so i finally picked up a used IC-2300H and im ready to do a proper install in my F-150 but honestly the part thats got me nervous is running the coax and power leads through the firewall. ive watched like a dozen youtube videos and everybody does it differently and now im more confused than when i started lol

the main thing i cant figure out is whether to use an existing grommet or drill a new hole. there IS a big rubber grommet on the passenger side that already has a few factory wires going through it but i dont want to mess anything up. also not sure if i should run the coax and the power cable through the same spot or keep them separated. the radio is going in the center console area, antenna will be a NMO mount on the roof that i havent installed yet either.

any advice from people who have actually done this on a truck would be great. i dont want to regret any of this six months from now

the factory grommet trick is totally the way to go if you can fit everything through it. i did exactly this on my Silverado and just used a long screwdriver to carefully poke a small hole in the rubber away from the existing wires, then worked the coax through with some soapy water on the tip. takes patience but no new holes in the firewall and it stays weathertight.

as for keeping coax and power separated, yeah i'd try to do that if you can, especially if you end up having any RFI issues later, but honestly on VHF/UHF it's rarely a huge problem in my experience. the bigger thing is making sure your power leads go straight to the battery with an inline fuse as close to the battery as possible, not to the fuse box. fuse box installs are fine for low draw stuff but a 2300H can pull like 8 amps on transmit and you want clean power. good luck with it, post pics when youre done

I did mine last spring and went the drill-a-new-hole route, used one of those weatherproof bulkhead grommets from the hardware store and it turned out fine. Not saying that's better just that it worked for me. The NMO roof mount is the right call btw, way better than a mag mount long term and your signal will thank you for it.