Aftermarket power hookups (i.e. for ham radio)

[neririn]

Has anyone seen/heard of any pre-provided aftermarket power hookups on the F-150 Lightning? Something like the pre-wired power bus and switches provided in the Bronco wold be cool, but a auxiliary power bus would suffice.

In this particular case, I am looking for the proper way to install a mobile Ham Radio rig. On a traditional 12V ICE truck, it is there for the taking even if you have to pull a hot lead right off the battery. That said, I expect the EV world comes with plenty of "yeah, don't do that' scenarios.

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[beatle]

Ford says you have 55A available on the 12v line for accessories. That's not a ton, but it should be fine for ham. Here' a PDF with info on the 12v system:

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/attachments/f150-lightning-electrical-system-overview-pdf.33317/

 

[EVBill]

30A on the 240V outlet in the bed of the truck is more than capable of powering a Kenwood TL-922A linear along with a rig to feed it The F-150 Lightning would make a great power source for Field Day.

 

[neririn]

You know, I hadn't even thought of that. I guess I'll try my handheld rig first and see what I get.

 

[Avocadodude]

This is one of the things I’m anxious to try (radios in the truck). I have a Victron isolating charger for a 12V 2.17 kWh LiFePO4 battery in my current f150. My hope is the power is clean, even thought the motors are probably generating a lot of interference.

in all honesty though, I’m most anxious to just drive the thing.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

Not to sure how well HF will work, they have the following note in that up fitters guide.
“Some electrical noise, inherent to all Electric Vehicle power controls may affect radios operating in lower frequency range.”

this is just a guess without thinking about it too hard (I should really make more effort as a Technician Plus [*] to think about this) but there was extra effort put into the Mach-E, and presumably the Lightning, to do shielding to make AM radio work, which sort of implies that there is appropriate RF shielding in general. But I don't have a radio around to test with or anything.

(*) yes I know that's not really a thing any longer, but it's grandfathered. (**)

(**) which I'm old enough to be, actually, now that I think about it, even though I'm not actually a grandfather. that I know of at least.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

This is one of the things I’m anxious to try (radios in the truck). I have a Victron isolating charger for a 12V 2.17 kWh LiFePO4 battery in my current f150. My hope is the power is clean, even thought the motors are probably generating a lot of interference.

in all honesty though, I’m most anxious to just drive the thing.

there was some talk in some of the videos about the 240V in the back being a very clean source, but I don't know if anyone has tested the 12V. You might be a groundbreaker.

 

[metroshot]

I'd love to get a VHF/UHF NBFM mobile rig in my Lightning for repeater use but how would you run the antenna cabling ?

Would you drill a hole for an NMO mount in your new Lightning?

Long time ago, there used to be a combo splitter / duplexer for connecting to your old fashioned AM/FM whip antenna on your vehicle which the Lightning still uses and the splitter would allow simultaneous UHF/VHF 2 way as well as AM/FM RX - does anything exist?

Any suggestions for a slick or stealth antenna ?

 

[hahahano]

I'd love to get a VHF/UHF NBFM mobile rig in my Lightning for repeater use but how would you run the antenna cabling ?

Would you drill a hole for an NMO mount in your new Lightning?

Long time ago, there used to be a combo splitter / duplexer for connecting to your old fashioned AM/FM whip antenna on your vehicle which the Lightning still uses and the splitter would allow simultaneous UHF/VHF 2 way as well as AM/FM RX - does anything exist?

Any suggestions for a slick or stealth antenna ?

On my F-350, I have a Bullet Proof Diesel 3rd brake light dual antenna mount, and I absolutely love it:

It's pricey but it's super cool. The antenna wires enter the cab above the headliner and are easily routed. I've since moved the CB antenna to a stake hole on the bed to get a better ground plane, but the no ground plane VHF antenna works amazingly well.

I just sent an email to Bullet Proof Diesel to find out if their F150-specific bracket will fit the Lightning. Not sure if they'll know yet, but I'll update with the response I receive.

Edit: Not in any way stealth, of course, but I like the flashy antennas.

 

[neririn]

No holes for what I am hoping to do. Something like this, but not necessarily this exact rig.

 

[neririn]

On my F-350, I have a Bullet Proof Diesel 3rd brake light dual antenna mount, and I absolutely love it:

It's pricey but it's super cool. The antenna wires enter the cab above the headliner and are easily routed. I've since moved the CB antenna to a stake hole on the bed to get a better ground plane, but the no ground plane VHF antenna works amazingly well.

I just sent an email to Bullet Proof Diesel to find out if their F150-specific bracket will fit the Lightning. Not sure if they'll know yet, but I'll update with the response I receive.

Edit: Not in any way stealth, of course, but I like the flashy antennas.

How hard was it to run your cables inside the cab? I presume it comes down pretty clean to the main wiring harness run?

 

[hahahano]

How hard was it to run your cables inside the cab? I presume it comes down pretty clean to the main wiring harness run?

It was surprisingly simple. The wire harness to the brake light runs up through a hole, which leads right up above the headliner. After feeding the wires through the hole, it was easy to feel them along the back side of the headliner, fish them through the edge, then guide them to the edge of the rear window. I didn't bother trying to pull off plastic panels to completely hide the wires in their run up to the front, but I've seen videos which make it seem really easy. I may give that a go with the Lightning.

This post shows the process really well: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bullet-proof-diesel-antenna-mount-install.7455/

 

[neririn]

Use the trucks WIFI and PI-STAR with a DMR radio, no antennas required.

The hope is to be places without Wi-Fi. But with an EV that has to be planned properly. .

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