uhf installation

Gdday all.Just after the best route to run areal cable and power cable for a uhf radio in a d40 dual cab. Did they leave us provision to hook up through an existing unused fuse? or is that wishfull thinkn. Also areal driver or pass side? thanks

I'd run it from an aux battery if there's one available. If not I'd run it direct of the battery with it's own fuse that most of them come with in the box.

I ran my aerial cable through the grommet on the passenger side that comes out in the foot well and just under the external fuse box. Was an easy run and brought the cable out where I wanted it. Some people have been using the drivers side grommet but it's a personal preference thing really. I mounted my aerial on a home made stainless steel bracket to the front guard mounting bolts so it made it easier coming out the passenger side too

My power comes along the door seals, through the back vent and into the tub but had i been powering off the main battery I'd have gone out the passenger side where the aerial went and around the engine bay because I just prefer that side and think it;s heaps easier than the drivers side.

Thanks for that. Not as easy as an old car.

Actually I reckon the Nav was the easiest car I've installed a UHF in since my Datsun Sunny. Even though the engine room of the D40 is fairly well packed running cables around it isn't a huge issue and at least the engine room is the right height instead of all these small cars where you get back ache for bending over for so long. In and around the foot wells can be tight, especially the drivers side but I'd much prefer to be running cables on the Nav that just about every other car I owned.

Wasnt too bad.Ran power from aux battery aswell ( redarc isolator mounted at main battery)

The only downside of running it from the aux is that you do have to remember to turn it off but having had mine connected directly to batteries in other cars this isn't something that has been an issue to me. If it became an issue (who knows when Alzheimers might set in) I'd reckon installing a timer connected to anything on the accessories circuit would fix the issue.

I connected the power for mine onto the back of the aux power plug below the cigarette lighter. There is always power there and it has it's own fuse and it is not normally used. (the power cable to the UHF should also have its own fuse).
I ran the cable for the aerial through the grommet on the passenger side.

Can anyone help with where the unit can be mounted? I have been looking under the dash from underneath (cant work out how to get it off) and there is no where apart from on the plastic against the firewall to mount it. Would that location be ok. I have the GME TX3420.

Thanks

I don't think many D40 owners have mounted their's under the dash, there might have been one or two who mounted the detachable front ones there but i think they were 22's.

I've got mine mounted besides the gear shift but I'm possibly going to put it in a roof console if I can get a look at one and decide if they suit my needs. Others have mounted them in front of the gear shift and I'm sure there has been other ideas but I can't remember them.

Tiburn said:

Can anyone help with where the unit can be mounted? I have been looking under the dash from underneath (cant work out how to get it off) and there is no where apart from on the plastic against the firewall to mount it. Would that location be ok. I have the GME TX3420.

Thanks

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I couldn't find anywhere decent so I bought a new Icom 440, with the remote control MIC and mounted it under the seat.

Mine is mounted off the bracket supplied directly below the switch panel (the one with a bunch of switch blanks - unless your lucky enough to have lots fo extra goodies like lockers). It blocks use of the little tray in the centre console - but its not much use anyway. Its a tight squeeze with the wiring so that it can sit right - but the Uniden I fitted looked pretty standard in size, so youshould be able to make it fit.
The previouse owner mounted the handheld mic above the cig' lighter socket - which didn't work for me as it always had the spiral cord hanging onto my leg - so I mounted mine on the passenger side out of the way - but still within easy reach.

Thanks for all your help. I have the TX3420 so I have a bit to hide behind something + the head which is small which is going in the centre under the blank switches where timjw83 suggested (I already had that part in mind if the cords all reach. Still looking for a good spot to put the bit hidden. Currently thinking in the foam just above the clutch, as there is no where under the drivers dash. No brackets anyway

For others trying to install this model.

I mounted the speaker and main unit on the only piece of frame behind the drivers dash, between the accelerator cable and other wires above.. It is on an angle but the best I could do, I bolted it onto the plate from behind, with he speaker facing the driver and is plenty loud enough. As it slides into the cradle I zip tied it in as well for extra measure when 4WDing as it had to face downwards.

