Any Radio Amateurs Running An Avensis...?

[G0AOZ]

Just got myself a 1.8 T3-X Estate (2003 model), and would like to fit a dual band rig for 2m & 70cm. Firstly, I have discovered that the remote control key operates on 433.92MHz which is generally bad news for 70cms. Anyone any experience of this? Apart from possibly locking myself up when I key up on 70cms, is the car likely to be immobilised if I park next to the radio club's 70cm repeater?

Secondly I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice on placement of the rig inside the car. I've a Kenwood TMV-7 with detachable head and extension cables, and thought I'd mount the rig in the boot. I've previously successfully used this setup for some years in a Citroen Xantia, along with a much modified hands-free microphone, with dual band aerial on a homebrew bracket on one of the roof bars.

73 de G0AOZ.

[hamat5]

Just got myself a 1.8 T3-X Estate (2003 model), and would like to fit a dual band rig for 2m & 70cm. Firstly, I have discovered that the remote control key operates on 433.92MHz which is generally bad news for 70cms. Anyone any experience of this? Apart from possibly locking myself up when I key up on 70cms, is the car likely to be immobilised if I park next to the radio club's 70cm repeater?

Secondly I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice on placement of the rig inside the car. I've a Kenwood TMV-7 with detachable head and extension cables, and thought I'd mount the rig in the boot. I've previously successfully used this setup for some years in a Citroen Xantia, along with a much modified hands-free microphone, with dual band aerial on a homebrew bracket on one of the roof bars.

73 de G0AOZ.

I am watching this topic... I am waiting for my new Avensis Wagon 2.0 D4D next week. rolleyes.gif

I will occasionally use my FT-857 or VX-7 in the car... but not decided even with the antenna mount yet.

73 de Zoli / YO5CRQ

[G0AOZ]

Well Zoli, it looks like you and me are the only two radio amateurs running the Avensis... :(

Pressure of work has kept me from doing much preparation on the car, but I have now made a bracket for the dual band vertical aerial. This is an aluminium alloy bracket which bolts around the rear section of the driver's side roof bar. Coax runs down inside the tailgate channel and I've cut a tiny section out of the bottom of the black plastic rearlight cluster surround for cable entry. The black plastic part is not seen when the tailgate is closed. It then loops in under the bottom of the light assembly, also unseen.

Next job will be to try and get some power from the Battery through to the boot area for powering the rig. I might try a temporary arrangement through the cigar lighter, just to get the rig powered up, and then check for any EMC problems.

How's yours doing?

Roger - de G0AOZ

[hamat5]

Hello Roger,

As I said in my first post on this forum, I am still waiting for my car

It has been travelled from the UK ( ) to Greece, and after that in Romania. But it did not arrived yet in the Northern part of the country where I live. Maybe tomorrow ... or on thursday... I am waiting for it since 2nd of August, when the order was placed.

I have a brand new Maldol WEG-900 antenna for VHF/UHF for the new car, but without the mounting bracket and connector yet. (Do you have a Maldol also, the lower part is almost the same...). I think I will put up a Maldol or Diamond K-400 mount, not decided so far. I will return with details as soon as I can... if I will have the Avensis, hi!

[G0AOZ]

Hi Zoli

I bought it a long time ago, but I believe it's a Watson W-7900. I think these are basically copies of the Diamond antenna, but cheaper! The only problem I've found is that the foldover spring weakens and the antenna then goes horizontal when you're on the motorway!! I have added a moveable tubular section to the base of mine to prevent that happening. Tubular section is held in place by a rubber grommet, so gentle pressure upwards allows the tube to be pushed out of the way and the antenna folded over for entering a garage or carpark etc. Hope your car arrives soon - that's a long time to wait...

Roger - 73 de G0AOZ.

[hamat5]

It is here!

:clap:

I cannot attach an image :(

[G0AOZ]

Glad it's arrived, hopefully in good shape :)

Look forward to hearing how you get on with using your rig in the car. For displaying images, I think you need to have your photos uploaded to a site like photobucket for example...

ROGER - 73 de G0AOZ.

[hamat5]

My car in the sunday sunshine:

http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/071016/1487030...ltoltes.hu_.jpg

[hamat5]

Roger, did you notice any interferences of the ham radio with the electronic devices of the car?

I never put this problem in my Daewoo Espero and Lada Niva, but those have only a simple ECU an few electronic modules. I operated in the Niva on shortwaves with 100W with no problems, but in the Espero only 5W from my VX-7R.

[G0AOZ]

Hi Zoli

Not been around for a few days, as very busy with work...

Tried to view your image several times, but no joy. First few times I got facial shots of some attractive looking young women, but latterly the page opens to a light green background and nothing else...

Regrettably not had time to progress much further with installing the rig in the Avensis, although I have made a new cover for the fuse access (near the bonnet pull catch) which has my rig loudspeaker mounted on it now. When I installed the same rig in the Citroen Xantia, I initially placed ferrite rings around leads likely to cause problems, and placed extra earthing straps for the rig where appropriate. I never noticed any problems at all, even when running 50 Watts on 2m or 35W on 70cm (FM only). In my previous Citroen which was a BX, I used a different rig, and did have some quite serious difficulties. I used a Yaesu FT-290R (Mk.1) with a 50 Watt linear amp for 2m, and also switched the 3 Watt RF output into a 28MHz Microwave Modules transverter. The transverter fed 4 Watts of RF into an ex-CB 50 Watt linear amp to a homebrewed quarterwave antenna on one of the roof bars of the car. Initially, every time I keyed up on 10m the central locking "jangled" up and down in sympathy with my audio (ssb)!! The rear wiper started up all on its own, the flashing direction indicators flashed very quickly, and one or two dashboard warning lights came on!! A combination of diodes, bypass capacitors, ferrite rings, earthing straps and aluminium foil managed to cure it all in the end.

