2013 F10 Two-way Radio Installation

BWilliams · 11-29-2021, 09:23 PM

I have a need to install a VHF two-way radio in my 2013 535xi for volunteer SAR use. Any installations I've done in the past have always been in trucks and SUVs, but this will be the first time I've done an install in a car that hasn't been designed with upfitter equipment in mind. I did a couple searches but came up empty.

I'm intending to use a remote setup, part in the center console and the rest in the trunk connected to a lip mount half wave antenna on the passenger side of the deck lid.

I haven't gone tearing into the car yet, but I'm looking for suggestions on how to best access the following:
1. Constant power and ground in the cabin, 1A draw on a 5A fuse. (maybe tap this off the rear seat power port, otherwise go straight to battery?)
2. Ignition switched power in the cabin for ignition sense
3. A way to pass a cable from the cabin into the trunk
4. Constant power and ground in the trunk, 8A draw on a 15A fuse (probably go straight to the battery here?)
5. where to pick up the factory passthrough from the trunk into the deck lid.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Surly73 · 11-30-2021, 06:51 AM

Your needs should have some similarities to a couple of other things you could research - 1/ aftermarket sub installs 2/ aftermarket sat radio installs (might not be popular because it's so easy to be equipped with the factory option 3/ the retrofit of vacuum actuated exhaust control flaps - wires are threaded through the chassis from the DME to the mufflers.

You might find some tips there which would help. I'm not sure if you might run into some issues during TX affecting some of the computers in the area of the rear of the car. I'm not active any more but I've done mobile/portable VHF and UHF work (ham radio) and long before the electronic complexity of the F10 keying up a transmitter could cause strange things to happen in a vehicle.

I'm pretty sure the F10 and F11 is used for Police work in Europe. You may be able to find some information there and determine where they typically mount antennas - if you find that every F10/F11 police car has the antenna in the same spot, it might be "the" spot

If you have a handheld portable radio with decent output (i.e. if you could get 6W with a full 12VDC power supply that's better than nothing) you might try test transmissions from the back end of the car and make sure you don't get weird things happening.

EDIT: I would also choose your power supply wisely. If you don't go through the IBS (e.g. straight to the battery), the vehicle systems will have no idea that your equipment is drawing power. They won't be able to shut it down to prevent a dead battery non-start, it could confuse the battery condition monitoring etc... There are power supplies available in the car which are "on" whenever the ignition is in any position, and until all of the computers go to sleep (5-12 minutes after shutdown depending). If you have walked away from the car and locked it with the remote - do you REALLY need your add on equipment live? Is it data equipment or voice? Maybe you should consider building an AUX battery system if it truly does need to be live when you aren't in the vehicle. Any TX will probably set off the motion sensor in the vehicle when it's fully locked and armed - test it. RF has a tendency to set off motion detectors in my experience.

3002 tii · 12-04-2021, 04:33 PM

No experience with this type of work but in last whenever I needed to hardwire devices, I’d just tap the fuse box. Clean and reversible…

ezaircon4jc · 12-04-2021, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

No experience with this type of work but in last whenever I needed to hardwire devices, I’d just tap the fuse box. Clean and reversible…

And one of these makes it easy!

agentorange · 12-12-2021, 08:05 PM

How much power will the radio put out? Many years ago I had a HAM set that put out 45W in the high power mode and it would stop the motor on transmit. Some RFI issue with the PCM as far as I could work out. Changing some cable runs and where things were grounded fixed the problem.

11-29-2021, 09:23 PM	#1
BWilliams Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 2013 535xi M-Sport Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Perrysburg, OH, USA iTrader: (0)	2013 F10 Two-way Radio Installation I have a need to install a VHF two-way radio in my 2013 535xi for volunteer SAR use. Any installations I've done in the past have always been in trucks and SUVs, but this will be the first time I've done an install in a car that hasn't been designed with upfitter equipment in mind. I did a couple searches but came up empty. I'm intending to use a remote setup, part in the center console and the rest in the trunk connected to a lip mount half wave antenna on the passenger side of the deck lid. I haven't gone tearing into the car yet, but I'm looking for suggestions on how to best access the following: 1. Constant power and ground in the cabin, 1A draw on a 5A fuse. (maybe tap this off the rear seat power port, otherwise go straight to battery?) 2. Ignition switched power in the cabin for ignition sense 3. A way to pass a cable from the cabin into the trunk 4. Constant power and ground in the trunk, 8A draw on a 15A fuse (probably go straight to the battery here?) 5. where to pick up the factory passthrough from the trunk into the deck lid. Any ideas would be appreciated!
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11-30-2021, 06:51 AM	#2
Surly73 Lieutenant Colonel 535 Rep 1,873 Posts Drives: '11 535xi 8AT KWv3 MPE MHD xHP Join Date: May 2012 Location: Oakville, Ontario iTrader: (1)	Your needs should have some similarities to a couple of other things you could research - 1/ aftermarket sub installs 2/ aftermarket sat radio installs (might not be popular because it's so easy to be equipped with the factory option 3/ the retrofit of vacuum actuated exhaust control flaps - wires are threaded through the chassis from the DME to the mufflers. You might find some tips there which would help. I'm not sure if you might run into some issues during TX affecting some of the computers in the area of the rear of the car. I'm not active any more but I've done mobile/portable VHF and UHF work (ham radio) and long before the electronic complexity of the F10 keying up a transmitter could cause strange things to happen in a vehicle. I'm pretty sure the F10 and F11 is used for Police work in Europe. You may be able to find some information there and determine where they typically mount antennas - if you find that every F10/F11 police car has the antenna in the same spot, it might be "the" spot If you have a handheld portable radio with decent output (i.e. if you could get 6W with a full 12VDC power supply that's better than nothing) you might try test transmissions from the back end of the car and make sure you don't get weird things happening. EDIT: I would also choose your power supply wisely. If you don't go through the IBS (e.g. straight to the battery), the vehicle systems will have no idea that your equipment is drawing power. They won't be able to shut it down to prevent a dead battery non-start, it could confuse the battery condition monitoring etc... There are power supplies available in the car which are "on" whenever the ignition is in any position, and until all of the computers go to sleep (5-12 minutes after shutdown depending). If you have walked away from the car and locked it with the remote - do you REALLY need your add on equipment live? Is it data equipment or voice? Maybe you should consider building an AUX battery system if it truly does need to be live when you aren't in the vehicle. Any TX will probably set off the motion sensor in the vehicle when it's fully locked and armed - test it. RF has a tendency to set off motion detectors in my experience. Last edited by Surly73; 11-30-2021 at 06:57 AM..
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12-04-2021, 04:33 PM	#3
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2289 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.24]	No experience with this type of work but in last whenever I needed to hardwire devices, I’d just tap the fuse box. Clean and reversible… __________________ Follow for latest mods
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12-12-2021, 08:05 PM	#5
agentorange Major 1508 Rep 1,387 Posts Drives: 328d Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Desert SW iTrader: (0)	How much power will the radio put out? Many years ago I had a HAM set that put out 45W in the high power mode and it would stop the motor on transmit. Some RFI issue with the PCM as far as I could work out. Changing some cable runs and where things were grounded fixed the problem.
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