UHF/VHF and HF radio in a 2010 RRS?

[jik22]

Hi all,

Have just agreed to purchase a 2010 RRS, which I collect next weekend.

First job will be to get my radios fitted, so can I ask those that have been through this what they did for antenna mounts (no roo bar or RWC on this one, which is how I did the Defender), and where they the radio remote head and mics inside?

Just looking to see what others have done. Especially interested in those who have a Codan 3040 mounted for HF, and pics would be great.

Thanks!

[gavinwibrow]

Hi all,

Have just agreed to purchase a 2010 RRS, which I collect next weekend.

First job will be to get my radios fitted, so can I ask those that have been through this what they did for antenna mounts (no roo bar or RWC on this one, which is how I did the Defender), and where they the radio remote head and mics inside?

Just looking to see what others have done. Especially interested in those who have a Codan 3040 mounted for HF, and pics would be great.

Thanks!


Can't help with the HF, but I happily use a pair of s/s brackets that fix onto the bonnet stay bolts for my CB and mobile extension aerials. There were a couple for sale on here a few weeks ago. Minor problem with all over washing of the bonnet on the rare occasions I use a car wash.

Like this LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 3 / 4 / RRS ORIGINAL DESIGN UHF / CB AERIAL ANTENNA BRACKET | eBay Australia (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/165517936553?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D7770 08%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D202503 24085124%26meid%3D7c1aa8e321ac473a80665916491b41fb %26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D1655179 36553%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3D RecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRPboosterAndUpdatedFeat ures_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3Ab8e793de1960a2c01e5c9eb0ffff2 60c%7Cpageci%3Ae991559f-2d68-11f0-88c5-36411cc534c6%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage)

[Stuart02]

Ditto the bonnet hinge mount as a good option, and I've seen them mounted through the grill, somehow...

There's lots on the forum between the RRS and Discovery 3/4 subforums.

I easily tucked away a remote head GME UHF behind the centre console. The funnest part you're about to find out is that the one way through the firewall is a grommet roughly located behind the brake pedal. It's doable but requires some good coat hanger thread the needle kind of work.

Lots of things to love about the RRS though, I wish you joy!

[haydent]

+1 for the ebay linked model,i have too. for uhf/vhf do you have one ? as i make and sell a remote head conversion kit for the anytone 778 radio. I also have used a QYT KT-9900 in mine, but the UI/screen/buttons are harder to read & use.

[jik22]

OK, thanks all…..grabbed the eBay bonnet mount, so that will do for the UHF/VHF antenna, but still struggling with the HF side of things.

Next job, now I have the car is a slimline Lithium battery, and the Codan base unit in the underfloor space (hopefully it fits once I pull the foam under the toolkit/jack storage, which is also going).

Then back to the HF antenna!

[oka374]

Many moons ago I used to install HF radios in all sorts of vehicles and back then they usually had a decent amount of strong metal in them so bullbars were the normal mounting point for aerials.
As time went on and plastic became more prevalent along with crumple zones it became much harder to mount aerials. These days it is rare to see HF aerials on vehicles but most seem to use a towbar mount if no bullbar or rear tyre carrier is available.
Interference with and from vehicle electronics is another story and can often mean the HF is only usable when the engine is off.

[jik22]

Interference with and from vehicle electronics is another story and can often mean the HF is only usable when the engine is off.

This will be the most modern vehicle I have fitted one to, but I would only use HF (Amateur and 4WD/HF club) stationary anyway as need to concentrate!

[RANDLOVER]

Can't help with the HF, but I happily use a pair of s/s brackets that fix onto the bonnet stay bolts for my CB and mobile extension aerials. There were a couple for sale on here a few weeks ago. Minor problem with all over washing of the bonnet on the rare occasions I use a car wash. ....

I also have two of the bonnet brackets from Labtronics for CB and mobile aerials, but I removed the phone one as it caused a noisy air roar around 100kph, probably due to being a fat 3 in 1 type IIRC 2, 3, and 4G or maybe CDMA in there.

[Graeme]

My previous 4.4 TDV8 L322 didn't interfere with my Icom 7100 even while moving, only requiring the 12V power and earth cables to be looped through a ferrit core.
I haven't yet made a HF antenna mount for my recently-acquired L405 but expect to fabricate a contorted bracket to exit from behind the bonnet. On the L322 it was mounted on one of the roof bolts.

[jik22]

My previous 4.4 TDV8 L322 didn't interfere with my Icom 7100 even while moving, only requiring the 12V power and earth cables to be looped through a ferrit core.
I haven't yet made a HF antenna mount for my recently-acquired L405 but expect to fabricate a contorted bracket to exit from behind the bonnet. On the L322 it was mounted on one of the roof bolts.

What antenna were you running with the 7100? If I was just using a monoband whip like a Diamond, Hamstick or Hustler, I’d be OK on a CN mount….but a Codan is a whole different ballgame.

Even an ATAS would work, on a Diamond 400 type mount off the rear hatch, with am FT-891 or similar, but I want the Envoy for the 4WD club type functionality.

[Graeme]

I mostly use a 40m hamstick for both APRS and voice. Being light, it doesn't require much of a mount.

I have external glass mounts for VHF/UHF on the rear side windows, with the coax slipping under the top corners of the upper tailgate.

[jik22]

I mostly use a 40m hamstick for both APRS and voice. Being light, it doesn't require much of a mount.

I have external glass mounts for VHF/UHF on the rear side windows, with the coax slipping under the top corners of the upper tailgate.

APRS on HF? What are you using as the TNC, out of interest?

I looked at glass mount, but was concerned the glass might impact the rf, as wasn’t sure if it had the coating or not. Went with it a bonnet mount in the end.

[Graeme]

40m and/or 2m APRS, running Direwolf (software TNC) on an Orange Pi with a USB soundcard for the radio and APRSDROID on my phone or tablet as a KISS terminal. 40m isn't quite as good as 30m but I only have a standard licence. One of my sons has a 40m APRS tx igate at my place using a RPi, DW, sound-card and a reprogrammed Codan for APRS support Australia-wide. I operate a 2m APRS tx igate using a RPi etc.

My glass mounts are wholey external, not through the glass. There's nowhere to fit a bracket due to the tight panel clearances.

[jik22]

OK, thanks. Explains the glass mount bit, and why I went for the bonnet mount to be safe.

APRS wise I was aware 30m existed, and kind of makes sense as it has a good mix of local/regional comms in daylight with more distance than 40m before the sun goes down…but as you say, limited to advanced licenses. Our band plan makes no sense - I don’t know of any other country where I’m licensed where bands (as opposed modes and power) are limited by class.

I’ve got an igate at home for 2m, using a RTL dongle and direwolf on a Pi, and run a Yaesu FTM-400XDE in the Defender (soon to move to the RRS) with VFO2 beaconing on APRS.

[Graeme]

My primary 2m APRS radio is a headless Simoco SRM9000, with 2m on the IC as backup. I can split the HF APRS channel to only tx HF with rx on 2m/70cm/HF. I add a UHF/VHF radio for CB use when with a non-AR group.
I modified kissutil so that I can send DW ch2 to ch0 so that aprsdroid gets both 2m and 40m rx when receiving both, which is good when passing though 2m areas.
Very few 30m igates exist and while there's now a few 40m igates, my son's is only 1 of 2 that digipeats which provides confirmation of a packet having been heard.