My Ham Radio Install in a 2021 Ford Bronco 6G

Рет қаралды 24,989

Күн бұрын

Don't lose your legs, watch this video!
🚀📡 Welcome to another exciting Ham Radio adventure! Today, we're taking a deep dive into installing the FTM-400 Yaesu Ham Radio in my 2021 Ford Bronco G6 - and it's epic!
As fellow radio dude, you know I love pushing the boundaries of what's possible with ham radio setups. This time, it's all about merging high-tech communication with my Mall Crawler.
🔥 What's in Store:
- A detailed walkthrough of the FTM-400 Yaesu installation in the Ford Bronco G6.
- Cool tips for integrating advanced radio tech into your vehicle.
🌪️ The Challenge Awaits:
Not everything went as planned (does it ever?). I hit some unexpected snags - but that's where the fun begins! Stay tuned to see the unique solutions I came up with. You won't want to miss these insights!
💡 Why Watch:
Get in line with your off road or mall crawling adventures with top-notch communication....
Gain handy skills and ideas for your own ham radio installations.
Explore the fusion of ham radio and vehicle modding in new, exciting ways.
✅ Be sure to hit Like, Share, and Subscribe for more ham radio journeys and tech tutorials. Got any cool installation stories or questions? Drop them in the comments!
just a note: I spoke about the ford service bulletin. I did try to find it again but really couldn't. I believe it may have said not to run the negative to the body ground. please let me know if you can confirm this. thanks
also, if I called it an outer Banks in the video, sorry. this is a black diamond
Useful links for an install:
- KV5R - GREAT! Coax Loss Calculator - kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-...
- Cannot Find - Ford Bronco Bulliten.
The following is a list of things I've used during this install. These are (mostly) affiliate links and I may make a commission off the purchase of the item from the included links. Find your own, cheaper products elsewhere, if you would like.
amzn.to/3RqM4yK - Anderson Powerpole Connectors 10 Pair Genuine
amzn.to/48eXo7Y - Bronco Antenna Mount Fits 2021 @ClassicFordBroncos Ford Bronco - Moutnains2Metal
amzn.to/3NqMGDr - 2018-2023 Jeep Spare Tire Bracket - Hooke Road
amzn.to/3NqMGDr - Wirefy Heat Shrink Wire Connectors Kit Marine Grade
amzn.to/3trwECl - Midland MXTA24 Lowe Profile Antenna Cable with NMO Connector.
amzn.to/47YiY0D - Magic Mount Magnetic Car Phone Mount
amzn.to/3trwKtH- Pulse Larsen NMO2/70B No Groundplane Antenna!
powerwerx.com/red-black-bonde...
#HamRadioDude #FordBroncoMod #YaesuFTM400 #OffroadRadio #HamRadioDIY #FordBronco #RadioLife
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Under The Hood
04:44 Where I stuck The Antenna
06:18 Inside the Vehicle.
07:14 How to loose your knees Permanently
08:57 Where I stuck the Head Unit and Microphone
13:59 APRS and Audio Check.

Пікірлер: 106

@bluedirtgreen 7 ай бұрын

That face your making in the thumbnail makes me view you as non-masculine. So many of the dudes that take selfies like that always seem to be cucks and have very liberal viewpoints. I'm sure I don't know why you used, "Epic" to describe this project when this is definitely not "epic". Wtf were you doing in Afghanistan? Twenty years, countless lives, and a trillion dollars to replace the taliban with the taliban. I think you suck.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Congratulations.

@jeffreybarnesallan 7 ай бұрын

@@HAMRADIODUDE Don’t let people like this hold you down they will never understand if they have not been there thanks for ur video and keep up the good work

@johnwheeler2538 7 ай бұрын

It’s unfortunate that there are people in the world who can only feel good about themselves by trying to tear down others.

@bluedirtgreen 7 ай бұрын

@@johnwheeler2538 You think this project was "Epic"? The GWOT was just Israel's bidding and his PTSD that his buddies are self deleting over kinda prove they know it was not for the defense of United States citizens.

@thedoobie1 7 ай бұрын

@bluedirtgreen WTF is wrong with you dude? You got some issues that you need to talk to someone about. Seriously. 😮

@MikeN2MAK 7 ай бұрын

I haven't done a mobile install (yet). Thanks for sharing this--it definitely is helpful in letting me know what I need to take into consideration.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

I'm happy you were able to find the content in the video! It wasn't really about my Bronco, peruse. More so about the thoughts and process I went through to install the radio, which will most likely help someone! Glad you enjoyed, Mike!

