As anyone who has travelled any distance in a Lightweight will testify talking to your passengers can be a bit of a shouting match and after a while it tends to get on your nerves - not to mention the sore throat that's now slowly developing!
In an attempt to makes things a touch easier I decided an Intercom might be a good idea for the truck so I decided to look into it and see how to go about doing the job.
I decided that I didn't want to use a 'modern' rally car type set up and wanted to stick with a military one to keep the Land Rover looking as an ex military truck should. This meant using the Clansman set up which - as far as I know - is only available in 24 volt kit and my truck is...yup, 12 volt!
After some asking around and then getting someone (cheers 'Militant Graham'!) to try their 24 volt Intercom on a 12 volt battery it appeared that everything still seemed to work okay so I decided bugger it I'll fit the 24 volt set up and just take it from there!
I am using a simple set up which is basically a copy of the one used by Militant Graham in his ex military AEC Militant Recovery truck except in my case it is powered by 12 volts instead of 24 volts.
The basic set up is a Clansman IB3 Interconnecting Box (normally used to connect 3 radios together, this will have a 12 volt power supply running to it, it is then connected up to - in my case - a Clansman Drivers Box (Graham is using a Clansman Crew Box), connected to the Drivers Box will be a pair of headsets and then hopefully that should be it and bingo a working Intercom! Well, that's the plan anyhow...got all the bits so just got to put it into practice now!!
I shall keep you updated on any progress...
Just a quick update as of 11/06/05... The Intercom still is not fitted - hence the lack of progress etc on this page... The reason being I am struggling a bit for space to actually install it! No room on the dexion 'cos of all the 352 stuff and not a lot of room on the seat bulkhead between the seats 'cos of CB stuff...
So, until I find time to have a bit think about it - more important stuff to sort out at the moment - the plans are currently 'on hold'... for now anyhow.
Disclaimer!!
Please note that the installation in my Lightweight is not an official type installation - more of a botch up to provide an Intercom! This is a 24v set up in a 12v truck and I'm hoping it will be okay...!
Feel free to copy it but if yer truck goes up in flames on yer own back be it!
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© Mike Little 2003 - 2005