Looking for small 2M mobile with separation kit

[k6cpo]

If you want an analog FM radio, perhaps the FT-8900R Welcome to Yaesu.com will fit the bill. I had its lookalike no-longer-made FT-8800R that was a bulletproof unit. HTH.

The Ft-8800R is a dual band ( 2m and 70cm) radio while the FT-8900R is a quad band (10m, 6m, 2m and 70cm) radio. In my opinion, it's kinda useless on 10 meters because it's FM only, no SSB and only marginally usable on 6 meters, again due to the FM only restriction. I use mine on 2 meters and 70cm more than 6 meters (usually once a week for my club net.)

 

[graywoulf]

The Ft-8800R is a dual band ( 2m and 70cm) radio while the FT-8900R is a quad band (10m, 6m, 2m and 70cm) radio. In my opinion, it's kinda useless on 10 meters because it's FM only, no SSB and only marginally usable on 6 meters, again due to the FM only restriction. I use mine on 2 meters and 70cm more than 6 meters (usually once a week for my club net.)

I agree that the 6 and 10 meter bands won't get a lot of use but I am getting such a good deal on the 8900 that for it's features, I can't pass it up. My friend is moving into a condo retirement community and is thinning out his shack for the move. There is a fairly local 10 meter repeater that he says has frequent traffic on it but I am mainly interested in having the remote face feature to keep the setup neat and tidy. I am just going to install a dual band mobile antenna for now but will consider a quad band antenna sometime down the road.

 

[AK9R]

There is a fairly local 10 meter repeater that he says has frequent traffic on it...

Just remember that 10m FM activity is in a portion of the band not available to those with Technician licenses. You must have a General or higher class license to operate 10m FM in the U.S.

 

[graywoulf]

Just remember that 10m FM activity is in a portion of the band not available to those with Technician licenses. You must have a General or higher class license to operate 10m FM in the U.S.

Thanks for the reminder and generally classy I am.

 

[w2xq]

The Ft-8800R is a dual band ( 2m and 70cm) radio while the FT-8900R is a quad band (10m, 6m, 2m and 70cm) radio. In my opinion, it's kinda useless on 10 meters because it's FM only, no SSB and only marginally usable on 6 meters, again due to the FM only restriction. I use mine on 2 meters and 70cm more than 6 meters (usually once a week for my club net.)

I only suggested the 8900 for the 8800's good form factor. Unfortunately the durable 8800 is no longer made.

 

[graywoulf]

Got my 8900 yesterday. It looks like it was just unboxed. Already programmed for all the local repeaters and more but I want to get a programming cable for it so I can make some changes like taking out all of the 6 and 10 meter frequencies that are programmed in. He also threw in a Larsen dual band loaded coil NMO antenna. I ordered a Diamond K412CNMO adjustable mount for it. Now to figure out where to mount the faceplate and the radio in my car.

 

[w2xq]

Now to figure out where to mount the faceplate and the radio in my car.

I put the 8800 radio in the back of my SUV, in a sidepocket, to make a short 3-foot run to the antenna. I lifted the carpet slightly from under the dash to under the front seat, again under the rear carpet to under the back seat to get the power and remote cable to the rear of the back seat. Then I tucked the cables to the side to the radio. The radio faceplate was attached with a few bolts to already existing holes in the lip on the bottom of the lower dash. Maybe the idea helps?

 

[graywoulf]

I would like to mount the radio in the trunk but was advised against it due to the possible voltage drop for a power cable that would be about 12 feet even though I was considering an 8 gauge power cable. So, I am looking at mounting the radio on the passenger side kick panel instead. I did high end car audio systems back in the eighties and this kind of installation was second nature to me but these newer vehicles do not have the accessibility to run cables as they did back then. So now I am thinking that the shorter the run, the better. I appreciate your input on this.

 

[krokus]

I would like to mount the radio in the trunk but was advised against it due to the possible voltage drop for a power cable that would be about 12 feet even though I was considering an 8 gauge power cable. So, I am looking at mounting the radio on the passenger side kick panel instead. I did high end car audio systems back in the eighties and this kind of installation was second nature to me but these newer vehicles do not have the accessibility to run cables as they did back then. So now I am thinking that the shorter the run, the better. I appreciate your input on this.

Doing stereo installs gives you a good knowledge base for installing in the trunk. Treat the installation like a subwoofer amp, and you should be ok.

