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Help with Honda CRV Installation

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Paysonscanner

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I want to install a scanner and a Yaesu FT-8800 in my Honda CRV. It is a 2018 model I bought last spring. There is no room on the dash and no room on the console to mount anything. The transmission lever is mounted just forward of the storage area and the cup holders. I need the storage area for road trip essentials and the cup holders are very much needed. I was thinking of some sort of post mounting that could be bolted onto the center hump and out of the way of the seat when it is pushed forward. I don't really know if there is some type of post mount manufactured by someone that could allow an installation like this. I know the airbag deployment cant be blocked either. Any ideas by someone that has installed some radios in a recent model CRV?

My late husband could have figured this out. He did a great installation on a early 90's Subaru Forester I still have. Being a widow really sucks sometimes.
 

Paysonscanner

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My dad, my late husband's dad and my late hubby taught me a lot of skills as far as wiring, woodworking and other house maintenance tasks. I'm weak on metal fabricating and don't know anything about welding. I helped hubby do some installations in a couple of cars we've owned so everything but the post type mount is no worry.
 

N9JCQ

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Not sure this will be helpful to you but I have a 2007 Acura RDX (similar to the CRV) and a Yaesu FT-7800. I believe, like the 7800, your 8800 has a removable faceplate. I used a mount designed to secure to the airvent on my dashboard to mount my faceplate. I use an extension cable that runs down and then under the drivers seat where the body of the 7800 is mounted in my car. I use a 12volt power source in my dash to power the radio. I believe you may also have a 12 volt power source in the console/armrest as well?
 

Thunderknight

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Remote heads are your friend in newer cars. I attached mine behind the gear shifter and the chassis under the seat (attached the Floor mat so I didn’t have to remove the seat).

RAM Mounts and Pro Clip sell a huge variety of mounts, you might find something that would work for your preference.
 

ladn

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+1 on the remote head (aka "split") mounting. Since the actual control head doesn't have much mass, good quality Velcro or 3M Command Strips or foam tape may also offer a solution. I faced a similar problem in my 2018 4Runner. I mounted the control head (in this case an Icom 2730) on a cell phone clamshell mount with 3M industrial double sided foam tape. The clamshell is mounted to the top section of the accessory tray behind the shift lever, also with the same tape plus a 3/4" dowel for extra support. The radio chassis is mounted on plywood under the driver's seat, and the separation cable is routed in the center console. The clamshell mount allows me to adjust the angle of the control head to make it easier to see.

Unfortunately, there aren't any Uniden scanners with a similar removable control head (and why not, #Upman?). I just drop my Uniden 325P2 in one of the cup holders and connect it to an outside antenna ad USB power.
 

scannerboy02

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I also own a 2018 CRV and am currently working on an installation plan. I am likely going to install the radios in the glove box.

I think it has enough room for two, maybe three mobiles inside (I may also attach one to the outside, not sure yet) and by drilling a small hole or two I should be able to get all the antenna and power cables inside. One big plus to a glove box install is when you close the box no one knows you have radios inside.

I had this setup with two BCD996P2's in my 2009 Focus and it worked great.
 

Paysonscanner

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Thanks guys for the suggestions. I know the FT-8800 has a removable control head, but I hadn't thought of mounting it with Velcro or attaching it to an air vent. I'm a bit concerned with air bag deployment if the glove box is left open. My late hubby was and I am a map nut. The glove box is full of them plus bug juice, sun screen, napkins and a few girl type items. I think mounting the Yaesu radio under the seat is out as there is a caution in the owners manual to not even store things under the passenger seat. It has something to do with the air bag sensor. The drivers seat has map atlases, snow brushes and the like under it. The actual radio would have to be mounted in the trunk. The real dilemma is the scanner. I'm looking toward a new scanner. I understand Whistler might be coming out with a new model that works better with simulcasting. I would be great if they could design a face plate/remote head into it.

