Sonicgott

Interesting install. Reviewing my vehicle, there's no reliable way to install my radio underneath my seat due to mechanics being in the way and the station being too large. Also, would need to purchase external speakers, since there's no Aux input on my car's radio -- USB only. Unfortunate, but will have to do. I could use some sort of Bluetooth transmitter to my car, but that's just another potential complication. Edit: Here's a YouTube video update:

That’s good advice. The removable face plate is such a great feature of this radio. My only primary concern is the ventilation of the radio itself, don’t want to kick dust or debris into the radio with the fan. Thank you for your input.

Took a short video of my finished radio install. It’s not the best, but it does work. Repeaters come through generally well except back home where there’s a lot of trees and hills that cause the signal to skip. Did a couple test transmissions, but with no response. Double checked the CTCSS codes, and those were correct. Tried with two antennas. The radio DOES work, just can’t seem to get a response from anyone from the repeaters. Either no one is online to listen, or it’s a LoS issue. I can hit local radios just fine, some from my apartment and some from work. Let me know what you all think or what can be improved.

Here’s an update for you all: First off, THANK YOU! Up and operational! Secondly, it was an absolute pain to get through the firewall. I was at it for an hour. Ended up with three trips to the hardware store for specific tools. BUT, it’s working. Radio is running well, antenna receives nicely. Gonna keep testing this as I progress. Loomed the wires inside for protection. Had to go through the glove box to get to the firewall. Needed a coat hanger to puncture the grommet. Taped up and lubricated the cables to pull them through. Ring clips crimped and tied to the appropriate areas. Radio reports no errors. So, thank you again. It was a huge pain, but I got it done thanks to you all.

It's just me being cheap... but maybe I should save up for a reliable investment. KNOWING that the existing antenna will work - but with subpar results - is good to know, but nothing beats a good quality antenna.

Thanks, dude.

Okay -- radio nerds, feel free to stop me immediately if this is a stupid decision. So, learning that the Wouxun KG1000G+ doesn't come with a GMRS antenna, wondering if I can use the antenna that came with my 5w radio. My guess is that, no, I can't or shouldn't use it, that the SWR or something would be completely off resulting in terrible performance (or damaging the radio...?) If getting a different antenna is recommended, what would you pick? I'm looking at some of the shorter "shadow" antennas, since they don't stick out very far. The Wouxun N1 Stealth antenna has terrible reviews, some reporting a 4.8 SWR (yuck). The MXTA25 has a much better, although singular review. Don't like the fact that the cable and base are sold separately. The ANO-050G seems to have the best reviews, but I should consider getting a different base plate for it, needs to be strong to hold the thing. The roof of my car is all metal, and magnetic mounts work just fine, makes a perfect ground plane. Regardless, if I'm going to invest in a good radio, I'm thinking I should invest in as just as a good antenna. Good Antenna > More Watts.

Sincerely appreciate everyone's help in this manner. In time I'll decide on the radio. A lot of people are recommending the KG1000G+, but reviews tell me that the speaker is weak.

It does, yes. I assume you're referring to something else, but can't use a 50w radio with a cigarette lighter socket. But I wonder what part of my fuse box connects to that... could tap that.

Just needing to figure out where to connect pin 86 to, where a positive trigger source can be found. Thanks for the reference diagram.

The relay link shown was not compatible. Looking for compatible relays, but not sure what to connect to the relay or how.

Okay, this should be fun to try to interpret I believe there's a fuse access from the top of my car, as well as the inside of my car. Investigating those... I'll look at the relay and see what all needs to be done. In the mean time, here's some quick and dirty snapshots of my car and what I need to do to wire stuff. If I'm incorrect on any of these, please point them out. I've found out I can pull a line through my firewall near a grommet from the passenger side, going through the back of the glove box once removed.

The thing I’m looking to do is upgrading to a 50W GMRS radio, such as the Midland MXT500 or Wouxun KG1005G+. I’m thinking a 15 or 20Amp fuse to be safe. Probably 20. Also, I’ve investigated the areas of my vehicle for installation. Referencing other YouTube videos, I’ve found that the glove box and vent on the passenger side can be removed, and from the inside of the hood, deep into the passenger side, there is a flat portion of a rubber grommet that I could puncture using something like a coat hanger, or a hard curved wire to feed the cables into the vehicle. From there I can route the power cord to the radio. I’ll make sure to get some wire looms to protect the wires from the heat. This will take some work, but it’s doable. As far as accessory relays go, I’ll check and see what’s possible. I would want to make sure it’s at least a 15Amp fuse and not anything less. Many people are saying to wire the radio directly to the battery to eliminate possible line noise. Only downside is that I have to remember to turn my radio off when turning off the car.

I've looked at all sorts of articles, and whilst I get close to the answers I'm looking for, I don't get any direct ones, and I want to make sure there's no oversight on what I need to do. Wiring antennas, mounting the bracket and positioning of the radio and face plate are the trivial part. Many sources talk about this, but this isn't what I'm looking for. What some people say that is the most is to run DIRECTLY to the battery using an inline fuse, positive to the battery, and negative to the chassis ground of my vehicle. 1. What connectors do I need for my wires? I obviously can't just wrap the wire around the battery and tape it. No video shows me what's needed. 2. What fuse in the inline positive do I need? 13.8v at 50w is 3.62amps... so... the idea of a 5amp fuse doesn't sound right, though. I'm missing something in the math. 3. Should I wire through my fuse box, instead? It'd be nice to connect to my relay to my ignition, so that when my car starts, my radio turns on, and when my car is off, the radio is off. Because I *WILL* forget to turn off the radio. Someone mentioned getting an external relay... I have no idea what to look for or how to attach it to my car. My current radio is an MXT105B, which is a weakling compared to the 50W powerhouses. Obviously, it is NOT recommended to try to wire this to an auxiliary socket in the car, e.g., the cigarette lighter socket, as that's "dirty power," and the radio could draw enough current to potentially cause problems. Any detailed answers are greatly appreciated. I'm new to hooking up mobile radios and I don't want to screw this up. Thanks in advance!

First off, sincerest apologies for necromancing an old topic, but I'm seriously considering the KG1000G+, and installing it, it seems like the 13.8V direct connection to the battery or fuse box tap is recommended. Problem is, as much as I research this, information is ambiguous or general. I have a 2017 Ford Fusion, currently using a 5W Midland MXT105B radio, and as nice as this little tiny thing is, it's nowhere near useful enough to truly take advantage of GMRS, and the inability to connect to repeaters is a huge downfall. But, now here's the tough question: How best to connect the power sources to my vehicle? Preferably to power off the radio when I power down my car. I'd rather not directly tap the battery if I don't have to. I'm looking at the fuse box of the car, and not exactly sure which fuse to tap, or how to tap it (I heard there's a thing you can buy to tap the fuse more easily). I assume the negative can connect to any part of the vehicle's chassis. I might be a computer car, but a car guy, I am not. I'd rather research and learn about these things before making a decision. Any information is appreciated!