Project Yaesu FTM-150 in the car, a development

I've just finished installing a Yaesu FTM-150 into my Ford Puma and thought I would post up a few photos of the finished install and a few notes on how it all went.

My goal for the install apart from getting the radio working was to have it all looking as neat as possible. You know the idea, no wires hanging down or out and kind of looking as close to a factory fit as I can get.

But at the same time, because the car is a Motability car and therefore not actually mine to do with as I please, I can not modify it or drill holes large or small into the bodywork or interarea. I also need to be able to quickly remove everything and transfer to a new car when it comes to the time I swap my car.

Another point to consider is that of maintenance and working on the radio. Because of my disabilities I can not work on the radio in the car for more than a few minutes so being able to quickly remove the radio and take it back to the shack is extremely helpful to me.

I first tried mounting a small Anytone HT radio onto a cup holder mount to start with as a test of concept and while it did work it was not in an ideal location and not very solid. But it worked and it gave me ideas to work with.

Plan “B” involved ordering a Yaesu FTM-150 duel band analogue radio which was idea because I didn’t want any of the digital modes to complicate things while out mobile and at the same time I ordered the Lido L-MAX Mount from ML&S to mount the head unit up front and a .50 Cal ammunition box from Amazon to mount the main body of the radio in the boot.

The L-MAX mount is not cheap at around £175 but it is, without question the best quality mount I've seen, is made from aluminium and bolts to the passenger seat rail mounting bolt so it ain’t going to move when you drive over a pot hole. The kit also includes everything you need to mount the radio head unit and mic for all sorts of different makes of radio.

The Yaesu FTM-150 really lends itself to neat installs with only a single cable running between the backend and the head unit so no extra cables for the mic or speaker as in the Icom IC-2730 Black edition.

That’s about it really, it’s all programmed up with repeaters upto about 30 miles radius of my home location and radio reports all confirm it’s working as expected. Not much more to say really.