Clean VHF/CB radio installs

Thank you!

 

whoever mentioned ground straps is right. Braided grounding straps should connect all metal components—frame, body panels, bumpers, doors, hood...

This turns the whole vehicle into a huge antenna of sorts. ATBE, the mag mount is 1/10 as effective as a proper roof-mounted NMO antenna.

Also, a horizontal flat large surface will always perform better than a vertical surface. So moving from a quarter panel to the hood/roof will improve performance.

 

How would I apply the braided ground strap on this?

Also, do you think the Midland stealth antenna (3db vs 2.1db) with the NMO wire and ditch light bracket combo from Midland would make a significant difference over the magnetic antenna stuck to a ditch light bracket?

EDIT: Also, yes, I know the roof is better but I like...put stuff up there...frequently and it covers all of the not curved surfaces, so that's not really a great option.

 

NMO are used heavily in commercial and public safety 2-way radio installs as well ham and GMRS. I have 2 on my hood. One is for my fire radio and the other I use with either my ham radio, GMRS radio or my CB, depending on what I’m doing. For my CB antenna I use a base loaded 1/4 wave Larsen NMO27C. Works well.

 

Considering how reliant GMRS is on line of sight, I don't see 0.9db affecting anything at all. In general, 3 db is a two fold increase. Don't worry about 0.9.

 

Thanks! I got this feedback from Midland on the same question. It sounds like the magnetic is the way to go with my ditch light set up (provided that the LED light driver doesn't cause interference (that's what they said was the issue in the earlier portion of the thread):

"Thanks for the reply and glad it wasn’t too big an issue. The

$50 MXTA25 3DB MicroMobile® Compatible Gain Ghost Antenna – 3.5” Tall with 1.5” Base Diameter – Low Profile GMRS NMO Connection

MXTA25 is generally about the same performance as the MXTA13, but needs to be mounted over a decent sized metal surface (generally at least 12” diameter). Otherwise it may perform worse than the MXTA13."

Radio TBD

 

Very nice clean install on a not so small high power radio. This is definitely one of my favorite setups so far.

 

How did you route the cable for the head?

 

through the headliner and down the A-pillar. Was trickery getting the sunglass holder to move up and down without pinching the wire.

 

So, as it turns out, a CB is relatively useless.

Yes, it would be useful if I was going off road and everyone was using CB. But. Meh. At least driving across the country it was just truckers yelling at each other about merging in closed lanes and talking about truck stops. I have google to reroute me, I don't have a 53' trailer to worry about.

Ripped it out. Putting it together as a bundle to sell to someone who wants a CB. Removal was 1000x easier than install with that damn antenna cable

Used my baofeng with the external antenna, that thing worked great! The handheld mic is next to useless with road noise added in, though. Might look at doing something more, but at this point, don't know that it would be worth it (for me) to set up a hard mount w/ antenna GMRS/VHF/UHF radio. Baofeng HT does everything I have needed it to before, and a bunch more I've wanted it to.

So, if anyone wants a CB radio....

 

Little Harder to get the same up here. My CB has always come thru. Wouldn’t be without it.

 

I’m almost 100% likely to get a handheld and a mag mount antenna for future. But permanent install wasn’t worth my use case.

 

I just hook up the CB when I take a long road trip on the interstate. President Ronald and a Wilson 1000 mag-mount is what I use. My VHF/UHF mobile rig has some repeaters programmed in as well (I-95 route).

 

Kenwood 100W VHF. Deck under seat. Fender NMO.

 

This is an HF ham radio (Yaesu FT-891). It can be modified to run on CB at 100 Watts but that's illegal so I would never do that, and I wouldn't date any girls who would either.

I was pretty pleased with how well it mounted using a 1" RAM ball and a Taco Garage DMM mount. Now I have to do about a day's worth of wiring but it will be fun!

 

I've only read through the last 10 pages so I apologise if it's already been covered elsewhere. I'm currently installing a firestik antenna mounted off of the passenger taillight with a caliraised mount. I ground off some of the powder coat to get a better ground connection and ran the wire underneath the plastic caps on the side of the bed.

My question is what's the best method for getting the cable inside of the cab? I pulled apart the rear seats thinking there would be something on the back wall but it looks like I'd have to drill a hole. Any suggestions?

 

I know at least for double cabs, behind the lower c-pillar plastic there are 3/4” rubber grommets that you can pop out, run your wire through and make a hole in for the wire. You’d have to remove your cubbies and then peer behind that lower trim piece to see them iirc. For access cabs I’m guessing there is something similar.

other option is run coax along frame and up into grommet under pass or driver seat.

 

Take off the back panels and there are the cab vents back there.

There's a few plugs under the driver seat and passenger seat. I assume they're on there for a 2nd gen as well.

 

Going through those vents was my initial plan. Seems that it's only a 3rd gen thing though because once I pulled them out I was met with just a regular sheet metal wall lol.

I think I remember seeing a plug back there but just opened it up to another wall. Are you saying to drill through that one?

 

There are these plugs in the back of the cab, they are perfect for running the antennal cables.