Routing antenna & power wires

[k4lja]

Hey everyone. This is my first post, but I've been reading and watching for some time and feel as if I know you. My name is Randy. I'm in Monroe, LA. Ham call since '59 has been K4LJA. All my life I've wanted a Jeep and now at age 72 -- I got one. Actually -- it's my wife's, but she drives my '99 Suburban and I drive the 2013 4 door Wrangler Sport Unlimited.
I want to put an Icom 703+ in the little bucket on the top dash -- with a Ham Stick mount on the rear tire holder. Question is -- do you folks feel like suggesting some wife approved methods or paths for running wires and cables? You know I appreciate your help. Thanks es 73. PS -- I do mainly cw -- but I will put a mic in the Jeep. I love it. It was worth the wait.

[drykard]

Hey Randy - welcome to the forum.

Not sure if you fgured out how to run your wires/cables yet.... A lot of us run our power straight to the battery from a little foam hole on the passenger side - remove the plastic cover on the side of the dash and you'll see a small "foam" filled hole - push a coat/wire hanger through and you can run wire to the engine compartment.... I have a white Jeep so I add some white duct tape to cover some of the wire exposed.....of course you may have to cut the HF power cable in half (depending on fuse placement and connector plug type) and add splices.

I use Arizona Rocky Road antenna mounts with a Tarheel Screwdriver and another for a 2m antenna....they fit behind the spare tire and keep the antena pretty high. I've never run a hamstick....

My FT857 radio head is velcroed to a small piece of wood - velcroed to the little coin tray near the emergency brake/gear shift.... and the actually radio is behind the seat. My 2m radio is hung on an Arizona Rocky Road radio bar that fits on the rollbar out of the way....




Hope that helps some.....
KI4RGD

[k4lja]

Wow, Drykard. That is one fine looking setup. And no -- I have not run any wires yet, but thanks to you, now I know how to do it. My IC-703 has a detachable face-plate -- so I may try your scheme of doing a Velcro mount. Regardless -- I'll be studying your pictures for a long time -- trying to absorb the little details. Your pictures are great. I may not have enough money to go with a screwdriver antenna -- but I'll give lots of thought to that, too. Real nice rig -- and I thank you.

Randy K4LJA

[Jersey_Devil]

Welcome to the forum! And I agree with above..... I ran my wires the same way thru the firewall.... Very clean look what he described was perfect!

[k4lja]

Thanks JD. I'm glad we have agreement. Now -- I just hope I can find that little panel through which to run the wires. I'll wait till it warms up, tho', to take a look. I appreciate the warm welcome from forum members. Randy K4LJA

[drykard]

Somewhere on this forum are actual pictures of someone running their wire through the hole in question. I spent several hours purusing this site to get lots of info....

You can also just google CB instal for a JK Wrangler and I bet pictures will pop up. Thats how I learned.

The summers get very warm over here in GA - using the velcro, I take my rig out of the Jeep, too hot! And then put it back in later in the fall. However, I know guys that leave theirs in all year...I'm picky.

You may want to read up on 'grounding" or "bonding" if you decide to operate HF. Again, there is a lot of info here, but also check out K0BG's site..... I'm plagued with a few dash lights going off when I transmit around 14.275. I think its harmless - but I'm focused now on figuring out how to block common mode current, hihi. Its always a work in progress.

Once you mount your hamstick - please share photos; we all learn from each other. I've thought about mounting a metal plate under the rear bumper for such a purpose....those hamsticks are really tall !!

73 - KI4RGD - Dewey

[JK-jeepit]

I installed a ICOM706MKIIG and had to bond bond bond and bond... do a search on RFI, you will find some of my pictures of the bonding straps.

I bonded both left and right sides of the rear of the Jeep body to frame, I did two tailgate straps, I ran one on the driver side body to frame just under the door, bonded my transmission, and ran another strap in parallel with the only OEM one I could find... which I could see through.
I also used a couple Mix 31 beads... this allowed me to transmit at 100W with out any RFI.
I'm not sure if I needed all of it but I do know I needed most of it.. I was slowing bonding and worked the RFI out but I finally just put like 4 more on all at once, engine, driver side, and another tailgate. The ferrite beads may or may not be needed.

I ran my power thru the passenger side firewall hole as the others did, I have the main radio temp installed in the back using the ground close to the speaker, and then run the radio head up to the front.. Hamstick mount is a homemade tire rack mount. It seems to work fine as I'm not that active... I did contact Europe with a 20M hamstick at 100W.

the bonding was the biggest challenge as I had really never installed a HF radio in a vehicle before.. 20M worked up to 40W with no RFI without any extras,,,

for your comment about wanting a Jeep all your life and getting one at the age of 72,,,better late then never... same with me I finally got one at 49... and I also love it...

[k4lja]

JK-jeepit, drykard and others ---

You folks are essentially conducting "Radio Install 101" at the University of Jeep. Great stuff. You've made a bonding believer out of me and I've always used lots of ferrite torroids --- so that was good to hear, too. I'll start searching for some of your suggested sites here at JK-Forum. As always -- much appreciation. Thank you.

Randy K4LJA

[wb9rde]

Thank you for your help....so far.

How do I get to that foam hole in the firewall. I need to run a power cable to the battery and a piece of rg-8x to the left front fender area for the 2m / 70cm Larson antenna. ( rig here is a Yaesu FT867D . car here is a 2013 JK Unlimited Sport) Is it necessary to remove the dash? If so how? If not, I cannot see the hole from the engine compartment where should I look? I tried to remove the small plastic piece with the button fastener, but it appears to be double sided taped on.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance

73 de Sam WB9RDE

[Sporticon]

A lot of guys run through the foam on the pass side. I didn't want to cut and splice my antenna cable as I mounted it to the front cowl. (Cb). There is a larger rubber grommet on the drivers side that already has a cross cut in it it is just covered by tape. VERY easily accessible in upper drivers side footwell. And VERY accessible from inside the engine bay. Also good for power to battery you just have to runt the line across under the cowl by the wipers