I recently shared a write-up about how I mounted my displays. A recent discussion prompted me to share even more detail. I’m asked fairly regularly, “How did you put that there?” Every make and model of car or truck has its own challenge for placing radio components. I prefer to use transceivers with detachable displays so that I can minimize how much real estate is used on my dash or other areas of the car. If you’ve poked around my website, followed me on Instagram, or watched my YouTube channel, then you know that I’m fond of “Amazing Goop.” It’s an adhesive that holds well, but is flexible enough to avoid cracking or breaking, even in high-vibration applications. Best yet, it can be removed without a trace with steady pressure. Nearly all of my displays and microphones are held in place with Goop, either completely or with assistance. This article will share how I mounted all ham-related equipment, not just the displays.
Most hams are apprehensive about using any techniques that may be permanent or mar the finish of the car. For that, my favorite method for mounting a display was the use of a bent piece of sheet aluminum that’s been Goop’d to an appropriate display mounting plate. This photo shows an example. You may have noticed that I said this WAS my favorite mounting method. The reason I don’t still use this practice is because the fit and finish of my current car’s interior is so tight or overlapped that I cannot slide this sheet into any crevices. But it may work for you. It’s tough to find one small sheet of aluminum, but this inexpensive package should enable you to test your interior for places that this trick may work. I’ve created a “Plate Trick” album below to show how I used this plate to mount different radio displays.
If the “plate trick” above doesn’t work for you, then my next favorite method is to use mounting components by ProClip as a starting point. ProClip mounts are made for specific car and truck models; and their mating parts are made for specific smartphones and tablets. So, I cannot cover them all here. Instead, I’ve shared three different mounts for my car in this photo. I use their generic device mounts since I don’t have anything specific for my phone or tablets. The pros of these mounts is that they can be used for a wide variety of items, not just ham radio displays. I use a combination of ProClip mounts, extension plates, Goop, and adapters to mount radio displays, microphones, an antenna tuner, and even a keypad for my FT-891. Did I mention that I really like to use Amazing Goop? Yeah, I know I did! I’m just testing you! 😉 My ProClip mounts are holding more than just a smartphone. With the additional weight, I found it useful to add a dab of Goop at the mounting points to the car to ensure that the heavier displays stay put. See a “ProClip Mounts and Accessories” album below for more photos.
Sometimes, I find myself able to create some interesting options by carving a piece of plastic. In the “old days,” I’d buy a project box from Radio Shack and use that as a starting point. I’d use “wrinkle paint” to make the end project look like I may have bought it. Today, I can order sheets of plastic that are already textured. I’ve received praise for the appearance of the antenna pass-thru on my rear driver’s side window. Contrary to some observations, I did NOT remove the glass. Instead, this creation is formed to mimic the shape of the glass and then rolls up into place by being pushed by the factory glass. I can remove this pass-thru in about a minute. See the “Creations” album below for a few more things that I created for my ham equipment.
Sometimes it’s difficult to find a way to fasten equipment inside the vehicle. I usually cut a piece of medium density fiberboard (MDF) to fit where I want the equipment, add a layer of carpet, and then mount my equipment to that. This photo shows my most ambitious mounting solution. It’s hinged to tilt-up for access to equipment that’s deeper in the trunk and it uses the spare tire hold-down nut to fasten it to the car (the nut is hidden beneath the sign). I’ve used MDF for much smaller mounting solutions, too. It’s very easy to screw equipment to MDF, then apply hook and loop tape to the bottom so that the board stays in place, perhaps under a passenger seat. Of course, sometimes I use dabs of Goop to mount equipment directly to the sheet metal of the car. See “Board Mounted Equipment” photo album below for more photos.
I’ve also added an album that contains photos of everything that’s held in place using Amazing Goop. I’ve added comments to some of the photos. Hover your mouse over each photo for details. Clicking the image will open a larger view and show a link to the full-sized version of the photo. You may notice that some of my equipment is mounted using screws or holes drilled into various car parts. First, I keep my cars until they’re nearly worthless. So, I’m not concerned about “devaluing” my car by a few dollars as a result of a some blemishes. Second, each part that’s been altered is small and inexpensive to replace. Either I can buy the part or the next owner can. When I sell, this car will either go to someone who doesn’t care about a few blemishes (or a dealer who doesn’t matter to me) or they will get such a good deal on the car that it simply won’t matter. My car is an appliance that’s here to be used, not a fixture that’s here to be viewed.
Remember, the photo albums are below!
Goop It Up!
Scott
THE PLATE TRICK
PROCLIP MOUNTS and ACCESSORIES
CREATIONS
BOARD MOUNTED EQUIPMENT
GOOP MOUNTED EQUIPMENT
