For the last 4 years or so I have been happily driving a 2019 Honda Odyssey minivan as it is the only car I. have found with the luxury stuff I want (built-in Nav system, leather interior and all the modern automotive gadgets) that also had space for the radios without needing to use remote heads. I thought to myself that this might be my first 10-year car absent a crash. In the time I have had it the only thing I have changed on it at all is replacing the BCD996P2 with a second BCD536HP. If you know me then that is a miracle. Please see this thread on that install: New 2019 Odyssey Install
Now, with over 4 years I only had 45,000 miles on it, since I either worked from home or was retired and being garage kept it was in great condition. The only thing I did was get new tires in March of this year and routine oil changes. I know I needed to consider new brakes, getting the radiator and transmission flushed and AC serviced so I was planning on making an appointment to do this and trying to decide whether I do it at the dealer (who has been very good to me since I have bought there twice) or a local shop.
While musing over this the wife and I were shopping the other day in the midst of the worst heatwave in Arizona history. For over a week it has been over 110 degrees every day and we have set all-time record high LOW temperatures in the upper 90's. Yes, the overnight LOW the other day was 97°. It is hotter than ever even by Arizona standards. As we were driving the AC in the car failed. I then decided it was time for new wheels.
I did some research and confirmed that the only vehicle available that would allow my radios to be installed in a wife-approved fashion and still provide the creature comforts we are used to was again the Honda Odyssey. So off to the dealer we went.
We ended up with a blue 2023 Elite model Odyssey. There is not much choice this late in the model year as they ramp up for the 2024 models. Research showed that there are no substantial changes in the 2024 so I felt comfortable getting the 2023.
I had already pulled the radios from the old car, it took only 15 minutes or so. I snipped the NMO's off at the roof and popped in rubber plugs and removed the radio stack by tilting it towards the driver's side and sliding it out. I snipped off the antenna connectors from the near end of the cables and popped them into the small hole in the back wall. A little vacuuming and a wipe down later and you couldn't tell there had been radios there at all.
When we got the new car home the other day I popped in the radio stack as it was, connecting the power lead to the cigar lighter socket right there and popped on 3 mag-mounts that will hold me until I can get my guy to install drilled NMO's and a proper power lead connected to a relay. For now though this will work fine, and since I have a trip to Idaho coming up this weekend I have my radios working.
First the antennas: Until I can have the proper hole-mounted NMO's installed these will do. I hope I placate the mag-mount haters! BTW, I will have 4 NMO's installed for 2 reasons. One is to allow the use of an additional HH radio at times, like when I am railfanning and do not want to run down the battery by leaving the radios on. The second is that I need a step ladder to reach the center antenna, having all nearer the edge of the roof allows me to reach them from the ground at the car wash.
Radio Stack: The rack as pictured in my 2019 thread fits nicely between the center console and the dashboard. The wife likes this as the radios are out of the way and when she is using the car they don't bother her. The towel is used to cover the radios when parked to protect them from the sun and prying eyes.
Close-up of the radios: The scanners are BCD536HP's. The other radio is an Alinco DR638 used for GMRS and 2m/440 ham use. I also use it for railfanning by leaving the local Road channel in the sub-band. (Yes, I have the RR and PS freqs programmed in it set to RX only.)
Please see the 2019 thread for the construction of the rack, it was pretty simple and (IMHO) pretty ingenious.
Now, with over 4 years I only had 45,000 miles on it, since I either worked from home or was retired and being garage kept it was in great condition. The only thing I did was get new tires in March of this year and routine oil changes. I know I needed to consider new brakes, getting the radiator and transmission flushed and AC serviced so I was planning on making an appointment to do this and trying to decide whether I do it at the dealer (who has been very good to me since I have bought there twice) or a local shop.
While musing over this the wife and I were shopping the other day in the midst of the worst heatwave in Arizona history. For over a week it has been over 110 degrees every day and we have set all-time record high LOW temperatures in the upper 90's. Yes, the overnight LOW the other day was 97°. It is hotter than ever even by Arizona standards. As we were driving the AC in the car failed. I then decided it was time for new wheels.
I did some research and confirmed that the only vehicle available that would allow my radios to be installed in a wife-approved fashion and still provide the creature comforts we are used to was again the Honda Odyssey. So off to the dealer we went.
We ended up with a blue 2023 Elite model Odyssey. There is not much choice this late in the model year as they ramp up for the 2024 models. Research showed that there are no substantial changes in the 2024 so I felt comfortable getting the 2023.
I had already pulled the radios from the old car, it took only 15 minutes or so. I snipped the NMO's off at the roof and popped in rubber plugs and removed the radio stack by tilting it towards the driver's side and sliding it out. I snipped off the antenna connectors from the near end of the cables and popped them into the small hole in the back wall. A little vacuuming and a wipe down later and you couldn't tell there had been radios there at all.
When we got the new car home the other day I popped in the radio stack as it was, connecting the power lead to the cigar lighter socket right there and popped on 3 mag-mounts that will hold me until I can get my guy to install drilled NMO's and a proper power lead connected to a relay. For now though this will work fine, and since I have a trip to Idaho coming up this weekend I have my radios working.
First the antennas: Until I can have the proper hole-mounted NMO's installed these will do. I hope I placate the mag-mount haters! BTW, I will have 4 NMO's installed for 2 reasons. One is to allow the use of an additional HH radio at times, like when I am railfanning and do not want to run down the battery by leaving the radios on. The second is that I need a step ladder to reach the center antenna, having all nearer the edge of the roof allows me to reach them from the ground at the car wash.
Radio Stack: The rack as pictured in my 2019 thread fits nicely between the center console and the dashboard. The wife likes this as the radios are out of the way and when she is using the car they don't bother her. The towel is used to cover the radios when parked to protect them from the sun and prying eyes.
Close-up of the radios: The scanners are BCD536HP's. The other radio is an Alinco DR638 used for GMRS and 2m/440 ham use. I also use it for railfanning by leaving the local Road channel in the sub-band. (Yes, I have the RR and PS freqs programmed in it set to RX only.)
Please see the 2019 thread for the construction of the rack, it was pretty simple and (IMHO) pretty ingenious.
