DIY 396XT cupholder mount

[jdebona]

I already had a Ram X-Grip that I use for holding my phone on my kayak, boat, and pier cart. I prepped and painted a PVC end cap with some bed-liner material and clear coat and bolted a Ram ball to it. I saved a few dollars over the whole Ram cupholder assembly, and it looks better IMHO.

A piece of loom covers the audio and power cables that are connected into the jacks in the armrest. It's not hardwired to a power supply or connected to an external antenna, but that keeps it legal as I understand the FL law. It's simple and clean, at least for a handheld mount. If I ever get around to getting my amateur license, I want to mount my 996T inside the armrest with a Havis bracket and mount an antenna on the roof.

 

[mattw19781]

cupholder mount

that looks like some pretty good work

 

[Ubbe]

But how's the reception that low in the car?

When I hold a scanner in my hand and rest it in my lap I hardly hear anything.
When I lift it up in line with the windows it springs to life. Also that low position makes it's almost impossible to read the display without taking eyes off the road. Having it placed higher with an air vent clip lets you peek at it and easily do avoids while keeping an eye on the traffic in front of you.

/Ubbe

 

[03msc]

Looks good! That's a good position - you don't want it up high unless it is bolted down because it would become a flying object in the event of an accident. Vent mounts are one of the worst things for that and are strongly advised against despite how popular they are because of their simple installation and "no holes" factor.

I rarely look at the display of my mobile scanner - I am so accustomed to the area systems and repeaters that I can tell who it is and what channel it is when they are talking.

Wise move to keep it down low and not at face level where it would do some damage in an accident.

 

[K5MPH]

Nice install.....

 

[pb_lonny]

Very nice, much the same as mine: The Geeky Radio Enthusiast: Car Mount - December 2017

 

[pinballwiz86]

Looks great! I also still rock a Uniden 396XT. A good workhorse!

 

[Ubbe]

Looks good! That's a good position - you don't want it up high unless it is bolted down because it would become a flying object in the event of an accident.

Objects move forward in case of an accident, or perhaps sideways. It's extreamly rare that a hit from behind are so powerful that the scanner can make any kind of injury and it's also sitting in line outside of the seat.
Vent position is the best. Perfect hight well below you head and good operation and function of the scanner and a s a bonus no holes. Don't hide your antenna from the radiosignals.

/Ubbe

 

[03msc]

The airbags make anything up like that a flying object. Down low where it is now in his photo is the best.

This explains it pretty clearly and concisely: Installation Notes

 

[jdebona]

Thanks, all.

Just like 03msc said, the position is perfect for me, and I don't need to look down at it that often. I've had several collisions (none my fault) where the airbag caused me or a passenger serious pain (still better than hitting the dash). Also, putting it up higher would be challenging for running the 2 cords. I like to have them run into the armrest so they are almost unnoticeable. The armrest has 2 indentations under the lid that work nicely for that so you can still close it completely.

I listen to the local county first responders 85-90% of the time, and I can generally recognize the talkgroup by the background sounds and the dispatcher's voice. The colors on the 396XT are my favorite part about it. I can't believe they didn't keep them in the latest generation. If I'm unsure about the talkgroup, I can see the color from the corner of my eye, and that's a good clue. When I have my arm on the armrest, it's very natural to grip the scanner with my index finger on the volume knob and my thumb on the keypad, and I generally only need to adjust the volume or lock something out while I'm driving.

As for reception, it picks up everything I care about slightly better than it does inside my house.

 

[Ubbe]

The airbags make anything up like that a flying object.

Air bags are nowhere near the air vents. For the driver they are in the steering wheel and at the door sides and sometimes down by your legs. Air vents are an airbag free zone and the perfect place to have scanners or mobile phones.

/Ubbe

 

[03msc]

Thanks, all.

Just like 03msc said, the position is perfect for me, and I don't need to look down at it that often. I've had several collisions (none my fault) where the airbag caused me or a passenger serious pain (still better than hitting the dash). Also, putting it up higher would be challenging for running the 2 cords. I like to have them run into the armrest so they are almost unnoticeable. The armrest has 2 indentations under the lid that work nicely for that so you can still close it completely.

I listen to the local county first responders 85-90% of the time, and I can generally recognize the talkgroup by the background sounds and the dispatcher's voice. The colors on the 396XT are my favorite part about it. I can't believe they didn't keep them in the latest generation. If I'm unsure about the talkgroup, I can see the color from the corner of my eye, and that's a good clue. When I have my arm on the armrest, it's very natural to grip the scanner with my index finger on the volume knob and my thumb on the keypad, and I generally only need to adjust the volume or lock something out while I'm driving.

As for reception, it picks up everything I care about slightly better than it does inside my house.

Yeah, looks great and for all of those reasons mentioned.

Air bags are nowhere near the air vents. For the driver they are in the steering wheel and at the door sides and sometimes down by your legs. Air vents are an airbag free zone and the perfect place to have scanners or mobile phones.

/Ubbe

I meant no disrespect, ubbe; but I guess you didn't read the webpage I linked. You can do what you want (I was just stating the facts for others who come along) but I guess you aren't familiar with modern vehicles and airbags - they are basically everywhere now and, yes, can knock anything loose and make them a flying object (moving them at 200mph in many cases) when they explode. Again, the website I linked to makes it all clear...like with this photo, which is even a few years old itself.

This will be my last post on the subject here since all I'm doing is repeating the same facts and I don't want to hijack the thread (more than has happened) to be something it isn't, which is about a nice little install of a scanner for mobile use. Well done, jdebona!

 

[jdebona]

Either way, the cup holder is the "perfect place" for me. As long as it doesn't distract me from driving, it's not an issue for anyone else.

 

[TailGator911]

Good job on improvising and making it work. I think it looks great! I drive a lease so I cannot make permanent changes to my vehicle so I am always looking for ways to improvise. My leasing days are soon coming to an end, tho, I think I might buy my current vehicle so that I can slap together a nice radio console.

 

[safetyobc]

Looks good

 

[TailGator911]

For an antenna to a hand held scanner I have always used a BNC clip window mount - put your rubber ducky on the end and stick it in the window, attach the other BNC to your scanner. Optimal height and exposure for the rubber duck antenna, and enough (6 ft) coax to position your scanner how you want to. Works like a charm!

 

[djs9164]

I have a good neck mount. It attaches under the seat bolt and holds the scanner nice and tight.

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