MaxTG

The new Yaesu FTM-400D Dual-Band radio has Yaesu's new C4FM digital mode, but I was most excited about the nice color touch-screen display and versatile APRS + dual-band/dual-radio.

Power:
There is a small hole through the firewall area on the passenger side. You just have to poke through the insulation to have a nice path from the passenger dash (near the door hinge) to under the hood. I was planning to run both power and antenna through this hole, but the pre-existing hole through metal is too small. I used all of the space to run 10ga power to the RigRunner, and didn't want to enlarge the hole:


Because the radio programming software works via removable microSD Card, I had to keep the base unit somewhere accessible. I also wanted to use the internal speaker, so I chose the passenger footwell as the base location. There are some existing threaded studs there for the carpet holders, so I only had to drill one additional screw to hold the mount bracket:

My next choice would have been under the passenger seat, but the airbag wiring is there, and there is less available space.
The RigRunner is nicely located at the side of the passenger footwell to attach an air pump, CB, or other high-current draw. (The Viair tire inflator runs much faster off the nice 10ga wire than it does from the ~10v remote cigarette lighter socket.) I would have liked to find a higher position for it, but the metal wall is pretty crowded with wiring in there. Driver's side may be easier. I just have it screwed to the plastic trimwork, and it's nicely secured.

The control unit sits above the rearview mirror, secured by the ridiculous Yaesu bracket bent backwards and around. I just have it attached to the headliner plastic (two screws), but it's working surprisingly well there. The GPS antenna is in the control panel, so having the windshield frame over it isn't ideal, but I still get good satellite reception.


This radio has the microphone attach to the base unit, not the control panel, which is a good thing. The only bummer is Yaesu includes no microphone extension cable with the kit, and gets top dollar for their own overengineered extension kit (MEK-3?). I built a 6-wire (RJ12) jack and plug extension with straight-through wiring, and it works just fine. A straight-through RJ12 6-pin 6-position coupler with a straight-through (no twist) cable would work as well. I run the extended microphone socket over to the plastics near the steering wheel, which is just right.

The Antenna is a Comet trunk/hood lip attachment. There aren't a lot of good radio mount locations on the Jeep, so this seemed like the lesser evil. I added clear RTV behind the antenna mount to keep grit and sand from working its way in there. Hopefully it's not doing too much damage to the finish underneath. If I had to do over, I might drill a mount into the hood, or try harder to find a spare-wheel mount that works for 2m/440, but this seems to work fine. SWR is fine.


To run the antenna cable, I poked through an unused rubber grommet in the firewall. It was very easy, and comes through below and left of the steering wheel. I could have run power through this hole easily, since it appears to be much larger than the passenger-side firewall hole. Routing wires behind the Jeep's plastic dash facia is a piece of cake.

I was planning to run the audio to the Jeep's stereo Aux-In, but Yaesu's audio speaker is surprisingly good! Clear and loud.

I'll see how it holds up when the passenger floor gets dirty or bumped up. I'd like the unit mounted a bit higher and out of the way, but I have been pulling the SD Card pretty often, and appreciate the speaker being there.

Overall, pretty easy install and really happy with the results. Not a single C4FM/Digital QSO in San Diego yet, so that part is going unused so far.

UKCRD

Looks like a great rig. Haven't read up on the 400s much yet. Think I might go do that now!

MaxTG

The APRS support in this radio is really nice, customizable filters, SmartBeacon, auto-tuning and now with VoiceAlert.

Here's a picture of the firewall grommet near the steering column. Look right above the horn in this picture:

It has a rubber plug I was able to just poke the antenna through.

In the end, I had about three meters of not-needed antenna wire with this path (hood to passenger footwell).

I have the Rugged Ridge Firestick mount for the spare wheel, but the groundplane back there is even worse. I am going to keep that for CB.

lts rck

Looks like a clean install I have one of these units I'm using as a base until I get the time to mount it in the jeep. My only issue is where I want to put the antenna and the main unit. You installed your control head just as I had planned for mine....good accessible location and doesn't impair visibility while driving Admittedly, I am a super ham novice and would appreciate any and all guidance you and the group can give

MaxTG

Antenna options are limited, with lots of creative solutions posted around here. I went with hood mount because it's easily moved/removed if it doesn't work out. The Rubicon-X & 10th Ann. edition seem to have an antenna hole in the rear bumper, but I couldn't find a mount to fit. Mounted on the hood, the antenna is still long enough to whack the trees offroad and the parking garages, but it's surviving fine. An ideal mount would be from the tub, maybe one of the hard-top mounting bolt.

I really like having the control head here. You have to bend up the Yaesu head mount bracket to do it, but it's soft thin steel. Adhesive alone won't old it, so a few coarse screws will pin it into place. I've been running with top on & off and it works fine with both. Easy to glance up at.

I don't know what area you jeep in, but here in San Diego, there is zero Yaesu Digital coverage. I have yet to use the digital mode successfully at all, but it's a fine FM radio with a great display.

arjeeper

I was looking at this radio while at the Dayton Hamvention last week. Very nice little rig.

I have a Kenwood basic 2m radio but if I decide to go dual band in the Jeep again or just want something different, I'll sure consider this.

Nice writeup. 73
K5PO

ShawnInPaso

Great setup and installation. I bought the Yaesu 350AR just before they were discontinued (installed in my 2011JKU). Now I wonder if I should have waited for the 400 instead.

MaxTG

Well, having used it for a while now, I really do like the radio install itself. The display is easily reachable, and doesn't block my view of the road. Audio is just fine from the passenger footwell.

But -- the antenna doesn't do well off-roading, protruding from the hood like that. The brush keeps whacking it, either bending the antenna, tweaking the mount, or (once) twisting the whole mount off the hood when it got hooked up badly. I still have one antenna there, but now I swap it out for a shorter rubberized duckie when offroading.

A much better location is the hinge side of the rear lift-gate, where the same mount just barely clears the glass window from the hard top. As a bonus, it keeps the 50W further from your brain and giblets.

JKUenvy

I've been running an FTM 400DR for about a year and love it. I mounted it under the passenger seat and the antenna on the tailgate hinge.
73s
KF5QJZ

MaxTG

Agreed on both. I mounted a second radio under the passenger seat, and it's a good fit.

The hood-mount antenna has been problematic -- it gets caught on the off-road bramble quite a bit. I've unbent that antenna more than a few times, and one particularly bad snag tore the whole mount off the hood. I switched to a rubber duckie antenna there and put a nicer antenna on the tailgate.

If I had it to do over again, my install would look more like yours.

Cheers!