installing CB and 2' Firestik.. need a few tips

basically.. im not sure how i should mount the antenna.. i want in in the front corner of the bed by the window..

i like how some have mounted them on the bed rail bars that whats his face was selling.. but i dont want to buy a 55$ rail just for a antenna..

anyone with experience on mounting these.. basically i just want a L - bracket and any suggestions on places to buy that bracket and about 9-10 feet of coax

thanks in advance!

 

Do you live near a truckstop? They will have lots of different types of mounts to choose from.

 

lol.. ok thanks man.

 

Also you need 18' of coax, just coil up the excess and zip tie it.

 

Yeah, you may not reach with 9 - 10 ft of coax... Definitely check out your local truck stop, more than likely they'll have everything you need. I found my L bracket by Firestik for about $20 CDN. They're out there, or just fab one up yourself...

If your mounting to the bed rail, you may also want to use a a 3 ft Firestik instead of the 2 ft. Even with a 3 ft antenna mounting to my bed rail i still couldn't get a SWR reading under 2.... I may just go with a magnet type mount for the roof to improve reception....

 

I have a Wilson magnet mount. It scratches my truck

 

i used a bracket i bought for under $2.00 at Academy (sporting goods store). it was in the boating department, not even sure what it's real function is.



you're best off with 18ft of coax like hayden said. has to do with wavelengths and such. i use a 2ft firestik for daily driving since my parking garage at work doesn't allow for anything longer. i have poor signal and range with the 2ft. the 2ft antenna barely goes above the cab of the truck. my 3ft works much better, i'd recommend a 3 ft if you can.

 

Roof mount will give you the best reception.... but DO NOT buy a 2' antenna you will hate yourself and end up buying a 3' antenna in the end... Personal Experience...

 

If you buy the 18' you don't want to coil it up. Try and wrap it around your frame and avoid crossing it over itself.

 

I did it with a mount that goes in the stake pockets the (little square holes) under the plastic bed rail cover I drilled a hole in the plastic for the antenna and cleaned it up looks good

 

Huntark03, can you explain to me why I shouldn't coil up my coax? I've done it like this for years and didn't know it was bad? I have a Wilson magnet type antenna so wrapping it around the frame wouldn't work?

 

From looking at bakerla's setup, couldn't you just attach the antenna to one of the overly useful tie-downs? Seems that a bit of drilling and maybe a piece of reinforcing metal would allow it to be directly connected to the tie-down. Just a thought, although it is hard to beat the $2 option...

 

It would not ground on the plastic..... then you would need to run a ground wire....

 

Coiling a coax cable or having it cross itself will cause SWR issues....

 

BAKERLA - i like what you did.. specially for $2.00 ... i need to go to a boating store anyways to get some of those fancy dancy rocker switches.. ill check and see what i can find..

as far as the antenna and length.. i dont want a towering antenna.. I like the idea of a 2' because it will be almost level with the roof of the cab.. which is what im looking for.. as long as i can get a mile or 2 or 3 in distance/reception, im gold.

only plan on using it for mostly range of sight type deals... caravanning.. what not.. lol

probably wont be turned on but once a month if that..

but anyways.. thanks for the tips guys..

 

Thanks TRDMan! If you have a higher end CB you can check your SWR's. I had to really play with the adjusters on the end of my firesticks!

 

nice setup

 

@Huntark03, I have a cobra 29 with galaxy finals and a connex board. Talk back, echo and reverb and it's running threw a 250 watt kicker. I have not had any swr issues and I coil my coax up and zip tie it?

 

www.rightchannelradios.com They will have EVERYTHING you need. Good luck.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/54057-cb-radio-install.html

My install.