DIN mount 2 meter

[snakecharmer]

I'm in the market for a new 2 meter and I have decided to try and get my radios out of my console because although it looks nice and clean, I have to look down too much. My truck had a double din sized radio so I plan to get a mounting bracket to mount 2 single DIN radios and just go aftermarket since I don't use the factory 6disc radio anyway. This will free up a space in the dash and I would most like 2 put a 2 meter in there. Does anybody make a dash kit to install a 2meter radio in a standard DIN space? I did some web searching and found a couple but they seem to be specific to Australlia.

 

[n8emr]

There are no DIN factory kits but you can adapt one. Biggest problem your going to have in most vehciles is HEAT in a DIN enclosure. Radio get warm and will fry the finals if your not carefull. If you have a dual band with a remote head then you can put the deck in a more ventlated area and the head in the din compartment. otherwise you need to make sure there is MORE THAN ENOUGH room for propertly vent the radio's head.

 

[kb0nly]

I would go with a remote mount as he suggested. Put the body of the radio under the seat, or behind the seat, somewhere more convenient for it with airflow. Then just mount the control head up on the dash, problem solved.

It wouldn't do the radio any good cooking in that dash on a hot summer day, and then you go and transmit and build up even more heat!

 

[tunnelmot]

I installed a Yaesu 2m in my dad's old Nissan p/u for his birthday a few years ago. Can't remember model, but maybe due to dash design of the Nissan, it stayed cool, and has about 6 hot Texas summers under it's belt with no issues.

IIRC, it wasn't much of an issue to mount. I believe the threaded holes lined up just about right with no major fussing or fab work.

That was one clean install, and with the front-firing speaker, it sounded sweet too.Makes me wish that my Ford had the double-din opening.
I believe I was just lucky, and a remote mount would probably be more ideal, especially for those long winded conversations.

Rich

 

[richardc63]

I'm in the market for a new 2 meter and I have decided to try and get my radios out of my console because although it looks nice and clean, I have to look down too much. My truck had a double din sized radio so I plan to get a mounting bracket to mount 2 single DIN radios and just go aftermarket since I don't use the factory 6disc radio anyway. This will free up a space in the dash and I would most like 2 put a 2 meter in there. Does anybody make a dash kit to install a 2meter radio in a standard DIN space? I did some web searching and found a couple but they seem to be specific to Australlia.

The US to Aussie dollar rate is heavily in your favour at the moment so you could probably get a very good price from an Australian supplier like this:

http://www.aerpro.com.au/list.php?cat_name=in-dash mounting kits&cat_no=09

Looking at the website they are set up for your kind of business, and postage on an item like this to the Us would be very cheap.

I'm sure this isn't the only Aussie company doing this but I know these guys have been around a while.


Richard

 

[elocutionist]

I'd be interested in what you end up with. I'm looking to do a refresh in my vehicle as well and mount a Yaesu FT-7800R faceplate in a DIN slot of my Subaru Forester. So far I'm just planning to fabricate a custom mount from sheet metal.

Christopher

 

[jonny290]

A surplus 40 or 60 millimeter PC fan bolted to the back of the radio, connected to the +12v line (make sure it's switched or it'll kill your battery) should keep it more than adequately cooled unless you are roadtripping in a Dodge Viper through Death Valley

Bonus points for whipping up a little temp sensor circuit to turn it on when your heatsink goes past a certain point.

 

[snakecharmer]

This is more kind of what I was looking for. http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_39&products_id=80 Thought that there might be similar kits for US versions of Icom or Yaesu radios but I actually called them and both said they had never heard of such a thing and were clueless about the Aussi version of their products.

With that said, I'm not too worried about heat because the dash of my F150 is absolutely cavernous. I am including a picture but it really doesn't do it justice. I could smuggle a circus midget back there. It is literally like 10" to 12" deep with allot of empty space under the radio slot. The factory radio is a double din and the climate controls are very shallow along with the spot where the lighter is. Those things are mounted to the back of the trim panel, a couple inches deep at the most and the rest is wasted space.

I started relocating stuff this weekend and I used a double din dash kit to mount my BCT8 and an aftermarket head unit where the factory radio was. I really didn't want an aftermarket radio but it was a good way to free up prime dash real estate. I can't say I am in love with the non-factory look but I can live with it. I also removed the ashtray and am planning to mount whatever 2meter I settle on there for the time. I think I can fab a set of brackets to mount it easily and just fab up some kind of basic trim panel to fill the gap.

