2016 Police Interceptor Utility - Installing Lights and Antennas

[@jesterflight8593]

I've been a LEO for 33 years, been through several marked ,and unmarked cars. Never have seen work so clean ,in all my tenure,as a public servant. I wish you had trainings to teach federal & state techs how to do what you do. They make a lot more money than the troops plus ,more & more agencies seem to be contracting the up fitting out. In 2006, I was in CV with 800 miles , and it was unmarked I was assisting with a car chase, and noticed every time I keyed the Mike on this new cruiser all the emergency lights/siren would turn off. When you finished half duplex ,then it would turn on again. You could only use one or the other. During an emergency we were mandated to use 2 ways. so everything would be recorded, also 10 years ago not every single being had pocket cell phones. The cars we use today are totally miked, so we're not allowed to make personal calls or business. Gone are the days 30 years ago when we even controlled the forward facing humongous camera. Young officers will never understand the latitude we had in a cruiser, it was liberating to say the least, plus you'd never see any of your mistakes on duty, coming out on UTUBE.

[@turbo2ltr]

Thank you for your many years of service! And thanks for the laugh. I can totally imagine the "huh??" moment when keying the mic and the lights going out.

[@TheGribbleNator]

Officer mistakes popping up on KZbin is the best thing to ever happen to America's police force. It provides a level of comfort citizens have never been able to feel before. Not all cops are bad but the ones that are, need to be found and outed for what they are.

[@jesterflight8593]

I guarantee border patrol would love to contract their new vehicles, to be outfitted with the type of work you do. I did 22 years with USBP, and I remember most of the marked & unmarked vehicles were done by in house techs. They clearly did not have pride in their workmanship, but they saved money having in house techs do the work, however the officers on the front line paid the price. I went on to work for the state, and they were about the same until, they stated contracting out the outfitting.

[@ax1039]

That is why they mike and camera you guys up because you always have fucksticks on the force that need to be watched. So many of you guys think that because you have a badge the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to you.

[@SweatyWelder68]

I want to thank you Officer first for your service as a LEO and if you were Military thank you for that as well..I carry a Dog Tag on my rear view mirror soz I remember to Pray for yooz guys every day..men and women of law enforcement and Military!!I also wnt to thank you for not being an asshole to my buddy "turbo2ltr" that produces this awesome you tube channel that we love and support!

[@maxdetwiler9770]

Funny how everyone is hating on this guy for actually doing something cool to his vehicle. If he was an impersonator, I would assume he wouldnt want to post his vehicle on here. Keep it up dude, Love the ride

[@sxyaeprep]

Its pretty cool to be able to see the insides of these when your life is not in the process of being messed up for a while.. Neat video..

[@JudoisBlack]

After watching all of your videos, I have to say awesome job with the work on your PI. I thought about getting another car with new features, but your video made me rethink on just to diy and make something out of what you already have. Can't wait to see more videos. Keep doing your thing.

[@nebu7777]

Even though you no longer have this, you've helped so many people with your videos.

[@DillonSchneiderSheriff]

Do more uploads! I really enjoy the videos as there isn't anything else like these out there!

[@turbo2ltr]

Thanks! My next video I think will need to be about WHY I am doing all this.

[@DillonSchneiderSheriff]

I don't care why, I completely understand. I just like the how you did things, and the cost.

[@HonoluluCityNews]

Very clean install. You take pride in your work, which is hard to find these days. I am trying to install radios, laptop, etc into one of our cargo vans now and I am trying to figure out how to do such a clean install. Great job.

[@turbo2ltr]

Thanks!

[@warriorgp4640]

I'm not sure why your vehicle looks like this but I bet you get respect on the road. Feels good when everyone around you suddenly knows how to drive with driving etiquette....lmao. I love it!!!

[@turbo2ltr]

It's more annoying than anything. People sitting at your quarter panel for miles on end is super annoying. I've actually pulled off the highway just get them away from me. But for the most part, the car is so low key that most people don't notice and go flying by.

[@warriorgp4640]

@@turbo2ltr Yup, I drive a marked vehicle. All the drivers tend to cluster around; you pull away and they all catch up just to cluster again...😂😂😂. So yeh, very annoying. I can't help but feel like I'm responsible for causing backed up traffic at times, but I don't want to speed up because people like to report speeding cop units, yet everyone wants to drive fast 🤷🏼‍♂️ lmao

[@Motologist95]

I followed the link to why you've outfitted the PI with the lights and radio equipment. It's really sad that people make all of these comments about impersonating a peace officer when it looks like your organization's intent is to help people stay safe during events that take place on public roads.

