Rugged Intercom/Radio Install

I bought a Rugged Radios 600 intercom and Vertex radio system in March and have enjoyed it. I had a buddy modify a radio box I bought from Trader Hanks:

Polaris Rzr Under Dash Radio Enclosure - www.TraderHank.com

He modified it by welding two spacers to shift the mounting point 2" to the right. This lets your knee clear the double din box. He also made a custom face plate for the intercom and radio.



We have had a blast with them, the intercom works fantastic, and the car to car is great. We can now split up on trails and not choke dust all day, and remain in contact.

Rugged recently started selling a upgraded DSP chip and a remote speaker. I bought and installed both.

The speaker will allow you to hear radio traffic while out of the car, and you can turn it off with a button. I installed the radio mike so I can return traffic without having to put the headset back on.



The DSP chip really clears up the intercom noise and voice quality, but I have not had a chance to use it on the trails yet. I hope it will help with the wind noise kicking open the mics, as I find myself adjusting the VOX dependant on vehicle/wind speed.

You can see in the below photo how the box is slightly shifted to the right to give the driver knee clearance.



You can also see an IPOD jack. I had issued running my IPOD in the front jack, so I am running it into the rear AUX port with a cable from Rugged.

The nice thing about this box is that it is really all "self-contained". All of the various components are in/on the box. When it is time to wash the RZR, I just cover the box with a trash bag and run duct tape around the top of the bag, and get busy with a water hose. Everything stays safe and dry.



I'm using a custom antenna mount, and helmet hooks for race cars for the headsets.






Ruff

nice job. Thanks for the link to the box.

very clean set up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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2009 LE, XMF long travel, FUTV skid plate, FUTV light bar, Gibson exhaust, Rugged car to car radio,2 Live Wire whips. FUTV doors and gas tank cover. Crow 5 pt. seat belts and a $20 Walmart trunk

Very nice set up. I just received my portable intercom and car to car system from Rugged today. I might have gone with a system like yours had I known about that box sooner. Either way, thats a very clean looking system.

Thanks guys.

I tried to put some thought into the install, and took some advice from other installations I saw.

I also had to have the box and face plate powder coated. The box comes painted, and the modifications we did to it wrecked the paint. Paint chips easily and the powder coating does not. They matched the factory plastic "pebble" finish and it's a flat black, not shiny.

Ruff