CB Antenna location and quantity advice

There should be a floor plug under drivers seat and my RC has one on top of hump under the back of the center console where emergency brakes cables go out. I suppose this should be the same case for your 2012 AC ecept maybe no brake cables going out if automatic? Mine is manual.

 

I pulled up the plastic floor trim located under the passenger door and used the floor plug that is located approx. one foot behind the passenger seat in the '12 Access Cab. From the plug I routed the cable under the carpet to the trim location under the passenger door and ran the cable along the existing wiring harness path up to the front passenger foot well. It worked well except the 18 feet of antenna cable barely reached the CB. The antenna is located on the right rear of the bed and the CB is located on the right side of the center console.

 

• Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.-
  Toyota Contact Information
  Toyota is well aware that there is a sizable group of ham radio enthusiasts in the U.S. market. In fact, per capita, that population is even larger in Japan. Obviously, we would not intentionally turn our backs on these potential vehicle buyers.
  As you know, the operating systems in today's vehicles are controlled by a growing number of very sophisticated electronic control modules. Most of these ECM's utilize MOSFET technology, which can be easily damaged by electromagnetic radiation from high power radio transceivers and associated system components.
  Understandably, Toyota and the other automotive manufacturers have to be concerned about such potential problems, because they could affect the operation of electronic systems that control vital vehicle functions such as the ignition system, fuel management system, supplemental restraint system, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and others. The very conservative position stated in selected Toyota technical manuals recognizes that, as the vehicle manufacturer, we have no control over the wide range of variable circumstances and unforeseen conditions that could be involved in the after-sale installation and operation of those system components.
  In a "worst case" situation, vehicle electronic components could be damaged, and/or the proper and safe operation of the vehicle might be compromised if, for example, any of the following situations (and potentially others) existed:
  - The transceiver is not "type-accepted."
  - The power and/or antenna cables radiate RF current.
  - Routing of the power and/or antenna cables results in inductive or capacitive coupling.
  - Transmitter, feedline and/or antenna inefficiencies result in an unacceptable level of, RF radiation exposure to the ECM's.
  - The standing wave ratio is unacceptably high.
  - The antenna ground plane is inadequate.
  We can understand your interest in obtaining information from Toyota that would provide detailed recommendations on how to properly install ham radio components in our vehicles or, conversely, how to avoid specific potential problems. As a result of several inquiries such as yours, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. petitioned our parent company in Japan to provide as much information as possible that would assist ham radio enthusiasts in making informed decisions.
  Their response provides basic installation guidelines (outlined in the attachment) which we trust will be of assistance to you. Although it may not fully answer all your specific requests, Toyota must take reasonable precautions to limit our potential legal liability, because the full range of possible variables noted earlier could never be fully anticipated. Also, more detailed information that would provide the operational details of Toyota's electronic system is considered proprietary.
  Contacts such as yours are always welcomed, because it allows us to monitor specific consumer interests in the U.S. market. Thank you for the time you have taken to call us, and your interest in Toyota vehicles.
  Attachment
  2-WAY RADIOS IN TOYOTA VEHICLES
  Installation of a 2-way radio in Toyota vehicles should not present problems under the following conditions:
  * The transceiver must be type-accepted by the FCC, and not modified in any way.
  * Maximum output power complies with FCC regulations (100 watts).
  * All installation and operating instructions provided by Toyota and the equipment manufacturer must be followed closely.
  * The antenna must be installed as far away as possible from all vehicle electronic control modules (ECM) or other onboard computer/sensors.
  * The antenna cabling must be routed no closer than 20 cm (7-7/8 inches) to any ECM or other onboard computers/sensors.
  * Antenna and power cabling must not be routed along side or in conjunction with the vehicles wire harness. It is always preferable to cross vehicle harness at right angles when possible. Antenna and antenna cabling should be properly adjusted to obtain the lowest possible standing wave ratio (SWR).
  It must be emphasized that, under the terms of Toyota's new vehicle warranty, and damage caused by RF energy from a higher power mobile radio is specifically excluded from coverage because it is not the result of faulty materials or workmanship. Accordingly, all such responsibility is assumed by the owner.