73 de Roger - G0AOZ.

[hamat5]

Tried to view your image several times, but no joy.

Very strange. Here the link is working.

Anyway, I managed to put some photos on my webpage. Try to see it here:

http://www.yo5crq.ro/ToyotaAvensis.htm

[Bob.]

I have the avensis 2008 model

but the only amateur radio i have in it is the Yaesu ft-7800

I fitted it here

it is just the remote head wit hthe main unit under the drivers seats

I chose to have it there rather than be stuck on the dash.

The holder for the head unit is screwed to what looks liek a pop out fuse panel cover but it has nothing behind it and i figured that it would only cost a couple of quid to replace if i sold the car

I have had no problems at all keying up on 70cms but then i spend most of my time on 2mts fm with it

there is also a a pmr radio in there with other data devices and i have not had any issues

Bob

G7PAF

[MW0ELC]

Seems to be more of us than you think.........

I run a petrol Avensis, 2005. I have a Yaesu FT 7100 which is in the boot, the head will be on one of the W&S windscreen mounts soon, at present, it is on a mount in the ashtray ( don't ask, a bit of a lash up !! ) No issues on 70cms ( my main band ) usually on the lowest power, 2m is usually through my local repeater, GB3MP, plus occasional simplex. Aerial is mounted on a boot lip ( mine's a hatch ) on a Diamond mount to a Diamond dual bander. PTT is via a homebrew switch box to an electret on an extention over the visor. I have not noticed any problems with lock out or ECU issues to the car, even up to full power on both bands. And I have not noticed any interference to the radio from car electrics.

My main problem was mounting the head on the dash, my old Carina had a small letter box slot just above ( or was it below ) the heater controls and a piece of wood jammed in and the head screwed to that was just about perfect, but this Avensis dash is not very accommodating at all. Routing wires was another problem. It works, that's the main thing. As visions / alcohol brighten my thoughts, I hope to improve the location of all the bits around the dash, make it look a little more "professional "

No plans for mobile HF, although I have thought about static QRP mobile, ( PSK mobile ? ) rig in the boot job to wire thrown over a couple of handy trees. We'll see next year.

Interested to see how other mobiles have mounted their rigs..........

73 de Les, MW0ELC

[Kendoakita]

Seems to be more of us than you think.........

I run a petrol Avensis, 2005. I have a Yaesu FT 7100 which is in the boot, the head will be on one of the W&S windscreen mounts soon, at present, it is on a mount in the ashtray ( don't ask, a bit of a lash up !! ) No issues on 70cms ( my main band ) usually on the lowest power, 2m is usually through my local repeater, GB3MP, plus occasional simplex. Aerial is mounted on a boot lip ( mine's a hatch ) on a Diamond mount to a Diamond dual bander. PTT is via a homebrew switch box to an electret on an extention over the visor. I have not noticed any problems with lock out or ECU issues to the car, even up to full power on both bands. And I have not noticed any interference to the radio from car electrics.

My main problem was mounting the head on the dash, my old Carina had a small letter box slot just above ( or was it below ) the heater controls and a piece of wood jammed in and the head screwed to that was just about perfect, but this Avensis dash is not very accommodating at all. Routing wires was another problem. It works, that's the main thing. As visions / alcohol brighten my thoughts, I hope to improve the location of all the bits around the dash, make it look a little more "professional "

No plans for mobile HF, although I have thought about static QRP mobile, ( PSK mobile ? ) rig in the boot job to wire thrown over a couple of handy trees. We'll see next year.

Interested to see how other mobiles have mounted their rigs..........

73 de Les, MW0ELC

Hi guys,

I run a 55 T Spirit 2.2d Estate and I looked long and hard for a decent and not obvious for theft place to mount it without having to dismantle the car every time I parked. I use an Yaesu FT-90R which has the remote head leads in place and is also very nice and small. The head is fitted on a homemade aluminium L shape bracket that fits into the slot between the trim and dash above the headlight adjusters on the right hand side - this trim just pulls off if you pull it forwards. I'll post a picture when the car is back form missus shopping trip. The main body of ther FT-90 is fitted into the lower part of the centre console - which also houses a Trafficmaster Q Busta unit. Power comes from the cigar lighter on the rear of the centre console. All aerial and mic leads run under the centre console and needed two holes into the bottom compartment but they are not seen and ahven;t damaged the car value.

Microphone runs from the base unit into the little storage with the lid in front of the gear lever in the centre console so it's out of sight.

Dual band aerial is roof fitted rear centre using a Panarama base already fitted to the car from a ex-car phone aerial and now has a Garex dual band fitted to it - so it stilllooks like a car phone aerial at a glance.

All nicely tucked away - head unit matches the dash and is handy to reach from the wheel. Works for me.

Pictures if anyone is interested can be provided.

Steve

G8NRC