Pontiac G8 - Update

mrweather · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 01:26 PM

Made some changes over the summer and thought I'd post some updated pictures.

Running a Yaesu FT-8900 now. My club recently put a 6m repeater on the air and I wanted to be able to play a bit. Since console space is tight and my Kenwood 90 Series head can only control two and not three drawers, I lamented and swapped in the 8900.

The control head is in the same place as before, just not as big. I was able to tuck a small speaker in behind. The audio seems fine to me.

The drawer is in the trunk. Power comes from the same place as before. Gotta love having the battery back there!

Antennas consist of a Larsen NMO50 for 6m and NMO430CS for 70cm. Since the 8900 has only one antenna jack a diplexer sends UHF to the shorter antenna and low-band to the longer one behind it. The mount in the middle is unused at the moment (hence the rain cap) but I might put a GPS antenna on it.

I do have a Larsen NMO270SH I may swap with the UHF one so I can have 2m again. I did play around with a NMO150 for 6m and 2m but the whip was too long and I found it kept hitting everything.

And here's the whole package. Astute readers will notice the wheels are different. The car is sporting Bridgestone Blizzaks on aftermarket rims now. Winter is just around the corner!

Astrak · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 01:31 PM

Nice install and sweet car.

FD5722 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 03:30 PM

Good lookin install.

ERICMYERS · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 05:02 PM

real nice and clean.

ScanManQSL · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 05:52 PM

Nice install!!!

b7spectra · #6 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 07:38 PM

Very nice! What type head unit do you have?

mrweather · #7 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 07:49 PM

Thanks all for the comments.

"What type head unit do you have?" Before was a Kenwood TK-790/890 dual-band tied to a KCH-11 full-featured head. I also have a TK-690 to play on 6m. But to install it would require a second head and space is at a premium.

All of that gear now sees new duty in the home shack where space isn't an issue!

Even though I highly doubt I'll ever use 10m the best solution I found for the car was going with the Yaesu.

burner781 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 07:50 PM

Wow. Very nice.

ausscan · #9 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 05:06 AM

Steering wheel is on the wrong side :S

NSWESP · #10 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausscan

Steering wheel is on the wrong side :S

Exactly, but it is atleast half way to being acceptable being a Holden VE Commodore!

K9WSS · #11 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 09:24 AM

A++ for drilling those mount's. Excellent install; nice and tight. Thanks for all the pics! Now, how 'bout some of the home 'shack?

MPSCS · #12 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 09:27 AM

Pontiac G8...they won't make them like that anymore.

FFPM571 · #13 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 09:29 AM

Nice work.. I would have spaced the antennas across the trunk rather than in a row . Other than that its good

GTO_04 · #14 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 09:30 AM

Very nice install!

How much snow can the G8 handle with the Blizzaks?

GTO_04

firetaz834 · #15 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 10:16 AM

Nice install and sweet vehicle. After reading the comments about how nice the G8 looks it reminded of an article I had read about the G8 now going to be used in law enforcement (it will be interesting to see how they handle the mounting of the equipment). So, here is a link and it will be worth waiting to see how those turn out.

2011 Chevrolet Caprice - Pontiac G8 lives on as police car: Consumer Reports Cars Blog

guitarbrian30 · #16 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 02:42 PM

very nice install

looks pro!

llllllllll · #17 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 06:26 PM

nice install

mrweather · #18 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFPM571

Nice work.. I would have spaced the antennas across the trunk rather than in a row . Other than that its good

Thanks. I had thought of that but felt it might have detracted from the overall look of the car. Yes, I'm a little vain that way!

Besides, the OPP and MTO Impalas around here have a narrower trunklid and they run two antennas (UHF for the VR and wideband VHF for actual comms) in a north-south configuration and I figured if it works for them it'll work for me. The actual spacing is about 8". Haven't had any interference problems.

On my past vehicles I've mounted one antenna on the roof and the other on the trunk. But with the G8 the AM/FM/XM/OnStar is on the roof and I didn't want to mess around with that.

@GTO_04: This is the first winter for my G8 so we'll see how it handles in the snow. Other owners have said it does just fine mostly because of the 50/50 weight distribution. I know the OE Goodyear Eagle RS-A's suck in snow. The Blizzaks come highly rated.

Exsmokey · #19 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrweather

Thanks. I had thought of that but felt it might have detracted from the overall look of the car. Yes, I'm a little vain that way!

Yes, that is rather vain. However, I don't see the wide spacing as looking much different. Style over substance! Fashion over form! Since you are running a duplexer the spacing isn't that important anyway, only one antenna is working when the PTT is pushed.

When you wrote "diplexer" I assumed you meant "duplexer." Do I assume correctly or is there device called a diplexer? I'm working on hooking up a HF/6m antenna and a 2m/70cm antenna to a base radio that has separate jacks for HF, 6m, 2m, and 70cm. I'm going to have to split the cables from the two antennas into four jumpers to connect to the radio. This is just the opposite of your situation, but would I need to use diplexers or duplexers to accomplish this?

The picture of the radio installation appears upside down, or is the unit installed on the trunk lid? I must be missing something here as no matter how I turn the screen around on my laptop I can't figure our how you mounted it. I've never heard of the radio being referred to as a "drawer" either. I've always heard techs just refer to the control head and the radio.

izzyj4 · #20 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exsmokey

......The picture of the radio installation appears upside down, or is the unit installed on the trunk lid? I must be missing something here as no matter how I turn the screen around on my laptop I can't figure our how you mounted it.......

If you look behind where the radio is mounted, you will see the rear deck speaker for the AM / FM radio. It is mounted hanging from the metal of the rear deck in the truck. I can see where you might think it is upside down by the way its mounted but the picture is correct. Though I point this out to ya.