2020 TRD Pro: Mobile Communications Platform Build

Moved to the proper subforum.

I won't go into all the details at this time as to why I'm performing this build, that would take too long and I wanted to get this thread started with what I've done so far.

Platform: 2020 TRD Pro in White

Picking it up from the dealer

Mod #1
BajaRack drop in basket


Mod #2
BajaRack Ladder - this took quite a bit of work to get installed due to the painted rubber bead along the top of the door prohibited the lip of the ladder from fulling seating as you can see from the damage it caused while trying to force it on.


Ended up taking a sharp chisel and worked the bead off


Cleaned up with touch up paint I had on hand and it finally seated cleanly to the top of the door


Ladder installed


Mod #3
Expedition Essentials Accessory Mount


Amazingly easy to pull that console out


Radio control heads - The Icom on the right is temporarily held on with a RAM mount until I can build a bracket to attach it to the front


Mod #4
FOURTREKS Horizontal Bar Clamps (x3) Great service - Luke helped me fit the VHF/UHF antenna by expanding one of the tabs to 5/8" From right to left:
VHF/UHF Antenna on SO-239,
VHF/UHF/800Mhz NMO mount,
HF/CB Antenna mount






That's it for now and I do hope you enjoyed it. Next post will cover where I installed the radios and all the additional electronic goodies.

 

Until I took delivery of the 4Runner, I had all sorts of ideas where I was going to install the radios - under the seats, in the seats, custom rack in the back, etc., etc... I then started seeing threads posted here about creating a custom cargo deck that worked for storage and leveled out the deck for sleeping. Lacking the talent for wood working, and wanting this to be a very solid build, I enlisted the services of a talented engineer at a local truck accessory shop to do the build. While he had it completed back in mid March, didn't get a chance to get it installed until May.

Mod #5
A&A Topper custom cargo rack/deck - 1" steel angle stacked to make a channel with 1/4" separation.

Getting ready for the install. Built directly from measurements and never test fitted. Bolted right in


Side view


Installed.


The front bolts to the existing pillars used by the cargo loops, and the back bolts through the floor




Stained and varnished the wood lids, but they won't be visible for much longer




Will post the gear installation in the next reply.

 

Mod #5.1 Radio Gear Install
The first radio to be installed was the Icom IC-706MKIIG because it had the most limitations due to the short length of the data line to control unit.


Nearly all the mounting points use T-Nuts since I knew that I would need to be removing the components a lot during the build and using screws in the plywood wouldn't hold up


Speaker cabinet carpet was also mounted to the storage side


With the first radio placed, I started planning the layout for the remaining gear


Devices mounted


Next step was to plan where the wiring would run and place additional T-Nuts for the anchor points


Lid now looks like a road sign out west....


Carpet applied once everything was set.


Final wiring still needs to be completed and I also used the stock carpet to line the bottom of the floor after removing all the foam


Wire routing nearly finished.
Not real happy with the West Mountain Radio power fuse panel and power management layout, as I think things would have been cleaner if the Anderson power poles connected to the sides and not the top.


Fully loaded and ready for a two week shakedown road trip out West

 

Mod #6
Not really a mod - had 2" foam pad cut to fit the space.
Had it made in two pieces as some trips may be solo and I can use the space for additional equipment storage.

This worked out great as we socially distanced our selves around the West.

 

Mod #7
Garmin GPS w/ integrated dashcam. Power comes from communications board, so requires turning on/off. Will move it to switched power source.



Mod #7.1 (Edit)
Just a note to say that I moved the power for the GPS from the main power box to the feed from the rear AUX port that also engages the power relay. This provides power on / off when the vehicle comes on.

 

Lots of work and nicely done. I did notice a used Purple Sack in post #2. Happy sipping

 

LOL - we have enough of those purple sacks to make a giant quilt. They work great as protective storage bags, which is the purpose they are fulfilling now.

Cheers

 

Dan, you need help and I mean that in the nicest way LOLOL.

Seriously, hats off to you. Your creativity and skills are really cool.

 

Mod #8 - Power

The comm board is utilizes a West Mountain Marine Epic PWRgate and RIGrunner fuse panel. The PWRgate is configurable for the type of battery you use for back-up (I'm using a 20ah LiFePo) and what voltage level is required from main power for charging. It also provides clean switching between main power and the battery, ensure there is no drop off of power when the main shuts off. Additionally, it will accept charging from solar panels.

Main power is tapped directly from the battery and runs through the firewall via an un-used grommet. You can see where it passes through the firewall, right next to the wire bundle next to the brake fluid reservoir.


Power line runs through the door jam channel to the back. The fused leads from the battery where not long enough to reach all the way to the back, so I used more Anderson Power Poles for the connection.



Mod #8.1 Switched Power

After our shakedown run out West, I was disappointed to find out that the charge/switching controller did not function as the West Mountain Marine had indicated. I specifically asked if it switched from the car battery to the back up battery when the car shut off and they said yes. However, the only thing it does is not charge the battery when the car is off. So even though I have a backup battery, it was never being used because the car battery always took precedence due to its higher voltage.

