Icom MOBILE RADIO INSTALLATION

MOBILE RADIO INSTALLATION

GUIDE TO INSTALLING
MOBILE RADIO TRANS­CEIVERS IN VEHICLES

‘ PREPARATION

‘ VEHICLE

Check if there are installation in­structions available for your car.

Check that radio is suitable and
approved for mobile installation.

Read the installation instructions
for the radio.

Vehicle manufacturer
or agent.

Radio manufacturer or
agent.

‘ POSITION

Checklist of points to decide before starting:

i) Is there a suitable position to mount the radio?
ii) Will you use a fist mic or a “hands-free” installation?
iii) Can you route all cables so that they will not interfere with

any controls of the vehicle? Fist mic cables are especially

important here.
iv) Make sure that it is possible to securely mount the radio.
v) Will the position of the radio be quite safe for you and

your passengers?
vi) Will the position of the radio obstruct any safety device

of the vehicle?
vii) Don’t forget that transceivers can become quite hot in

transmit mode, the ventilation should not be obstructed.
viii) Don’t mount the transceiver, antenna or accessories

where they can obstruct the driver’s view.

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Some vehicles require special attention.
These notes are written for petrol/diesel engined cars, vans
etc. with 12 volt battery supplies.
Other types of vehicles may be subject to special regulations.
If in doubt, please contact either the vehicle or radio distribu­tor for further information.
Be sure that the installation can be made safely, such as no
petrol leaks etc.

Modern vehicles are using more and more non-metallic ma­terials in their construction. Some panels (interior and exte­rior) may be made from plastic or reinforced resin etc. Such
panels do not have the same shielding properties as metal
and this may cause unexpected effect with RF such as
VSWR, RF immunity. A qualified radio installation engineer
should be able to give you advice on suitable products that
can be used to “screen” such non-metallic panels if required.

‘ ANTENNA

Many types and sizes of antennas are available, whatever
you choose you need to consider some basic points :

Reduce any RF interference
to the vehicle electronic cir­cuits.

If the transceiver is a “high
power” type, reduce RF risk to
pedestrians etc.

Position the antenna
away from any sensitive
circuits.

Position the antenna
where pedestrians will not
easily touch it or stand too
close.

Don’t forget that the antenna must also be securely mounted
vehicle and should be a sensible size.
If you choose a magnetic mount type, be sure that it is rated
for the antenna type.

Large HF antennae, especially bumper mount types will re­quire special consideration because of the safety critical as­pect of this part of the vehicle. Such large antenna may also
be subject to vehicle construction regulations. Please seek
advice from a qualified vehicle engineer and a qualified mo­bile radio installer.

Avoid mounting the antenna
where it could be dangerous
for pedestrian or other road
users.

Position the antenna
away from the edges of
the vehicle, as high as
possible.
Avoid having the antenna
end at “eye level.”

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