[@kg7yts187]

Agreed

[@tmichael9000]

I am a cop who was issued a 2014 Interceptor Utility new. I was told it is the "detective version" since it has carpeting, a normal center console and no spot light. I now have 107,000 miles on it. Being a car guy, and having driven the 94-96 Caprices and all the 90's and early 2000's Crown Vic's, here is my take on Ford's latest police vehicle. Of all the cop cars I have driven, this one is by far my favorite. The 3.7 liter is ok, but, I absolutely love the all wheel drive system and transmission. It is not the fastest, though, it handles well at over 100 mph (much better than the old CV). In inclement weather it is a beast when driving hard. I average 18 mpg while driving fairly hard on the highway. I also love the brakes. I always warped the rotors on my CV's, as well as my personal vehicles. The disc brakes on these are larger than the civilian versions and they are fantastic. They stop fast and do not fade easily. I know it is hard to believe, but, it is still running on the factory pads and rotors at 107,000. I do not know why Ford doesn't put these brakes on the Explorer Sports. I have had no problems with this vehicle; just routine maintenance. It is also very easy on tires. There is almost no need to rotate since all four wear so evenly. Now the bad. The seats are crap if you are not in uniform (wearing a bullet resistant vest and duty belt). There is very little support or lateral bolsters. The tilt steering wheel has an extremely limited range and does not move down far enough for my liking. It also does not telescope, leaving it too far forward. The door armrest is so far from where my elbow naturally rests, it is worthless. Mine came with keyless entry, however, it has always had a range of about 20 feet, which I guess is better than nothing. The headlights have sucked since day one. When I turn on the brights they seem to shine upward. Yes, they are adjusted correctly. I have spoken to others who experience the same. Bottom line, if it had better seats (front and back), I would definitely buy a Ford Interceptor Utility for personal use.

[@turbo2ltr]

Thank you for your service! And thanks for the comparison! I agree on almost all the "bads". The seats have no side support, but understand why and I got used to it. I have short legs and even I agree that the wheel seems too far forward. Not sure if your 2014 has adjustable pedals (the 2016 does) and even with that it still doesn't seem quite right. Coming from my Grand Cherokee, I felt like I was in a Humvee. The door was like 10 miles from my elbow! My keyless entry (OEM) works great from very far away. The 2016 has LED headlights that work quite well. Though the highbeams don't seem to do much more. Not sure if that's sucky high beams or the LED headlights are that good. Is your shifter on the floor or the column?

[@veeates]

Great build man, love the clean look of your police SUV. Good guys driving vehicles like this is a good thing.

[@t-g-l-c-modding7378]

I honestly just learned so much through this video. I'm going to try to wire my pic now thank you!

[@smokeybehr]

I use a 1" Forstner bit to drill the holes in the light assembly. It drills its own pilot hole, plus makes a cleaner hole than a step bit.

[@turbo2ltr]

Hmm, I haven't tried that. One of the reasons I like the step bit is that it creates large pieces when it cuts which are much easier to remove out of the light assembly. Not sure how much dust the Forstner bit would make but if it's anything like a hole saw, it makes it a bit harder to clean up. Thanks for the tip, I'll try it next time.

[@kdw75]

When we bought our Explorer Sport, the dealer had two of these on the lot. The one he showed us had 14 miles on it, and he was trying to sell it hard, but I couldn't stand not having the 365hp engine. He said a PD had ordered them, and then didn't need them.

[@frankw4377]

Hey Mike, In reference to your rear Hide Aways. Given the location and orientation of the hole I would recommend installing a set of Feniex Cannon 360's. Your average Hide Away projects the light straight out but the Feniex Cannon 360 extends into the housing a little further and reflects the light out the sides. This would, in your case, project most of the light toward the rear of the vehicle instead of the side like it does with the ones in this video. Good luck and the vehicle looks great.

[@turbo2ltr]

Thanks! I will be getting a pair soon!

[@miguelcortes8998]

Nice! Really like the effort you appear to be putting in it

[@victorkirby7652]

Are the lights even legal?

[@victorkirby7652]

lol

[@chrisnewman8918]

victor kirby the white light behind the blue tint seems sketchy

[@jdemonto]

Totally legal as long as they are amber or white, not sure about red on the rear. Red and blue up front are not legal unless your an officer

[@zachbrenner9959]

most states allow volunteer firefighters and ems personnel to have either red or blue lights.

[@6.6dmax74]

victor kirby yes they are legal in Arizona you can have red and amber in the rear and white and amber in front

[@tjjefferson3410]

you should work in a shop where you install lights,radios and sound systems since you know all about that stuff. if I were to try to hook up all these lights myself I would cause an electrical fire and ruin my car😂

[@rckid2001]

Can you do a video on your aprs setup? I have a kenwood d710 and not liking its aprs setup and losing a band for aprs. Also nice setup. Wish i could get my hands on one of those Fords. I have a escape and use it for SAG for multiple large scale bike and walk events. Not easy to do radio install and light installs on that car. 73s KC3FET

[@MrOdeezie585]

thats incredible work, as a ham myself i am very impressed!

[@kirscheim]

he's not running blue or red flashers

[@adrienlac]

Gotta respect the hard work, impeccable cruiser well done sir

[@capitolemiproducer]

You MUST seal in holes drilled anywhere int he back correctly. Buena PArk Ca. PD had a cop pass out and crash on a code 3 run. Th contractor who installed the gear did not seal the many holes he did right, and exhaust fumes were introduced into the cab. Other agencies are having similar issue and many agencies have instead Carbon monoxide detectors to protect their officers.

