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→The NMO Mount
**Misc.
***Factory Installed [http://www.nissanusa.com/innovations/utili-track.article.html Utili-Track™] or a [[2012_Nissan_Frontier:_Strut_Channel_Install|DIY Utili-Track]] solution.
***<s>[http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Liquid_Tape Liquid Electrical Tape]</s> [https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Flashing-10-Fluid-Cartridge-1618181/dp/B004BPETG6 Black Roofing Sealant]***[https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-Automotive-253351-32-Ounce-Mineral/dp/B0070S82AU Mineral Spirits]
***[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_tie Zip Ties]
***A piece of scrap metal at least 1.6" x 1.6" inches square (see [[#The AntennaNMO Mount|The AntennaNMO Mount]])
***[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_key 1/8" Hex Key]
***Solder
****1x Custom Rocker of your choosing for your next accessory!
***[http://bluesea.com/products/5028 Blue Seas 6 Circuit ST Blade Fuse Block without Negative Bus (PN 5028)]
***Barrier Strip
****1x 3 Position Terminal Block/Barrier Strip. Something like the [http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/3-142/CBB303-ND/82019 Cinch 3-142]
****2x 2 Position Terminal Block Jumpers. Something like the [http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/142J-2/CBB317-ND/1276969 Cinch 142J-2] (a single 3 positioner jumper will also work and came with my eBay Barrier Strip.)
***Please note Wire color are just what I used, some Gauges are not ideal, but are what I had access to. Approx required length should leave you with some spare as well
***I've been buying all my wire from the [http://stores.ebay.com/mycaraudioandmore My Car Audio and More eBay Store] and have really liked the price, product, and speed.
*If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably mount the Radio underneath the Driver's seat instead of underneath the Passenger's seat. This would make the antenna & power cable runs shorter. This would also put the speaker right below me. Currently it is to my right so my right ear picks up the sound more then my left which makes my head feel funny hehe. I'll probably move the radio some time. It won't be too much work.
*When moving the factory switches, located to the right & left of the driver's seat, only the Signal lines need be extended. I extended all 4 lines for each of the 3 switches (a total of 12). In each set of 4, there is 2 GND, 1 Signal, & 1 Dash Light 12V. I could have extended the 3 Signal lines and just reused existing GND, & Dash Light 12V.
*Buy some single side adhesive foam tape at Aftermarket stereos buzz! Actually, the replacement dash console is cheap and the beginning mount that holds a stereo in place is kinda stupid. I had a lot of your projectvibration after putting all this stuff together and it took me a while to figure out exactly what the problem was. Removing The final solution which fixed everything 100% was to jam cardboard (you could use a dense foam or other material) between the top of the stereo and reinstalling the Dash a few times will cause things plastic of the center dash console and to loosen up jam cardboard between the bottom of the stereo and start vibratingthat top of the black plastic pocket that came with the replacement console.*The adhesive Mic Holder doesn't really work. The adhesive is crappy. I replaced it with a metal one that is held on by two screws. Install the foam tape in key spots I didn't take pictures but plan on adding a second some day to eliminate accommodate a CB radio. When I do I'll take pictures of that and update the irritating buzzarticle.
==Directions==
===The Antenna Cable===
I decided to mount my Radio underneath the Front Passenger Seat. I plan on installing an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_inverter#DC_power_source_utilization Inverter] in the future and want to put that under the Driver Seat to minimize the cable run (the primary entry point from the engine compartment is on the driver's side of the firewall) since the source cables for the Inverter will, likely, be the biggest cables I run in of my installs.
*'''EDIT: As stated above in the [[#Lessons Learned|Lessons Learned]] I probably should have put the radio body under the driver's seat. Additionally, I've decided that any inverter I install that is over a few hundred watts will need to live in the engine compartment, close to the battery. The high amp DC cable runs just can't that long.'''