To solve this I installed a 40 amp relay inline with the power coming from the car battery and setup switched power from the accessory socket in the back


Switched power source. Added bonus is that I tapped off this feed to power the GPS. It now starts up/shuts down with the car, rather than requiring I turn it on/off manually.


I lose access to one of the many accessory ports - but as you can tell from the build so far, there are plenty of other options under the deck.

 

I am not familiar with all the equipment being used, but do they generate any heat, or just very little.

 

Great question, John. There two radios and the single board computer all generate a fair amount of heat and have fans to keep airflow going when they get warm. Since the cargo area has a 1/4" gap all around it, that should keep the temps down in the compartment.

A main reason for this build is to conduct R&D on various communications and sensor components, and I plan to put temp sensors in the compartment to see how it does when operating all the items. I've currently got logging for the power consumption and battery condition.

And I guess I should put together a diagram with all that is running under that lid for those that are curious.

Thanks for asking.

 

Wow I never thought of a set-up like this!

 

Wow, nice!!

 

I'm speechless not to mention barely able to follow the story. But I am fascinated by electrical wizardry. Nice job.

 

pretty sweat install, nice & clean! looking forward to the next progress report...

 

Is that a URAL I See?

 

.....

Yes'ish. The bike is a '78 R100/7, attached to a 2007 Ural hack. Had it built by Perry's in Fort Worth in 2008.
<link>

 

That’s interesting, my Dad has the copy lol. He bought a Ural new in 2006, talk about a crash box full of neutrals. I was looking at your radio, antenna installs. I just bought a white 2021, working my way to install DMR, N0XUE here.

 

Well I can say you’re Definitely past a technician license and probably into the extra. How is that icom? I had the yaesu ftm 400 in my Tacoma and it was nice but I had heavily considered the icom or the kenwood but the kenwoods APRS was kinda clunky to me. Hell of a shack build though.

 

Hey James - I built that BMW/Ural hack to someday do a winter ride above the Arctic Circle - still on the bucket list but has been moved to the back burner.

While I know my COMM build is a bit over the top for someone just l looking to add a radio to their 4Runner, I've learned a lot about the weaknesses of the platform to know it's not an easy task. The first being an easy place to mount the control unit. While I know I could have just placed it on the dash, I wanted something a bit more secure so I added the Expedition Essentials accessory mount. That has worked out great. The second is a secure place to mount the radio body. I looked at putting it under the passenger seat but there really isn't much room. And last was power. I'm still not happy with my setup and especially the anemic "smart" alternator that comes stock with the vehicle.

Anyway, I really need to update this thread as I've done a lot more mods than are listed here. Good luck with your install and do reach out if you have any questions.

73,

Dan, KN0MAP

 

G'day Adam,

I just have my General Class license now, but will get my extra someday. I really like the old Icom 706MKIIG and wish someone will build another more modern version. I have a new (now discontinued) Yaesu Ft-857D that I thought about installing in the 4Runner, but it didn't play nicely with either my LDG Tuner or the external sound card for digital modes. The ICOM does all of them very well - I've participated in regional digital nets on 80m, and have made SSB Phone contacts around the country on 20m with simple Hamsticks.

As for the Kenwood TM-D710, I love that radio. I have three - and older A model in the shack as my base station, and the new G with GPS in both vehicles (XYL, KN0EOD drives a mini cooper). i think the APRS setup is far better than any other radio I've ran across, so I'm unsure why you feel it's clunky. I've used it as a digipeater when I've done some Summits on the Air activations, where it was able to get my weak HT APRS signal out to gateways. I've also used it for 9600 baud packet messaging in support of the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, relaying race results back to the start line from the summit:


As noted before, I will try to get this tread updated with the latest mods.

Thanks for the comment.

Dan

 

I appreciate it! What a cool bike! I have a ‘19 Honda 1000RR, I enjoy in the summertime here in Colorado, my back sure acts up but I have fun. I’m going easy for now, I’m going to use the storage on the right side in the back for radio mounting. I have a trunk mount I’m going to try on the back hatch. I hope the panel gaps are not too small. I ordered a small stubby 2m/440 7.5 antenna for daily duty so I can still run through the touch less car wash.

I looked and found mean green makes a decent alternator for the 4Runner. I have a mean green on my ‘97 F-350 power stroke. I’ve had very good luck with that alternator. Those trucks are hard on batteries for the glow plugs, although I have my glow plugs switched.

I’m impressed with your truck! I haven’t got too much in store for mine, just some scenic trails in the summer (imogene). I have a full skid plate package coming from front to back, excluding the gas tank. Next will be a skid for the KDSS. I don’t get too hard core, I have to commute to work and home, 125 miles a day. I’d be curious for a new write up on your truck.

73

 

You must live close to my casa, I’m in the Springs, keep an eye out for a 4Runner like yours.