[@turbo2ltr]

Old news. But thanks. Everything was installed without drilling any holes through the cabin (as everything is mounted inside).

[@cgrreviews7220]

Could you do a video on how you dropped the headliner in the utility

[@colinwhite2953]

I would carry around credentials with you to verify your involvement with the Emergency Comms Group. Could get a hefty fine or worse if you run into a officer whose been having a rough day. Also your installation skills are top notch, especially for working on a newer model vehicle. A thing I would like to see is a window sticker or some type of exterior marking that indicates your Emergency Comms Group involvement, that would be cool and unique.

[@turbo2ltr]

I have magnet signs we put on the vehicles when participating in an event.

[@tangyspongesauce]

Ha, I've seen you driving around before, I was curious as to why you had antennas and lights on an interceptor package with no gov plate or fleet plate. Now I know, thats a very cool rig. I was going to pick up an older police package vehicle (crown vic or explorer) for mobile ham set up and storm chasing.

[@AC-pm7sn]

This is really cool! Nice project. Don't know why everyone assumes you're trying to impersonate the police. As long as everything is legal with the emergency lighting and what not then you're free to do whatever you want with your car.

[@KINGVIC87]

Good video people who hate on your car wish they had it keep up the good work i have a 2006 crown vic with the lights and pa i wont the same suv you have but i have to save more money 😀

[@sterlingd97]

Great vid, should look into getting a pushbar

[@turbo2ltr]

Thanks! Though I have no use for a pushbar.

[@spydercomputers]

I'd get one because they really look bad ass..

[@country2theend]

I upfit police cars for a living. The hide a way location is actually designed for side coverage. A number of customers have complained about the poor light output to the rear from the hide a ways. The best solution we have found is to use Feniex Cannon 120 in place of the factory reverse light.

[@turbo2ltr]

What do you do for the reverse light then? I also notice DPS taps into the stock brake lights and flashes them quickly but still allows the brake lights to work when the brake is applied. Do you know where they do this?

[@country2theend]

turbo2ltr in order to flash the brake lights you can by what's called a tail light flasher. Each flasher comes with instructions and a diagram. From my experience it is easier to read the instructions to find out what wires to connect to than to go off the diagram. The diagrams get confusing. And Feniex hide a ways have 3 programmable modes. From the factor of you apply power to the green wire the light will steady burn white, if white is one of the colors that the light is capable of producing.

[@turbo2ltr]

Ok, Thanks. I thought maybe there was a place I missed in the factory harness that was already wired up to add a flasher. I kinda figured you were using a steady burn mode...Thanks for the info!

[@BrentRoberts01]

Hey man! Love what you're doing with the interceptor. Forget the haters! Check out my old Crow Vic on my page. Needless to say, I had a lot of haters.. Haha. I plan on picking up one of these Interceptor Explorers in the next few months. I've been in contact with Zech Ford several times. They're working on finding me a black one. Please don't stop with the updates, I'm loving the videos!

[@kjchicago1]

I think you did a good job on this with the ham radio and antennas and wiring

[@markgloverville]

I wouldn't replace the hideaways. They give good rear intersection warning.

[@robdailey]

I think that's why the light assemblies are made to mount the lights at that angle. There are already rear-facing lights, but they can't be seen from the side.

[@mtmotorgroupllcarizona799]

Hey bud, looks really clean and you did an awesome job. Im currently installing lights and radios for a 2016 explorer at our dealership. You should bring it by some time, we'd love to check it out. We're down on 19th st. and jefferson.

[@jcatl13n404]

Nice! I see your TouchPad is still kicking. Mine gave up the ghost a few years ago.

[@turbo2ltr]

Yeah I've been using it regularly. Cyogenmod has some issue that it will suck the battery down in a day. But other than that it's been working well. Hope it stays that way..

[@jhutch1470]

I know the comments were a year ago but I want to speak to all the haters. This man is a Ham/Experimental radio operator. The Ham community also does weather spotting for the national weather service through the Skywarn system. Many Hams also do work for the A.R.E.S county emergency system with the local sheriff's office. They block roads for special events, respond to apartment fires with the Red Cross, and many other things. He, like I, help our communities. The police car is for the special things they have to mount radio consoles, lights and computers. They even have extra, and shielded, wiring that won't interfere with radio and computer transmissions. He did a good job.

[@vegascvpiaaron6807]

I know I've seen you say you don't want too I just felt like sharing my opinion in saying I think a pushbar could really look awesome lol and has uses too. I have one that came with my vic so im kinda a sucker for them I guess lol. Either way just my opinion lol I love what you've done with this wish I had all this knowledge loll

[@QuaabQueb]

Leave your rear hide aways they way they are, you want to have more light spread off to the sides

[@JustinBrockel]

I thought the exact same thing. This way he has direct coverage of light straight back with the bars in the backs window, and rear angles covered by the hide-a-away strobes mounted in the tail lights. Accidentally perfect.

[@jockosboy17]

What do you do for a living that requires all this or is this just for fun?