Installing multi band radios inside my Tacoma, I first researched the topic and got this from ARRL website, some very good points to follow.

 

If you burnt out a Wilson 1000 you may have an issue with your install or the antenna was defective. They're rated for 3000 watts and depending on what 4 foot antennas you use I doubt you will do better than 3000 watts. Not to mention that the Wilson will way outperform any 4 foot antenna.

 

I went under my 2012 Access cab and found a round plug about 2 inches in diameter that is easily popped out, located under the carpeting about in the middle of the floor behind the drivers seat. When I install my HF multimode Yaesu FT100D it will go under the drivers seat. Power and antenna cables will come up from the below the cab through sealed holes in the rubber plug, and will run under the carpet to exit under the drivers seat. Radio control head will be mounted on a gooseneck base that plugs into the big single cupholder on the shifter console. CW keyer paddles will be strapped to the lid of the junk bin/center armrest.

Will be routing No. 10 stranded red black power pair direct from the battery with dual inline 20A fuses. HF hamsticks will go an an L bracket mount bolted to the pedestal in front of the tailgate on the left. I'll also be mounting a small plastic box at the base of the antenna that holds a 500pf shunt cap for a better match on 80 and 40 meters with the sticks. Initially will use my existing dual band 6/2 meter mag mount on the roof of the cab, but will probably go to a fixed L bracket mount on the right rear corner of the bed. Also might eventually go with a big military whip for HF with an auto tuner mounted in the stowage box inside the left rear bed side panel.

For L bracket mounts I have always made them from the truck mirror bracket mounts sold in Shadio Rack.

Also thought about mounting the FT100 control head into the little drop down stowage just above the rear view mirror. Looks like it would fit, but wold have to run the control head cable behind the headliner, not ready to tackle that yet.

If you are going to run a leen-yar on 11 meters, advertising that on a web forum may result in you coming out to your truck one day to find someone from the FCC waiting to relieve you of it.

 

i should specify i run 10 & 11 meter, and a home patrol scanner, my trucks are always covered with antennas...the linear is on the ham.

 

How detramental would it be to use the pedestal mount as seen in post #47 with a camper shell? I"m guessing the fiberglass might not "detune" the antena the way the metal in the cab might.

 

You are correct that the fiberglass would not detune the antenna (the radomes for the marine radars and satcom antennas that you see on large commercial ships are made of them, and the antennas radiate through the fiberglass). However, any metal in the frame of the cap would likely be in close proximity. If I were going to put a CB Firestick on a truck with a camper shell, I would physically mount it on the top front center of the cap with an L bracket, and connect the shield of the coax feed line using as short (should only need to be a few inches long) as possible wire connected to a neatly drilled hole on the adjacent truck cab roof. If there is a metal frame for the camper, I would connect that to the ground connection to the cab as well.

As long as you keep the total of antenna length and truck height less than about 12 and a half feet, you should not be bonking into overhead wires, but you may have to park and walk at the Krispy Kreme vs using the drive through. Putting the antenna on the right front corner vs the front center of the cap might put it far enough away from most drive through overhangs to avoid this, if they don't jut out too far, would also make it easier to get to the antenna to remove it when you have to to go into a parking garage or other locations with a low overhead.

I have been mounting my Hamsticks on the left rear corner of the bed using an L bracket that is mounted into the pair of bolt holes on the pedestal just in front of the tailgate for well over a year now, that location works great as long as you don't have a cap or bed cover. I used new stainless steel bolts vs the ones originally there to attach the L bracket and ground the coax, the original ones had problems being high resistance due to their finish coating.

 

There are rubber plugs in the floor plan on either side that are about where the back of the front seat will be for an average size person. Easy to access from the outsude, once you find it you can put a small cut in the carpet to push wiring through.

Get your self a ham license and you can talk all over the world (legally) with a 100 watt transciever. I have worked all over the world on 40 meter CW from my Tacoma with 5 watts using an Elecraft K1.

Until then you should not be advertising that you are running a linear on CB.

