2-Way Radio Installation Questions

[Sendhendrix]

I’m investigating the possibility of installing a vhf/uhf ham radio on my 12 Sportwagen. I already have a good idea of where everything is going to go, but I would really love to power the rig from a (source that is only hot with the key on/engine running, because I can see myself forgetting to power the radio down when I’m leaving the car. A cursory check reveals that every fuse on the car is hot even with the key off. I don’t yet have a service manual, and the owner’s manual doesn’t divulge any suggestions.

Anyone else done this? If not, I’ll probably just hook up to the unused terminal block stud on the underhood fuse box. I’ll fuse power and ground on both ends, and just make sure I turn off the radio before I get out of the car.

Another question for any other mobile hams in TDIs: Do the injectors make any noise on receive or transmit audio?

edit: confusing typo

Thanks!

 

[Sendhendrix]

I tried to edit a typo where the single parenthese is... Looking for 20 amps.

 

[03TDICommuter]

Every fuse can't be hot, otherwise you'd have a lot of accessories running all the time.
That said, are there lugs in the relay area under the dash like on my Mk4 Beetle and Jetta? I used the 75X lug to power my dual band rig.

Dave
ai6vx

 

[Sendhendrix]

Every fuse can't be hot, otherwise you'd have a lot of accessories running all the time.
That said, are there lugs in the relay area under the dash like on my Mk4 Beetle and Jetta? I used the 75X lug to power my dual band rig.

Dave
ai6vx

I didn’t look for the relays under the dash. I’ll do that. Are they on the driver’s side in your Jetta? Thanks!
Also, the only six fuses I found that are not hot at all times are in the underhood fuse box (I checked again.) Maybe I need to wait longer for everything to time out. I assume the loads they feed are ground-side controlled by various modules. Obviously a service manual is needed. But as an auto mechanic by trade, one of the reasons I bought VWs for me and my wife is to hopefully take more weekends off and have someone else do the repairs! If I get a service manual, it’s all over.

Thanks again!
Tim
NC0Q

 

[Sendhendrix]

Mk6 Jetta must be pretty different. I didn’t see any terminal studs/lugs after I got the relay box down. Oh, well. I’ll probably rig a low-current drive relay to something that’s key hot for switching B+ to the rig when the key is on.

 

[Vince Waldon]

VW is reasonably consistent with their circuit labeling, and if so perhaps there's a 30x terminal block on your MK6 like there is on the MK4. If so, it's likely a switched accessory circuit.

73s,
VE6VKW

 

[JELLOWSUBMARINE]

Put some pictures in of the installed unit. Its gotta be a squeeze?

 

[Sendhendrix]

It’s an old Icom 2710h...I found a separation cable in Japan, so I can mount the faceplate (probably using Velcro) right under the HVAC controls. It’ll be covering up the passenger airbag light. The actual transceiver will be under the driver’s seat. The mic will plug in there, with plenty of length on the coiled cable to hang on the RH side of the steering wheel. There’s an “aux in” jack above the parking brake lever in the console, so I’m thinking about rigging up an attenuator from the external speaker jacks on the ICom and plugging in there, if audio is insufficient. But yes, it would be stupid tight with a traditional “screw it to a bracket under the dash” install. I’ve mocked that up and I just don’t see how I could make it work.

 

[03TDICommuter]

Ah, you're looking at the fuse box under the hood - I thought you were measuring at the fuse box inside the car.
Bummer about not having lugs at the relay block under the dash. My Mk4 has a thick wire from the battery to a lug, and then relays in the block for glow plugs, ECU, etc, one being a lug marked 75x. Running a relay with the coil off a switched circuit will work, and exactly what I'll be doing on my 93' Ranger for the same reason you mentioned. I ran 12ga wire from the battery itself into the cab, completely spacing out that I'm going to forget to turn the radio off. Will mount a relay under the hood on the fenderwell to switch the power.

Nice that you have a removeable head on your rig. Right now I'm running a TYT TH-8600 in the beetle, but my Yaesu 7250 just came back from warranty repair and that's going to get swapped in. Neither have a removeable head. BTW, I ended up drilling for an NMO mount on both the truck and the beetle, running a TRAM 1180 on both.
Dave
ai6vx

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I found a few fuses that the power goes away once the keys are removed from the ignition. I had to repower my stereo and the only way it seemed to work is to make sure you take the keys out.... (which I don’t.... we live in a small sleepy town..... no one can drive a MT anyways.....)
There’s a few ‘fuse maps’ online if you search to see what your piggybacking off if your interested to know.

 

[Sendhendrix]

Thunder, for some reason it didn’t even dawn on me to remove the key from the lock cylinder.

Thank you everyone your input, it is very much appreciated. I’ll check back when the deed is done.

Edit: I do not have the stones to drill a hole in the roof for a proper antenna mount. I’ll probably be using a luggage rack mount and an end fed dipole/no ground plane antenna.

 

[Wilkins]

IIRC the various rows of fuses in the interior fuse box are powered by either always on or switched power depending on the row. I think I used the switched (stock position) when I added the headlight motors and unswitched when I installed trailer wiring.
With a trip to the wrecker you can get some repair wires and connectors, take the wires out of the connectors and install them in the fuse box almost as if they came that way. Just be sure to use the right size connector, there are at least three different ones. You will need a terminal extraction tool - and some patience.

 

[murphyslaw]

I have been trying to decide what, where, and how to install a rig in my '14 JSW. To many radios, not enough dash space.

 

[03TDICommuter]

I have been trying to decide what, where, and how to install a rig in my '14 JSW. To many radios, not enough dash space.

Is the head at least remote mountable?

 

[Sendhendrix]

Here’s my installation. I ended up deciding to use the Automatic Power Off feature on the radio; it powers down automatically after 30 minutes of no operator input. This way, if I’ve been transmitting recently before I exit the vehicle, I don’t need to worry about heat creep because the heat sink fan will continue to run.

I’ll probably go back and re-do some things, but so far it’s a functional installation.