Mounting a mobile radio in the dash of a 2000 Toyota 4Runner

[KXX8820]

I am involved in a lengthy discussion about what radio to buy and as of now, it looks like it will be a Kenwood TM-V71A but the question would probably apply equally to most comparable radios.

My first inclination is to install the radio intact, no separation kit cost or hassle. I was looking around my dash area where I would mount a radio. I haven't mounted a radio in a vehicle since they had the old style dashes with door-to-door space, i.e. none of this center console stuff.

In my console/dash, is a two DIN radio/CD/cassette. Probably because of the cassette part, it takes two DIN spaces. It seems like the Kenwood is a 1 DIN space device and in fact, not even a full 1 DIN (7X2") space. It seems I could find a cheap radio/cd player that would take one DIN and install the Kenwood over or above it.

I do realize the mic comes out the side of the radio so the radio would need to be mounted forward enough to accommodate the mic connection and of course the speaker will be muffled but that is an easy fix. I know ventilation is an issue, but there is plenty of air back behind the console plate, i.e. inside the dash. Having the radio behind the dash will also keep the fan noise out of the cabin too.

Since I have taken into consideration the speaker and air movement, is there any other reason not to mount the radio in the dash?

 

[HummerMike]

I have a double din also in my vehicle. I use a Pioneer single din in the top with the flip out face. Gives me Radio, mp3 etc. Also Navigation and back up camera. in the bottom I have a full feature control head going to a dual band setup with a Kenwood TK-790 and a TK-890. Gives me 100 watts on UHF and VHF. Works out great.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Slightly different situation, but your radio may not be a true double din. My 02 F150 (so that's any 97-04) had a din and a half radio…I seem to remember 4Runner's being similar. However, the aftermarket radio adapter had a small cubby which would work well to mount a control head to. I kept switches in mine but whatever floats your boat.


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[KXX8820]

Slightly different situation, but your radio may not be a true double din. My 02 F150 (so that's any 97-04) had a din and a half radio…I seem to remember 4Runner's being similar. However, the aftermarket radio adapter had a small cubby which would work well to mount a control head to. I kept switches in mine but whatever floats your boat.


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Thanks for the potential issue, but it isn't an issue. To be sure, i just checked. Per Wikipedia, the standard is: The US standard for a DIN radio is 7" x 2" (although the actual 180 mm width converts to something like 7-3/32" so most people use 7-1/8" to allow for clearance) and the Double DIN sized radio is a 7" x 4"."

The actual opening in the fake wood dash is 6-7/8x3-7/8" so it is a full 2 DIN, and when I saw others who had opened their dash, there is actually space below the bottom slot, i.e. there is no floor in the space until you get to the amplifier below it... The current double DIN radio/CD/cassette is all one piece and the bracket it is mounted in appears to have four screw holes so it seems set up to have two 1DIN devices mounted in it, and as I said, with an open bottom. I don't know which bay I will mount which thing in. I would probably "fuss" more with the ham radio than I would my AM/FM as I mainly put it on a station and leave it there. Getting a new radio will also get me some Bluetooth handsfree and other features too..

 

[KXX8820]

Oh ya....if I don't want to have the Kenwood stick out to allow for the mic, I could actually cut a slot in the side of the console for the mic plug to go through to plug in. Since it is an old vehicle, a small slot cut in the side of the console is not a big deal.

Is there such a thing as a 2" extension adapter? If I could plug in a 2" (or so) extension, it could plug into the radio, and then it would pass through the side of the console, moving the port to the surface of the console. That would probably be more convenient if I wanted to unplug the mic.

 

[N4GIX]

Kenwood did have a long (about 60") extension cable for their TM-V7A radio as part of the separation kit. You could probably find something similar with a bit of eBaying. This would allow you to place a mic jack pretty much anywhere convenient. You can route the cable behind the dash and bring it out from the bottom to keep it hidden as much as possible.

Oh look! Here's one that's only three feet long:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321792354874?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

BTW, I've dealt with "radiodan-w7rf" many times. In fact he took the time to call *me* once to clarify an order I'd placed. Now that is service!

If you mount the "box" with a bit of double-sided sticky tape along the left side of your console, the mic cable won't be dangling around your feet when the mic is in the clip.

 

[KXX8820]

Thanks... I realize there are those kind of extenders, but there really isn't room for it. There is virtually no gap between the side of the radio and the side of the console. I thought if there was a simple M/F plug, something the size of a thumbdrive, just something to give me 2". I am fine with where the position of the mic is, it is just a matter of getting through that 1.5-2" of distance from the edge of the radio to the outside of the console. If need be, I can cut out the fake walnut faceplate and run the mic cable between the faceplate and the console it pressure-clip attaches to. Thought it would be simpler to have a 2" M/F adapter.

