Ford F-150 2017 SVT Raptor

Details on installing a Yaesu FTM-400XDR in a 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor pickup

Details on installing a Yaesu FTM-400XDR in a 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor. Staring at the antenna,  I used a stake pocket mount from Breedlove Mounts.  I ran 25′ of LMR-240 coax from the passenger-side rear stake pocket inside the fender well and then into the frame to the front passenger drain plug.  I powered the radio using the position 1 AUX switch taking advantage of the factory pre-run pass through wires.  The Yaesu FTM-400XDR radio was mounted to the passenger side front seat using a RAM-Ball mount – this allows for easy access, no need for a external speaker run and is out of sight since it is just under the front seat.   For the 400XDR control head I made a custom cup-holder-mount using the bottom half of an old fire extinguisher and a RAM ball mount and arm.  Total install time including wiring up the AUX switch block was about 4hrs.

Breedlove Stake NMO Antenna Mount
Breedlove Stake Pocket Mount
Stake Pocket 2017 Raptor
Passenger Side Rear Stake Pocket 2017 F-150 Raptor
Ham Radio Install
Coax Run From The Rear

I used 25 feet of pre-terminated (with PL239) LMR-240 (from MPD Digital) which was run from the passenger rear stake pocket and kept inside the fender well and run towards the front of the box.  From there the coax was run inside the frame towards the front.

Ham Radio Install
Coax Run Inside Rear Fender Well- 2017 Raptor – View from The Rear
Ham Radio Install
Coax Run Inside Rear Fender Well At The Front Of The Box
Passenger Side Floor Plug 2017 Raptor
Front Passenger Floor Drain Plug

At the front of the box/bed I ran the rest of the coax inside the frame of the F-150.  There are large holes in the frame and getting a fish tape in was very easy and the holes were large enough that using a pre-terminated coax was not an issue.  Notice the large hole in the frame just by the front passenger plug (circled in red) in the frame – perfect exit point for the coax.

Ham Radio Install
Drain plug front passenger inside the cab view
Ham Radio Install
Coax exiting frame near the front drain plug front passenger side on a Ford F-150 2017 Raptor
Ham Radio Install
Coax entering the cab under the carpet on the front passenger side
Ham Radio Install
Coax Run from the rear stake pocket inside the frame to rubber drain plug – front passenger side
Yaesu 400XDR
Yaesu 400XDR body mounted under the front passenger seat 2017 Raptor

Radio was mounted using the included factory bracket and a RAM-Ball mount was added to the bracket which was attached to a RAM-mount arm and u-bolt mounted to a seat cross member with another ball.

Radio mount
RAM-Mount and arm bolted to factory FTM-400XDR factory bracket – didn’t have to drill any holes since the RAM-Ball bracket mounted right up to existing factory bracket holes.
Ham Radio Install
Bottom section of an old fire extinguisher – going to be used for a cup-holder  RAM-Ball Mount for the radio head
Ham Radio Install
RAM Ball mount bolted to bottom of old fire extinguisher and RAM-Ball mounted to FTM-400XDR – fits perfect in the front cup holders on the 2017 F-150 Raptor
Console
Fire extinguisher cup-mount – Finished install.  Fit is perfect and very stable.
Pass Through Wires
Passenger side – front pass through wire bundle under the kick panel  – other end is in the engine compartment – Ford makes it easy to power things with the AUX switches.
Ham Radio Install
Crimped on an Anderson PowerPole to the AUX 1 wire and ran a short cable run under the carpet to the radio.
Ham Radio Install
Grounding lug in the cab – convenient location for negative/ground connection short cable terminated into the black-side on Anderson PowerPole
Pass Through and AUX Switch Wires
Engine compartment of where the AUX switch wires are and pass through bundle into the cab on the passenger side kick plate
AUX Wires and Circuit numbers
Ford F-150 2017 Raptor AUX Switch wire info and color codes
Ham Radio Install
Finished power distribution block for AUX (hot) switch wires with one of the pass through wires (hot) to power the radio.  Hot wires on the bottom of the block.
Ham Radio Install
Finished NMO mounted antenna on the breedlove stake-mount.

More install photos and Ford F-150 Raptor photos can be seen here in this Flickr gallery.