GMRS Radio Install Location Questions

[GearWhore]

Looking for advice/guidance/experience for mounting the Midland MXT275 GMRS radio base in my JLUR. I have the @CoolTech front antenna mount and ghost antenna, cable run into the cab under the driver's dash.

I want to hide the base unit, preferably under the passenger seat. Has anyone else mounted a radio down there? What did you mount to?

I think the other option is under the driver's side dash below the steering column. Another poster on here has it mounted with velcro in this location, and seems like it would work.

Ideas and advice appreciated. Thanks!

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[Larrymuld]

Looking for advice/guidance/experience for mounting the Midland MXT275 GMRS radio base in my JLUR. I have the @CoolTech front antenna mount and ghost antenna, cable run into the cab under the driver's dash.

I want to hide the base unit, preferably under the passenger seat. Has anyone else mounted a radio down there? What did you mount to?

I think the other option is under the driver's side dash below the steering column. Another poster on here has it mounted with velcro in this location, and seems like it would work.

Ideas and advice appreciated. Thanks!

I hid mine inside of the glove box compartment.

 

[Upsidwn]

I was also looking at that package from cool tech and was thinking about glovebox myself. I figured that would allow a nice easy spot to put the mic when not using it and then you can just pull it out when you need it

 

[Larrymuld]

I was also looking at that package from cool tech and was thinking about glovebox myself. I figured that would allow a nice easy spot to put the mic when not using it and then you can just pull it out when you need it

Here is my mic.

 

[old mike]

I have a JLR, but not the alpine speaker upgrade. So, I don't have the Alpine subwoofer recessed down into the back floor behind the rear seat and, instead, have just an empty cargo hold . For my information as well as the OP's, is there any reason the base unit for a Midland MXT275 GMRS couldn't or shouldn't go there?

 

[GearWhore]

It could go there, with a mic extension. I have recovery gear in that tub on mine.

@Larrymuld what did you attach it to behind the glovebox? That was my first location but all of the heater equipment in there seemed to prohibit a solid mount.

I have the CoolTech mic mount similar to yours, and that went easy.

Our glovebox is claimed/in use by my wife with log book, owner's manual, and a few other items that we like to always have at hand.

 

[old mike]

Thank you. I'm a lockable hardtop kind of guy even under the best of circumstances and, given what seems to be an increasing risk of trailhead theft, I'm now leaning toward moving as much expensive aftermarket gadgetry, like the GMRS base unit, the control/solenoid box for the winch, some of the GPS tracking and security system components, and maybe an amp or even, if the heat build-up can be managed, a REDARC unit from off the exterior, out from under the hood, and hidden out of sight as deeply as possible in the locked interior of the JLR. Even just the delay factor might help foil the vultures.

 

[Larrymuld]

It could go there, with a mic extension. I have recovery gear in that tub on mine.

@Larrymuld what did you attach it to behind the glovebox? That was my first location but all of the heater equipment in there seemed to prohibit a solid mount.

I have the CoolTech mic mount similar to yours, and that went easy.

Our glovebox is claimed/in use by my wife with log book, owner's manual, and a few other items that we like to always have at hand.

Tomorrow after work I will take a couple of photos and send. I installed it a year ago and do not remember.

 

[GearWhore]

I just installed the base unit behind the driver's knee panel, on top of the inverter or whatever the box is there. 10 lb Velcro on unit snap-in base & on top of inverter.

Routed through clutch plug as Kendall/ @CoolTech recommended. Sealed hole around cable with silicone from both sides. Not prettiest, as access is difficult, but should work just fine.

I got the shortened antenna cable from @CoolTech and that helps, however I think my total cable needed for this installation is maybe only 1 meter/3 ft. I may order a shorter cable to clean things up later.

Now working on tapping power from Aux switches.

 

[GearWhore]

No worries, Larry! But thank you!

I've set mine up behind the driver's knee panel.

I'll get some photos up tomorrow.

 

[dpike]

I mounted mine under the passenger seat. Put a 4"x4" piece of plywood under the carpet and screwed the bracket thru the carpet to that. Also a rj45 extension cable will get decent slack on your mic line to run it to the cooltech mount from between the center console and passenger seat. Under the center console and the carpet under the seat make it easy to bundle and his excess wire.

 

[GearWhore]

I mounted mine under the passenger seat. Put a 4"x4" piece of plywood under the carpet and screwed the bracket thru the carpet to that. Also a rj45 extension cable will get decent slack on your mic line to run it to the cooltech mount from between the center console and passenger seat. Under the center console and the carpet under the seat make it easy to bundle and his excess wire.

Post up a photo or two of your under-seat setup if you can. I think it will be helpful to others down the line.

 

[GearWhore]

A couple photos of my MXT275 installation.

CoolTech front mount antenna base and Ghost antennea:

Antenna cable routed to suggested clutch plug in firewall. CoolTech mount has a plastic cover that fits between the cowl and fender seam, however bottom edge of cowl has full contact for length with paint on metal. Not sure if this will move/vibrate enough to damage the cowl paint:

Firewall plug with antenna cable and silicone near center of frame. Brake booster on left side, inner fender on right:

Clutch plug and cable from inside driver's footwell. Brake pedal in upper right foreground:

MXT275 Base unit attached to top of electronics box behind driver's knee panel. Extra antenna cable coiled on right, extra mic extension cable coiled and zip-tied to right side metal support. There is a lot of extra cable; I could probably use only 3-4' and have more than enough:

Back side of base unit with steering column directly above:

CoolTech mic mount. I generally like the placement, however it does contact the radio control knob on that side and changes the radio station any time we pick up or replace the mic. This will probably have to go and I'll find a different mic location (probably just attach to right of radio control where it won't interfere).

 

[News2me]

A couple photos of my MXT275 installation.

CoolTech front mount antenna base and Ghost antennea:

Antenna cable routed to suggested clutch plug in firewall. CoolTech mount has a plastic cover that fits between the cowl and fender seam, however bottom edge of cowl has full contact for length with paint on metal. Not sure if this will move/vibrate enough to damage the cowl paint:

Firewall plug with antenna cable and silicone near center of frame. Brake booster on left side, inner fender on right:

Clutch plug and cable from inside driver's footwell. Brake pedal in upper right foreground:

MXT275 Base unit attached to top of electronics box behind driver's knee panel. Extra antenna cable coiled on right, extra mic extension cable coiled and zip-tied to right side metal support. There is a lot of extra cable; I could probably use only 3-4' and have more than enough:

Back side of base unit with steering column directly above:

CoolTech mic mount. I generally like the placement, however it does contact the radio control knob on that side and changes the radio station any time we pick up or replace the mic. This will probably have to go and I'll find a different mic location (probably just attach to right of radio control where it won't interfere).

I use the same mount for my gmrs antenna. However, I found that the ghost antenna didn't pick up very much (ground plane issue?), So I replaced that with the 6db whip antenna and it seems to work well.

 

[GearWhore]

Hm. Thanks for the heads up. The radio stuff is new to me, so I still have a lot to learn. So far I have only turned it on to confirm my wiring worked. Jeep hasn't been out of the garage in a few days & my buddy's GMRS radio is sitting on my workbench.

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