4 Radios and a Stick Shift.

w7com · Post by **w7com** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 12:02 pm

I noticed that most of you guys wimp-out and run automatic transmissions :)

Anyway, here's how I got 4 radios into an '89 Ranger with a manual tranny.

2m SyntorX / 440 Maxtrac
6m SyntorX / Spectra for monitoring trunks

Next I have to figure where to put the convertacom and 900MHz radio!

Dale Earnhardt · Post by **Dale Earnhardt** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 12:16 pm

SO lets see, you hold 1 hand with a mic, and the other hand to shift, guess you got it down on steering with your legs? lol.

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 12:43 pm

Those are remote heads. That doesn't count.

w7com · Post by **w7com** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 1:34 pm

nmfire10 wrote:Those are remote heads. That doesn't count.

Yes they do.. it's a short cab. I don't have room for another deck.

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 1:52 pm

I know. I used to have that exact same truck. Well, it was a '91 but still the same, with that stick shift. There wansn't room for much anywhere.

I had a Relm scanner under the dash and a ham radio remote head next to the fake vent in the middle of the dash. The tranciever for it was under the seat.

When you said 4 radios, I was picturing 4 radio with RF decks attached mounted... well, I don't know where.

w7com · Post by **w7com** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 2:07 pm

Dale Earnhardt wrote:SO lets see, you hold 1 hand with a mic, and the other hand to shift, guess you got it down on steering with your legs? lol.

Yeah, and I smoke too... and I still haven't spilled a beer

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:06 pm

no Automatic dont meen whimping out. it just me we are lazy.

thats a nice lookin syntor

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:43 pm

KitN1MCC wrote:no Automatic dont meen whimping out. it just me we are lazy.

Hey! I resemble that remark

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:12 pm

Well, I just bought a 90 Ranger, 2wd, just for basic transportation. The Mazda with 272,451 miles (after today's commute home from work) is done. The Ranger does in fact have an automatic. This is the first vehicle I have ever bought for my OWN use that isn't a stick. Wives in the past have had automatics, but never my primary ride.

Thanks for the pics of the Ranger though, I've been thinking about how to mount my stuff. And I see you have one of those Iowa DOT Syntor X rigs! LOL (I have one too!) I saw one company that has a nice mounting rack setup I might get. $66 is cheap enough, I hope it's not CHEAP!

As for radios and the stick shift, some years ago I had my HF ham radio in the car with the stick shift. Now that's ok you might be saying, but here's the twist. I worked exclusively CW, even mobile. I had my Kenwood TS130 under the passenger seat where I could reach the volume and bandswitch from behind, and I used a remote digital VFO to tune it. My keyer paddle was mounted to the parking brake lever. Worked great and I never had a problem with driving and working at the same time.

Ah well, the Mazda will probably have been my last stick shift. I am getting too old for all that clutching, and my knees aren't happy about it anyway. Life goes on. Call me a wimp, see if I care!

Radio_Cowboy · Post by **Radio_Cowboy** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:28 pm

Hell Chris....

I'm just glad to see you got a new mode of transportation! I thought you was gonna be buried in that mazda....

-RC-

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:12 pm

Radio_Cowboy wrote:Hell Chris....

I'm just glad to see you got a new mode of transportation! I thought you was gonna be buried in that mazda.... :lol:

-RC-

heh heh, no, that Mazda is actually a sad thing. I've had it since it was new. The original pink slip shows it had 29 miles when I bought it in Dec 89, and I probably put half of those 29 on it test driving before I paid for it. As you might guess, I'm pretty attached to the car.

But now the timing belt is due for routine replacement (a little past due actually), the valve guides are shot and worse yet, the water pump has sprung a leak. The water pump is a time critical repair as once they start leaking, failure is imminent. And since the pump runs off the timing belt, a catostrophic mech failure of the pump will likely take out the whole engine instantly (had it happen to me in another car - zero warning - bang, new valve job and pistons. Yuck.)

So all thing considered, it's not worth the investment. A real shame too as the car runs great, still gets 38 mpg, and is a pleasure to drive. The valve guide leak means oil sits in the cylinders and burns ugly smoke at startup, but it clears up in a few minutes, then runs clean. So it really makes me sad to have to give it up.

Tonight my son and I were outside dismantling the radio installation. One NMO mount on the trunk is all rusted and will be replaced with a new one on the truck. The other NMO mount looks absolutely brand shiny new.

Speaking of putting the radios in the truck, does anyone have any knowledge of mounting systems from SMC near Houston? I don't recall seeing their name show up here, but the stuff looks good, flexible, and affordable. I'd love a fancy console, but that truck isn't big enough and money really doesn't grow on trees here (unless you're my ex wife.)

Here's one I was looking at:
http://www.smc-corp.com/Merchant2/merch ... y_Code=TWR

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:38 pm

Chris,
That looks nearly identical to a unit made by Gamber Johnson. Biggest difference is that G-J's unit is almost half the price. Check out the stuff they have on Sirennet; I know a few folks who have dealt with them and have been nothing short of pleased.

http://store.yahoo.com/sirennet/consoles.html

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 6:52 am

Wow, thanks Bob! I'd never heard of sirennet before. That's a great one and I've used Gamber Johnson stuff in the past. In the late 70s they made the only "cb style" slide mount that had a REAL antenna connector in it. (The others all used one pair of the regular contacts for the antenna - you can imagine what a nice bump in impedance THAT presented!) I was always happy with that mount and since I was on the 2m ham band, the antenna connector was really critical.

I think I know where I'm sending my money! Now to get the antennas mounted on the roof LOL.

Thanks again Bob,

Chris