#Cut the NMO connector off of the RG-58 Cable. I don't have a photo of the freshly cut NMO Connector but the photo below shows it cut and desoldered.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Antenna_Cable_0.jpg|400px]]
#Locate the entry point for the cabling underneath the Front Passenger Seat.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Antenna_Cable_1.jpg|400px]]
#Insert the Antenna Cable NMO Connector through the bottom of the NMO mount and screw the top piece on. Make sure the cable is at the angle you want it. I chose to have it stick out toward the side of the truck.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_4.jpg|400px]]
#Once you've got it setup the way you want, it's time to weather proof. Remove the NMO Right Angle Bracket from the Strut Channel (but keep the Antenna Cable attached). Mount the entire thing in the vice setup you used for soldering.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_5.jpg|400px]]
#<span style="color: red>NOTE: After about 5 years the Liquid Electrical Tape used in the next couple steps really started to become brittle and crack. I think it couldn't stand up to the UV exposure. I replaced it with a Polyurethane based roofing sealant. It should work better as it is designed to be under constant exposure to the sun and weather.</span>#Take your <s>Liquid Electrical Tape </s> Roofing Sealant and apply a nice fat blob to the connector and let it dry.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_6.jpg|400px]]#Check the area below the cable for a gap. If there is a gap there, pull the cable back and put some more <s>Liquid Electrical Tape </s> Roofing Sealant there and let it dry.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_7.jpg|400px]]
#Put 1 last coat over the whole thing and work up the cable an inch or so (this is to provide some additional strain relief). Let it dry.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_8.jpg|400px]]
#Now it's time to reattach the bracket to the Strut Channel. I also decided to Zip Tie the cable to the nearest spacer bolt as additional strain relief. If you chose to buy an NMO Weather Cap, install it until you're ready to put your NMO Antenna on. The silver you see on the center pin of my NMO Connector is a bit of solder I used when trying to heat up the center pin. It's flat and shouldn't cause any problems.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_9.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_10.jpg|400px]]
#Congrats! You're done with the NMO Mount!<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_NMO_Mount_12.jpg]]
===Radio Power & Interface Cable===
#The switches in the Center Stack come out the same way. Remove the Center Stack. Go in from behind and using a small screwdriver, lift the plastic tabs holding the switches in place. Go ahead and remove the blank switch placeholders from both sides as well.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_6.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_7.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_8.jpg|400px]]
#Now comes the scariest thing you've ever done to your vehicle... it's time to cut some wires! First make sure you have all of the necessary equipment. I recommend several different colors of wire, wire strippers, wire crimpers, and flush cutters. I'm going to show the procedure on the Cargo Lamp switch. You'll need to do the same thing with the other switches.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_9.jpg|400px]]
#You don't have a ton of extra cable same so be judicious with yours cuts. Unplug your switches and remove the heatshrink around the cable. The make that oh so scarey cut! Make sure you cut about in the middle of the exposed wires. You'll need to reattach the plug later (unless you opt for an aftermarket switch as I did on the Cargo Lamp switch).<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_10.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_11.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_12.jpg|400px]]
#Now it's time to add some extended length cabling so we can reposition the switch on the other side of the steering wheel. Ideally you'd use the exact same color wire but I didn't have that so I did the best I could. I chose crimp style butt connectors to attach my extensions. It's easier than trying to get a soldering iron in the car. But beware! You must make sure your crimp job is good. Give a tug on every wire you crimp. The 1st time around I had a couple loose connections that cause failures. Once I fixed everything, it worked fine. I've driven about 1000 miles with this new setup (at the time of this writing) with no reliability problems. Once you're confident your crimp job is good, zip tie everything together (1 an inch before, 1 on and 1 an inch after the crimp) to make everything a bit more solid.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_13.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_14.jpg|400px]]
#Leave plenty of extra length on your extension lines and cut them to length later. Run them along the bottom of the dash by the steering wheel and out through the opening in the Center Stack. If you are going to use the same factory switch, then re-attach the plug using the same strip, crimp, & zip-tie procedure you used before. Keep your colors straight. If you're going to use an aftermarket switch, keep reading.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_15.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_16.jpg|400px]]
#Complete the same procedure for the Hill Assist and ATC Off switches. They will be going from the Center Stack to left of the Steering Wheel. Make sure you leave enough extension cable and makes sure you test all your crimps. Those skinny factory wires can be a bitch.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_17.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_18.jpg|400px]]
#For your aftermarket switch (like I decided to use) your "plug" will be replaced with crimp style 1/4" female quick disconnects. Crimp one onto the end of each of the 4 cables you ran for the Cargo Lamp switch. The pink & black wires (which became yellow and black for me) are ground and so they can use non-insulated quick disconnects. The grey and purple wires (white and orange for me) are signal and dash light 12V and so they should have insulated quick disconnects applied. The red wire you see is dash light 12V for the other 2 switches. You can pull this from any dash light 12V wire you want. There is 1 each for the Hill Assist & ATC Off switches. To get at it, simply put 2 wires in 1 side of a crimp connector and 1 wire in the other (just like on the red wire in the photo).<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_19.jpg|400px]]
