CB specifics

In line switch

 

I put a cheese switch.
Ill look for a pic to what im going to go with for all my shit.
Just have to find a spot

 

why is this better than just turning the CB off at the unit?

 

The cb retains a memory and is not (turned off)
Fully when turning off the cb switch

This is what i will be using for my mods.

 

I've been thinking of that myself.
https://www.rightchannelradios.com/...oducts/adjustable-universal-hood-mount-pl-259

 

I don't understand why more people don't just use a trunk lip mount on the hood, if they want a hood / front fender mount.

It looks and works fine. Antenna comes right off and covers with a low profile cap when not in use. Black stainless mount with 18' of cable and

$38 PL259 USA Made PL-259 Improved Double Shielded RG-58u for FireStik Antenna K-8A 18-Foot Single CB/Ham Coax Cable

PL259 is like $20.

It's an NMO base, so you would need an adapter to run a Firestik or similar, or you could just run an NMO base CB antenna:

 

I think it's probably based on the CB. I'm pretty sure my uniden 520xl does not retain a memory. Hence why it always goes back to channel 1 when I switch it on.

Per Uniden, no metion of any other drain except below:
Current Drain TX full mod., 1.7A
RX with max. audio output, 1.7A

 

Ahh.

 

I finally got around to my "alternative communication system install today.



Pic heavy install and write up located here post #145

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lord-humongous-gigahorse-build.436524/page-8#post-14096398

 

Anyone think of mounting the antenna in one of the rear doors like using a universal door mount or something?

 

Yinz supposed to keep it away from structure.

 

Well I changed my mind again and just decided to head out to Big Rig Radios this morning after work. I ended up with a 4' flexible firestik firefly antenna. Zeke at BRR recommended this setup since it doesn't use a spring which he said can act as a load coil and hurt performance. He tuned the system up and got my SWR down to 1.05! I'll keep the exact distance to myself but transmit and recieve distances are outstanding for 11 band considering the antenna and questionable ground plane with a tailgate mount. Super Happy with the setup now!!!

One more pic since I'm pretty proud of this install

 

I'm not 100% sure on what an NMO base is....but this looks super clean. I have ditch lights where yours is, but ideally I'd like to have something like this mounted in the hood channel.

 

NMO is a style of antenna mounting base that is basically the industry standard for 2 way radios (except CBs). It is a Motorola designed product but over the years has become the standard for almost every antenna manufacturer.

Even though it's not specifically designed for CBs, a lot of antennas are made which will work in the frequency range of CBs, that are NMO compatible. Additionally, an adapter can be bought which converts the NMO mount to a 3/8" x 24 standard CB antenna mount. Google 'NMO to CB' for those. They are about $10 - $15.

You would tend to see the NMO style base on HAM installations, public safety installations, etc; more so than for CBs, but there is no reason why it couldn't be used for CBs.

You can also move the mount around, it doesn't have to be in that specific spot on the hood. For example, here it is on my old Xterra, you can see it is slid down the hood a bit and would probably accommodate ditch lights (shown with antenna removed and a weather cap over top of the threads):



The pics I posted above were off my old 4Runner. This is a current pic from my Tacoma (not a CB antenna, but this shows the mount well):



This is a link to the NMO mount I have:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/371492360030

You'd need the mount (which comes with coax, a PL259, and a rain cap) and either an NMO CB antenna:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-METER-HA...280871?hash=item3ac14ef6e7:g:at8AAOSwsN9XCtAW

... or a regular CB antenna like a Firestik or whatever and the NMO to CB antenna adapter:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NMO-TO-3-8-...679624?hash=item2ca20332c8:g:8gQAAOSwEK9T1m3X

 

This is perfect. Thank you SO much for taking the time to link all of these for me. Does that mount just clip onto the hood? I'm buying right now!

 

You are welcome.

Yes, it slips over the edge of the hood and secured with two allen screws. This is the bottom:

 

This is perfect. You've solved some riddles for me. Much appreciated!

 

I installed the same mount with a 4 foot firestick, and noticed that the mount slightly flexes into the tailgate at highway speeds. I thought it looked tight, so I put making tape on either side, and sure enough, there was some rubbed off powder coating on the masking tape on the tailgate side. Are you having this problem?

 

I haven't noticed any yet. I ordered the bare version and painted it on the truck. I'll let you know if I notice any wear.