Disco2Guy Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Yesterday at British Recycler's Wrenching Day, Jared helped install the Yaesu FT-8800. My original plan was to use the separation kit, but it didn't seem to make sense in the end. Mounting under the seat posed a problem with the amount of dog hair that would collect in, on, and around the radio. While the face plate is nice an compact there was no place that worked well for me. So I decided the easiest would be to use the empty space on the overhead console for the entire unit. The space worked well, and the supplied wiring harness was the perfect length to reach the Blue Sea fuse panel. The cover panel (seen in the second pic) wasn't used in the end as it blocked some of the PL-259 and also allows for better airflow for the cooling fan. The sunroof hasn't been used in years, so I unhooked the switch. It might make a useful button to control the winch from inside the truck;) There are a couple notches that need to be made on trim pieces to prevent pinch points and the antenna mount needs tweaking. It folds down, but the angles are a little off. I'm really happy to have this rig. The VX-6R is a great HT out of the truck, but having the antenna inside (and it's extra length) made it a bit cumbersome to deal with. I'll get it programmed at the MORG this Saturday and start playing around with it some more. Not a lot of pictures from the install, but I can get more if anyone is interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 I'm sorry but I'm going to have to deduct 1 point for mixing flat and phillips screws on the installation. On the other hand, you get a bonus point for lining up the flat heads, so it's a wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndamico Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 I'm sorry but I'm going to have to deduct 1 point for mixing flat and phillips screws on the installation. On the other hand, you get a bonus point for lining up the flat heads, so it's a wash. Don, I wasn't pleased that I had to use a mixed bag, but we were pretty excited to have found matching threaded screws that had a shorter length (the Philips were much longer and touched the roof.) Good eye on the screwhead orientation... at least someone notices oh where oh where is my RedRover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 You should have asked....Hello Kitty is generally stocked with a decent selection of s/s hardware. Just today it donated a few #8 x 3/4" pan heads to Michal's air compressor installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Solis Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 OK so I said I was going to do a "how to cross band for dummies" and here it is plus a video. The video is really nice but not always easy to see while you are in from of the radio or out on a trip so I have written down how to do it as well and you can print them out for future reference. Cross Band Repeat For Dummies Yaesu 8800 and 8900 So the secret is the “Cross Bandâ€. You are receiving on one band (the VHF 144 2M band: NCLR simplex 146.460) and then the radio is crossing to the UHF 440 band). You can set up your radio for whatever transmitting frequency you want, but if we all use the 440.040 then all of the HT’s can talk to each other directly without cross banding. Why do you want to do this? Since more and more people are getting full 50W and larger systems in their rigs we are becoming more HAM dependent for communications but no one wants to be tethered to their rigs or miss out on the conversations so Cross Band Repeat is used. It allows for the power of the mobile rig but the freedom of the HT by using your mobile rig as a repeater. So here are the steps I use (please feel free to correct any of them if I am incorrect) Turn on radioSet the left hand side to 146.460Set the right hand side to 440.040 (this is what I use, you can use any 440 frequency)Press the “set†button in the middle (it apparently doesn’t matter which side, left or right, is acting as the main when you do this but I have the left with the 146.460 as the main).Rotate the top button for the side that is the main side counterclockwise until menu item 44 “X-RPT†shows up. you can rotate clockwise but it is more clicks.Press the top button once to see “XSTART†and then press it again to begin Cross Band Repeat.That’s it. From the video it appears as though you can set the hyper-memory by holding down one of the numbered buttons and it will bring up both the left and right sides instead of manually entering the frequencies but I haven’t tried this yet. I have printed and laminated (yes laminated because my OCD is at the Jedi level and I got a laminator for Christmas, and yes anyone can use it) my copy and leave it next to the radio. El Solis PS: I have attached this as a PDF so you can print it easier, you are welcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted June 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Thanks Chris! I have one of the Nifty Mini Manuals in the truck for the VX-6R and FT-8800. You wouldn't like them though since they are already laminated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Great Chris! Yes "cross"-"band" is critical. Hyper memories, for all the mystic nature, are effectively radio presets like your car. Follow the steps above, get the radio set for xBand... Then press and hold a hyper button. I have 3 nclr related settings and one of them is xband. So I just press #6, and it sets the freqs etc... As I recall, I have to actually turn it on but its much easier than programming... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeWare Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Great Chris! Yes "cross"-"band" is critical. Hyper memories, for all the mystic nature, are effectively radio presets like your car. Follow the steps above, get the radio set for xBand... Then press and hold a hyper button. I have 3 nclr related settings and one of them is xband. So I just press #6, and it sets the freqs etc... As I recall, I have to actually turn it on but its much easier than programming... The thing that puzzles me is how does this work ....? When I was a nerd in my 20s and really into amateur radio, we were trying to build a repeater and the tanks were just so expensive .... the valves (tubes) took so much power that the lights dimmed .... how do they squeeze all that into that little box now? Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 The thing that puzzles me is how does this work ....? When I was a nerd in my 20s and really into amateur radio, we were trying to build a repeater and the tanks were just so expensive .... the valves (tubes) took so much power that the lights dimmed .... how do they squeeze all that into that little box now? GraemeVoodoo?Elves with very tiny hands?Sacrifice a goat to the dark lord Yaesu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psykokid Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 The thing that puzzles me is how does this work ....? When I was a nerd in my 20s and really into amateur radio, we were trying to build a repeater and the tanks were just so expensive .... the valves (tubes) took so much power that the lights dimmed .... how do they squeeze all that into that little box now? Graeme Im guessing magic of some sort.. Perhaps witchcraft or unicorn tears.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 SFM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco2Guy Posted June 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 After Chris programmed the radio at the MORG, he showed me a cool little addition for the handset. He has it attached to a self retracting cable mounted near the rear view mirror. I instantly thought about something similar I picked up at the Overland Expo last year, a retracting key ring from TAD (Triple Aught Design). When messing around trying to figure out how to mount the handset, I had the idea of finding a smaller ring that could fit around the plastic catch in the back. Lo and behold, a 1/2" key ring fit perfectly! I also bought an eye bolt thinking the clasp end of the key ring could go somewhere out of the way. In the end I wound up using the mounting bracket itself. One set of holes is curved to adjust the angle of the radio. Since mine was rotated all the way up, there was just enough of the hole exposed to get the clasp through. It's a super simple install and very quick to disconnect if needed. Thanks Chris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Sacrifice a goat to the dark lord Yaesu? Is the dark lord Yaesu the evil guy from Voltron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Looks good!! 10-4 good buddy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Set the right hand side to 440.040 (this is what I use, you can use any 440 frequency) 440.040 MHz sounded low compared to most repeater input frequencies I've used so I pulled up the 70cm band plan from NARCC. Band Plans I *think* one would need to be transmitting somewhere between 445.000 MHz and 449.975 MHz... if we were not cross-band repeating and just doing same-band repeating, your HT would transmit on the frequency range I provided above; the repeater would retransmit on the output frequencies listed next to the inputs in the band plan. Admittedly I haven't done a ton of cross-band repeating so please check with your sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRover Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 The thing that puzzles me is how does this work ....? When I was a nerd in my 20s and really into amateur radio, we were trying to build a repeater and the tanks were just so expensive .... the valves (tubes) took so much power that the lights dimmed .... how do they squeeze all that into that little box now? Graeme Graeme, You were likely doing same-band repeater work -- the expense is in all of the filtering of the two frequencies that are very close to each other. When you x-band repeat, that issue is solved. Also, elves with tiny hands have come down in price in the last 20 years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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