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Are there any hams who have put antennas and radios on the Gladiator?

N9NWO

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just an S10. Looking to buy a Gladiator.
I am thinking of putting my IC-7000 in the vehicle as well as a tri band FM/DMR mobile.
What have any of you done?
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MrZappo

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FTM 400xdr installed behind rear seat. Head unit on dash.

Diamond antenna.

Works great. I have some posts on this forum with details.
 

GoVR46

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Although there are people that use HAM, I think the more popular trail communication device is now GMRS.

$70 for a license that last 10 years and can be shared by your family. No classes or test that need to be taken.

GMRS and FRS hand helds can also communicate with Micromobile two-way radios.
GMRS Micromobile can work off repeaters and are up to 40 watts.
 

LostWoods

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I mounted mine under the passenger seat but they're getting moved to the forward face of a rear seat platform when I get off my lazy ass and actually build it. Up/Down Air makes a compressor bracket that mounts under the seat and I drilled holes to mount my Kenwood dual band and Midland GMRS.

If you don't have heated seats and other things, people have had luck mounting smaller units under the steering column using the bracket that normally holds that module and others have used the overhead MOLLE panel from JCR or other companies if you need physical access to the head unit.
 
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N9NWO

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just an S10. Looking to buy a Gladiator.
how did you mount antennas?
 

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kd1yt

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Won't be able to do the install until warm weather, but for the FT-891 that I am going to install, I am putting in a front 2" receiver hitch and then an antenna insulated base in a 2" mount, with a 102" whip and an autotuner that'll go behind the plastic cowling of the lower air dam; I'll tie the antenna off to a clip mounted to the roof, so that it is pulled partly back and not flailing around in front of me going down the road, but be able to let the antenna be vertical (and even put in place longer extension masts) when operating "mobile parked."

Then I am going to put a Diamond 400 mount on the forward side edge of the hood and put a whip tuned to do 2m/440 (separate FT-7900 dual-band rig) on the Diamond.

Radio bodies of the HF, and V/UHF rigs are going to mount to a Molle panel running overhead down the center between the two seats https://www.molle-platform-solution...-wrangler-front-overhead-molle-panel-hard-top with the control heads of the radios mounted on a bar that will cross horizontally overhead in front of me, immediately to the back of the visor, so that the visor can still operate. Audio will be by a compact headset but with the radios' microphones still in place on spring-loaded mic retractors, to be able to use the button/keypad functions of the mics when needed.

Got all the pieces. Just need warm weather and a usefully-large chunk of time when my job is not draining all available time and energy.
 

sarguy1941

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If you do a search on this forum you will see multiple radio and antenna installs with pictures.

I have a FTM400 in my JT along with an APX8500.

Pics in other threads
 

eaglerugby04

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Won't be able to do the install until warm weather, but for the FT-891 that I am going to install, I am putting in a front 2" receiver hitch and then an antenna insulated base in a 2" mount, with a 102" whip and an autotuner that'll go behind the plastic cowling of the lower air dam; I'll tie the antenna off to a clip mounted to the roof, so that it is pulled partly back and not flailing around in front of me going down the road, but be able to let the antenna be vertical (and even put in place longer extension masts) when operating "mobile parked."

Then I am going to put a Diamond 400 mount on the forward side edge of the hood and put a whip tuned to do 2m/440 (separate FT-7900 dual-band rig) on the Diamond.

Radio bodies of the HF, and V/UHF rigs are going to mount to a Molle panel running overhead down the center between the two seats https://www.molle-platform-solution...-wrangler-front-overhead-molle-panel-hard-top with the control heads of the radios mounted on a bar that will cross horizontally overhead in front of me, immediately to the back of the visor, so that the visor can still operate. Audio will be by a compact headset but with the radios' microphones still in place on spring-loaded mic retractors, to be able to use the button/keypad functions of the mics when needed.

Got all the pieces. Just need warm weather and a usefully-large chunk of time when my job is not draining all available time and energy.
Can't wait to see photos of this setup!
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