Ultimately I think I would like to try and find a trim panel out of a base model truck to modify. My vision is that by cutting it just below the climate controls, I could use that space to mount a 2 meter and my CB which is about the size of a regular car stereo. The 2 meter would be basically where the lighter is now with the CB below it. The hard part would be building the trim panel. I figure I could graft on a piece to replace the cut off section with fiberglass, cut out holes for the radios and then paint it. Problem is that I am not great with fiberglass. I think its worth a shot though.

 

[snakecharmer]

I purchased a new 2 meter and have spent the last couple of days getting it all installed. I figured I would update for anybody following my progress. I was originally not sure about loosing the factory look of my dash but I have been able to realize so much wasted space in the dash of this truck and I am very happy with what I have done so far. I really like having my console space and arm rest back and the functionality and safety of not having to look down between the seats to twist knobs makes this setup much better. My only complaint is that the shifter blocks part of 2meter display when in park. The install will not be complete untill I get my CB installed and I believe that when I do that, I will move the 2meter up and put the CB in the spot where the 2meter is now. I will not be doing to CB until I locate another factory trim plate to cut up so for the time being I will just make a simple trim panel to fill the gap around the 2meter and call it good. If I cant find a trim panel, I believe I will get one of the Cobra 75 radios that have the remote mount box.

I settled on the Yaesu FT2800M mostly due to the huge display and the power to dollar ratio. My only complaint is that it doesn't have scanning banks like a couple of the others I considered. One of the main requirements of my installs is no drilling or cutting so I built a bracket out of 2" aluminum channel that attaches to the dash with tabs on the bottom and uses the factory ashtray screws on top. It is probably overkill but this thing is solid. The bracket that came with the radio attaches to a crossmember and it is tilted up a bit for best viewing angle. The black on the front of the bracket is velcro that will be used to attach a trim panel.

....and here is what it looks like so far

I also changed my antennas around some. I moved my Lil' Wil CB antenna from the middle of the roof because it sounded like somebody playing a flute up there at highway speed. Since my toolbox is aluminum, I bolted a small steel plate to the top of the box for the mag mount to stick to. It is nice and quiet now and more aesthetically pleasing as well. It also wont bounce off the awnings in the drive through anymore. I purchased a Maxrad BMAXSCAN1000 scanner antenna and an NMO mag mount for the BCT8. I had a couple of Hustler lip mount scanner antennas behind the toolbox that went away. They worked OK but flailed around too much for my taste. The 2meter antenna is a simple 1/4 wave whip on another NMO mag mount. Pay no attention to the cables on the back window, I have been having a hard time finding the sticky zip tie anchors but I will run them around the perimeter of the back glass when I do. Ultimately I plan to either drill and install 2 NMO mounts on the roof or one on the roof for the 2meter and move the scanner antenna to the hood lip. I cant let the wife catch me drilling so that will come later. The mag mounts are temporary though.

 

[protias]

Nice job mounting the BCT8 in the dash.

 

[elocutionist]

Nice work! I like the idea of the aluminum channel for a radio mount - definitely sturdy and your method allows for tilt adjustment of the radio.

What have you done for speakers on the scanner and the 2m? Just stock for now, or have you mounted some external ones out of sight?

 

[mrweather]

Very nice job!

It's clean, it looks good. If someone didn't know otherwise they'd think it was OE!

I did a similar thing with my vehicle. My console shifter obscures the display as well but I can live with it because the control buttons/knobs are in front of me vs. down beside me.

 

[snakecharmer]

Nice work! I like the idea of the aluminum channel for a radio mount - definitely sturdy and your method allows for tilt adjustment of the radio.

What have you done for speakers on the scanner and the 2m? Just stock for now, or have you mounted some external ones out of sight?

The mount is definately sturdy. I built it to be able to hold both the 2 meter and a CB and I think it will work very well. There are no external speakers. The scanner speaker fires down and the 2m speaker fires up. The sound finds its way out of the dash with no trouble. I had to have the scanner 3/4 to full when it was in the console and now it is great at 1/2 volume.

Very nice job!

It's clean, it looks good. If someone didn't know otherwise they'd think it was OE!

I did a similar thing with my vehicle. My console shifter obscures the display as well but I can live with it because the control buttons/knobs are in front of me vs. down beside me.