 

Hi Dan, I just saw your posts on the mobile comms build and I am way beyond impressed. I've been an amateur radio operator (VE3LNU) and have had transceivers in my two 4Runners for many years, but never anything approaching the sophistication and workmanship I see here. I will post some pics of mine soon as I get a chance...need to show off my 2018 TRD Off Road with KDSS just a wee bit. LOL I chose to mount the main body of my IC 7100 and the TM V71 radios on a piece of plywood dropped inside the rear right-hand cubby hole of the truck. Not bad, but it kind of cramps the storage area in the back and the wiring/cabling is exposed. I like yours much better, needless to say, but I may be a bit too lazy to follow suit. Anyway, just wanted to chime in and say hi to a fellow 'ham'. Good work, sir.

Joe VE3LNU

 

Something very important just came to mind, for you Dan, and for all of the other ham operators on this forum. Last summer when I installed the IC 7100 for HF/VHF/UHF, I also mounted the Comet UHV-6 multiband antenna on a Comet trunk lip mount at the right-hand side of my rear tailgate. I had a similar arrangement on my 1998 4Runner SR5 years ago and it was no problem. Well, THIS TIME, when I transmitted on the 40m band with this setup, I triggered an ECM error on my 2018 ORP. I would lose my cruise control and 4WD controls like Crawl Control, Multi-terrain Select, etc. The first couple of times this happened, I would wait for the truck to reset and it was basically a minor annoyance. But on one occasion the truck actually went berserk due to the ECM error: almost no power going uphill, not shifting into top gear...it became unsafe to drive. All because the 100 watt transmission from my radio was affecting one of the ECM's in the truck. I tried all kinds of interference reduction like coiling up the coax, using ferrites, all to no avail. The only fix so far is to remove the 40m coil from my antenna and just stick to transmitting on 20, 17, 15, 10 and 6 meters: these bands don't seem to affect the truck at all. I took to carrying a code reader to reset the ECM, but it hasn't happened since I got rid of 40m transmission. Too bad, because that band can come in handy on long drives at night. Using the CB radio has been no problem, but of course that's under 5 watts of power. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has had similar problems when transmitting with a two-way radio. Anyway, I hope you have better luck with your setup!

 

Thanks for the post and the warning. I noticed early on when reading the owners manuals (yes, I actually did RTFM) that Toyota discouraged installing any two way radios in their vehicles. Until I joined this forum and saw all the cool mods folks have been doing, I was afraid that having all that gear installed might have voided my warranty! I did find this info provided to the ARRL from Toyota: http://www.arrl.org/auto-manufacturer-s-policies

For now, I've not used my HF rig while operating the vehicle. I primarily use it for fixed operations, with the vehicle off and using a separate battery. However, I would like to use it for 40m digital modes while driving, either using HF APRS or JS8Call digital beaconing.

I will proceed with caution thanks to you input, and will let you know how things play out.

73,
Dan KN0MAP

 

Nice rig - I'm up in Woodland Park but don't get out much with the 4Runner since I really don't have anywhere to go at the moment. I hope to be out at Mueller State Park the end of the month - setup to participate in the Winter Field event.

 

Mod #9 - Antenna Mounts
This by far was the most painful modification to take on so far, since it required punching holes into the roof. I went this route rather than running feed line around the rear hatch weather seal because I despise having cables running across painted surfaces, and I would always worry about the cable any time I open or close the hatch.


Since I'm a chicken when it comes to punching holes or making cuts into my vehicles, I enlisted the skills of the professional installers at Triple-C Communications up in Denver. They helped me with the radio install on my Mini Cooper, so I knew they could accomplish this job.








We used the left side access panel to pull the feedline through the trim and then back behind it and out the bottom into the comm vault.



Left (closest) is the primary VHF/UHF antenna and connects to a switch to allow either radio to be used. The center uses a quick disconnect so I can plug in various hamsticks and Hustler resonators. The right is currently not used, but I have plans to attach it to a 800 MHz digital scanner.


Definitely not for the faint of heart, but having the feed points available on the external of the vehicle has worked out great as I'm able to hook any sort of antenna on the vehicle as needed, mobile or stationary.

 

Mod #10 - Active Tracking
This is not really a mod but an additional capability. I've mounted a SPOT Trace security tracker, along with a GPS antenna to feed a LoRa capable transceiver to give additional tracking/logging capabilities. The SPOT beacons every 5 minutes while moving, and sends it's status (location, battery, etc.) once a day. It also sends an email when it starts moving after sitting for a certain period of time.


Here is what one year and 15K miles of tracking via the SPOT looks like. Two trips to Kentucky and a few trips out west.

 

Thanks for the information from ARRL. I wasn't aware of that. I note they do recommend no more than 100 watts. And they talk about routing cables away from the ECMs...the only problem with that is that I have no idea where the modules are located!

You'll certainly be okay operating HF with the truck shut off, on any band. I would think that for digital ops on 40m you could easily get away with just using lower power (25 watts, for instance) unless you really need the full 100 watts. One thing I note is that your wiring and setup are totally different from mine, and you've done a much better job with the permanent antenna installation. You may in fact have much less stray RF in the truck than I do, in which case there's likely no problem at all. Just keep in mind that if you do get interference and the ECM error, you should be able to easily reset things with a code reader. It worked for me.

BTW, I love your active tracking setup, too. Have you thought about working for the FBI or Homeland Security?

Hope to hear you on the air someday. Good luck and 73. TTYL.

Joe VE3LNU