[@MrAfwarren]

is it really hard for you to read a description or did you just forget it was there

[@jockosboy17]

The description doesn't explain why he does all this. You must have forgot to watch the video or the fact he states in his videos he is not in law enforcement as to why I asked the question. Go troll elsewhere.

[@turbo2ltr]

The description specifically says: "Why am I doing this to my PI?" and includes an answer. So yes it does explain it.

[@jockosboy17]

Sorry I missed that... But that doesn't mean that person needed to be a troll about it.

[@turbo2ltr]

true.

[@Howard3S]

I get what you are doing and why. QUESTION: My only concern is that your forward facing white light thru the blue tint projects a blue colored light forward, a big no-no. A lot cheaper would be one roof half light - 360 degree coverage, take it down when not in use instead of all the permanent hide away lighting. NO real need for all the wiring, etc. that's just you want them. An LED lightbar on top would bemore than adequate. there is a overlighting of emergency vehicles these days.

[@turbo2ltr]

It's no blue-er than the LED headlights. That being said, I had disconnected it a while ago because I didn't want any issues. I never liked the way that visor light worked. I may rebuild it with different lightheads that will be all amber. As for the roof mount light, I would much rather have the hidden permanent install. Just my personal preference.

[@Atvstevie1]

Dude!!! This is soo cool! Man I wish I could do this where I live, stuff like that is illegal... Time to move to the states! I would build this at a drop of a hat!

[@ironmatic1]

Steve Bensler It's illegal here too...

[@jeffmacdougall9190]

Looking for pointers to get up in to the rear area of headliner. I guess last occupants left wires and stuff loose up there that slides around when i make turns. TIA

[@turbo2ltr]

The rear center trim pops down and slides rearward slightly. Then you can see into the area above the headliner. Watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2aZiaaqhMpsipo

[@FordFan2156]

If you're doing all that lighting and stuff you should totally get an LED spotlight!

[@turbo2ltr]

I don't anticipate ever having a need for one. I was actually happy that it didn't come from the factory with them. I like the "clean" look of not having them.

[@FordFan2156]

turbo2ltr Ok, cool! With a beautiful car in that beautiful color, the clean look will be great! BTW, nice job! You're right on target for keeping it clean :)

[@benhenson3910]

Why do you anticipate needing the flashing amber/red lights?

[@turbo2ltr]

Please read the description.

[@gagunslinger8214]

the flashing red and amber lights on the rear of the vehicle are perfectly legal in arizona according to AZ Law they can only be used while the vehicle is not in motion as a warning for special events to alert traffic to special road hazzards such as a bicycle race or triathlons, this vehicle would only be illegal if the red and amber lights were used while the vehicle was in motion on a public road.

[@SaucySoviet]

that's an awesome center console

[@thomaswade9689]

The tittle of video should be "MAKING OF A SERIAL KILLER!"☠️

[@Kirs10nh]

Glad to see I'm not the only one that gets uneasy about civillians trying to do this

[@kg7yts187]

Why?

[@bobhunter3050]

I just wonder why the lite package ? You can’t use them . Everything is clean and correct .

[@turbo2ltr]

I use them all the time. They are legal in AZ. I've used them along side agencies and never had an issue.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

HAM RADIO!! Can you install a scanner and fed it with the 4th antenna? In Michigan hams can have scanners. Didn't know if you looked into that

[@turbo2ltr]

All the antennas are being used. But yes I could have done that. I just programmed my radios for the police frequencies and used them to listen. For everyone else, in some states it is illegal to have a scanner in a mobile. Check your local laws.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

@@turbo2ltr I live in Michigan, hence my comment that hams in Michigan can equip their vehicles with scanners.

[@jakem749]

lol so many haters. He’s doing nothing wrong with the lights or the antennas. If I saw him would the thought of him being a cop cross my mind? Of course, but that doesn’t mean what he’s doing is wrong. I belong to a radio station, who gets yearly inspections from both the FCC and the PBA. Both agencies drive cars that replicate this mans explorer. Get a grip people, there are far more things in this world that we should be worried about and it’s not a man and his explorer. They need their lights and antennas on their vehicles for a reason. The same that this man needs his lights and antennas for his reasons.

[@12quarters]

I love nice clean work like this. Good job.

[@maximumwoof8662]

along around 5:45 you spoke of using a hole saw.. wouldn't a unibit be a better bet ?

[@turbo2ltr]

I have used both. I used the unibit in the jeep. I got to say the hole saw I got worked a lot better. I wanted to show it in the video but forgot. It's a special fine tooth hole saw specifically for sheet metal.. amzn.to/2fVPEl5

[@ke6lev]

Very nice! I have an Explorer myself, and I also wanted to use a mixer to wire in my radios to the vehicle speakers as well. Can you tell me what you are using to do this? I'm sure it's going to be much more work for me since mine's not a PIU, lol.

[@ke6lev]

Nvm, I just found your other video, lol

[@clintonjames3173]

I recently found a 2015 Explorer Interceptor that I will likely purchase. It still has the spot light, a dome light and four antenna on top. As a non-law enforcement person, how much can I legally have on the vehicle? It is gray and was never a marked vehicle.