 

How exactly did you run your coax cable?

 

After studying everybody's mounts I came up with this version of the install that works really well for me and allows me to install covers and or tops without any interference from the antenna. And it looks really clean without any wire hanging and when viewed from the back all you see is an antenna and the tail lights. The tail light is completely unobstructed.
The key was using the fire ring for the fire stick which let me run the antenna cable into the crease of the tail lights and I just notched the tail light with a small file and then ran the cable up underneath the vehicle to the back of the cabin.

 

Just wanted to say thank for posting your setup, I'm gonna go with pretty much exactly how you have your antenna mounted.

 

Thanks markcgervase!
I'll be doing the same set up! After hours of reading through threads and on-line shopping this seems like the set up for my rig. Is there anything you would have done differently and what CB are you using?

 

Hey I'm not mark but I did about the same setup, just FYI it wasn't necessary to file away the taillight, if you look right about where the antenna mount is, there's a small opening just big enough for the antenna cable. I still had to remove the taillight to thread it, but doing so makes it a lot easier because there's also a circular opening right behind the tail light to continue on through. The only difference is that my firering is rotated slightly.

 

Not to bump an old thread... but what kind of communication system are trucks running that have the shorter antenna at the top of the cab (see it on a lot of warden or law enforcement vehicles, but not as long and thick as a CB.)

 

Ham (2 meter) or gmrs likely. Police use ham or vhf in higher channels and digitally trunked signals to keep eavesdroppers at bay.

 

Police do not use ham radio or GMRS frequencies. Completely different services.

Some highway patrol agencies may put CB’s in the cars to talk to truckers, but not as an agency radio.


Public safety radios operate on one of several bands, including VHF lowband 30-50 Mhz.

Fire ~33Mhz, police 39, 42, 45 MHz, Red Cross 47.42 MHz.

Most of the lowband use is rural fire, and highway patrol, especially CHP.
Lots of federal and military in there as well, mostly on even frequencies.

Antennas tend to be long, similar to CB (27 /MHz).

Here is a list of frequency allocations from 50~800 MHz.
From memory, and not 100% inclusive.

30-50 LMR (Land Mobile - public safety/commercial)

50-54 amateur (6 meters)

54-72 TV ch 2-4

72-76 LMR/auxiliary/etc low power R/C aircraft/boats/cars

76-88 TV ch 5-6

88-108 FM broadcast

108-118 aviation (navigation aids)

118-136 aviation (voice)

137-144 federal/military

144-148 amateur (2 meters)

148-150 federal/military

150-174 LMR/federal

VHF highband (150-160) is very common, with fire mostly in the 151/159, and 153/54 ranges, and police in the 154-160 ranges.
160-161 is railroads, mid-160’s up thru 174 is federal.

Antennas in the 17-19” range for quarter-wave whips, or longer for colinear types with coils.

174-216 TV ch 7-13

216-220 amateur packet forwarding

220-222 LMR

222-225 amateur (1.25 meters)

225-400 military aviation

400-420 federal

420-450 amateur (70 cm)

UHF 450-470 is common for police in more urban/suburban areas.

UHF T-band is 470-512 is used in a limited number of urban areas, on unused TV channels 14-20.

Antennas in the 5-6” range for 1/4 wave.

470-512 TV ch 14-20

512-~600 TV ch 21+

600 cellular data (new, formerly TV)

700 MHz is a new allocation (formerly TV), and is (along with 800) where most of the digital trunking systems live. If it’s 700, it must be digital per FCC rules.

800 can be digital or conventional.
Antennas will be mostly colinear gain types, or 3-4” whips.



It is important to note that digital != encrypted.

Ditto for trunking, which can be implemented on analog or digital systems.

Encryption can be used on both digital or analog systems, but with analog systems may result in decreased range. Some places are using it, some may even have a legit reason to do so, fortunately, many are not.

Digital systems can be monitored with the right scanner (or radio, for those of us who like using commercial gear such as Motorola’s).

Encrypted systems cannot be monitored without the correct radio with current encryption keys for that system.


Bob
AF6RR