New tech here. I've got an Icom 51A Plus 2 and I am in love with D Star. Was in a QSO yesterday with a guy in Germany, Nova Scotia, Vancouver, and Georgia. According to the GPS on my 51A I was hitting a repeater 20.1 miles away and everyone heard me crystal clear.

I'd like to get a mobile unit, however I am really lost as to where to put it. I was at Ham Radio Outlet and got to play with it. I think the receiver itself will fit under the passenger seat although I'm not sure as it is kind of big. I was wondering where you guys with Jeeps are putting your radios (I have a soft top) or where you guys in general put your radio faceplates in your vehicles.

I've already got the antenna installed and am using it with a Pl259 to TNC cable for use with my handheld.

I have my CB (Uniden 520xl)  and my ham (Yaesu ftm100dr) mounted on an Arizona Rocky Road mount above my head in my TJ. I believe there are a few options that attach to the footman loop above the mirror in the JK's.

http://www.arizonarockyroad.com/radiomounts.html

Just saw the Icom you mentioned is a ht. No ideas on that one.

Sorry. The 51A is what I'm currently using but I want to get a 5100 which is not an HT it's a mobile

A picture of the Jeep interior could help.
Keep in mind that the display module is rather big. Just mount it where you can see it and reach it without having to unbuckle the seat belt. Keep it reasonably exposed to the windows because of a GPS antenna being in the display module.
Icom makes optional mounts for the display unit, with several different brackets available. Keep in mind that the radio body does not come with a mount. It's optional as well.

The display module can be removed while the radio is operational. For example, you can leave the radio powered and running s a cross-band repeater and simply remove and disconnect the display unit to keep it from being stolen. The display must be "unmounted" in the menu first to remove it safely.

Having a touch screen is a huge plus for a mobile radio, in my opinion. I hate Icom's multi-level, confusing menus in other radios like IC-7000.

Lost a bunch of photos in the Great Photobucket Purge of 2017, but found this one...

857 by Jim Gardner, on Flickr

The mount is a simple piece of .25" thick aluminum, which is bolted under one of the "footman's loops" for the hard top. Easy, afternoon project, and has been doing okay for about four years now. Did have to notch out the plastic trim, otherwise it's all reversible.

Good luck! Jim...

I had a 98 TJ

Installed a TUFFY center console, made of steel.  it had a lockable car stereo compartment between the front seats.

I dremel'd it a bit, and installed an IC-706mkiig

with an AH-4 tuner, at the tailgate.

It was cool as hell....but with the mud tires, and soft top, I had to stop rolling to hear anything

I sold it when gas got expensive, and I realized I was spending $350 a month on fuel.

I still miss her  . . . sniff

I made an overhead rack from perforated angle and 1/2 inch pine board.

I wrapped it in black interior carpet and put a power/ground bus bar on top to hook equipment to.

It sits on top the roll bar and fastened on the sides with zip ties.

The radios are mounted underneath and there's plenty of head room and enough space to mount

several rigs.

I had pics on Photo-suck-it. I'll try to dig them up.
ETA - GOT EEEM!

Attached File

Attached File

Attached File

Attached File

I've got the head for my TM-710 mounted above the mirror. I just used the mount it came with and screwed it into the plastic.  I do wish I had turned it a bit more towards the driver's seat.  The display gets hard to read at an angle while going down the road.

I went from not having enough ideas to having too many! Thanks for the replies.

I love the bar across the top. Does that dig into the soft top at all though? I like that I could also get a CB up there and out of the way.

On the other hand, the Icom 5100 has a removeable faceplate and would be nice to stick it up clean and on top like that. How did you screw it into the plastic? Where did you mount the transceiver?

The bracket for the head had a sticky backing on it.  I just figured out where I wanted it,  then stuck it temporarily in place to drill holes for the screws.



The transceiver is on the passengers side of the transmission hump.  I decided to put it there instead of under the seat so I could hopefully hear the audio a little better.

I trimmed the ends of the angle steel more than whats shown in the pic, and wrapped it in the carpet.

It does touch the rag top on the ends a tiny bit, but hasn't poked any holes or chafed it at all. It's been in there about 3 years now.

I could take it back out and trim it more, but I'm lazy like that.

I put my 7900's remote head on the center console between the storage net and the buttons that control hill descent etc.
Only negative is it's a little harder to use when the transmission is in park, but it's so clean I'll live with that.

Main unit is under the passenger seat, along with some powerpole splitters and such (I ran power from the battery with
separate leads through the bulkhead on the driver's side because there's a hole there, and then looped around.)

Antenna is on a spare-tire CB mounting bracket. I had to grind some powder coating off for the ground, but it works
quite well.

End result is full install, no drilling for cutting.

I have my ID-5100 under the passenger seat with the face plate on a suction mount mounted to the windshield near the center of the console. The suction mount has a magnetic head, so I can pull the face plate off quick and stash it in the center console when needed. My mic is hooked on the center of the radio stack between the two air vents (I have manual windows) you will need a longer mic cord to comfortably use the mic, but any standard cat 5 cable will do just fine.