I will know more when I get closer to surgery

 

[KXX8820]

I forgot to pay more attention to what you showed me....if this is a simple RJ11 connector then even something like this should work but I don't like the bulk of the female connector.

2 Pcs Telephone Cable Connector RJ11 6P4C M/F Adapter White - Walmart.com

http://ll-us-i5.wal.co/dfw/dce07b8c-d67c/k2-_e805a12c-de92-4f5f-bb40-1273a8d60a45.v1.jpg

As you know, it is best to have the least connections necessary. Makes no sense to make a M/M cable, then connect that to a F/F adapter to give you a M/F.

 

[cmdrwill]

The TM-V71 has a RJ45 8 pin jack for the mic. Yes they make short male - to female RJ45 cables.


30cm RJ45 Male to Female Ethernet Extension Cable For Local Area Network LAN
by AplusElek thru Amazon.

 

[bharvey2]

The mic jack is indeed a RJ45. However, The wiring is a bit finicky. For the V71A (and perhaps others) Kenwood incorporated a coaxial cable in their mic extension cable assembly. I tried making my own cable out of both CAT 5 and CAT 6 but found that there was clicking noise that was audible when I would transmit. (Audible to those receiving) I ended up making my own using coaxial mic cable but placed it outside of the cable assembly. - Not pretty but the cable was hidden. Maybe you can get by with just a short length of CAT 5 or 6. Keep in mind that I don't think the wiring for the mic matches CAT wiring. You can confirm this as the mic wiring is in the manual.

 

[KXX8820]

The mic jack is indeed a RJ45. However, The wiring is a bit finicky. For the V71A (and perhaps others) Kenwood incorporated a coaxial cable in their mic extension cable assembly. I tried making my own cable out of both CAT 5 and CAT 6 but found that there was clicking noise that was audible when I would transmit. (Audible to those receiving) I ended up making my own using coaxial mic cable but placed it outside of the cable assembly. - Not pretty but the cable was hidden. Maybe you can get by with just a short length of CAT 5 or 6. Keep in mind that I don't think the wiring for the mic matches CAT wiring. You can confirm this as the mic wiring is in the manual.

An extension cable even if it is only 2" long should be a 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc. Like the one referenced above which looks like ordinary phone wire. Even at $9.xx, that isn't a great deal for a few feet of wire and a couple connectors.

I think I still have a Ethernet cable crimper and some connectors, but they are all traditional, i.e. male. Maybe there just isn't an application that need a 2" extension, i.e. M/F.

 

[bharvey2]

You're absolutely right. A direct pin to pin extension cable should function fine. i know many people expect to use off the shelf CAT 5 cables and I don't think that would work. In reference to my cable construction efforts above, I even tried making my own out of shielded CAT5 cable and still had the "helicopter" noise. I think the mic conductors are sensitive to interference generated by either the radio or active components within the mic itself.

 

[cmdrwill]

You're absolutely right. A direct pin to pin extension cable should function fine. i know many people expect to use off the shelf CAT 5 cables and I don't think that would work. In reference to my cable construction efforts above, I even tried making my own out of shielded CAT5 cable and still had the "helicopter" noise. I think the mic conductors are sensitive to interference generated by either the radio or active components within the mic itself.

We were talking about a short 6", male to female cable to get the mic jack out to the face plate for the OP DIN radio mounting. The OP will not have a problem with the short extension.


On the subject of a extension mic cable for remote radio installations, that IS another whole different problem. And I do have some fixes for the 'noise' problem. (lots of remote mount 71's and 710's around here)

 

[N4GIX]

I would expect "helicopter noise" from a DMR radio but not from analog. Oddly enough, I use a CAT5 cable for remote mounting the control head of my CS800 DMR radio, and it carries the mic signal as well.

 

[bharvey2]

I think the problem is unique to the V71A. I've heard others, including the CS800, that use CAT5 cables without any problem whatsoever. As I mentioned, I think there may be some clock noise/pulses generated from within the radio that cause the problem. The V71A line drawing of the mic cable shows two data lines. I'm thinking that's where the problem is introduced. I don't know why it would be worse on the Kenwood radio than it would be for an ethernet connection but I've experienced it a number of times firsthand with that model of radio. It must be the combination of the digital hash in proximity to the audio line that gives it fits.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

The noise has to do with the choice of pins being used. A Cat5 is actually pinned out specifically to the twist (that's why there is a pin standard). Getting paired signals off twist can lead to some interesting issues (like noise in audio or nulled bits on data).


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[BlueDevil]