@thedoobie1 7 ай бұрын

Nicely done! Something I did with my FTM-300 was run the power cable through the firewall and into a powerpole 4 slot teminal, also fused, just under the passenger side dash in my F150. Future proofing for other power pole accessories like a 12v laptop, another radio, etc...

@Charims 7 ай бұрын

Hey, thanks for the stream, and nice install. It gave me some ideas for my 2018 Tundra. 73

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

@mark12.31 6 ай бұрын

Yes sir! Shout out to you for reminding people about the airbags. So many people forget it or act like it wouldn't be that bad. As some have pointed out, something could become a flying object and inflict injury when there otherwise may have been no injury incurred in an accident. A great reminder!

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Thank You! I am so glad someone was able to understand why I left this in. It's so important and could be deadly! Cheers!

@dennisbush4244 2 ай бұрын

@@HAMRADIODUDESorry, I am new here and new to using KZfaq for this type of information. Do you have a video providing a more detailed install of your YAESU? I have the same model and would also like to put it under the steering column in my bronco. I appreciate any assistance you can provide. Thanks.

@Taylor-KY3G 7 ай бұрын

I ran into a similar set of issues on my Jeep. Thanks for the video, I think it turned out well.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@steher 6 ай бұрын

Great video and info. Glad you made it home safe.

@scottwellington7538 7 ай бұрын

Great tips on the install. I am slowly working on installing radio in my 2dr Bronco. Will make sure I have fuses next to battery. Non Sasquatch makes it easier to mount antenna on back, as the spacer is not needed. By the way that is the best Bronco color. Have more fun and be safe.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

You're right about that spacer! The sasquatch with the larger tire creates the issue. And yes, Velocity Blue is the Best. I was thinking about a video showing off all my aftermarket stuff. I love this vehicle. Enjoy yours and good luck with the install.

@Littrell1966 7 ай бұрын

You keep making them the way you do, love the channel!!!

@aaronlindemann2669 7 ай бұрын

I never thought about knee airbags. Now I need to go check my car and make sure my install isn’t in front of the deployment path of those airbags. Thanks. Good observation.

@dogbarbill 7 ай бұрын

Good job on the install. I did something sort of similar. Ran wiring from the batt to the inside, then connected to a 12VDC power strip allowing other possible installs. Unfortunately my 2002 Pathfinder certainly was NOT designed for installing additional radios inside, so I bought a Lido floor mount (LDO-LM-300) which puts the radio next to the center console. There are a couple of minor trade offs, but I really don't have issues with it. Radio is a Yaesu 8800. Plans to add an additional radio is my Yaesu 891, and that will take some real creativity. If finances allow it, I really want to get a Yaesu FTM-500. 73 de N5NUK. I'm good on QRZ.

@martinp8889 7 ай бұрын

Good job. Thanks.

@Frisky0563 7 ай бұрын

I have a Jeep JL it has a fiberglass roof. So on the tailgate with the antenna vhf and uhf it works fine. I would have a fuse and a relay to turn off the power for the radios. I often forget to turn them off. I like your Bronco 🎄

@lukesdiesel 7 ай бұрын

Awesome video 👍🏻👍🏻

@pen25 7 ай бұрын

Get some flush cut side cutters and trim those green razer blades on the ends of your zip ties.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thanks

@BuckingBronco 5 ай бұрын

You made some very good points. Especially the ones regarding safety. I'm in the middle of installing my Midland MXT275 GMRS radio and I'm taking my time to perform the cleanest installation possible. I will be using a short antenna mounted on a bracket by the A-pillar. The only trouble is the length of the antenna cable is ridiculously long. I've heard that bundling up the wire under the dash would compromise the reception. Is that true? And how difficult would it be to cut the wire to a reasonable length and install a new end to plug into the radio. Any input is greatly appreciated!

@M7BVV-Phil 7 ай бұрын

A good job well done i'd say .73

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thank You!

@radioman3229 7 ай бұрын

First thanks for the great videos. Next a question, I also use HAMRS, but what is the best way to log multiple parks from same contact... and the best way to log multiple callsigns from same contact? NS9T 73

@LifeAtTerminalVelocity 7 ай бұрын

It looks clean Dude!

