2017 Toyota Camry with Harris dual head M7300 installed

[ElroyJetson]

This is my "scanner", a Harris M7300 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 1/2 mobile radio.

I just completed the physical install phase in my 2017 Toyota Camry. All that remains is
to connect up the power cabling.

This is how I do it. I really hate a messy installation or just bolting a radio to the lower surface
of the dashboard. I modify parts and make the control head fit into it like it was designed to
be an option when you buy the car, or as close as I can get it. Clean and neat is the order of the day.

The radio unit is mounted on the back of a rear seat. Note the missing volume knob, that's deliberate
to make unwanted volume knob adjustments just a little harder to perform.

This is very close to my ideal of a 100 percent reversible installation. If I pull this out, and replace
the coin tray I cut out for the control head, the only evidence that a radio was ever installed will
be a few tiny screw holes in the plastic back of the rear seat.

As for antennas, I hide/disguise the antenna, too. I'll show that later after I've done my test fitting and
seen where it works best. But...NO HOLES DRILLED TO INSTALL AN ANTENNA. I don't do that.

 

[N4GIX]

Nicely done! Very neat and professional installation so far.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Aside from the antenna, that's it. It IS done. I finished the wiring today. Doesn't look any different.

The antenna choice is a bit of a challenge because I'm not going to allow any visible antenna. No lip
mounts, no mag mounts, certainly no drill-a-hole NMO mounts.

It's being used as a glorified scanner so only RX performance is an issue.

I may end up with something as simple as a copper tape antenna taped to the underside of the bumper. Actually that may work quite well if I make it right.

 

[03msc]

Looks really nice and clean! I'm a big advocate of antennas being properly installed (drilled nmo mount whenever possible) BUT it's your install and you are only doing rx. If the hidden antenna works as it needs to (and as you want it to) then more power to you and go for it!

 

[TampaTyron]

Why not a Sti-Co in the band's of your choice? TT

 

[ElroyJetson]

I wasn't aware of that brand and their offerings. Some look like something I might go for.

My rule is "no visible external antenna". They have some antennas that will work well and satisfy that requirement.

 

[FFPM571]

Stico makes a decal antenna with a small thin whip that mounts to the head liner the only thing visible is a 3" piece of wire no thicker than a guitar string that lies against the window at the top of the headliner Sti-Co Stinger

 

[CanesFan95]

Is it possible to program that for receive only without needing a system key?

 

[ElroyJetson]

With Harris gear, it's dead simple. Only the newest versions of the programming software (RPM) have anything resembling a system key requirement and that doesn't apply to EDACS systems.

For EDACS systems (99 percent of my listening) there's no security at all. I just program every talkgroup for receive only and no affiliation. Make for perfect safe scanning.

 

[CanesFan95]

Awesome! So what about P25 Phase I & 2 II? Is there a workaround?

 

[YoShep69]

I use a mag mount mounted upside in the trunk of my 16 Camry. Works quite nicely.

 

[ElroyJetson]

With the Harris software, again, no issues with programming trunking as long as your software isn't TOO new.

It's not like Motorola where you have to bend a rule every time you program trunking.

 

[K6PCW]

ElroyJetson - I PM'd you regarding antenna ideas.

 

[FFPM571]

ElroyJetson - I PM'd you regarding antenna ideas.

You PM'ed me.... and Stico is not overpriced for what it is and it works well I have used it on multiple UC cars on trunked P25 systems and had 0 issues. I have used bumper antennas and had all sorts of problems

 

[ElroyJetson]

I'm going to try a homemade copper tape 5/8 wave dipole under the rear of the bumper before I spend any money. If the tape antenna works, not only is it a cheap solution, it may also be a viable, sellable product for me to market.

 

[cmdrwill]

700/800 maybe a 1/4 wave NMO Mount upside down on the bottom of the floor or trunk floor. Maybe off the bumper bracket.

Or a 1/4 wave curb feeler....

I remember a UC with the coax cable stripped to 1/4 wave and the shield under a screw under the car.

 

[CanesFan95]

I can understand not wanting to drill a new car, but isn't this going to make for some really lackluster receive sensitivity?

 

[ElroyJetson]

Absolutely not! There are plenty of ways to place the antenna so it has a good "view" of the RF environment without being visible from the outside. There are plastic body parts on the car that are transparent to RF that a flat panel antenna can be concealed in, or stuck to the back side of.

Besides, this is not your ordinary scanner. I'm monitoring trunking systems and I am rarely out of their
designed coverage ranges. I don't NEED the most sensitive antenna installation possible.

First I'll be testing some 5/8 wave tape dipole designs, and if I find one that really works well I'll make
it as a PC board and double stick tape it in an out of sight location. I'm thinking I'll probably end up with a circularly polarized antenna printed on a PC board and fed via a balun from coax.

 

[HT-220]

using coax stripped to 1/4 wave @ 855mhz:
The antenna can be seen in the 2nd and 3rd pictures, it's sticking up out of the opening at the right top of the scanner.
https://forums.radioreference.com/p...setup/237310-2012-tucson-no-hole-install.html

low profile 8oo mhz, mag mount with velcro on bottom stuck to rear deck:

https://forums.radioreference.com/p...p/236969-07-accord-coupe-no-hole-install.html

 

[pb_lonny]

That is a very neat install.