Thread: UHF installation/electrical questions

Behind the Glovebox
Our UHF is mounted behind the glove box, with the handset cabled to a socket in centre console. Neat, dry and not too dusty.
Could I also please say that this is an excellent thread with some great pointers for less experienced people (like me) looking to DIY their UHF. The positive power of the Forum at work. Best wishes, Jeffoir

Not sure if this is relevant to the Disco's / modern alternators etc - but I learnt the hard way over many radio installations in the past to always source my power for a 2 way radio directly from the battery. This was probably more important with the old style 27MHz CB Radios. If you did not do this, you often had a high pitch static / squealing noise from the radio, the volume and frequency of the noise directly related to engine revs.

Anyway - sounds like this is not a problem these days with the number of recommendations here to source power for UHF directly from piggy-back fuses / cigarette lighter sockets / power sources for heated seats etc. The UHF radio in mine is about the size of a cigarette packet, with all controls and speaker on the microphone (plus I have an aux. speaker mounted above the seatbelt bracket behind my right ear). I have mounted the radio head unit up behind the dash, above the centre console - held in place with a couple of cable ties. Power for the unit comes from my aux. battery (as does my phone charger / mount and a power supply for Laptop / iPad etc so that we can run communications / modem etc at night without drawing from the cranking battery). I have made my own fuse panel which lives above the OBD port to manage accessories power supply from the aux. battery. The relay is switched from a circuit on the main cranking battery so that power to the three fuses on the left end of the box is cut when the ignition is turned off (Hema / tpms & one spare). The other 5 fuse positions are permanently powered. I installed one common earth bus bar so that all accessories can simply be wired directly to this board without having to split wiring and look around for other earthing points.

I'm no electrician - but it works.

IMGA0979.jpg

I have recently scored this fusebox as well - needs to be mounted on a panel with easy rear access to fuse pins, but is probably a better option than my home-made version. Will have a look at how / where I can install this sometime soon. Maybe in the bottom panel of the dash, so that I don't actually have to drop the panel to change a fuse.

IMG_2055.jpg IMG_2056.jpg IMG_2057.jpg

I put mine in the rear cubby (where rear aircon lives if fitted) for this exact reason - just to have it that little bit higher…

Thread here: ICom IC-450N installation plan

David

Originally Posted by Netorius

I have been following thread as I intend to fit a UHF shortly. As stated, under the seat is the ideal place to mount a UHF with remote mic coming up to an accessible place (like between driver and passenger cupholders). But, Tombie raises a good point here. I suddenly thought that having the unit on the floor may lead to damage if you were submerged for some unfortunate reason. The first thing you will lose (at the lowest point in the cab, will be the UHF - your primary means of soliciting help!

I really like the idea of it being concealed, and seems like there are very few real options in the D4. To be honest, I rarely travel alone in remote areas, so not sure how much of an issue this would realistically be, but worth talking it through.

Does anyone have any other good locations that are maybe higher up?

Originally Posted by BMKal

Not sure if this is relevant to the Disco's / modern alternators etc - but I learnt the hard way over many radio installations in the past to always source my power for a 2 way radio directly from the battery. This was probably more important with the old style 27MHz CB Radios. If you did not do this, you often had a high pitch static / squealing noise from the radio, the volume and frequency of the noise directly related to engine revs.

No, it wasn't a problem on my last few uses.

Originally Posted by BMKal

Anyway - sounds like this is not a problem these days with the number of recommendations here to source power for UHF directly from piggy-back fuses / cigarette lighter sockets / power sources for heated seats etc. The UHF radio in mine is about the size of a cigarette packet, with all controls and speaker on the microphone (plus I have an aux. speaker mounted above the seatbelt bracket behind my right ear). I have mounted the radio head unit up behind the dash, above the centre console - held in place with a couple of cable ties. Power for the unit comes from my aux. battery (as does my phone charger / mount and a power supply for Laptop / iPad etc so that we can run communications / modem etc at night without drawing from the cranking battery). I have made my own fuse panel which lives above the OBD port to manage accessories power supply from the aux. battery. The relay is switched from a circuit on the main cranking battery so that power to the three fuses on the left end of the box is cut when the ignition is turned off (Hema / tpms & one spare). The other 5 fuse positions are permanently powered. I installed one common earth bus bar so that all accessories can simply be wired directly to this board without having to split wiring and look around for other earthing points.

I'm no electrician - but it works.

IMGA0979.jpg

I have recently scored this fusebox as well - needs to be mounted on a panel with easy rear access to fuse pins, but is probably a better option than my home-made version. Will have a look at how / where I can install this sometime soon. Maybe in the bottom panel of the dash, so that I don't actually have to drop the panel to change a fuse.

IMG_2055.jpg IMG_2056.jpg IMG_2057.jpg

I really like that! I may appropriate your ideas if I decide to put in more aftermarket electronics.

Cheers,
Carl