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Hey! Thanks! You should come out and see the install and crawl some Illinois Potholes at the Mall.

@LifeAtTerminalVelocity 7 ай бұрын

@@HAMRADIODUDE deal!

@swooshdave 6 ай бұрын

The Hooke Road antenna mount you show works great with the Sasquatch spare. No additional spacers needed. I use it for a flag mount.

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Awesome! I sent this mount off to someone who could use it.

@thuff3207 7 ай бұрын

You have good install and I have a FTM-400 in my Jeep. My antenna is in the same location and it works well. No antenna location is perfect. Now I have wireless mic for my radio that using a mag mount and I wish I knew where you got yours for the radio head. PS I also have a FT891 for pota too.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Hey there. Walmart for the magnetic mounts. If you'd like to support the channel, there's an Amazon link in the description. If you need more photos, I'd be glad to grab them. Good deal on the the 891. That's going in here next! Great wishes

@jtderby 7 ай бұрын

Nice job. One suggestion I’d make is to add a relay and an on-off-on switch. Wire one of the on connectors of the switch to a fused accessory power. The other to fused battery power. Output of switch to the relay to control the fused battery power to the radio. In normal operation you can have the relay come on with accessory power. That way you can just turn off the car and not worry about the radio or your battery. Want to run on battery without the engine toggle the switch. Want to turn off the radio power feed like when your in for service or someone else is using the car, choose the middle off position. Mount switch out of sight for extra peace of mind. Best of all words. Couple extra minutes to wire up but worth it in the long run. At least to me it was.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Great suggestion, thank you!

@user-tj3qh7ru5y 7 ай бұрын

Nice job Sean. 73 from Coolie KA9QZG.

@dannytango36 5 ай бұрын

Recently while troubleshooting a starting issue on my f150 I found out that. These trucks have a bms system. And if you connect directly to the battery the bms does not take the amp draw from an accessory in to account if you connect the negative directly to the battery. You must connect past the amp sensor on the negative terminal. So a body ground would do it.

@HAMRADIODUDE 5 ай бұрын

Thanks. That makes sense.

@Cliff-KI5OPP 6 ай бұрын

Reaching out making sure you are good. Havent seen a peep in a while now

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

I'm okay, thanks.

@cchalfantusa 7 ай бұрын

Are you coming back with more content after the holidays?

@stockman1963 7 ай бұрын

Where I live the have Ace Hardware. Many sizes of Spacers. Check them out.

@pops55650 17 күн бұрын

I’m about to string some ciax cable from the rear to the front, concerned about the side airbags.

@HAMRADIODUDE 16 күн бұрын

That'll work! Let me know how it goes and the way you found to guide the coax. Good luck!

@agoraphobicadam1171 7 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas Sean. "Dude." KO4HPC 73

@andrewyoung-n8ary 6 ай бұрын

Do you notice the screen flickering while the radio is off?

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Not at all.

@sammas7440 6 ай бұрын

I would suggest 1) not to mount the antenna there where it sprays RF into your face when transmitting, 2) do not run the negative wire all the way to the battery, ground it on the frame near the radio. The only thing grounded at the battery post is the vehicle frame or engine block -- this prevents your radio ground wire from becoming a circuit in case of a fault in another device.

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the suggestions. I can agree with the grounding the negative somewhere on the chassis close to the radio. Thanks. As for an exposure report; I'll do my best. FTM 400 has 3 power Levels, 5,20, and 50 Watts. So with that, we also know the FCC rules and regulations require us to use the minimal amount of power necessary to complete the communication. I'll start with 5 Watts. My car seat (where I sit) is approximately 3.4 ft from the antenna. This is confirmed with a tape measure and how I am physically sitting when I drive. Calculating with the gain of 3.8 dBi and 5.2 dBi (vhf and uhf) : All calculations assume a uncontrolled environment with 5 minutes transmit time / 10 minutes listening: 5 watts VHF - Minimum Compliance Distance: 1.3 ft 20 Watts VHF - Minimum Compliance Distance 2.6 ft 50 Watts VHF - Minimum Compliance Distance 4.1 Ft (Fail) 5 watts UHF- Minimum Compliance Distance: 1.2 Ft 20 Watts UHF - Minimum Compliance Distance 2.5 ft 50 Watts UHF - Minimum Compliance Distance 3.9 Ft (Fail) So in this environment, I cannot use 50 Watts for 5 minutes without being exposed to RF excessively . Taking into consideration the Rules and regulations, I wouldn't need more than 5 or 20 watts here to make contact on the three repeaters I sometimes speak on, but would have to understand this could be an issue in the future. How does this sound? My other option is easy enough, move it to the front of the vehicle. Then there's about 3 more feet of separation. Thanks

