Clean VHF/CB radio installs

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/post-your-cb-radio-set-up.487171/#post-14953437

 

@mmrocek where did you get your fold down antenna mount? I'm looking for one, thanks.

 

$30 CB/Ham Radio Fold-Over Antenna Adapter 3/8-24 BaseTthread

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT74EG/ (if you tune your antenna correctly after installing this, you will not have any issues with reception when it's deployed)

 

thank you!!

 

@JayMac This is my reasoning as well for going with the Midland 75! Also, you can hide it when you're not wheeling.

 

So I've stayed away from these simply because just about every version I've seen has moderate to terrible reviews. What's your experience with them (being that you bought one)?

 

Reception is horrible if antenna is laid down. Reception is horrible if just bolted on and the antenna is not tuned for it. If you tune the antenna properly with a SWR meter and actually deploy it when you need it, the reception is fine. Now granted that I did not test it for much further than a couple miles as it has always been used in a group. I do not have any issues with it being being loose or clicking or anything. I have hit a number of branches and other low hanging items when out and had it deployed with no issues. I read the reviews before buying but thought that the cost was low enough to try and trash if it didn't work out. But thus far it's been good.

 

Awesome. I'm mostly worried about the durability. But you've got a point: it's cheap so trashing it won't hurt too much. Thanks!

 

In a few weeks to a month I'll have all the access I need to a 2013, what part do you want to go where?

 

Here is my setup. Wanted something I can mount a light to as well.

 

So basically a keystone opening set into a switch blank? I can probably do that pretty quickly. What switch size? The narrow tall one or the shorter squat one?

 

Here you go.

 

Only half the pics are working for me I wanna see them all, I'm a pic wh0re.

What does your other half think about the location of the 2 face plates/control units being where they are? Taking away from any leg room or anything? Bumping knees off them?

I like that setup but I feel that would be the first comment, how they're invading her space...

 

See my post #2852 on this page - no leg room complaints from my wife . . .
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/amateur-ham-radio-bs-and-callsign-thread.260643/page-143

 

Found pretty easy access through firewall on passenger side..

 

Cant get any sound as of right now out of the cb... new to this type of wiring, only electrical work I've done is on guitars so this is a bit of a change... Thinking i may have a bad ground or something...

Also, for this install I cut my coax shorter thinking that would be better but I'm hearing that this is a rookie mistake?? let me know, thanks guys!

 

Curiosity... where is the speaker? Or does it have a built in speaker?

Cutting your coax as short as it needs to be is the proper way to do it; if cutting your coax affects your swr, then you have other issues going on.

Anyone who tells you different is wrong, or they simply accept that they have an issue and lengthening their coax is their way of bandaid-ing the problem.

 

Has a built in speaker, it also isn't able to change channels... got the radio second hand and i think the guy who had it didn't use an swr to tune it so could that have messed it up?

Also, for the cb power i have the ground and hot wire running through a cig lighter adaptor, so maybe need to ground it better?

Looked and their only 35 bucks on Amazon so not the end of the world as long as I get everything else running right

 

Quite possible, the final stage could be fried, never know.

I would most definitely run them directly off the battery, both the pos and the neg. Some CB's/ham's are very sensitive to their power supply and the gnd on another system (cig lighter) isn't gnd enough for the radio.

Rule of thumb... as long as you're staying under 10' length in power wiring, then the factory size power wire is enough to run to the battery. If you need more than 10', then you need bigger gauge. (Judging by your mounting location, you're safe with factory wire gauge)

 

Thanks bud! Yeah I'll try that out