For those of you who have followed my vehicle builds over the years you will know that I prefer Honda Pilots and Odysseys due to the covered well in the rear cargo area where I can board mount radios and run cables forward for remote heads. This has worked great as the scanners of choice for me has been the BCD996XT which work great with the RH96 Remote Head. Now though I need the features and modes that the BCD996P2 and BCD536HP bring to bear, and neither work natively with remote heads.
I have been working with Ric Plummer on a converter to work with the BCD996P2 that allows use with the RH96 but still would like to use the BCD536HP in my vehicle. The problem is that most cars and trucks with the higher trim levels I want do not have a place to mount full-size radios where they will be accessible and out of the way. Most vehicles these days have center consoles that block the ability to install radios. I could get a lower tier trim level but I use some of the features found only in the higher level trims like Nav systems, moon roofs and the like.
In looking for a replacement vehicle for my 2016 Ford Expedition I considered several SUV’s, vans and cars. I could have gone with almost any of the domestic and international brands but every one has a center console that doesn’t allow room for radios in the higher trim except the new Honda Odyssey.
I have had two Odyssey’s in the past 2 decades, as well as a couple Pilots and Ford Expeditions. The 2019 Odyssey has a large blank area between the center console and dashboard that is apparently meant as a pass-thru of some sort. There is a pull-out storage tray that slides into this area as well. It is large enough to fit a pair of DIN size scanners or even an SDS200 and a DIN scanner. There is also enough room to fit two DIN-sized scanners and my Alinco DR638 if I drop it down just below the top of the lip. This would eliminate the need for remote heads and the associated wiring for them and remote speakers.
My thoughts at this point is a heavy weighted base that sets on the floor tray between the seats that supports a vertical bracket of some sort that then connects to the mounting holes on the scanner. By originally using that flat 2-inch mending bar that they sell at Home Depot and a piece of 2x12 cut to fit the tray I can experiment with the various heights. Once I figure the exact dimensions of what I want then I can construct a more permanent solution, perhaps a friend of mine who does wood and metal working can help
.
I suppose I will need some sort of stabilizer to keep the stack from sliding when cornering, as it might be a little top-heavy but that shouldn’t be a problem to figure out.
I will post pics when completed!
I have been working with Ric Plummer on a converter to work with the BCD996P2 that allows use with the RH96 but still would like to use the BCD536HP in my vehicle. The problem is that most cars and trucks with the higher trim levels I want do not have a place to mount full-size radios where they will be accessible and out of the way. Most vehicles these days have center consoles that block the ability to install radios. I could get a lower tier trim level but I use some of the features found only in the higher level trims like Nav systems, moon roofs and the like.
In looking for a replacement vehicle for my 2016 Ford Expedition I considered several SUV’s, vans and cars. I could have gone with almost any of the domestic and international brands but every one has a center console that doesn’t allow room for radios in the higher trim except the new Honda Odyssey.
I have had two Odyssey’s in the past 2 decades, as well as a couple Pilots and Ford Expeditions. The 2019 Odyssey has a large blank area between the center console and dashboard that is apparently meant as a pass-thru of some sort. There is a pull-out storage tray that slides into this area as well. It is large enough to fit a pair of DIN size scanners or even an SDS200 and a DIN scanner. There is also enough room to fit two DIN-sized scanners and my Alinco DR638 if I drop it down just below the top of the lip. This would eliminate the need for remote heads and the associated wiring for them and remote speakers.
My thoughts at this point is a heavy weighted base that sets on the floor tray between the seats that supports a vertical bracket of some sort that then connects to the mounting holes on the scanner. By originally using that flat 2-inch mending bar that they sell at Home Depot and a piece of 2x12 cut to fit the tray I can experiment with the various heights. Once I figure the exact dimensions of what I want then I can construct a more permanent solution, perhaps a friend of mine who does wood and metal working can help
.
I suppose I will need some sort of stabilizer to keep the stack from sliding when cornering, as it might be a little top-heavy but that shouldn’t be a problem to figure out.
I will post pics when completed!
