First CB Install

Ok, so i had ordered the hood mount from Relentless Fab and I am finally getting around to installing it. This is my first cb setup and will appreciate any suggestions/help i can get. Last night I installed the antenna and ran the cable through the firewall and hope to get the rest installed tonight.

I am using the following parts:

Firestick FS 4' Red Antenna
Firestick Heavy Duty Spring
Firestik FireRing CB Coax with Stud
RadioShack 40 channel TRC-503 (I know its a cheap radio)
SWR Meter with Jumper Cable

I will post pictures of what I have done so far after work, Im sure there is something that may not have been done that I missed.

Thanks in advance as im sure there will be problems.

 

Sounds good. Let me know if you need a good Mic. I got too many.

 

ok couple quick shots from lunch break:

 

Should the stock mic be replaced? Is there that much difference?

 

ok, so i finished mounting and wiring the radio and drove out into the country a bit (farm fields) and attempted to tune the antenna. According to what i can find i need to shorten it?

channel 1: 1.3
channel 40: 1.6

I really don't want to remove the spring. Are these numbers ok to operate it safely?

Thanks
Greg

 

From what i read, anything under 3:1 is safe to operate.

 

Sorry I'm no help with the CB but I want to install one of my own. That mount looks awesome, Does it interfere with opening the hood or the wipers?

 

nope!

 

does your cb antenna have a tuning screw at the top?

 

yes but it will not go any further down.

 

Ok, I finished putting everything back together and went for a drive up to the top of a hill and tried to tune again. this time i got the following results:

1 - 1.5
40 - 1.5

is 1.5 too high?

o and a couple pics for ya:

 

Clean install...as for me I'm looking for a retractable CB Antenna, seen a pretty cool one on youtube

 

Those nembers are very good.

 

thanks for the help guys, but now i have noticed interference whenever pressing the brake for like 1 second then its gone. Is ABS interfering? and is there anyway to shield it?

 

3:1 on a CB is WAY TO HIGH. You will end up burning up the radio. On an amateur radio (ham radio) that is high but you don't risk burning up the radios finals.

 

I use a Firestik on my CB but I don't care for the Fire Ring coax of theirs. Be sure that you ground the radio chassis (use any of the screws on the radios case) to a good metal surface. Be sure that the antenna mount is getting a good ground as well. If you still get noise turn up the squelch and if the radio has a noise blanker (ANL switch) turn it on.

 

I have a ground strap from antenna stud to chassis already, I will try grounding chassis of radio and see if it helps. thanks!

 

Why not a NMO mount?