Yaesu FTM-400XDR Install

I've been a year now without a radio in my truck but finally getting things up and running again. I took the radio, Yaesu FTM-400XDR out of my Tacoma when I sold it and just never got around to putting it in my Tundra. Almost complete but ran out of time due to other activities. Hopefully I can get back to it tomorrow.













I've never used a Compactenna before but for the price of this one I thought I would try it.


I also have a temporary home-brewed HF mount in the bed I use for POTA (Parks On The Air) activities.

 

That’s a nice radio, and, I’m curious how that antenna works out for you. I decided to awhile back for mobile and HT work to focus on 2m only. Ended up getting a Yaesu FT-2980 - dead simple to operate, built like a tank, and transmits at 80+ watts. That said, I do miss onboard APRS at times (Mobilinkd solves this but starts to get kludgey). I understand the FTM-400 implements APRS really well and is very easy to use. Good luck with your project,

73

 

Nice job. I mounted mine in the center console above the shifter.

 

Mine has been sitting on the self since I traded in my FJ. I like this install very clean and I like where you placed the control head.

 

That Yaesu FT-2980 is an awesome radio but I was looking for one that was APRS capable out of the box. The 400 has performed real well. I bought it as the 500 was rolling out but chose the 400 because of the larger screen. One of our club members has the CompacTenna too and she has been really impressed with it, hope I will be too.

 

I had a Kenwood V-71A mounted on the center console in my Taco but it got beat around a good bit so when I upgraded I mounted the 400 on a Lido seat bolt mount which sat a little higher. I wanted a mount that was little higher and started looking for ideas. I saw PapaDave418's setup (https://www.tundras.com/threads/off-road-build-with-diy-and-production-mods-on-37%E2%80%99s.105476/#post-2714376 ) and thought I'd do one similar to his. I guess time will tell if I'm satisfied with the setup.

 

I got the idea from PapaDave418 and his build, https://www.tundras.com/threads/off...-production-mods-on-37’s.105476/#post-2714376

 

My homebrew HF mount using parts I had laying around. I wasn't sure how well it would perform but on it's first test I got European Russia, Ireland, Finland, and Sweden in the log.

 

Impressive distance on a vertical! My QBV vertical antenna kit from QRPBuilder shows up Monday - it’ll go in my QMX kit for portable CW work. For 2m I’ve got a Comet SBB-224 and a Comet NMO magnetic base that stay tucked away in the truck.

 

We were very surprised with the contacts. Three of us were at Lake Somerville State Park and since 20M was already in use I grabbed a 10M stick and was surprised the band was so open.I've also got a Motorola NMO mag mount that was usually in my Tacoma but the old Comet SBB-??? got banged up pretty good and had to be retired, haven't replaced it yet. I've also got a Comet SBB-5 that was on Comet CP-5M that was mounted to a side rail on the Tacoma's roofrack which will be a backup for now.

 

The radio has been in service with the CompacTenna for several months now and has been better than i was expecting. I still want to get another antenna for roadtrips but for around here it is working great with the repeaters. I need to sit down and map out the areas I normally travel around here and get my memory channels narrowed down a little.

 

Excellent, glad to hear it! I spent some time awhile back building my repeater list to cover my locale and those I’m most likely to be in, then replicated it across all my radios - it’s probably time to revisit my list, purge dead repeaters, etc. Interesting the surge in interest in ham since the Helene disaster - being licensed, having a kit all sorted out, and knowing how to use it saved a lot of lives in the days following.

 

You said that you went without a radio; did the factory radio in your truck break?

 

The factory radio receiver works, I was without a ham radio in the truck for a year.

 

I decided to add an ATAS-120A to my antenna "farm" for use with my FT-891. For now I'm using a trunk lip mount on the hood. It will only be used (mounted) when stationary at this location because of possible hood flex when mobile. I'm still thinking I want it on the bed or tailgate but I need to get some more coax for those locations if I want to use it while mobile.