Can anyone take some pictures of their center console for me? I am going to be installing my ham radio in my new truck when I get it. My main concern right now is where the face plate is going.

I here is how I had my radio installed in my 2010 SD.



See the following link for some more pictures: http://kc8qvo.com/?p=355

Towards the bottom of that page you can see how I mounted the faceplate under the console lid. That worked out really well as there was a torx screw right in the top - I didn't have to drill any holes to get the mount on there.

From what I remember with the 11's they don't have screws there. I need some other ideas.

I won't have access to the truck until I pick it up - its 1300 miles away so I am trying to get my idea together so I can get the radio in there for the trip home.

Thoughts? Crazy, off-the-wall ideas?

 

Here's my 2meter installation. The control head is secured to the dash with heavy duty velcro. The main unit is in the rear storage well and fed with a fused 30 amp curcuit directly off of the right battery and run under the truck and into the rear of the cab.

 

Thanks for the pictures, however a dash mount isn't going to work. My radio is HF too and I need access to the panel right there at the center console to navigate the bands.

I am half tempted to cut a couple inches of PVC and use one of the cup holders. However, that won't be a very "clean" install. It would get me through the trek though.

 

Perhaps something like this will work for your installation.

 

I've been trying to find a solution I'm happy with and most likely it will be either a post mount like Nipperdog's suggestion or buying a new radio where my focus is on making the faceplate fit vs radio features. I'm also considering using the overhead console sunglass holder and Dremel-ing (ok not really a word) out some plastic to make it fit right. For now the faceplate just ends up in my lap when I'm using the radio, but I'm hoping to settle on a solution soon.

Slightly off topic, I managed to find an antenna solution that I'm very happy with. I'm using a front stake bed hole (rear and middle won't work due to trailer) and a mount from http://www.geotool.com/


Which gave me a very clean install despite having to work around my partially blocked stake bed hole.

 

That is a pretty clean antenna install! I don't have any fancy stake hole mounts like that, mine is a widdled down 2x4 with a steel plate screwed to the top wher the 3/8x24 mount is bolted to. My VHF/UHF antenna will go on the hood where I had it on my last truck. I was very happy with that location.

My HF antenna went on top of my roof rack on the cap I had (Leer 180, mid height). I may end up doing the same thing for a while. I won't have a cap on the truck for a couple months, so until then the stake hole mount/antenna will have to do for HF. Once I get a cap I may look in to a screwdriver antenna set up for later. I have a Tarheel model 200 but it took a whack from a tree when I was doing some landscaping in my old silverado. The mount isn't in too good of shape so maybe Ill just use it for portable and get me a new one for the 2011 SD - maybe even color matched

I was looking at some pictures of the center consoles online and one idea that popped up is to take out one row of cup holders and set the face plate down in the console there. That way I can still throw my coffee mug in there in the AM, my drink for lunch in the afternoon, and have my face plate accessible while not too obstructive. I will have to measure it all up and see what I can do.

Something else I thought of is getting a video converter for the Nav screen and getting an IC-7000. Then, run the display port on the radio in to the nav screen That would be really cool. Then I can leave my FT-857D unhooked for throwing in the work truck and portable operating without having to un-install it all the time.