[@turbo2ltr]

In general, only emergency lights of specific colors would be an issue. But you'll need to check your local laws as every area is different. The spotlight and antennas typically aren't an issue.

[@donaldc6600]

I find that you're a very relatable guy lol. Awesome channel! Do you think if you ever got the chance that you could do an overview on your APRS system and how you have it set up? Looking into getting my techs and find APRS fascinating but dont even know how i would start in that field lol.

[@turbo2ltr]

Ill put it on the list for videos.. In the mean time, you might find this writeup I did about it useful. I had it in my previous vehicle and moved it to the interceptor. www.4x4ham.com/showthread.php?4913-New-APRS-setup-HP-Touchpad-Byonics-MicroTrak

[@michaelweber6835]

Hi Mike, just going over your videos. I have a 16 FPIU which I have been working on very slowly. Concerning the wire harness with the blue tape. Does it have a plug on the inside of the car? Where is it? Also did you have to disable the dark mode? I bought a few programs from Fordmods, of cause with my luck I can’t find a dealer to install it. Currently in FL (virus central) my true home is in NY. I have been looking a the Dodge Durango Police, hate the shift on the floor. Thanks waiting for your next ride. Mike W2TFD

[@turbo2ltr]

No, no connector on the inside. Looks pretty much identical on the inside. It was VERY hard to get to, it was waaay under the dash on the left side. I think it's looped so you may not see the ends until you pull on it, and even then, it's not like it drops down, the ends are way under the dash. My car did not have dark mode enabled. Most if not all the stuff from FordPIMods can be done with the free Forscan software. You just need an OBDII CAN to serial adapter. www.icloud.com/numbers/0yl-Fqa3Gnjh8m0K-1vadEHiA#FORScan_Ford_Explorer_11-20MY

[@Rydawg2009]

Even though those visor lights are technically legal where you are, I would be worried about the white one. It looks really blue...

[@kg7yts187]

Yeah, it is an effect of the camera

[@chiefjoe8706]

Where did you find antennas? Very professional work.

[@turbo2ltr]

Thank you. I purchased them from Amazon I think. They are Comet B10 dual band NMO mount. amzn.to/2Gxdksh

[@gmoney9247]

Would you please do a video on how to re-attach the factory horn? When I bought my interceptor ford explorer I noticed no horn! Upon further research I found that to be a common problem, but don't know how to fix it.

[@turbo2ltr]

I'm going to assume your interceptor was previously in service as a police car? Under the center console, there is a wire loop that is cut so they can intercept the horn signal and send it to the siren controller. When the equipment is removed, they rarely connect it back up. It appears to be behind the lower center console, on the left side of the driveshaft tunnel, buried in one of the harnesses. This data is found in the "Sedan and Utility Police Modifier Guide" ford puts out that you can download from Ford (google it, comes right up). This is a snapshot from it that shows the horn loop. goo.gl/sL9bSi I am guessing if you find this, you'll find the loop cut. These wires need to be connected back together to create the original loop.

[@gmoney9247]

@@turbo2ltr Thank you much appreciated! Where did you get your center console? Been looking for one on ebay and can't find one.

[@turbo2ltr]

Mine is a Gamber Johnson www.gamberjohnson.com/products/kit-ford-police-interceptor-utility-2012-console-box-cup-holder-armrest-and-faceplate This is one of the cheapest places I found to buy, but this was 2 years ago so you might want to shop around. theruggedstore.com/gamber-johnson-kit-ford-police-interceptor-utility-2012-console-box-with-cup-holder-armrest-and-faceplate-7170-0166-07/ Ordering is a bit of a pain as you have to supply part numbers for the "free" faceplates. But customer service there was very good, I suggest you give them a call or email. I dealt with someone named Aaron. He was helpful.

[@gmoney9247]

@@turbo2ltr I want to thank you for the horn fix. Found the small green and violet colored wires and just now connected them back together and horn now works great!

[@turbo2ltr]

haha awesome!

[@ralphiancapistrano2834]

How did you wire the visor lights? Is it hardwired or still using the cig plugin without messing up the light patterns/ switch? Can you please explain a lil bit? Thanks!

[@turbo2ltr]

I cut off the cigarette lighter and I rewired to my own switches. The round button under the row of switches is the new pattern switch (momentary). If I remember right, there are three wires in this particular visor light, 12V, Ground, and the pattern wire. Ground goes to ground, 12V goes to one side of my new on/off switch, and the pattern wire goes to one side of the momentary switch. The other side of the momentary switch I *think* went to ground, but you'll have to look at how the cigarette lighter switches that came on it were wired.