@arlenewolf5260 7 ай бұрын

Sorry, that antenna requires a ground plane. If you do have a good match, it is because it is grounded through the PL257 at the radio. Also that Larsen NMO570B is not a center loaded antenna. It uses the coil at the bottom for one band and the coil at the top for the other band.

@Desertwolf426 7 ай бұрын

1/2 wave does not NEED a ground plane

@arlenewolf5260 7 ай бұрын

I suggest you consult with an RF engineer. Even Larsen will tell you it does. It does not matter if it is 1/2, 1/4, 5/8, etc.... Antennas that do not need a ground plane are designed differently and also need special coax that kind of works like a counter poise. @@Desertwolf426

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Yeah, talk to Pulse/Larsen - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mdapl9lly623eHk.html (It'll work at unity) with a GP you may get 2.4DBI of gain. It's a tossup to needs. My install works fine. To take this a step further, this is the NMO270B (I think you know that but had an error) with a PL259 Going into my radio (Again, but for clarity sake). Per all documentation online, the NMO270B is a 1/2 Wave Center Loaded antenna on vhf and collinear on UHF. (an example is set forth here - www.gigaparts.com/larsen-nmo2-70b.html). No special coax is needed. Is a NGP antenna the best option? It depends. Does it REQUIRE a Ground Plane, not really. If you have different results which physically prove your claims that this isn't center loaded, does require a ground plane (REQUIRE being the keyword) or that it won't work without magical cable; please provide evidence. Like I mentioned in my 9:1 video - People can claim anything, but providing data along with claims; well, that helps validate the claims. Would you believe someone told me you NEED a tuner with a 9:1?

@akimboslice03 6 ай бұрын

Meme short suggestion: what your ham radio says about you

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Heh. That's pretty good!

@chesty1369 7 ай бұрын

Sean get a hold of me NI0P. Chat with ya about my 5100 Badlands install. Double as HF POTA setup by swapping coax from 5100 to hf rig.

@Jefduro1 6 ай бұрын

Grab yourself a pair of flush cuts from HD, then cut all those zip ties flush at the lock. you'll save yourself from a split open forearm next time you reach into the engine compartment on some dark dirt road some time. I speak from experiance here...

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

Thank You, I will.

@ronpetroski7203 4 ай бұрын

I have the 891 and the icom 2730 in my trunk. Why chevy put the battery there. Both are detachable head units. But i did add eternal speakers to the tear head rests Cant see them. Buth you can hear them. Each install can be unique. Not ecery install is perfect. Its the owners preference. Btw thanks for serving. Fellow veteran. Btw make sure you get your va beneifits.

@ryanhorn4190 7 ай бұрын

Nice Bronco and a very clean radio install! Now if only half of these jokers would get off their basement chairs and try to put out a video of their own…..so we can judge it as hard as they are judging others efforts! Keep up the great work Dude!

@alanlarson8266 7 ай бұрын

One mistake? Here are four. 1. You mentioned it - fuse the connection at the battery - as close to the battery as possible. The battery will happily deliver several hundred amps into 5 feet of #12 wire, getting it hot enough to start a fire very quickly. Even if you are right there at the battery, disconnecting it while it is glowing hot won't be easy. Get the fuse there BEFORE you run the rest of the wire. 2. You should compute the effect of that gain antenna squirting RF energy in your face when sitting in the driver's seat. At 50 watts, it i probably outside the safe limits. For the lower general public limits, a rider on a motorcycle in the lane next to you is possibly over the limit, too. 3. Yes, you hit on one with blocking possible airbag burst paths and flying bits of radio shrapnel. I suppose that is why under the seat is frequently used. 4. While thinking of airbags, you might want to take some careful measures to ensure that RF doesn't trigger the airbags, either directly (energy getting into firing mechanism) or indirectly (energy getting into some of the car's logic that decides to fire the airbag. You want to know that even on a long transmission at full power, you won't have stray RF getting into the system. This might be difficult as it may be difficult to determine where the sensitive parts of the vehicle are (but directly under the steering wheel airbag seems a risky choice). Chokes spread along the coax to ensure that RF on the feed line isn't being re-radiated may be needed, but general separation of the antenna from the airbag areas, and choking off any ground current (the 2/70 may not need a ground plane, but it probably does have some ground current). Might be better to put the antenna at the back of the vehicle, away from the vehicle computer and front seat airbags.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thanks.