#The aftermarket switches install from the front and stay in place using the little tabs on the top & bottom. Pop your 3 switches into place & follow the wiring diagram below to see how to hook up the switches. There is 1 diagram for the Cargo Lamp Switch and 1 diagram for a more "typical" Accessory Switch. Remember the Cargo Lamp Switch is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_pole,_double_throw#Contact_terminology DPDT] switch with completely independent wiring for the 2 poles and the lamps. The other Accessory Switches are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_pole,_double_throw#Contact_terminology SPDT] switches where the lamp circuit is integrated into the switch circuit for simplicity. The special Cargo Lamp Switch is required because [http://steamforge.net/wiki/index.php/2012_Nissan_Frontier:_Fun_Facts the Cargo Lamp relay is activated via a "switched GND."] Most "normal" circuits switch VCC instead.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_24.png|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_25.png|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_20.jpg|400px]]#You're done with the heavy lifting! Test everything before you put the car back together because loose connections (or wrong connections) are easy to make.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_21.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_22.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Switches_23.jpg|400px]]
#Now flip the entire thing over and apply strips of Hook Side Velcro Tape. This will help keep the plate in position on the carpet. This is the only thing holding down the plate. It works surprisingly well.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Radio_8.jpg|400px]]
#To install the completed Radio plate you're going to have to partially remove the cross bar the runs underneath the Passenger Seat. This is pretty easy with a 10mm Wrench.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Radio_9.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Radio_10.jpg|400px]]
#Now slide the entire Radio Plate underneath the seat and get it situated. Once done you can plug in the Power & Antenna cables! And, of course, put the cross bar back into place.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Radio_11.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Radio_12.jpg|400px]]
#Next I noted how far out the filler pocket sat and about how far out I wanted my radio Face. I put the Face (with mounting bracket) on top of the pocket and drew a rough outline of the material I'd need to remove. Then I pulled out one of my favorite tools (the Dremel!) and got to work.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_3.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_4.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_5.jpg|400px]]
#After a lot of test fit, dremel, test fit, dremel, test fit, dremel I got to a point where the Face Assembly fit in fairly well. Once I was happy with it I cleaned up the edges with a Utility Knife, a couple Files, and some Sandpaper.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_6.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_7.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_8.jpg|400px]]
#Now that the radio fit about how I wanted it to I marked off & drilled a hole so that I'd still have access to the Ejection Button once everything was assembled. I tested this out a couple times to make sure it worked. Keep in mind that this button is accessible only when the center stack is removed from the dash. You cannot get to this button once everything is put back together.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_9.jpg|400px]]
#The next stage involved actually attaching the Face Mounting Bracket to the Filler Pocket. I considered a few, more elegant, options but finally settled on a good old block of wood! After all, this component would be hidden, and any other sort of mounting solution (plastic block, right angle bracket) would mean I'd have to wait to finish the project another time. Using a pair of calipers I measured the inside height of the pocket (Note that the pocket tapers toward the rear). The whole thing flexs a bit so extreme precision isn't necessary. I then eyeballed how wide I'd need it to be (ensuring that the finished product wouldn't block the hole where the data cable connects to the face) and drew it out on a spare 2x4 that was lying around. I cut it out with a Circular Saw & test fit it.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_10.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_11.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_12.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_13.jpg|400px]]
#The next step was to, very carefully, position the block of wood exactly where I wanted it to ensure that the Face was at the right depth and was level. Since the block was a tight fit, it basically stayed where it should. So I slid it in so that it was about 1/4" too far out. I then took the Face Plate Assembly and carefully, slowly, inserted it exactly how I wanted it, pushing the block to its correct position. I then carefully removed the Face Plate Assembly, flipped the Pocket over, and screwed a couple Pan Head Wood Screws in to keep the block in place. Next I screwed the Face Mount Bracket into place and, once again, test fit the entire thing.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_14.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_15.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_16.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_17.jpg|400px]]
#Using a Stepped Drill Bit I increased the diameter of one of the holes in the back of the Pocket enough so that I could fit the RJ11 connector, on the Interface Cable, through it.<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_18.jpg|400px]]
#After putting the Center Stack back together it was time to put the car back together! Looks good!<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Face_22.jpg|266px]]
#Now we need find somewhere to hang the mic. I decided the area underneath the right vent was a good spot. I don't really need to see the Passenger Airbag Indicator, it is close to the right side of the radio, it's within reach of the driver and it's got a nice flat space. I found a plastic microphone hanger that attaches with double sided tape. This was ideal since I wasn't excited about drilling holes right in the middle of my console. The back of the hanger wasn't quite flat (it protruded where the plastic was injected) so I cleaned it up with some 220 grit sandpaper. After that it was just a matter of sticking it in place. Notice that I placed the mic in the hanger and temporarily positioned it with my hand to ensure I liked how the mic hung.'''NOTE: the adhesive just wasn't up to the task of holding the heavy mic on and it fell off a few times. I finally removed it and replaced it with a screw-on style hanger. I didn't take pictures. Eventually I plan on adding a second hanger for a CB Radio. When I do I'll take pictures of that and update the article.'''<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_1.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_2.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_3.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_4.jpg|400px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_5.jpg|266px]][[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_6.jpg|266px]]
#It's been a long journey but your Yaesu FT-7900R is finally installed and looking great!<br />[[File:Yaesu_Install_Mic_7.jpg]]
[[Category:2012 Nissan Frontier]] [[Category:Ham Radio]]
