Ham radio mount in Ford F-450 chassis with doghouse

I do not know if you are interested or not but I use my handi-talky in my class C. Always gets good reception and no problem broadcasting. And, as you know it requires no mounting. I use strictly 2 meters in motorhome. Works good for me. 73's and happy travels.

In my 2005 Fleetwood Jamboree I have the control head mounted in the upper left side of the windshield. I have the rest of the radio mounted behind the drivers seat.

Gentlemen your help has been tremendous. I will continue to watch for more ideas.

Thanks as always
VE3GON
Smithville, ON

This is 3-gang switch panel I used from LOWES. LEVITRON
This is super BLACK FINISH with specs that almost was the exact same as my F150 Console DECOR. Blends in very nice... Easy to remove whole panel with one tug...

I VELCRO'd everything in place as well as the top and bottom of the 3-gang plate installed at a good viewing angle. All very tight with no vibration etc... Easy to run the remote cable back to the radios...


I always use these KENWOOD KES-5 SPEAKERS which are getting harder to find now. These are GREAT MOBILE SPEAKERS with outstanding voice sound. I got my last two from HAM RADIO OUTLET but I see them still listed on google at various places. They are expensive $50... I usually mount two of these under the truck driver seat but on my newer 2010 F150 ford it was just a tad to high. I mounted the two speakers on a piece of 2X2 wood and cut to fit the side pocket of the driver door. Just slips right down inside the pocket. Tight fit so no vibrations... Speakers sit above the pocket... Wires came out the bottom of the pocket and into the door jam along with the ford wiring and made it back to the radio just fine. No wiring in plain sight.. This put the two speakers right up against my knee.. Great sound spot to try to keep noise down from the wife as much as possible..


Roy ken

All of my radio equipment, 12VDC sub-panel, 12VDC wiring stubs, antenna connections, heavy cables, heavy frame grounds, are all under the rear seat of extended cab F150 Truck. Only the control heads and floor mounted speakers are up front near my console area for easy viewing. I had one spot where the vertical part of the console met the horizontal console and was able to mount three control heads in this area angled up at me. I actually used the three gang nice black shinny finish switch cover from LOWES that has the large opening for the specialty switches etc. I VELCRO'd my control heads to the this plate. Very professional looking install.with no wires visible. I think the only part I covered up on my vertical console was a tissue holder hole or some small catch-all area.

I would do something similar if I was dealing with the doghouse in the motorhome situations. No need whatsoever for some big hunk of radios need to be up front. Only the control heads and speakers. I have the ICOM 706, a couple of 2m/440 different brand transceivers used mostly as scanners, and two 2m/440 comet antenna on the back side of the second door on my truck near the back of the cab and my Tarheel LIL TARHEEL screwdriver antenna on the driver side of the truck bed up close to the cab area. All works out pretty good but I never could get rid of all my motor interference on the ICOM 706 install. Its liveable but could be alot better.

On my OFF-ROAD POPUP I have about all the same setup except I move the ICOM 706 back and forth from the truck as well as the TARHEEL antenna.

I know this isn't for your motorhome but maybe showing what I did to populate my OFF-ROAD POPUP setup will spark some ideas. I love to use BLUE SEA products every where I can for 12VDC distribution. This layout shows where all my radio and antennas are installed around my POPUP. The area where my control heads are installed is my wrap around seating inside my POPUP.


Good luck with your console setup...
Roy Ken

A bunch of years ago, I thought about mounting my radio equipment on the doghouse in a G-30 but instead built an overhead console for the radios.

Reason:

You have to remove the doghouse to do certain engine maintenance.

GilONel wrote:
Does anyone out there have there ham radio mount in there Ford F-450
around there doghouse.
I am just looking for ideas as I am starting to mount my radio equipment.

thanks
Gil

When I had had stuff in my class C E450 I only had the head unit in the cab. Put the rest up in the over cab area, close by.

Jim