Mount External Speaker For VHF?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

thearizonacowboy

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Posts
168
Reaction score
118
Location
Phoenix Arizona
For those who have installed an external speaker for your radio(s), where did you mount them? Just looking for some ideas as my Icom is mounted in the center console and I'll either go with an external speaker or a headset,

Thanks!
 

MatMan

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2012
Posts
890
Reaction score
446
Location
AridZona
For my external speaker I tapped into the gps/nav speaker in the center of the dashboard. It's not high quality but it works and one less component cluttering up your dashboard.

My radio is above the sunglasses cubby in the headliner.
 
OP
OP
thearizonacowboy

thearizonacowboy

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Posts
168
Reaction score
118
Location
Phoenix Arizona
For my external speaker I tapped into the gps/nav speaker in the center of the dashboard. It's not high quality but it works and one less component cluttering up your dashboard.

My radio is above the sunglasses cubby in the headliner.

Nice that's pretty smart! I can do suspension work all day but wiring is definitely not my thing lol
 

Zeke555

FRF Addict
Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Posts
2,869
Reaction score
812
Location
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
I mounted a speaker behind the kick plate by the gas pedal. Found a square one that fit perfectly by modifying the mount it came with and was able to just plug it into my radio behind the passenger side dash directly as it had a jack for an external speaker on it. Now I have a speaker on both the driver and passenger sides with the radio speaker and the external one. I thought about cutting the kick plate and putting in a speaker cover for better sound but decided not too as it is loud enough with the cover intact.
 

Trick.Raptor

The Cracker Raptor
Joined
Nov 7, 2014
Posts
3,966
Reaction score
7,737
Location
Santa Maria, CA
For my external speaker I tapped into the gps/nav speaker in the center of the dashboard. It's not high quality but it works and one less component cluttering up your dashboard.

My radio is above the sunglasses cubby in the headliner.

I did the same myself. Sound is good for the radio chatter and you don't notice any difference with the tunes.
 

Blake_Allan

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Posts
12
Reaction score
5
For my external speaker I tapped into the gps/nav speaker in the center of the dashboard. It's not high quality but it works and one less component cluttering up your dashboard.

My radio is above the sunglasses cubby in the headliner.

Exactly what i'm looking for! Did you do this yourself?
 

Peattie

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Posts
98
Reaction score
58
Location
Las Vegas
For those who have installed an external speaker for your radio(s), where did you mount them? Just looking for some ideas as my Icom is mounted in the center console and I'll either go with an external speaker or a headset,

Thanks!

I lift my back seat up and put it in the little cubby underneath it. Plenty loud
 

Aaron

Meme Corps Commandant
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Posts
13,097
Reaction score
7,473
Location
WA
Just go headsets. It's the better solution in the long run. Plus you'll feel ****** cool.
 

MatMan

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2012
Posts
890
Reaction score
446
Location
AridZona
Exactly what i'm looking for! Did you do this yourself?

No but I saw a write up here from someone who did. You basically connect a 3.5 mm headphone jack to the back of the radio (no headphones, just the 2 wires) to the speaker after removing the center tray that the speaker is mounted to..
Aaron, yes Headphones would be waaaaaaay better. But that's a probably a grand, whereas the 3.5mm headphone wire was less than $5 and hidden.

Note: the speaker sounds like a handheld, so you get what you pay for.
 
Last edited:

mpk1996

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Posts
255
Reaction score
153
sorry to revive this older thread

has anyone wired in a 4" ish speaker to the sides of the center console? I was thinking about wiring up a regular speaker with a grill to the area right next to the shifter on the center console. I am running a TK-790H and you can just get the 9 or 12 pin molex connector that mounts on either the head unit or the main body (depending on how you want to run the wires - im going to run it off the main unit)

the question is, is there enough space to mount a speaker there? its not going to be a big one, but it will have some depth with the magnet and all. If it will work, it will be much cleaner of an install than running a full external speaker mounted somewhere and allow me to hear it well
 
Top