HAM and GMRS Radio Installs in 4th gen Tacoma -- Post Your Setups

[GTBradley]

I ran the power wires to the 12 volt power port terminals and the antenna cord under the carpet back towards the backseat so I can mount the fiberglass antenna mast on my mid-height bed rack.

After installation, I found that all it takes to remove the base unit from the bracket or unplug the antenna is removing the four bolts in the console cubby and reaching under from the back.

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[GTBradley]

I found a very convenient grommet right where I needed to get the antenna cable out of the cab. It’s right in of the battery vent filter. The rest of the install went very smoothly. I bought a rotating, folding bracket for cheap on Amazon and it works perfectly for lowering the mast and has the ability to fold backwards if it gets hit really hard from the front.

Midland’s instructions say to not mount the base above the roofline and I just made it with the additional bracket.

 

[just_rich_young]

I installed the MXT275 under the armrest console and a fiberglass mast 3.1dB antenna to my bed rack. I bought the MXT275BBM bundle for it’s performance in wooded/mountainous terrain and its compact size. When I got the center console removed I found plenty of space to mount it though that metal bracket is very thick and stainless steel I think, so I used velcro instead of screws.

I copied your install this morning and I gotta say it was by far the easiest radio install I've ever done. I am curious how you ran your power though. I pretty much just ran the wiring under the console up to the front 12v outlet. The entire set up is pretty much hidden. Thanks for the tips.

 

[GTBradley]

I copied your install this morning and I gotta say it was by far the easiest radio install I've ever done. I am curious how you ran your power though. I pretty much just ran the wiring under the console up to the front 12v outlet. The entire set up is pretty much hidden. Thanks for the tips.

Sure thing. Yeah, I did the same with power wires. They are spliced into the 12V port wires and considering the unit only pulls an amp and a half the draw will me minimal on the 10A power port circuit.

PS. I spent most of my life in KC. Rock Chalk!

 

[just_rich_young]

 

[GTBradley]

I finished my GMRS radio install and I'm very satisfied with the professional look. It's clean, convenient and unobtrusive.

The RJ45 socket I bought on Ebay has its own backlight. I discovered that attaching the RJ45 light wires to the backlight of the OEM switches next to it provided 12 volts and made the RJ45 light much brighter and more blue than the others. What I did instead, was use the power from the Midland USB-C port, which provides 5 volts. This reduced the light to appear similar to the other switches and it doubles as a power indicator for the radio.

12 volts: (note: STABI BAR button is off because I'm tapping power from it).

5 volts:

 

[T24A-FTS]

West Mobile makes a bracket for the drivers side fender. Model: ATTTA24. I'm guessing this is a new item as I've been searching and visiting this post for months. I just got mine Friday so I haven't had a chance to install it yet but I just thought I'd let you all know.

 

[TanComa]

I installed the MXT275 under the armrest console and a fiberglass mast 3.1dB antenna to my bed rack. I bought the MXT275BBM bundle for it’s performance in wooded/mountainous terrain and its compact size. When I got the center console removed I found plenty of space to mount it though that metal bracket is very thick and stainless steel I think, so I used velcro instead of screws.

Do you have the factory inverter? I read somewhere else that those of us with the inverter don’t have this empty space underneath the console. In any case I’ll find out soon enough when I start the install later this week.

 

[GTBradley]

Do you have the factory inverter? I read somewhere else that those of us with the inverter don’t have this empty space underneath the console. In any case I’ll find out soon enough when I start the install later this week.

I do, yes.

 

[Voodoo452]

finally got all the pieces to install my Midland MXT575. I ended up putting it under the passenger seat, and running power through the passenger firewall as @Romer suggested. I routed the antenna to the back seat, so I can store it under the seat when not in use. Eventually I'll get a permanent mount for it. I used an RJ45 block I got off of eBay. It matches the rest of the switches in the center console very well.

I eventually want to get the Midland MXTA25 Ghost Antenna and permanently mount it somewhere, but I'll do that later.

Damn, I like that idea...

 

[lauren01]

For those using a midland stubby antenna, did you use a ground strap?

When I install mine, yes, I’ll ground the antenna per Midland instructions.

 

[DinnyJon]

Pretty happy with the way mine turned out. Only took like 20 minutes to install too. The Midland MXT275 with the controls on the handheld just make the whole thing so much easier.

 

[just_rich_young]

Pretty happy with the way mine turned out. Only took like 20 minutes to install too. The Midland MXT275 with the controls on the handheld just make the whole thing so much easier.

How did you mount that antennae there?

 

[DinnyJon]

How did you mount that antennae there?

It came with the part used to mount it on the lip of your hood. I just used a square piece of alien tape to stick that hood mount part on top of the extrusion bar of my roof rack. It was meant to be a temporary solution until I had time to cut an aluminum flat bar for a proper mount using the tslots but honestly it's held up for a month and it's still stuck on there pretty damn good. Been through some hard trails and some 100+ degree days and it still feels like it's actually screwed in there when you go to wiggle it. Good Ole alien tape

 

[Redlinedgamer]

First of all, thanks to everyone in this thread as there was some super useful information that came in handy.

Over the weekend I installed a Radioddity 15w UB-15 mobile unit. I was a bit hesitant as the midland was what I really wanted but I was impressed with my X1 Pro handheld so I decided to give it a shot. It also has some features that require you to purchase the accessory midland handset for an extra $85 if you were to want Apple to soles with a mxt275.

So far it seems to work well, but if it doesn’t I guess I’ll swap out to a midland unit. The price difference was appealing but it’s apparently new and I can’t find much info on it.

I mounted a midland ghost antenna and used the midland NMO mount. I used a cheap Amazon ditch mount which is junk, I have the Dv8 brackets on order.

inside the cab I ran a fuse tap to usb2 with a female 12v socket. I placed the socket behind the passenger triangle kick panel below the infotainment. There is a bracket that makes securing with a zip tie super easy.

from there I routed the excess coax, rj45 to the unit which is small enough to fit in the space under the rear cup holders of the center console. For now it’s held on with double sided tape. If that fails I’ll use bolts but I didn’t have a right angle driver and everything I had was too long to reach in and even use a self tapper. The unit itself does have a speaker which seems loud. Sound does come out the lower vents on the back of the console. The handset is super loud. I’ve only been running it on volume 2.

for anyone running the Amazon lighted rj45 you can shove the included cables into the harness on a neighboring button. I used the stabi bar button. Red to the green and black to the white(per chat gpt purple activates the disconnect). Everything appears to work well. The only downside is the backlight doesn’t match. For now I’m using the supplied mic holder zip tied to the grab handle. I’ll probably get the bulletproof mount in the future

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