[@psyfertech]

i know video is old but you really peaked my interest in aprs i was curious what the hell that was and me and a buddy were talking about getting ham radio license soon, my question what equipment do you have to make the aprs tracker work is it a device that connects to your radio? or is it standalone i know you said it uses one of the antennas in the video btw very clean setup

[@turbo2ltr]

An APRS system can be standalone (like I had in this video), or you can connect a "TNC" to a radio. A TNC is basically a modem.. It takes data in and converts it to audio for transmission over RF, similar to the old school telephone modems in computers. Check out a company called Byonics. They make the standalone GPS tracker in the FPIU. Check out a company called Mobilinkd, they have small bluetooth TNCs that you can connect to a handheld easily and use android software to provide the GPS data and send it to the TNC. Also check out APRSDroid software on Google Play.

[@psyfertech]

@@turbo2ltr that's pretty awesome I appreciate the info I was looking and yaesu makes one that has a built in modem for aprs do you think that's a good way to go looks like it's the ftm 400xdr

[@turbo2ltr]

@@psyfertech Oh yeah, guess I wasn't thinking about full radios.. But yes, the FTM400 has built in APRS. Note that it takes up on of the two bands, so if you have it running, you only have one band left to listen on. This is one of the reasons I got a standalone tracker, I always wanted it running and didn't want to take up one of the bands. With that said, the FTM400 is a System Fusion radio. I would read more about System Fusion, and see if there are any fusion repeaters in your area otherwise you are paying extra for a bunch of features you can't use. Even though I have one, I'm not a huge fan of the FTM400. I have a very early model and I know they made some changes since then though. Many of the other radio options are handhelds, not mobile radios. Kenwood TM-D710G is a good option as well. Once you get your ham license, you can actually run APRS over the internet using APRSDroid. Kind of defeats the purpose for tracking where there may not be any cell coverage but it works without the complexity of a radio for where you do have service.

[@psyfertech]

@@turbo2ltr wow man thats good info there thank you yea i was thinking that it might be better to have a dedicated radio just for the aprs probably wouldnt even need to get something super expensive either, i will have to check into the system fusion for sure before i buy one, I was kind of trying to avoid drilling a hole in my roof i have a 16 gmc sierra i found a bracket that mounts to the 3rd brake light with an nmo mount built into it so you can run coax through 3rd brake hole but if i do a dedicated aprs ill need another antenna for that so i might just say screw it and drill the hole it would be cheaper too and can always be sealed with a rubber plug or capped off

[@psyfertech]

@@turbo2ltr I just found the antenna I think I want it's a diamond dual band NR770HBNMO looks like decent specs so many options out there hard to decide what's best but it looks like it has good gain I was gold 1/4 wave for 2 Meter is pretty good I believe this one is 1/2 on 2 meter and 5/8 for 70cm

[@freema22]

How did you route the coax for the antennas around the air bags? That's the one thing that is holding me up from drilling my roof.

[@turbo2ltr]

If you go to 5:04 in the video, you can see the curtain airbags on the left side. At the C Pillar the airbags look a little different (look more gray than pink) and they come away from the corner of the roof a little compared to the rest of it. This is where the duct for the rear AC normally goes. There was tons of room to go from the roof area back behind the curtain airlbag and down the C pillar. I continued along the back seat door sill, under the drivers seat and to the center console.

[@freema22]

@@turbo2ltr Cool. Thanks

[@adamjhuber]

6:18 that Spectra is a dinosaur. Does it work? Did you recap it? I had three Spectras I put on 900. I got so tired of fixing them I replaced them with MCS2000 units.

[@turbo2ltr]

yes I recapped it.. though I didn't know about that before I bought it... but works great now.

[@spydercomputers]

That's really cool! Nice work!

[@clarenceswope3026]

That is exactly why I love cop cars I am n0spw and I have been looking at putting a 2 meter 440 antenna Like A Larson and a 11-meter antenna

[@uturey8ery]

Good work. Looks clean.

[@102Whisenant]

Check out the Feniex Cannon 360 hideaways to replace the ones you have

[@turbo2ltr]

Those look like exactly what I need, thanks!

[@19Dennis53]

Keep up the great work!

[@ReaperCVPI]

Very important to space out your antennas . you did good i just installed 2 mobile mark cones on mine . it interfere s with the other antenna s when people put these antennas to close . for people like me that lime the cop look when you put a bunch of these antennas it just looks ta ky keep it clean like this guy and space them out it will give it a nice presence without cuad Sing too much whacker attention. This guy is probably a volunteer firefighter since hes got red lights . i have amber white permits for security/ safety construction vehicle/ carshow special events/ and pilot car guide services . which means i can run lights on the road only when working with oversized loads with trucks guiding through overpasses and when i sit in construction zones with lights on to warn traffic of workers . so the laird antennas and mobile marks come in handy for me . i want a new 2 way radio. Setup though its easier to communicate with driver and construction crews. My cb i just have becuase i grew up on cb radios and they come in handy with truckers and emergency when phones dont work

[@vinnyslawncare]

That center console would be good for a repo truck.

[@4047530025]

That thing would be good to mount your own apple lap top on. Great real estate car.

[@slimjim8915]

Nice install and nice to see police officer as a ham radio guy :) What radio do you use and channel you listen to?

