Hi all,
Thought I would post up my install of an ICOM IC440 UHF. Its my first how to, so be gentle with me. I put lots of pictures in for KKnut as well.
I wanted it to be well out of the way, thus the install under the seat. Its still very accessible and removable without damage or trace (I hope). As for the unit itself, I'm very impressed with its look and feel to start with. Its has features and functions as good as any unit out there but as we all know its limited my its wattage (5 watts max in Aus)and antenna setup.
The unit has some very neat features but does not have the illumination colour features of the GME sets. Instead you just have a brightness and contrast function. The inbuilt speaker feature is what attracted me firstly to the ICOM as I didn't need to mount a separate speaker. The speaker is very impressive for an inbuilt unit and I find it very clear and plenty loud enough.
I used a GME raised feed AE4018K2, which has a 1 metre whip, on a Diamond K400 Mount as my main with a small 1/4 wave for hilly areas and around town. I give it a 4 out of 5 for distance and clarity.
Link to GME Antenna -
http://www.gme.net.au/products/anten...7-mhz/AE4018K2
Link to Diamond K400 Mount -
http://www.diamondantenna.net/k400.html
FITTED WITH 1/4 WAVE ANTENNA - FOR CAR PARKS - DOH !!!!
INSTALL INFO
1: First I had to locate a suitable place under the seat. I chose the drivers side as I want to install a 600watt inverter under the passenger side later.
Showing Mounting Position
2: To mount it for easy removal I used 2 very heavy duty cable ties but if you wanted to for additional security you could bolt it it I guess as there is a bit more room than what it looks like in the Photo. I didn't worry to much about the security aspect as this unit is designed to click out of the cradle with the press of a button so I didn't see the point.
To insulate the unit from the seat heaters I used computer insulation foam (like pool noodle foam) as it has a low heat transfer property, and will help with vibration.
Mounted with Unit in the cradle
3: As the position that I wanted to mount the Mike on the dash is slightly curved, I used a heat gun to make the plastic more pliable on the mike mount and bent one of the edges into a curve to suite the dash. I wanted this to be removable so I used industrial strength 3M double sided clear tape, it works great (so far, 4 weeks later).
POWER AND CABLING
4: Next I ran the cable for the Antenna and power. This I ran from my secondary power supply. As the ICOM has an auto power off feature which is user set, negating the need to connect it to the ignition power. I ran the Power, Antenna and Mike Extension cable under the side of the centre console and did this by just tucking them under, no need to remove the console if you don't want to. The hard part was passing the cables and wires from the passenger side to the drivers side.
I did this like a sparky would pass wires through a cavity wall. I taped them to the end of a length of yellow tongue plastic (piece of flat plastic taken from the edge of yellow tongue particle flooring) but you could use anything that was flat and long enough that wont earth out and cause any ECU damage. When the cables where taped on I just pushed them through the gap, just behind where the centre console and the dash console with the air con/heater controls are, over to the other side.
5: After that its pretty much just connecting it all up and testing the unit. In the following pics you can see the final cable and unit positions and how it fits neatly, and most importantly, how its protected from vacuum intrusion.
REAR VIEW
ANTENNA MOUNTING
Using the Diamond K400 Mount is great due to its versatility. You can adjust its position to what you need as it moves three (3) ways. The only draw back is it uses grub screws on the back of the mount which stick out a bit when tightened, causing a rub spot, which for me is on the plastic imitation vents. Later I plan on grinding down some of the screws which should sort it out.
ANTENNA CABLE ROUTING
RUB SPOTS FROM MOUNT
WATERPROOFING ENTRY POINT
For waterproofing, I ran the cables into the cab via the wiring harness grommet that sits on the passenger side and since all my future connections will be from inside the cab, I then sealed it with silicone.
ENTRY POINT INTO THE CAB
VIEW FROM ENGINE BAY
MY SUMMARY
I use professional comms everyday, mostly motorola and GME, but we also have some of these ICOM units in our Comms Kits and I have to say they have a great feel and perform well in rough conditions. I have no affiliation with ICOM, just giving you my 2 cents worth. I like the auto power off feature as it meant I didn't have to break into the wiring harness or fuse box. The secondary power supply has it own earth run direct from the battery to avoid earthing issues with the body. I initially wanted to just earth the unit to the seat but had all sorts of issue finding a spot that carried the earth with a good contact. This way I don't have to worry about a crook earth after a few rough roads. I'm no sparky but I can be a bit fussy sometimes when it comes to wiring things up. I soldered all connections and used heat shrink for a professional looking finish and just to make sure there was no unwanted overt contact later.
In retrospect the power distribution board I used is probably over sized as it has 10 outlets. I only have plans for 4 of them so I could have gotten away with a smaller one and saved space and money.
I hope this helps someone with an install or decision process. I have heaps more photo's and info (like how to remove glove box for access). PM me if you need it.
Cheers Doc
ICOM UHF Install
In the end I just drilled the dash.
Jeep KK
2010 KK Sport, LPG, Mygig, Uconnect, JBA UCAs, 3" CRDstu lift & Uneek bull bar.
