mostly finished my Yaesu FTM-400DR ham radio install, and I'm pretty happy how it turned out. It is a remote face plate radio, and the face plate runs unattached only--there is no way to run them physically joined like on some radios. This made the install more complicated. First I mounted the radio body to the back of the center console:
View attachment 209400
From that I had to run power to the battery (through the clutch block-off), coax to the antenna, the connection cable to the screen, and an extension cable to the mic. All of that runs under the center console to the dash where it then runs to its final location.
For the screen, I found someone making a 1 inch ram ball to screw into the back of the screen, so I mounted an AMPS plate in the tray at the top of the dash and a short RAM arm connects the two (yes, its a RHD jeep). The cable is pretty well hidden:
View attachment 209398
Attaching the mic directly to the radio itself would put it in an awkward position, so I got an extension cable to run to the front of the console (forward of the shifter). I cut a small notch in the console, so the mic cable could exit from underneath the console without straining or pinching the cable (not shown). Then I attached an AMPS RAM mount to the square piece next to the lower switches:
View attachment 209399
I used RAM instead of a simple (and cheap) surface mount mic hanger because the RAM arm gives me leeway to move the mic so the cable doesn't interfere with the shifter. The mic mount end was from JeepUniq. It was pretty overpriced for what it is, but I couldn't find a better option.
Finally, the antenna was mounted on the passenger side with a RuggedRadios antenna mount and a 3/8 to NMO adapter:
View attachment 209401
Initial test was this weekend, and it worked but the SWR ranged from 1.7 to 3.1 on the 2m band (1.7 at 144mhz, 3.1 at 148mhz, and in the middle at 146mhz it was 2.4.) These numbers meant the antenna was too long (better than too short since I can't make it longer.) Tuning was easy. at the antenna base is two set screws. Loosen them and remove the rod, cut a half centimeter off the bottom, grind off the powder coating of the bottom centimeter, reattach and check the SWR again. After about 6 adjustments, I now have an SWR of 1.1 at 146mhz, and of 1.5 at both 144mhz and and 148mhz. A quick test and I can light up a repeater that is 85 miles away.
I'm pretty happy. Aside form my radio and antenna (which I already owned) I'm about $150 in on the rest of the install, which is a bit high, but not bad.
One of the reasons I like this radio is it has built in APRS and GPS. My next plan is to connect this radio to a GPS to display APRS station locations.