[@turbo2ltr]

I'm not an officer (read the description). There's an FT-8800, FTM-400 and a Motorola Spectra . I'm usually monitoring 442.900

[@PPNStudio]

His install is quite nice, but nothing special.. Kudos for taking the time to do it right! As a professional installer, this kind of stuff is an everyday thing.. its the non-standard or strange installs, such as a early 80's Toyota Corolla, or a 70's something Datsun pickup truck that need the full UC LEO package including duel band encrypted radios for a federal agency.. fun times.

[@therookie5263]

Question... I have a 15 Explorer police utility, it has 2 AUX switches on the steering wheel, I want to hook a set of fog lights to the truck,because my wife is blind apparently.. lol can I use one of these switches to power the lights? If so... where are the wires...approximately? Tia....nice truck

[@turbo2ltr]

In the description, there is a link to my "Police Interceptor Wiring" video. In there you will see a pigtail that has the aux button outputs (around 1:35). Your vehicle may or may not have the pigtail but the connector should be there in the lower part of the center console. On mine, it was more towards the passenger side. You would need a relay and as far as I know, the are not latching so you could turn on the lights as long as you hold the button down, but they would turn off when you let go, unless you added some sort of additional controller.

[@therookie5263]

turbo2ltr perfect, I’ll look....thx for the help

[@NATEINATOR-sj6fs]

What kind of aprs tracker do you have set up in your car. I'm trying to get a set up just for the tracking aspect of it not to talk or anything. Do you have any recommendations.

[@loafheader]

this car is nice!!! but what exactly do you do with it, so if there was a parade or a marathon for example what would you do in this car

[@turbo2ltr]

One example is a SAG vehicle (support and gear). I'd patrol the course throughout the race... 40 miles from the start a biker blows a tire or breaks a chain. I'd load him up and bring him and his bike to a drop point so he could be transported back to the start/finish. A ham operator at a rest station receives a report from another rider that there is bike that broke down 5 miles back. The rest station would radio to me and I'd go give them assistance. If I'm on the side of the road, I'll have the lights on just like a tow truck would, to help increase visibility to other drivers. At an intersection where runners are crossing a street, I might park in a way that my lights could be seen by drivers in an effort to make them more aware that they should be extra vigilant. One time we had an unforseen situation in the design of the course that had runners darting out into a right turn lane. I parked in a manner that blocked the lane and deployed some cones to keep cars out of the turn lane until farther down the road. Not something we like to do, (we usually leave lane closures to the city), but we are there for safety as well as communication.

[@NintendoMario246]

Like your video. I'm thinking about getting a Crown Victoria/P71-P7B Police Interceptor myself. By the way, What is your call sign? Mine is N4KCS.

[@turbo2ltr]

Nice! KF7MBK

[@rileydid22]

Nice video and PI! Ham question for ya… what APRS TX/RX unit are you using And what app do you use for APRS on that tablet? Dig the videos!

[@turbo2ltr]

Thanks! It's a Byonics MTT4B tracker that I manually added bluetooth to myself. (though they now have an option for that) byonics.com/mtt4b And on the tablet I use APRSDroid.

[@sickjohnson]

Nice clean work man.

[@allgoods9952]

Hello I have a police interceptor ford explorer 2013 and it came with the small stubby round motorola antena on top. My question is it worth connecting it or trying to use it for any reason? Thanks

[@turbo2ltr]

Usually you get an antenna to support the need for a radio, not the other way around. If you don't have a need for a radio, there is no use trying to make use of an antenna just for the sake of using it. Those antennas are typically 800mhz and since they are so small, really don't work all that well.

[@allgoods9952]

@@turbo2ltr thanks for letting me know might as well just leave it on looks cool lol

[@Chad-usaf]

I'm in Tucson Arizona. I actually do this type of work for a living where I work.

[@davidb1169]

Nice videos. Clean install. Good job!!!

[@Radi0activeBen]

I understand you volunteer as a ham radio operator, but do you have any credentials to have strobe lights on your vehicle?

[@turbo2ltr]

Don't need them in AZ.

[@Radi0activeBen]

Anyone can run strobes on their car in AZ?

[@turbo2ltr]

www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00947.htm

[@PaulMcLove]

Great Job 👍😉😀

[@jeremyshafer537]

hi, do you know anything about additional battery(havis mounting bracket and d34 sized battery are needed) that located at driver side rear trunk.

[@turbo2ltr]

I do not. But I know there is a ton of room back there behind the interior panel. You could fit a small microwave in there. heh

[@Bob430E]

I like that Ford Explorer Interceptor, on Black wheels ! .

[@TheCgrules]

Did you heat shrink the wires from the rear lights to wires coming from the fuse box up front? If not how did you run the wires?

[@turbo2ltr]

Just about everything used butt crimp splices , crimp QDCs (blade quick disconnects), or crimp ring terminals. Solder and heat shrink would have been nice, but it's a bit more time consuming.

[@TheCgrules]

turbo2ltr so you crimped them together to whatever wire that goes to the fuse box in the cabin or under the hood?

[@turbo2ltr]

Yeah I wired them to the switches and to power. The interceptors have "police" connectors that give convienient access to dedicated power circuits. See my video here, though this was pretty early in my mess. I went through and cleaned up most of this wiring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ6QqaqXpc-Urbc

[@fatcattowing8990]

VERY clean install!!!!