@agoraphobicadam1171 7 ай бұрын

Mall Crawling. lol

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

I feel like I have a youtube short in the works for this :)

@TinyTJ04 7 ай бұрын

Sooo... when does the motorcycle get a radio?

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

When I'm able to ride again :(. I have heard a few guys locally (motorcycle mobile), and you would never be ablet o tell!

@TinyTJ04 7 ай бұрын

@HAMRADIODUDE Hopefully you'll be back at it again soon. I have heard that there are some guys around Schaumburg that have radios on their bikes but I haven't seen one or talked to any of them yet.

@LWRC 7 ай бұрын

There is no need to run both the positive and negative off of the battery via one wire cable back into the cab. It would have been much safer if you just took the positive lead and ran it into the cab and for the negative, just use any ground lug either under the dash or in the foot well of the vehicle. This would minimize any electrical shorts. And of course, you would have the positive cable correctly fused. This is how pros do commercial rigs in vehicles! Regarding 12Ga wire and 20A max draw from the radio, just go with a 10Ga wire as it isn't that much more and would allow you to run a more powerful rig in the future if needed.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thanks.

@AmRadPodcast 7 ай бұрын

@@HAMRADIODUDEYou did right by 12 ga and running both wires to eliminate ground loops. Nice job. -Derek

@randyk8919 7 ай бұрын

I just realized I thought you and Haden were the same guy.

@randyk8919 7 ай бұрын

You are, in fact, two people.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

I don't know, you'll never see us in the same place together.

@Georgiaguntraining 7 ай бұрын

Clip your zip ties flush. The auto industry has a standard for power wires to be used in a vehicle. They are primarily three certifications, GXL, SXL, and TXL. They vary in the thickness of the insulation, primarily. I always use that level of cable in the vehicle to ensure that it will handle the temperature and abrasion.

@danielkingshott2659 7 ай бұрын

Ziptie gun from harbor freight dude.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thanks

@ReneAltena 7 ай бұрын

'No line of site' (spelling error, should be 'sight') at the end of your video when you show how it sounds while driving 50 mph

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

Thanks. can't edit it, but you are now hired as my editor.. Congrats.

@HAMRADIODUDE 7 ай бұрын

But to be fair, if I can't see it with my sight, I could not see the site. :D

@rmonsipapa 6 ай бұрын

How do I contact you?

@HAMRADIODUDE 6 ай бұрын

I just sent you an email. Cheers.

@dennisbush4244 2 ай бұрын

@@HAMRADIODUDE when mounting the radio under the column did you use the radio mount or secure it some other way? Thanks.

@HAMRADIODUDE 2 ай бұрын

@@dennisbush4244 Hi Dennis, thanks for the question. No mount. It fit pretty well in there, I may have used Velcro on the radio and column to "feel secure" about its location. Fact is, it's been months on different roads, different speeds and it sits well in there. All I really did was remove the panel under the steering column in order to have all the wires ran to the area. If I recall correctly, I fished the power cord out through the steering column area (just below it), as well as my SO239 connector/cable. Then outside of the steering column, I hooked everything to the back of the FTM400 and finally i placed the ftm 400 under the steering column. Again, at this point, it fit really well in there and does not effect my steering capabilities at all. After this install, it was brought up about the airbags. I have double and triple checked my model and confirmed there are no airbags in that area. Hopefully this gives you some ideas. If not, shoot me an email (located on the about section of my youtube homepage) and I will help you out a bit more. Thanks for reaching out!

@dennisbush4244 Ай бұрын

I could not find your email. Sorry. I think I am almost there. I plan on direct wiring to my battery. I plan in using 10 gauge like you, and having in line fuses. My question is, is there any concern about the ftm-400 drawing the battery down even when it is off? A friend mentioned parasitic drain from the radio memory 🤷‍♂️. Did you add anything to prevent this or is it not a concern? Thanks again.