Don’t forget D-Star live is coming up this weekend, March 11, 2017 in Lawrenceville, GA. The event will also be live streamed.
Read more at the Icom America site and at D-Star Info.
I’ll look forward to seeing you there.
73, AB4BJ
Tag: D-Star
Control Head Mounting Solution for the Icom ID-5100
I’ve been reading a lot of online comments about the mounting options – or lack thereof – for the control head of the Icom ID-5100. While I tend to agree that it would have been nice for Icom to include the MBA-2 control head, magnets and screws with the radio, I made my purchase knowing these items were not included. So, given that I proceeded with eyes wide open, I’m not going to rant and rave in this post about what was not provided by Icom. Instead, I wanted to share my experience in creating a mounting solution for the control head that I use in the ham shack and from time to time in our motorhome as we travel.
The control head for the ID-5100 is very big, so a sturdy mounting option was very important. I also wanted the ability to move the control head around on my desk, if necessary. As mentioned, I also wanted a quick and easy way to remove the radio and control head form the ham shack and take it on the road. As it turns out, I found one solution that will allow me to accomplish all of the above.
At the time I pre-ordered the radio, and after a little research, I decided that I would go ahead and also pre-order the MBA-2 mounting kit. While most hams could probably arrive at a solution without buying this kit, I decided I wanted to at least use the OEM magnets, screws and mounting plate. For any of you who have used the ID-880H and the IC-2820, the kit for the ID-5100 is very similar, with the only difference being the larger size of the mounting plate.
After receiving my radio and MBA-2 kit, I installed the magnets with the supplied screws. The metal mounting plate contains raised circular areas that correspond to the location of the magnets on the control head. These raised areas prevent the control head magnets from slipping on the metal plate, thus providing a secure base for the control head. Now, what was I going to use to hold the control head on my desk?
I decided that since I probably had enough parts lying around the ham shack it was worth the effort to look and see if I had anything that would work. As I dug around, I remembered that at the Orlando Hamcation I had purchased a suction cup mounting arm and bean bag base to use with a handie talkie. After looking around a bit, I found these two items. Then it was off to see if they would work.
The bean bag base is very generic and does not have a manufacturer name on it anywhere I could find. It is very similar, if not identical, to the Lido LM-25 that you can find at Ham Radio Outlet. It appeared to be heavy enough to provide a stable and secure base for the large control head.
The suction cup arm I had was manufactured by Arkon, but there are many variations of this type of mount available. I have seen several sold by Ham Radio Outlet under the Lido name, and RAM also sells a few. Importantly, the mounting arm that I had has AMPS pattern holes on a clip-on attachment. Arkon also sells a version of this arm that is not a “clip-on” version and that just terminates to a plastic plate with the AMPS holes pattern.
As it turned out, the Icom MBA-2 metal mounting plate had hole patterns that worked with the AMPS pattern on the mounting arm I had in the drawer. In order to allow the MBA-2 metal plate and the plastic mounting surface of the Arkon arm to fit flush together, I used four black wire ties through each hole. This provided a very sturdy solution without using some type of adhesive to secure the metal plate to the plastic mount. I wanted to avoid adhesive in the event I ever changed my mind about this mounting solution. All I have to do is snip the wire ties and the metal mounting plate is as good as new. NOTE: The Arkon mount I had was two pieces; a main mounting arm and a small clip-on plastic mounting head that had the AMPS pattern. To avoid any instability, I used epoxy to adhere the two pieces of the Arkon mounting bracket together.
After completing all of the above, the next step was to adhere the Arkon arm to the bean bag base with the suction cup. It worked perfectly, but Arkon also provides a disc with 3M adhesive for a more “permanent” solution. After mounting the suction cup arm to the bean bag base, all that was left was attaching the control head magnets to the metal MBA-2 mounting plate at the end of the suction cup arm. Viola! It worked perfectly and provided an adjustable and movable solution on my operating desk.
Shortly after completing this project, we took a motorhome trip and I decided to see how this mounting solution would work on the dash. I placed the control head and bean bag base on the dash of the motorhome, adjusted the angle with the mounting arm, and it remained in place and very stable for our entire trip.
There are probably as many ways to mount the ID-5100 control head as there are opinions about what “options” should be included with the radio, but I have found this solution to be perfect for my operating needs.
If you are interested in this type of mounting solution, the cost would be approximately $80. The MBA-2 is available from HRO for $39.95. The Lido LM-25 bean bag base is around $20 at HRO and the Arkon suction cup arm is less than $20 on the Arkon web site. Lido also sells a suction cup arm/mount, but I’m not sure of the configuration of the mounting holes. You may also want to check the mounts available from RAM, as they may offer similar solutions.
Good luck with your new ID-5100!
