2015 Ford F-150 Scanner Install

[Tinkertek]

My setup using the Home Patrol 2 and the Larsen NMO800 antenna (I painted it Black). That antenna, though designed for 800 MHz, works quite well on Vhf Hi as well. For others looking to install an antenna, there is an existing hole through the floor with a rubber grommet under the AC inverter (under the carpet in the back seat).

 

[Tinkertek]

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[Tinkertek]

I had to install an amp, as the audio output was just not loud enough. I take the Line output and run it into an amp and the output from the amp goes to the stock Fird speaker there in the top center of the dash.

 

[Tinkertek]

The switch is there to swap between always-on power and keyed power. The antenna mount is a custom aluminum bar I made with a purchased NMO base and RG8X coax.

 

[Tinkertek]

All connectors are 90 degrees. The black tape serves 2 purposes - to cover holes and to prevent glare on the windshield. Forgot to mention, the headphone out Jack is indeed louder to feed into the amp, but has a loud popping sound when squelch breaks. The Line Out Jack is clean (no popping), but the amplitude is much lower feeding the amp. It's fine though,

 

[muchomorek]

install audio ground loop isolator to eliminate the popping sound.

 

[Tinkertek]

Something else interesting is that I initially tried to use the stock AM/FM antenna mount. I even made an adapter to simply screw into that stock mount and the reception was simply horrible on all bands. I had cut into the factory Orange coax amd put in a 2-way splitter. One splitter output fed the stereo and the other output fed the scanner. Just horrible reception. It may have been due to the impedance mismatch between my 75 ohm splitter and the stock coax (50 ohm I assume). Usually the impedance bump wouldn't be so noticeable for a receive only device. Oh well, I'm quite happy with the external antenna in the rear.

 

[Tinkertek]

I did experiment with placing .1 uf capacitors in series feeding the amp, in an effort to fix the popping when using the headphone out Jack - didn't really help. I didn't purchase the ground loop isolator with the audio transformer - that may have cured it, I don't know.

 

[Tinkertek]

The ground loop isolator fixed the problem and now I use the adjustable output volume jack which is so much louder than the line level. That feeds the amp and now I use the stock external speaker in the truck, behind it,

 

[wd9cms]

Nice clean setup and good troubleshooting on the audio issue!!!

Bill

 

[KB8QDM]

Just picked up a 2015 on Friday.

What is your antenna mounted to? Unfortunately, a lease precludes drilling into the body, and I've been trying to come up with a workable, yet not permanent solution. After that, just need to figure out where to mount my Tait T-2020 and possibly scanner.

 

[Tinkertek]

I mounted the antenna using a custom made aluminum bar, to the stake hole in the bed. No drilling necessary, though I did sand the surface inside the stake hole to achieve a good ground. It works mint.

 

[parnass]

I don't wish to hijack the original poster's thread. I installed a Breedlove stake pocket bracket and an NMO mount on the bed rail of my 2013 Ford F-250. Breedlove makes a few different styles and the mount he sold me was super well constructed.

https://breedlovemounts.com/Home_Page.php

 

[tglendye]

Very clean and good looking install. Nice looking truck, also.

Just picked up a 2015 on Friday.

What is your antenna mounted to? Unfortunately, a lease precludes drilling into the body, and I've been trying to come up with a workable, yet not permanent solution. After that, just need to figure out where to mount my Tait T-2020 and possibly scanner.

Not to hi-jack the original poster's thread either but I have an '06 F-150, and found a custom made bracket for the front fender that did not require drilling. I simply installed the antenna/ bracket by bolting it on with an existing bolt.

 

[N1XDS]

Nice install!

 

[Eng74]

I got a 2015 F-150 SuperCrew with the Sport package so it has the 40/consol/40 seats up front. They did not leave any room for a radio unless I takeout the 8 inch center display, not going to happen. So I have been useing HH. This might swing me to the HP 2. Just not too sure on how the radio will hold up since I have the 2.7L that has the auto stop/start.

 

[Tinkertek]

Hmm, auto stop start could be a problem with all that voltage drop.

 

[KB8QDM]

I got a 2015 F-150 SuperCrew with the Sport package so it has the 40/consol/40 seats up front. They did not leave any room for a radio unless I takeout the 8 inch center display, not going to happen. So I have been useing HH. This might swing me to the HP 2. Just not too sure on how the radio will hold up since I have the 2.7L that has the auto stop/start.

If I had to pick one thing I hate about my 2015 F-150, it's that @#$% auto stop/start. With no way to permanently disable it, I've just gotten into the habit of turning it off every time I start the truck.

Otherwise, I'm in the same boat you are. I'm trying to figure out a way to mount a Tait T-2020 and a Uniden 760XLT around that center console. It's funny, when I was looking at getting it (traded in a leased 2012 F-150), my main concern was mounting the antennas...until I saw that center console. A couple things I'm considering are heavy duty velcro/double sided tape to the passenger side of the console as far forward as I can get them, Another thought is to try and work some wood into the storage track on the side of the console, and mounting to that.

 

[Eng74]

If I had to pick one thing I hate about my 2015 F-150, it's that @#$% auto stop/start. With no way to permanently disable it, I've just gotten into the habit of turning it off every time I start the truck.

Otherwise, I'm in the same boat you are. I'm trying to figure out a way to mount a Tait T-2020 and a Uniden 760XLT around that center console. It's funny, when I was looking at getting it (traded in a leased 2012 F-150), my main concern was mounting the antennas...until I saw that center console. A couple things I'm considering are heavy duty velcro/double sided tape to the passenger side of the console as far forward as I can get them, Another thought is to try and work some wood into the storage track on the side of the console, and mounting to that.

I do have a button over the center nav/entertainment/rear camera screen to turn the auto stop/start off. To go off the radio topic I loved my 04 F-150 SuperCrew but this 2015 is blowing it out off the road. I lucked into getting this one since I was forced to buy a new one. Found it online and did a screen shot of the sticker from the Ford site. Went to my dealer with it and it turned out it was on the train coming to California and was going to their dealership. Once it got off the train they tagged for me and it was in Bakersfield a couple of days later. All I have done so far is add a Pace Edwards bedcover to it. Kinda gives that CFD look with the black top on the ruby red metric clear coat. Ok back to the radios now.

 

[scottyhetzel]

Something else interesting is that I initially tried to use the stock AM/FM antenna mount. I even made an adapter to simply screw into that stock mount and the reception was simply horrible on all bands. I had cut into the factory Orange coax amd put in a 2-way splitter. One splitter output fed the stereo and the other output fed the scanner. Just horrible reception. It may have been due to the impedance mismatch between my 75 ohm splitter and the stock coax (50 ohm I assume). Usually the impedance bump wouldn't be so noticeable for a receive only device. Oh well, I'm quite happy with the external antenna in the rear.

If you just ran the antenna into the scanner it would rather do well, if you made good soldered connections, not thread on...we do it all the time, When you split the signal , I assume you used a coax TV splitter...it will reduce the signal by -2.5db, per port. The couplers from scanner master are passive and will not degradate the signal...the fm antenna is tuned for 88-108 MHz as you know...