Clean VHF/CB radio installs

I was thinking about using an NMO mount on a ditch light bracket. There are CB antennas with NMO mounts or I can use a NMO-3/8X24 adapters.

 

Maybe I mis-stated that. You don't have to explicitly remember them, just recognize them. Since the 4 possible answers don't change between practice and actual test, sometimes it makes more sense to be able to recognize what's wrong versus recalling what's right.

 

U do know I was playing, right?


I kid, I kid....

 

PM me. I will mail you my no longer needed Tech ARRL manual 4 as a “pass it forward” to a fellow TW, ham and OR’r.

 

The center console (front and rear sections) are easy to remove so there's no reaon to risk drilling them in place. It's less than 5 minutes and doesn't involve any of the other dash panels. It takes longer to empty the console.

 

As long as you're swapping antennas. You're not going to find a single antenna that works both on 2/70 and also on CB. It might be possible to get relatively low SWR when squirting 2m into a CB antenna. It will be far from effective as your probably turning most of the RF into heat and what little makes it to the antenna is going to be a very irregular pattern.

Also, double check the impedance of the speaker, if one speaker is common to both installs. Many radios are 4 or 8 ohms impedance for an external speaker. But other impedances do exist. Make certain the speaker is compatible with both rigs.

Swapping usually ends up being a PITA. You may end up just installing both radios.

 

On my old truck I made some spacers for the CB so it would fit in the same bracket as my 2m rig. It was easy to swap radios and NMO antennas. I only really used the CB on logging roads during hunting season. So I didn't think it was worth a separate installation.

 

Finally got my cb all installed, but im trying to find a nice place to mount the hand set. I like the hondo vent mount, but not sure I want to cover half my vent up.

What are you guys doing for them?

 

This is pretty much my setup, except my radio is mounted by my right leg on the driver side of the front center console. I can't for the life of me get the SWR under 3.5. I'm wondering if I need a different antenna, move the antenna, or move the radio.

 

Cobra 19 ultra III Ashtradio

It isn't a Pro radio setup, but for $65 it works great! And I'm pretty happy with how stock it looks.


Fits in the ashtray slot! Had to cut a small amount off of the black plastic backer to get it in that deep, no noticeable mod to vehicle. The speaker bounces out loud enough for me.


3' tunable firestick


Used a motorcycle turn-signal bracket, mounted it to the windshield wipers bolt. Cut a small slot in the plastic then filled it back in with black silicone.
Plenty of room for the hood to fully open.

Tight clearances underneath though! That black under there is the only paint I had layin around to seal the bare metal where I hammered the truck body a bit.

I know... But the cb shop I got my stuff from didn't have a 90° antenna cable in the length I needed, so I did what I had to git'r'done and keep both antennas in line and @ the same angle.

Charlie Bravo Cheers! Over&Out

 

It's probably your antenna ground. Mounting to the top of the hood is kind of a dicey proposition without a separate ground strap, because the hood is usually fairly well isolated from the rest of the sheet metal with the use of bushings and so forth.

The best solution is to run a ground strap from the antenna to the inner fender well or similar nearby grounded area inside the engine compartment.

 

I had a cobra mounted in the same spot on my 1992 pickup. Loved that Toyota Ash trays were the same size as the cobra CBs

 

Yaesu FT-7900r
https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?c...06&encProdID=2804F70E1A8F3C4B638CB8E0F201158C

Uniden OffRoad CMX 760
https://www.rightchannelradios.com/products/uniden-off-road-cmx760

4-Way PowerPole Distribution block
https://www.gigaparts.com/mfj-1104.html

Powerwerx DC Line Noise Filter
https://www.gigaparts.com/powerwerx-lf-1-pp.html

 

Currently between CB's but I replaced my factory antenna with a FireStick and coupled in a multiplexer.

 

Where did you get your bed rail antenna mount?

 

Running a four foot Firestik without tuneable tip. I'm wanting to make it shorter for clearance. I can just trim it down, right? I don't need any sort of long distance only immediate area trail comms

 

Do you happen to have some pictures of where you mounted the handsets? also, do you find the uniden cmx coiled wire too stiff? Mine takes a ton of effort to pull the the handheld up to talk into.

 

Mine seems to be too stiff.... Also, it is kinda too short, not sure if it has much to do with stiffness but it doesn't extend enough to be comfortable

 

There are a couple things going on. First, I still don't have power to the rig. I am not sure where to go through the firewall. I'm hearing how super easy it is but so far, nope. If I could pull the dash out, maybe, but I'm not sure what's screwed in and what's clipped and I don't want to break anything taking out dash parts so I'm looking for something with pictures before I try to penetrate the firewall. I also need to get a wire through the firewall for a light bar. So I'll do that together.

Second, even with the extension there was not enough wire between the Uniden and the front seat so I had to splice in a Cat5. That's the blue wire and the white box you see in the picture. The problem there is that the Uniden proprietary wire has a proprietary plug and I cannot make a J45 fit. Moreover, the proprietary Uniden wire has a braided ground. So I had to twist that together for the splice block. I do not know if it';s going to work yet and worst case scenario I will have to splice each wire together and shrink wrap 16 wires and then shrink wrap the sets. This is not fun and Uniden is hard to reach.

At any rate, the extension ends in a block. I have the handset wire running down between the seat frame and the transmission bump in the floor. The extension wire block gets caught on the frame so you only see the coiled wire and I think that will solve the problem. The handset just lies on the floor under the seat and in front of the adjuster bar. There's a little divot there and it cradles without moving while I'm driving.

I still have not decided where to put the Yaesu faceplate/mic and speaker.