I have a new(ish) Chrysler Town and Country van and at FT-857D and an FT-8900. On my old Kia I could put the radios in an after market console and clip the antennas to the tail gate with a Diamond K400. Not bad but it required checking the set screws regularly.
The Chrysler created a challenge. No place for the radios or antennas or power. The driver’s side has an airbag below the steering wheel, presenting a safety issue.
POWER There is NO available high capacity power under the dash and there is only one opening through the firewall. The hood release cable gores through a 1″ hole which pops i8nward to the cab. You will never do it from the engine side so it has to be pulled from underneath the dash. I put a heavy duty plug-in relay beside the fuse box and ran power from the buss inside the fuse box. The relay is controlled by the vehicle radio fuse line and will operate in the ACCY position. I found some weather proof blade fuse holders with an indicator LED for failure. The cable runs through the firewall and underneath the floor mat to inside the “Super Console”. I used Power Pole connections and a 4-way splitter for radio power and to power my GPS and forward dash-cam.
But I have prevailed and more will be documented here, but not today.
Amateur Radio Station VE5SR 