Ham Mobile Install–Mounting Your Radio Posted by Elizabeth Klinc, KE8FMJ

In this installment of Ham Mobile Install, it’s all about mounting options for your mobile radio—the where and how of making sure the transceiver or head is in a place good for viewing and operating. Steady and secure are the objectives.

While there are plenty of brands out there, none are better than Lido Mounts, in my opinion. Lido offers no-holes mounting solutions for any type of radio. You can choose from gooseneck, cup holder, seat-bolt-style, suction cup, vent, and other mount options; seat rails for remote heads; microphone hangers; adapters; and additional accessories.

The most basic type of radio in your mobile setup would be an HT. When choosing a mount, ask yourself how you would like to view the HT while driving. With or without a mic, you could do a dashboard mount or a vent mount. You could have that same dashboard mount hold multiple portable handhelds. Another very popular option is the cup holder mount.

Lido cup holder mounts can handle multiple devices with not much movement. The design is based on the 1-inch ball system. The ball and socket design allows the user to tighten the plate in place so it will not move with any vibration. The base expands from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter so it will fit many types of cup holders. Make it a double, as shown above, and you can add your cell phone right beside it!

For my Jeep, one of my very favorite mounts is the Lido Wedge Car Seat Console Mount (LM-WEDGE). The adjustable wedge-style mount fits in the space between your front seat and the console. It features a Robust Mount Series shaft and padded sides that keep the mount in place. The arm of the mount includes two adjustment points, providing flexibility in placing the control head at any angle, including toward the back seat.

You can attach optional remote head brackets with the included hardware, or if you want to mount the entire transceiver, you can attach the mounting brackets that are made for the transceiver to the four-hole AMPS plate with the included hardware. The LM-WEDGE comes with the Lido EXT-01-D Extension Bracket Package.

For weightier heads and radios, there are more robust mounting solutions, such as Lido’s Heavy-Duty Seat Bolt Mounts.

These low-vibration mounts hold heavier control heads with little movement and can be folded out of the way to accommodate passengers. The swivel ball adapter allows 360 degrees of rotation for precise positioning of your device.

Happy mobile radioing!