73,
AB4BJ
Mobile Installation of the Icom IC-7100, Part 2
Well, I finally traded the venerable Chrysler Aspen for a 2014 Ford Explorer Limited. Fortunately, the 7100 installed in the Explorer without any difficulties. I actually found more room under the seat for the radio body and all related wires and accessories. Running the cables to the control head was no problem, and the control head fit like a glove in the small front compartment in the console. The set up is exactly the same as I had in the Aspen and is working perfectly so far.
Here’s a photo of the control head in place. Note that I have not secured it in any way as the snug fit holds it firmly in place.
The NEW Icom ID-5100 D-Star mobile radio!
I don’t know much about this one yet, but here’s the link to the Icom Japan site for the new ID-5100 D-Star radio. This looks to be a nice addition to Icom’s D-Star lineup. I don’t yet know the particulars, but it appears to be a “hybrid” between a ID-7100 and an ID-51A HT. I can’t tell if this will be a true dual bander (monitor 2m/440 at the same time), but I sure hope so (this is my biggest gripe about the IC-7100). I’m very intrigued that this radio will apparently have some type of android app related functionality and bluetooth capability. I can’t wait to see how that will work. Of course, like the ID-7100, ID-31 and ID-51, this radio will have the “near repeater” capability with a GPS; one of my favorite features of these radios.
The web site indicates a late February release date in Japan, but there’s no telling when we will see it in the USA. I bet they will have one on display at Dayton this year. I would be willing to test one out for them! Hint, hint!
Thanks to Mark and Will at the Atlanta HRO store for alerting me to this potentially great new radio.
Please comment here if you learn more.
73,
Bill
Mobile Installation of the Icom IC-7100
I’ve had a lot of fun over the last week installing my new Icom IC-7100 in my 2008 Chrysler Aspen SUV. This new radio from Icom is a great mobile rig, but offers some unique mounting challenges. After completing my installation for D-Star, VHF, UHF and HF mobile operation of the 7100, I thought I would share my experiences in completing this project.
Prior to the 7100, I used an Icom 2820 for mobile D-Star, VHF and UHF and a Yaesu 857D for mobile HF. With these two radios, I used the Comet SBB7 dual band antenna with the Diamond K9000 motorized mount (VHF, UHF, D-Star) and the Little Tarheel II antenna (HF). The 7100 has replaced both of these radios, but the antennas remain and work very well with the new rig.
So, where did I start? I decided to begin with the most challenging part of the installation – the 7100’s control head. This control head is unique in that it is sloped, large and heavier than any mobile control head I have ever installed in a vehicle. My old control heads (857D and 2820) were mounted up high on the face of the dashboard by the air vent, but I quickly realized that the 7100 could not be mounted in this configuration.
Fortunately, I had a compartment in the console in my SUV that was not being used (well, it was a great junk collector), so I decided to see if I could mount the control head at this location. The dilemma was that while the unit would fit inside the compartment, in this configuration it would be inaccessible for touch screen control or the pressing of buttons.
After giving this some thought and carefully looking at the mounting options for this control head, I realized that the device had a standard ¼ inch thread at the bottom. This is the same size and type of thread that you would find on most cameras that can be tripod mounted. Sure enough, a ¼ inch lag bolt I had on the workbench fit this thread perfectly.
Although I found that the control head had a standard ¼ inch thread, this still did not provide me with a clear mounting option in my vehicle’s console compartment. The answer presented itself in the form of a spare piece of black Plexiglas I had in the garage. I decided that if I could cut the Plexiglas to form fit the opening of the console compartment; I could mount the control head to the Plexiglas to fit on the console.
So, I cut the Plexiglas with a table saw to tightly fit in the opening, made a few clear Plexiglas spacers and mounted the control head to this assembly with the ¼ inch lag bolt. I then fit the whole thing into the compartment opening and it fit like a glove! The control head does not move at all when I’m driving, even on bumpy roads!
After completing this, the most challenging part of the installation, I mounted the radio under the seat of the car and began the time consuming process of running the control head cable, microphone cable, coax and speaker wire.
A note here about the speaker; the control head has a built in speaker that is great for most applications; however, I already had an Icom SP-10 mobile speaker mounted on the dashboard and decided to use it. It also serves as a mounting location for my microphone hanger. Both speakers sound great.
The last challenge was to interface a GPS receiver with the 7100. This is particularly important for D-Star operation as it enables the “Near Repeater” function that allows you to find the closest D-Star repeater to your location just by pressing the touch screen.
Fortunately, I already had a Byonics GPS2 that I have used with several other radios, so I mounted this on the dashboard and ran the wire to the back of the main radio body under the seat. It worked perfectly.
After completing the installation of the 7100 in my vehicle, I tested its operation on D-Star, the local analog FM repeaters and on various HF bands. I was very pleased with the operation of this radio and so far it has performed flawlessly.
When I first saw the pictures of the 7100, I was skeptical whether it would be a good choice for mobile operation. This caused me to be somewhat hesitant to install it in my vehicle. After deciding to take the plunge, I am very glad I did. This is a fantastic all band/all mode radio for mobile use (and for use in the ham shack), and one I plan to use for a very long time.