Awesome setup!

 

[INDY72]

AWESOMEEEEE! Like the tag too.

 

[el_pichirulo]

Very nice, a couple of questions though:
- When laptop is open, does it obstruct your side mirror?
- I might have missed something, but why RG-6?

The laptop mount, who makes it and how is it mounted?

 

[EC-7]

Id replace that antenna.
Its way too long on tuning for most scanning frequencies VHF UHF 800
Its only going to be "good" for the lower frequencies, but that scanner wont do anything low (25-50Mhz) besides CB.
Id suggest a small VHF/UHF mag mount. There are some with the magnet about the size of a Hershey Kiss candy that work awesome and are almost not seen at about 10' away, there that small.
The 1st time you hit a low tree branch or drive thru overhang, its going to break that telescopic whip and its going to be trashed, and Id think that the whip would rust too or just cause bad connection cause its not built to handle mobile environments.
Plus a scanner antenna doesnt really have to be grounded at the higher freqs to receive good.

I like the laptop and scanner setup tho.

 

[WTRickman]

AWESOMEEEEE! Like the tag too.

Hehe... if only that were my real tag. Just a bit of photoshop.

 

[WTRickman]

>Its way too long on tuning for most scanning frequencies VHF UHF 800

I use the extra length to pick up the Little Rock Police trunk, which is about 30miles away. I had tried a couple different antennae, but this was the only one that picked up LRPD from my house.

Point taken, though, most of the time, I leave it on it's lowest extension, and it picks up AWIN and local fire/police fine. I had considered going to a less conspicuous antenna.

Thanks for the feedback. I am getting some rust on those bolts, I should have used galvanized.

 

[WTRickman]

Very nice, a couple of questions though:
- When laptop is open, does it obstruct your side mirror?
- I might have missed something, but why RG-6?

The laptop mount, who makes it and how is it mounted?

The laptop doesn't obstruct like you think it would. The only thing it obstructs is from the passenger seeing the scanner - only a problem when I'm mobile scanning with my buddy.

The laptop mount is from an eBay store, mobilelaptopmount.

eBay My World - mobilelaptopmount

It's basically black pipe and fittings, covered with large black plastic drain. About all you can expect for 39.95. It is mounted to the floor via a pipe flange. It needs a bit more support. It's not unstable, but it does move some because of sheer length. I've cnnsidered some auxiliary support just below the gearshift.

On, the RG-6, I had read somewhere that it was better for this particular application. It certainly would have been easier to leave the RG58 that was on there.

 

[WTRickman]

A couple of details

A couple of details to point out, now that I have a minute to do so:

-It's hard to see, but the Blackberry has a USB cable running from it, just over the ignition switch, into the column. It runs across into the console and over to a AC inverter box that is mounted between the seats. The inverter has a USB port that charges the phone when the laptop is not in the car. When the laptop is in the car, I unplug the USB from the inverter, and plug it into the laptop, where I can use it to get online.

-The AC inverter also charges the laptop, and my MOTOROKR speakerphone. The speakerphone's charger wire runs under the headliner, and down the trim, under the glove box, then up the console to the inverter.

-The GPS unit (which I hope to replace soon with a Bluetooth one) is mounted just above the headliner and can't be seen. It's USB as well - it runs along the headliner and down the trim, like the speakerphone charger. However, the USB cable for the GPS stays coiled up in the glove box and out-of-sight until you need it, then you can just pull it out and plug it into the laptop.

On a side note, I have a video screen/DVD player for my son, mounted on the ceiling, which I have just discovered will rotate to face the front, and the display can be reversed so it can be viewed in the rear-view mirror. Incredibly dangerous, I know, but I just discovered it, so I thought I'd share it with you folks.

 

[WTRickman]

The 1st time you hit a low tree branch or drive thru overhang, its going to break that telescopic whip and its going to be trashed, and Id think that the whip would rust too or just cause bad connection cause its not built to handle mobile environments.

Hehe.. you'd think but, not true. Today ... just today... I've hit:

The overhang of my carport 4 or 5 times
The drive thru canopy at McDonalds
The drive thru canopy at Arby's

The antenna is spring loaded. It gives, that's what it's designed for.

Plus, what kind of car radio antenna WOULDN'T be built for a mobile environment? They are intended to be outside, you know...

 

[ScanManQSL]

Nice Set-up!

 

[khubbard]

nice setup. dont like the antenna mount that looks kinda chessey

 

[hippieman556]

nice setup