The remote had I placed under the blank switches behind the gearbox. To pre-drill the screw holes you have to take the centre plastic out and my drill fitted on an angle either side of the gearstick. I will post a picture later if someone wants it.

Thanks for all the threads on how to take the dash out, to get to the stereo as that helped for the remote head. As for getting the drivers and passenger dash of for the antenna cable and speaker box. Start at the door frames and work you way in there are few screws and just a lot of clips.

Just bought a GME TX3100 today (so tiny, it fits inside my hand). I was thinking about putting the aerial on the driver side so there's less chance of catching it on branches etc. But in doing so noticed the cable has to run right past the computer. Does anyone know if the computer will cause interference?

Escapee said:

Just bought a GME TX3100 today (so tiny, it fits inside my hand). I was thinking about putting the aerial on the driver side so there's less chance of catching it on branches etc. But in doing so noticed the cable has to run right past the computer. Does anyone know if the computer will cause interference?

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The owners manual says that cables for radio's shouldn.t be run within 200mm of the computer, however I don't think that the computer will interfere with UHF, and there is not enough energy from the radio to interfere with the computer. Give it a try.

I ended up going on the left side anyway because it was too hard to get the cable in behind the computer without removing stuff
. I went for the grommet that KraftyPg was talking about on the passenger side. Only problem I have now is the coax cable that came in the kit is 4 foot too long (TX3100 Bonus pack). I was told by a technician at GME that if I chop 3 or 4 foot off the cable that it knocks the aerial out of tune. He says the cable has to be hidden behind the dash but not overlapping or it causes a magnetic field resulting in poor reception. The instructions say it has to be kept away from the engine bay as much as possible. Only choice I can see is to run the excess cable around the center console and back to the dash (very ugly). Might have to take it to a tech to see if the cable can be cut. I hate spending money. Stupid cable is long enough I could have put the aerial on the towball.

Personally I reckon that's overdoing it a bit. Everyone has their ideas on how to install it but I don't think cutting it makes that much difference for the average mug using his CB to talk to people around him. I also don't think the kind of extra distance you're talking about is going to create a magnetic field, but once again different people will have different ideas. I choose the cutting method (twice in two cars) rather than looping and haven't noticed any problems with my CB in the 8 years I've had it.

KraftyPg said:

Personally I reckon that's overdoing it a bit. I choose the cutting method (twice in two cars) rather than looping and haven't noticed any problems with my CB in the 8 years I've had it.

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How much did you cut off Krafty?

My antenna is mounted on the bolt that holds the front quarter panel and bonnet latch and the cable goes from there straight to the CB through the hole you pointed out, so it's that long, but I don't know what length it was when it started. Although I'll be replacing that coax with a longer bit and resoldering the plugs onto it when I put the roof console in.

kev said:

Gdday all.Just after the best route to run areal cable and power cable for a uhf radio in a d40 dual cab. Did they leave us provision to hook up through an existing unused fuse? or is that wishfull thinkn. Also areal driver or pass side? thanks

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Hi Kev!

I got the TJM Deluxe alloy bar fitted today, and as soon as that was finished. i raced home to install my UHF. so what i did was run the aerial through the hole on the pasenger side. and regarding power..

Well i found out the the stock wiring that gme provides is too short to run from the battery, through the engine bay and then through the passenger side so what i did was cut the wires from the GME and then found an old Nokia car phone charger..snipped the wires and soldered positive to postive and negative to negative. and then taped around it with electrical tape. and so my car comes with two 12v accessory thingy-ma-jigs on the driver side of the console. and so i put the wires behind the console and fed it through to the passenger side and then plugged it in..so i dont have the issues of fiddling with any fire-walls. and i can unplug the thing whenever i want!

If you dont understand..i can take photos if it helps.

Im quite proud of myself actually for thinking of this and best of all...IT WORKS!!