Over in the the "pictures of your shack" forum I've seen some laptop computer mounting equipment mounted to a post or flexible columns. That is where I need to do some additional research. If anyone has hands on experience with these it would be great to hear from them.

Sorry to play the widow card, I really must move on. Sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it, I'm not helpless after all.
 

mmckenna

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I'm really not a big fan of any radio mounting that involves double sided tape or velcro. Adhesive properties can change when exposed to heat/cold. In a collision objects can easily dislodge and become a flying hazard. You really want to securely mount everything to keep that from happening.
It's also absolutely critical to not mount anything in the airbag deployment area, lest it become a permanent part of your anatomy.

Newer small vehicles are really limited in space. A good solution may be a goose neck mount coming off the inboard passenger seat bolt. This keeps it low and out of the way of airbags, but allows it to be moved around as needed.

LM-300-22 Seat Bolt Mount For Alinco Anytone, Icom, Kenwood, TYT, Yaesu, Wouxun Radios

It'll require remote head mounting, but that is easily done with the FT-8800. They won't support the entire radio.
Take some time to plan out the installation. Routing the cabling can be a challenge and requires some creativity.
 

vagrant

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Newer small vehicles are really limited in space. A good solution may be a goose neck mount coming off the inboard passenger seat bolt. This keeps it low and out of the way of airbags, but allows it to be moved around as needed.
Agreed on the airbag concern. I use two of those seat bolted mounts you noted (passenger & driver side) and they keep the control heads out of the way. Very easy to install by just loosening and tightening a front seat bolt. They're pretty sturdy with a slight wiggle. I have been off-road and those mounts worked well. I use mine in an SUV that has minimal console area.

One of them used to hold both a Kenwood D710A control head and a Kenwood 480-SAT control head. Although the D710 has been replaced by a Yaesu 400XDR, those mount arms work much better for me than cup holder type mounts I tried. They are somewhat bendable as well, which keeps them from being a nuisance pushing on one's leg and reasonably form fitting to the interior design.
 

Paysonscanner

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Thank you mmckenna and vagrant for your suggestions and especially the link. My late husband and I drilled the roof of the Subaru Forester we bought in 1992. We put two antennas on it, routed all the wire, installed a power system that originated with the battery, but he did not get to installing the control head. We had mounted it to the side of the console so you had to turn your head to read the display. We installed a PSR-600 right into the dashboard. It's really a clean install, but required some time with a Dremel Tool because of the ash tray that came with the car. I did quite a bit of the Dremel work and routed the scanner antenna wire. My hubby shadowed me in drilling the roof for the scanner antenna. We did this the week we bought the car new, so I was a bit nervous.

In little towns in snow country many people have a highway car, an in town car and maybe a pickup or 4WD. I was concerned that the Subie had no airbags, ABS and the like, so I bought the Honda to be the new highway car. My old Honda Civic (1989) finally developed a problem that would have cost a couple of thousand to fix, so I sold it. Two cars might seem excessive for just me, but the in town car is a great resource

Thanks for the great help here. I'm glad I signed up for an account. The feature of accessing the last 250 licenses issued in a county is why I signed up. I had forgotten how many helpful people are on this site.
 

nickwilson159

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There is room for a remote head underneath the shifter - the brick & speaker are mounted under the passenger seat. I used a ProClip mount for the HomePatrol.
 

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Paysonscanner

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Mar 1, 2019
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There is room for a remote head underneath the shifter - the brick & speaker are mounted under the passenger seat. I used a ProClip mount for the HomePatrol.

Thanks so much. I'll look at that as an option. I sure didn't notice it while scouting for a location but it looks like a great option. I would have to figure out somewhere else for the map atlases, snow brushes and the rags I keep under the drivers seat. It snows very little where I just moved to compared with the deeper snow in the mountains I moved from. I can likely ditch a lot of the snow gear, the average snowfall being about 10% of where I came from.
 
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