I can live with it for the time being. It is only an issue when I am stationary but I have spent the last 2 evenings programming so it bothers me a bit. If I get it up where the lighter is, it will be totally unobstructed in all gears.

 

[KM4WLV]

Very VERY nice !! That BCT looks similar to the RS2051 I had. When I had my 2051 in the dash of my 03 F150 I had to take the "housing" off to get it to fit in the dash kit. Did you have to remove the casing off of yours also? I'd assume not since you said you didn't have to add an external speaker, but I wasn't sure.

I can understand about not drilling holes....... yet. I got a new, well its a 2004 Ford Explorer (new to me anyway, lol) this past Friday, and my better half told me no drilling in the roof. I've got a Maxrad CB antenna (model number escapes me right now) on an L Bracket on the drivers side, and a Moto 700/800 antenna L Bracketed on the passenger side for my RS Pro96. The Pro96 is a temp setup until I settle on a new mobile.

Sorry, got a little carried away. Again, AWESOME work !!!!!

 

[snakecharmer]

Very VERY nice !! That BCT looks similar to the RS2051 I had. When I had my 2051 in the dash of my 03 F150 I had to take the "housing" off to get it to fit in the dash kit. Did you have to remove the casing off of yours also? I'd assume not since you said you didn't have to add an external speaker, but I wasn't sure.

I can understand about not drilling holes....... yet. I got a new, well its a 2004 Ford Explorer (new to me anyway, lol) this past Friday, and my better half told me no drilling in the roof. I've got a Maxrad CB antenna (model number escapes me right now) on an L Bracket on the drivers side, and a Moto 700/800 antenna L Bracketed on the passenger side for my RS Pro96. The Pro96 is a temp setup until I settle on a new mobile.

Sorry, got a little carried away. Again, AWESOME work !!!!!

I did not need to do anything weird to the scanner to get it in there. I did have to slot the holes in the bracket slightly because the face stuck out a little too far to allow the trim panel to fit. That BCT8 is actually no longer in the truck and I ordered a BCD996t to replace it. The 996 has provision for ISO Din mounting which is what that bracket is so hopefully it will fit even better. The instructions do say that you need to remove the outer housing but I imagine that is mainly to access the ISO DIN screw holes. The new scanner wont show up till tomorrow though so i dont know yet for sure what I will run into. I also managed to find an extra dash panel so I can cut one up to allow me to mount another radio and still be able to put it back to factory. Since I took the pictures, I have moved my Maxrad scanner antenna from the mag mount on the roof to an NMO L-bracket on the driver side fender. I find it very pleasing aesthetically. As much as I don't want to drill my truck, I have decided that a single NMO mount right in front of the cargo light will be acceptable. I have decided I don't like the cables flapping around up there and possibly damaging the paint so I figure the hole is less damaging in the long run.

Here is how the BCT8 was mounted.

 

[KM4WLV]

Seems your dahs is more forgiving with space than my 03 was. With the black trim on that Uniden it makes it look like it belongs there.

 

[donny612]

Sweet!!!

That is probably one of the nicest installs I've seen! I wish my truck had the double din opening like yours does. You have done a wonderful job! I'm jealous!!!

 

[snakecharmer]

That is probably one of the nicest installs I've seen! I wish my truck had the double din opening like yours does. You have done a wonderful job! I'm jealous!!!

That is an older version of the install. The yellow lights on the scanner and 2m drove me crazy so I upgraded to a BCD996T digital scanner and Icom 2m that both had green illumination to match the rest of the truck. I also drilled the roof for a NMO mount 2m antenna and mounted the scanner antenna on a fender bracket. I ditched the CB all together when I got a camper shell on the truck It ended up being a very clean and functional install. Its really a nice change to have that much space to work with.

 

[donny612]

Option...

Actually your installation looks so good, I'm thinking about yanking out my truck's (2005 Nissan Titan) stock RF system which has double din space behind the stock panel but I have to replace the panel and install a single din stereo (which I have from another vehicle) and I'll have to buy a mounting kit and shift over the heat/ac controls to another front panel but seems pretty straightforward. I've been wanting to use my Kenwood but just wasn't motivated enough to do it. Thanks! Not sure when I'll get to it but I'll post pics when I get it done. I just hope it turns out as well as yours did.

 

[chadchess]

Dash Kit

Where did you get aluminum bracket? Do you have blueprints for it if you made it? Also where did you get your dash kit for radio/scanner? I want to do the same setup for my truck and have been looking around for kits like that but can't find one.
Thank you