2004 Toyota Hilux Install from Australia

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VK5ZEA

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PORT LINCOLN South Australia
Hi Everybody,

Here are some early install photos in my late 2004 Toyota Hilux. It looks somewhat different to this now, this is when the truck was shiny and new! It's a bit of a "sleeper", it looks very plain from the outside (apart from the ARB winch bar). The antennas let you know that maybe this isn't an ordinary truck.

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I removed the factory center console and fabricated up a custom job out of aluminum. I covered it with gray vinyl. It was designed to pick up the factory mounting bolts. Having the gear shift in the floor (column shift is almost unheard of in Australia) limited the space for the radio control heads. The original radio installed were an Icom IC-2800 VHF/UHF, Icom IC-F2010 UHF commercial radio and an IC-F7000 commerical HF rig.

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DC distribution is done from two places... in the engine compartment with five 6mm twin DC cables for radio power. Relays for driving lights and headlight upgrade loom are also mounted here.

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... and behind the back seat is another distribution/fuse/relay box for the HF radio and air compressor.

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The IC-2800 and IC-F2010 radios were mounted under the front seats. The IC-F7000 transceiver body is mounted behind the back seat.

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In Nov 2005 a roof console was installed. Housing a speaker, control switches, turbo boot gauge and EGT gauge.

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It has since been changed to include red LED map lights and an dual color LED dome light. A 12 core multicore cable is run from the roof console to the main DC distribution area, one is also run to the rear DC box and the centre console. If I need to run a control signal from the roof console to the rear DC box I can just jumper it through.

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Next was the addition of a HamHUD II for APRS. It was mounted on the dash next to my Garmin GPSMAP60. The radio for the HamHUD is a Motorola GM950+. An extension for the centre console was fabricated out of aluminum and mounted at the rear of the centre console. It contains the NMEA distribution system, HamHUD breakout box and a Racal DGPS receiver as well as the Motorola radio.

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I briefly used an Icom IC-F121S for APRS... but I reverted back to the Motorola radio.

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... and finally for this post are some pictures of my Icom IC-400PRO. This is a UHF CB radio, in Australia we have an 80 channel UHF CB allocation in the 476/477 MHz band.

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The IC-2800 has since been replaced with an Icom IC-2820H D-Star rig. The IC-F2010 will be replaced with an IC-7000 and the control heads moved around to make everything fit. I'm not sure if the IC-7000 body will fit under the drivers seat... but I might be able to squeeze it behind the back seat.

My truck is now my wife's daily driver so she gets to enjoy it more than I do.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post external URL links... but if you search for my callsign in YouTube you can find a video tour of my truck.

73

Michael.
VK5ZEA
 

ScanWI

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Great setup, I'm glad to see the time and effort you put into it.
Thanks for sharing
 

BoxAlarm187

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I have to agree with Spectra, great install and pics! Wonderful attention to detail as well.
 

commscanaus

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Melbourne VK
Magnificent job Michael!

Very neat and well thought out system.
The console is a real credit to you!

How does the IC-F7000 compare to regular ham HF transceivers?
Can it be freely tuned (VFO operation) on the amateur bands?

Your interior lighting gives me some ideas too...especially using red LED's.

Nice pictures too!

Don't know about the "Macarena" on the stereo though...

Regards, Commscanaus.
 

N8DRC

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Grass Lake
Looks great, one of the best installs I have seen, Thanks for sharing...
 
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lotta work

I can say a lotta work went into that install.Thats the first time I ever saw a mini disc Sony in all my years of installing though,thanks for sharing and have a good holiday.Enjoy,73s-
 

EC-7

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Dec 19, 2002
Messages
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Location
Saginaw Co. Michigan
Wow, great install!
You have too many fun radio toys.
I love your YouTube videos, keep them coming.
Id love to work you on the air sometime.

73 DE KC8GRQ - Mark
 
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VK5ZEA

Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
Messages
61
Location
PORT LINCOLN South Australia
Magnificent job Michael!

Very neat and well thought out system.
The console is a real credit to you!

How does the IC-F7000 compare to regular ham HF transceivers?
Can it be freely tuned (VFO operation) on the amateur bands?

Your interior lighting gives me some ideas too...especially using red LED's.

Nice pictures too!

Don't know about the "Macarena" on the stereo though...

Regards, Commscanaus.

Hee hee... one of my wife's MiniDiscs was in the player at the time!

The IC-F7000 is OK on the amateur bands, it doesn't have all the nice bells and whistles that a dedicated amateur rig has. It does allow free tune through the appropriate bands.

I needed it for the VKS737 4WD HF network in Australia, they frown on people using modified "ham" radios on their service. I also play around a little with the ALE features of the radio. I do plan on adding and Icom IC-7000 to the setup with a changeover system to easily switch the SG237 antenna coupler between the two radios.

I see that Icom has recently released a new commercial HF rig.. the IC-F8100
 

motorola_otaku

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Hands-down, this is the best install I've seen come out of Australia. Your power wiring and distribution is exemplary; I literally could not do any better myself. You must not live in a heavily urbanized area, though, or that IC-2800 would be next to useless from intermod and overload. I also approve of the MD player. :D I use almost the same exact one in my vehicle.

I'm curious about your NMEA distribution block.. is that a commercial item or homebrew?
 
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