Has anyone installed or investigated installing ham or CB radios in their new Colorado or Canyon yet? I just got my truck last week and it coincides with me getting into amateur radio. I'm not really ready to install a radio yet but I'm curious as to mounting positions and getting power through the firewall as well as an antenna connection out to the bed, plus antenna mounting in the bed.
CB/Ham/2-way radio installs?
mixudptransistor
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I've started working on the radio setup for GMRS/Ham operations.**Put in a Compactenna based on local feedback here from Ham Radio Outlet in town and lots of the local offroaders.**So far the reception and transmission is good, now I need to figure out what I want to do with a dedicated radio install.
I’m just running a cheap HT to test reception with the new setup until I can figure out what I want to do for a real radio in the cab.
I will say with the Compactenna I can hit GMRS repeaters 10 miles away pretty easily with a 5W HT.
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I did a bit of looking around for info on this little guy. In doing so, I ran across a forum post about it on qrz.com.. Those people, I swear, argue like they are a bunch of young teens who know everything and everyone else is stupid. They all seem like overgrown children. SMDH..
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/compactenna-fact-or-fiction.568141/
Tell me about it. Here’s all I can say. It works great for me on 70cm/2M and GMRS. I have good signal reads with full quieting every time I ask. Also the size is good.
Local HRO shop told me they sold about 100 of them last year with only one return. The local 4x4 community buys them because they don’t hang up. I like it because it fits in my garage.
But the claims the inventor made has made it a contentious product.
So far I’m letting my own experience with it guide me, and it’s been good so far.
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Has anyone put one of the Breedlove stake pocket antenna mounts in the rear stake pocket? Been trying to determine of one of the EZN mounts would work there. I like that I could run the coax up the center of the bracket through the stake pocket vs having it out over the side of the bed like the camper mount brackets. Thanks!
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I know I’m repeating myself. But... these antennae mounts keep them higher, have a standard mount (I stopped using my taller dual band and stick with this stubby)
The stock light is held on by 2 screws and uses a thin small gasket. I think the 2 screws instead of 4 is why so many leak.
The aftermarket one uses a thick gasket, 4 screw points so it’s evenly attached and has even pressure for the gasket.
The mount come with led brake and bed lights and has spacing for the two Baja design dust lights. I’m using spot ambers for maximum dust penetration but if it was a daily I’d use a driving or fog/work light like I have in the bumper.
These things are awesome
The stock light is held on by 2 screws and uses a thin small gasket. I think the 2 screws instead of 4 is why so many leak.
The aftermarket one uses a thick gasket, 4 screw points so it’s evenly attached and has even pressure for the gasket.
The mount come with led brake and bed lights and has spacing for the two Baja design dust lights. I’m using spot ambers for maximum dust penetration but if it was a daily I’d use a driving or fog/work light like I have in the bumper.
These things are awesome
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I have one - the #920 (I already had a NMO mount to fit it - essentially I made a #928 out of it). Ran the cable down, along and under the bed rail, out the front passenger side vent, back up through the drain plug under the rear passenger side. Works great, fit under the tonneau. One of the most solid mounts I've seen.
Note that these https://www.breedlovemounts.com/front-bed-rail-bracket.html don't fit if you have the sliding rear window (and might not at all). Had one on my Sierra, but it doesn't clear the rear window on the Canyon.
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Sorry to reply to an older post, but I didn’t see a proper reply to this in the thread...
The radio frequency interference (RFI) in a vehicle engine is typically caused by the high voltage spark ignition system.
Since the diesel is compression combustion, and has no spark plugs/wires/coils, it shouldn’t generate any RFI
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I did pretty much the same thing with my Midland MXT115 GMRS radio. I skipped the bracket, though, and just used the supplied Velcro strips directly on the top of the radio. I picked up a right-angle PL-250/SO259 for the antenna connector so that the cable didn’t protrude so far out the back.
I got the MXT11a/MXT12 6dB gain 27.5” antenna with magnetic mount. For now, I’ve routed the cable through the leading edge of the rear passenger door so that the cable comes out between the front and rear door, leading to the center of the roof. So far it doesn’t seem to leak. I may do the same thing that you did through the center brake light at some point.
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I'd like to get that antenna. Unfortunately I haven't been able to really test the range with my current setup yet. I'm headed to Moab at the end of the month so I can see how well it works then.
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That’s a pretty sweet set up. Might be more than I’m looking to do right now but thanks for the idea.
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Thanks for the info. Somehow I missed your post from a while back when I was searching. Anyways, any idea if the model #910 mount will work in the rear stake pocket? Seems like the wedge style like the #920 may be necessary. I was just hoping to run the cable up through the center like the 910 and not have the bracket stick out over the side the of the bed.
What is the name of that mount and antenna and where can I get it? That looks awesome.
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I'm about to place an order for one of these bad bois. Do we get any kind of a discount code for being a member of this board through them?
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I finally pulled the trigger on the Evil Mgfg. Light/Antenna Combo. I'm gonna go ahead and get my radio installed. Thinking of going through the boot around the steering linkage. Considering I may want to add a compressor later and Lord knows what else, what's the best way to pull power from the battery? Should I go off of the battery itself? I can't think of the name of the part that wires off of the battery to attach each piece to. Like a power block or something. I'd use the search bar for it but I don't know what the name of the part is.
Howdy all,
I'll be joining the ham club in about a week or two, waiting to take my Technician exam and my initial hardware to show up. I may go for my General license down the road, but I don't really see the point if I'm just going to have a mobile rig. Would love to have a nice home rig as well but not sure how I'd deal with the antenna situation. More aesthetics than anything, I'll have to check the HOA CC&Rs as there may be restrictions as well.
Anyway, I ordered a Yaesu FTM-400XDR and a Diamond NR770HRKS antenna. Have a few standard repeaters as well as some WIRES-X and C4FM repeaters within range of home and work so this setup should work well locally as well as when traveling. At least, I hope it will.
I also ordered a flex arm seat bolt mount for the control head so I'm not drilling into anything and cable routing to under the seat should be cake.
I'll be joining the ham club in about a week or two, waiting to take my Technician exam and my initial hardware to show up. I may go for my General license down the road, but I don't really see the point if I'm just going to have a mobile rig. Would love to have a nice home rig as well but not sure how I'd deal with the antenna situation. More aesthetics than anything, I'll have to check the HOA CC&Rs as there may be restrictions as well.
Anyway, I ordered a Yaesu FTM-400XDR and a Diamond NR770HRKS antenna. Have a few standard repeaters as well as some WIRES-X and C4FM repeaters within range of home and work so this setup should work well locally as well as when traveling. At least, I hope it will.
I also ordered a flex arm seat bolt mount for the control head so I'm not drilling into anything and cable routing to under the seat should be cake.
I tossed a Baofeng GT-3TP with handmic and cig charger in my glove box, does that count?
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