mobile install in a 40+ year old vehicle...

[W2STV]

Hey guys I recently bought a 1969 land rover to tinker with and make weekend excursions in. Of course I want to install some comms equipment and I bought a FTM-10R so I can have FM (music) and 2M/70CM (comms)

My question is regarding the truck and anything I can do to limit noise sources on such an old vehicle. Im assuning some of you have run mobile in older vehicles and may have some pointers..

The truck has about the minimum electronics of anything on the road as you can imagine. This is I think a good thing from noise perspective. It has a generator not an alternator. Distributor with traditional cap,rotor,wires. No points, the previous owner swapped them for a pertronics electronic module (uses magnets/hall sensor to trigger coil).

I plan on bonding the hood/fenders and exhaust system, mounting the radio behind the passenger seat and remote the head up on the dash. I'm installing 2x yaesu 200 speakers too. For now, I'm going to replace the existing antenna (located front right fendertop) with the Larsen nmo2/70bk so I can get it going.

So any thoughts on noises I may have to deal with? Vintage car/VHF mobile thoughts?

thanks

~Steve

Here she is:
The double layer roof is aluminum, the body panels are aluminum, and the frame is steel. Can't see the current antenna, but it is on the passenger side fender top about 12" from the windshield.

[KC9WEW]

I cant really give you any adivice, sorry. But that thing looks really TUFF!!! I like it!

[K8MHZ]

Cool ride! I remember them from my childhood.

Has the engine been re-worked (hardened valve seats, etc.) to run on no-lead gasoline? Despite the myth, Premium fuel is not a suitable replacement for regular leaded gas.

Is the roof all aluminum, or is there a fiberglass cap under the aluminum heat reflector?

There really isn't much to make noise on VHF / UHF. That's pretty much how FM got so popular so fast. It wasn't because of the mode, but rather the frequencies that made the radios much more immune to vehicle generated noise.

[KF5FEI]

Most generator-charged vehicles don't have much surplus current to run accessories -- might consider switching over to a Chevy alternator and beefing up the wiring between the charging system and battery. Also, not sure if British cars that late in the game were positive ground or not, so might want to verify.

[W2STV]

Awesome guys, thanks for the replies.. I had been looking for one for a few years, this popped up, it was just what I had been looking for. And yeah it is TUFF!!! -Tough to steer! hihi

Yep, all aluminum roof. and yep, it's a negative ground system. Switching to a modern alternator is on my to-do list, one for the winter months. The PO has installed another fuse block (originally the thing had 2 fuses!) so Ive been meaning to trace it all out and get rid of the few stray wires hanging around.

Glad to hear the noise comments, I'll begin running wires on Monday and hopefully it'll be 80-90% good from the get go.

I'll keep the thread updates w/my progress.

73
~Steve

[K0BG]

Really cool thing about early Land Rovers, are the front fenders. They make great antenna mounting locations!

Of course, they're standard distributor ignition, but if you bond the hood, and the exhaust systems, they're not too bad.

In side, there is lots of room for transceivers, even largish ones. The only drawback are the earlier generator ones. Convert it to the later alternator series, and you'e in power heaven.

So, what's the rest of the vehicle look like????

[KF5FEI]

Needs a black & white tiger stripe camo job. Or paint it like the General Lee with a British flag on the roof instead.

[K0BG]

From the photo, I'd say any kind of paint would be an improvement!

[N0UYR]

Ya, red and white with the Union Jack on the roof and call it General Cornwallace.

Find an ARRL handbook from that era, they have good chapters on noise elimination and mobile-emergency equipment that may help.

Keep us posted, this could be fun.

[KB4QAA]

Look at it this way, nobody is going to notice a few more holes!