2008 Chevy Cobalt install

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Cobra_Commander

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I have a yaesu 7900r control head mounted on the dash with the radio unit under the drivers side seat.This install was fairly easy the Cobalt seems to have enough room for my pro-651.I have it sitting in the cupholder stays in one place very well while driving.I have a dual band mag mount attenna for the yaesu on the trunk lid.And mag mount attenna for the pro-651 both bought at universal radio.Let me know what you think about the install the wires are out of the way so not all over the place.
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mmckenna

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That speaker on the passenger side dash is in the airbag deployment zone. If you get in an accident and anyone is sitting in the passenger seat, they may wake up with a speaker jammed down their gullet.

Making do with what you have takes some time and patience. The antenna location is pretty good.
Getting that FT-7900 off the dash and maybe mounted under the HVAC controls would work.
The speaker for the hand held might go under the seat or under the dash.

Good start, though. You'll find that installs like this are rarely "done". They usually evolve over time.
 

a417

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go with a right 90 bnc end on that scanner antenna, then you can route the wiring down the side and tie it in with some loom near the power connection, if that's how you're going to run your scanner.
 

03msc

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Remember that these forums are a learning tool as much as a sharing tool - don't take what has been said here offensively as everyone is simply trying to help. That said, I agree with them. It works (you can use the radio) but it is not where it needs to be and is, as said, quite unsafe.
 

Sccafire

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You might want to move your antenna's farther apart. I asked when I did my install of my 536 and FT-8800. Some say that if the antennas are to close together the power when TX'ing on the 7900 may damage the scanner. Mine are 28" apart. I have never TX'ed on the HAM radio while the 536 was on. I have TX'ed with the 536 off and so far no issues that I know of.

Just an FYI. I do not want you to damage your scanner.
 

SCPD

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Loose the speaker-projectile and get a 3.5 to 3.5millimeter audio cable and go into the car stereo's auxillary jack.Then move the control head out of the sun,its going to melt and or damage the LCD Display.Pull the dash piece off then route the cable so the control head is mounted right under the car stereo or where the cigarette lighter is ,so its shaded.
 

mmckenna

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You might want to move your antenna's farther apart. I asked when I did my install of my 536 and FT-8800. Some say that if the antennas are to close together the power when TX'ing on the 7900 may damage the scanner. Mine are 28" apart. I have never TX'ed on the HAM radio while the 536 was on. I have TX'ed with the 536 off and so far no issues that I know of.

Just an FYI. I do not want you to damage your scanner.

It doesn't quite work that way.
Turning the power off on your scanner does not disconnect the antenna. Even with power removed, the antenna is still connected to the soft bits inside the radio that get damaged when too much energy is introduced into the radio by closely spaced antennas.

If your scanner has survived, then they are sufficiently spaced.

Keeping antennas properly separated is a good idea, though. Coupling between antennas, in this case RF energy from the FT-8800 transmitting, getting into the scanner antenna, and eventually making it's way into the front end of the scanner, can be problematic. There are a lot of variables, though:
Transmit RF power
Coaxial losses in the transmit antenna line
Coupling between the two antennas (distance)
Coaxial losses in the receive antenna line
Type of protection (if any) in the scanner.

Better safe than sorry.

You do want to provide a sufficient ground plane under the antennas. For the dual band mobile, you want (ideally) 19 inches of metal all the way around the antenna. This will give it a nice radiation pattern and will provide lowest reflected power.

The scanner antenna isn't quite as critical, but it'll perform better with a decent ground plane.
 

03msc

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Loose the speaker-projectile and get a 3.5 to 3.5millimeter audio cable and go into the car stereo's auxillary jack.Then move the control head out of the sun,its going to melt and or damage the LCD Display.Pull the dash piece off then route the cable so the control head is mounted right under the car stereo or where the cigarette lighter is ,so its shaded.

I agree with you (as I said something similar before) but wanted to say connecting the Yaesu radio to the car stereo's aux in will only work if you do not want to listen to the stereo while driving. I know I like to so an external speaker is the way to go in that regard.

The radio head and speaker definitely need to be moved but sun damage is the least of reasons - they are injuries waiting to happen, even the lightweight control head, if ever in an accident (which no one ever plans to have) and could seriously injure the driver or passengers even in a minor accident when they become flying projectiles. It's preventable with very little effort to move them somewhere else down out of the way so best to do it right and safest.
 
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