[@DarkxLiMiTzZs]

I’m thinking about buying a Ford Explorer interceptor but was wondering if it is legal for me to buy a center console? I want to put in a CB radio and maybe a laptop mount for work so I can use it on the go if necessary.

[@turbo2ltr]

I doubt the center console is illegal. The laptop mount itself is also probably not illegal. Putting a laptop there and having it open while driving is most likely illegal. I had a grand Cherokee with a laptop mount when I was working for AT&T. I got a ticket in AZ for "screen forward of front seat" or something like that. I had it open while driving but wasn't using it. I am not a lawyer, your local laws may vary.

[@NYModz]

Great looking car! Everyone who is hating on you is just jealous because they can't afford this.

[@stormtrackerianmalicoate372]

you also have a very nice setup

[@donttar3196]

Quick question, how do you connect the wires from the battery into the lights and controls on console?

[@turbo2ltr]

With wire. :) Not sure what you are asking. I got constant 12V power from the police connector that comes on the Interceptor, ran that to a switch and connect the other side of the switch to the + side of the lights so when you turn on the switch, it gives the lights 12V power. The negative side of the lights needs to be grounded.

[@donttar3196]

@@turbo2ltr got it. Thanks. :)

[@maximumwoof8662]

well, what "The Donn" said.. are your visor lights amber only ?

[@turbo2ltr]

Amber and white. See description for why I am setting up my vehicle like this.

[@JosephTheHumble]

You should have got a traffic adviser for the rear window, would have been a little more useful then just lights back there.

[@todd8781]

Looks good, but, why? What are you trying to accomplish? It Might be good for a demo vehicle, but everyday driving? I question the motive.

[@turbo2ltr]

Read the FAQ in the descriptions of my other Interceptor videos.. not sure why the FAQ isn't in this one.

[@todd8781]

@@turbo2ltr I wasn’t looking for it, I just wondered why you wanted those things in the car if they aren’t actually used. Like a said, if they were for demo purposes and actually hooked up, that’s one thing, but driving around for looks? Ehh, I dunno.

[@turbo2ltr]

@@todd8781 Where did you get the idea they are not used? All the radios are hooked up to antennas (there are 4 radios in the car and I transmit on all 4 of them for various purposes). All the lights are hooked up and I use them when I participate in public service events. I volunteer with a local organization that provides communication services for large events like marathons and bike races. During those events, I could be traveling on a closed road, manning a road closure, or on the side of a busy road assisting a cyclist that has fallen or has a mechanical problem. So everything in this car is used. What you don't see is a pushbar or search light because I have no use for those. So now you know.

[@todd8781]

@@turbo2ltr ...on a police car.

[@turbo2ltr]

@@todd8781 On a car that is built to hold multiple radios like no other car is. Do you buy a Yugo for a family of 7? Do you take a semi to church? No, you buy the correct vehicle for the job. In this case, an interceptor is designed for my needs. So I bought one. And it was affordable. And it handles great. If you are hung up that the police happen to use this same vehicle because they too need room for communication gear, I can't help you.

[@antd5524]

hey do you think we could get a video of the lights at night?

[@Jayhoyt32]

You idiots commenting about him being a "wannabe" or whatever other brainless title you can think of should really read a video description. Damn bored kids just looking to pick at someone for actually going outside and doing something with their lives. Now that I've dealt with these wastes of air, I can move on and say this....Awesome job on the install sir. It looks very clean and professional and as a few others have said, if you have the time you should consider doing this professionally as you definitely have the skill.

[@Gino20202]

Amazing work.

[@robertbrownak]

could you possibly link the GPS tracker? I've been trying to find a similar setup for me Explorer and I can seem to find any information on it. Cheers, -Fire Fighter

[@turbo2ltr]

Link it in what way?

[@stanbeaulieu8313]

awesome install

[@EliMTL]

Hey Mike- great video; you take your time and you dont rush through it. Dont worry about the nay-sayers, they're just haters whodont have the skills you do. Some people just need to relax, they dont have to watch your videos if they dont like it. Stay safe out there. thank you for the educational videos!

[@willcutt1975]

I drive a crown vic with led setup and ham weather computer and I'm told I'm a Cop reject. Not quite I'm a certified storm chaser and spotter and get into some big storms living in Arkansas. So people that are hating not everyone is up to no good or pretending to play cop when the weather breaks I'm the one trying to keep your family safe and mine.

[@derekphillips1387]

Blue and amber?! Really?!

[@turbo2ltr]

Huh? I have no blue on the car.

[@Knarf14]

I am just wondering as a ham why you would need those lights, just curious

[@turbo2ltr]

When I'm working an event I could be on the side of the highway helping a disabled bicyclist or runner, be driving on closed roads, or manning lane/road closures, etc. They are there to notify nearby traffic there is something out of the norm happening and (hopefully) be more attentive / slow down. It also lets police know I am with the event and not a stray motorist ready to mow down a pack of runners.