 

[jaspence]

If you buy a used radio, make sure the kit is complete or still available. I use an FT-90, but the connecting kit has not been available for some time. I know you have had plenty of advice, but if you find a good FT-90R, they are one of the smallest brand name mobiles ever offered.

 

[graywoulf]

If you buy a used radio, make sure the kit is complete or still available. I use an FT-90, but the connecting kit has not been available for some time. I know you have had plenty of advice, but if you find a good FT-90R, they are one of the smallest brand name mobiles ever offered.

Thank you for the advice. I have already purchased a Yaesu FT-8900R and it had the complete separation kit with it.

 

[graywoulf]

Doing stereo installs gives you a good knowledge base for installing in the trunk. Treat the installation like a subwoofer amp, and you should be ok.

I had considered using the 4 gauge wire with a power distribution block in the trunk. I also have a small 400 watt inverter that I would like to mount in the trunk as well and I think that the 4 gauge cable would handle it as well.

 

[AC9BX]

I very much like my Yaesu FTM350, dual band. They have the 400 now with a MUCH better display and C4FM-Fusion. The squawky things they call speakers are the only real shortcoming, embarrassing. I have the head mounted on top of the dashboard, nowhere else to put anything in my Saturn Outlook. The radio is in the back in the storage area.

I wouldn't worry too much about voltage drop. The 50W radio worst case will consume about 100W. It's probably more efficient than that. Assuming 13V with vehicle running (probably nearer 14, near 12 of course when not running) and 100W gives us 7.69 Amps, rounding UP to 8, so we're even further overestimating, 10 AWG copper (1 Ohm per 1000 feet at room temp), 12 feet long, will drop 0.2V. Relax. You'll loose as much through nickel plating on the fuse holder and such. MUCH worse is RF power loss in the coax, keep that as short as possible. 50W at 440MHz into only 12 feet of Belden 8240 RG58 coax (probably better than what comes with the antenna) will drop 10W of RF. If you can use something like LMR240 that drop is only about 6W.

 

[AK9R]

I have already purchased a Yaesu FT-8900R...

According to the user manual for this radio, the rated supply voltage is 13.8 volts DC +/- 15%. That means that the radio should function with the supply voltage as low as 11.73 volts.

The user manual also states that the current consumption is 0.5 amps receive with the audio squelched and 8.0 amps when transmitting on 6m or 70cm and 8.5 amps when transmitting on 10m or 2m. This is the current draw for transmitting at high power. If you are transmitting at lower power settings, the radio will draw less current.

 

[MTS2000des]

If you buy a used radio, make sure the kit is complete or still available.

The good news is the FT-8900R, still in production and being sold, shares the remote head kit with the FT8800. Shows to be available at just about every ham radio dealer on the net for around $60.

You are being redirected...

 

[graywoulf]

I would like to share my recent acquisition and installation of my Yaesu FT-9800R in my new car. These new cars are a lot more trouble to do installs in based on my many years of car stereo installation back in the 70's and 80's but I managed to do a fairly custom install after it was all over. I am transmitting on a Larsen dual band antenna to start with mounted with a Diamond NMO 3 Axis trunk lip mount but I plan on purchasing a quad band mobile antenna at an upcoming Ham Fest in Shelby NC at the end of this month. I really appreciate all of the help and advice you guys passed along to me. So here are a few pictures to show it all off.

 

[N4GIX]

Wow, very professionally done sir!

 

[graywoulf]

Wow, very professionally done sir!

Thank you sir for that great complement.

 

[krokus]

I would like to share my recent acquisition and installation of my Yaesu FT-9800R in my new car. These new cars are a lot more trouble to do installs in based on my many years of car stereo installation back in the 70's and 80's but I managed to do a fairly custom install after it was all over. I am transmitting on a Larsen dual band antenna to start with mounted with a Diamond NMO 3 Axis trunk lip mount but I plan on purchasing a quad band mobile antenna at an upcoming Ham Fest in Shelby NC at the end of this month. I really appreciate all of the help and advice you guys passed along to me. So here are a few pictures to show it all off.

That looks very nice. Where did you mount the body of the radio?

 

[graywoulf]

That looks very nice. Where did you mount the body of the radio?

It is mounted on the passenger side kick panel. I would have liked to have mounted it in the trunk but I did not want to have to run a heavy gauge power cable through the car. I was worried that it would be in the way of my wife's foot but she says that it is not. I can't say anything good about it's built in speaker though. I have one of the small MFJ speakers sitting on the console cup holder. Looking for a good place to mount it out of the way. And thank you for the complement.