Possible location for CB radio? 2019 off-road 4x4

On my Tacoma, there is a spot that a CB radio might fit. It is a small cubby above the fog light switch. I've never had a CB radio before, but I figure it might be time to get one.
The only thing is where to hang the mic from....

 

That spot is a bit too small for most cb radios. I got a hide away unit, so all I have visible is the handset.

 

Checkout this Tacoma install on Midland's website. I don't have a radio yet either but I think I'll go this route when I do get one. https://midlandusa.com/micromobile-custom-installation/

For the mic I think I'm going with the Expedition Essentials stainless CB mic holder mounted to a Hondo Garage Un-Holey Tacoma dash mount. I think this will work, again I haven't tried it yet.

 

Sorry to revive an old thread but do you have any install details? I’m looking at that same radio and install idea - doing it inside the center stack.

 

I dont really have much other than these few pictures. Is there something you wanted to know exactly?

 

now that I’ve looked into it a bit more.

1 what did you use for the rj45 connector? Did you use one of the Tacoma stock switch blanks and just cut out for it and glue it in somehow?

2 - how much of the dash and center stack did you have to take apart to get it in there? I’ve watched some videos they take apart basically the entire interior but they’re trying to get it off, not just to get access to behind there.


Otherwise, you like the radio? I like the idea of having the mic and speaker together like that, I don’t need a professional setup that should be plenty.

thanks in advance! I really like your setup. That’s basically exactly what I wanted to do.

edit to add this is what I was originally looking at was racking it here but I like the switch blank more.

 

Ok, so I didnt have to take anything apart to do this.

Get your jack right here
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3731527142...T7GeQzcLgNbA71V8Xlvrt0j-EYN4ybJcaAjn7EALw_wcB

To put it in, I just popped out one of the blanks. This can be done a few ways, you can remove the radio and push it out from the backside, you can pry it out (may damage rest of switch panel) or you can just put a wood screw into the center of the blank and pull it out.

Once you have that out, just feed a rj45 cable through the hole and then the radio sits under the hvac box above the transmission. There is a perfect place for it right there behind the carpet.

Then plug the rj45 cable into the switchplate, double check it all works, then put the switch in. Now your done.

 

I do like the radio alot. I like that I can unplug it and store the handheld part in the arm rest. So most of the time its not there, but road trips it goes in and I can listen to truckers.

 

Gotcha.

can you explain “hvac box above the transmission” I’m a little confused there. I get your plan for the rj45 wire and connector so that’s awesome. Thanks! I’ll add that connector to my BOM

That’s the plan! I have a road trip and will use it for off roaring but that’s about it. I want something a bit better than a handheld for CB but I have a baofeng for ham stuff (and NEVER use it for frs/gmrs off road.....) and that’s good. But if I’m rigging up a regular antenna for a cb anyway then might as well get a normal radio which will end up cheaper than an HT anyway.

 

So there is a spot under the dash, its next to the gas pedal. If you pull the carpet back a little bit you will see that the space is perfect size for the radio. You can push the radio in much further than this picture shows, then flip the carpet over and its hidden.

 

Also, when I installed mine (thats not my picture) I put the radio in sideways, so the antenna wire was coming out one side, and the rj45 the other side. It makes it fit much better that way.

 

Ahhh okay I see what you’re saying now. Nice! That’s so much less work than I was thinking it would be that’s awesome. I am pretty much sold on it at this point. Did you tune yours? That’s my next hurdle. I’m assuming the only thing that matters is the antenna cable length and you can tune in before you stuff it in there.

thanks man! That just saved me so much hassle one way or another. I’ll probably wire mine directly to the battery for now and then work the power setup better this summer when it’s not cold as balls outside.

 

Get a trailer brake controller harness. The black wire from this harness (should be the black one) is clean fused power that is keyed. If you wire up to the stock fuse box you get static when you hit the brakes. Wiring to the battery is just fine until you forget to power off the radio one night.

As for tuning, get a swr meter. Install everything, make sure your antenna is grounded good. Then tune it. No need to tune it then install it. Antenna location is important when it comes to grounding. The bed rails are not grounded, the only place in the bed that is grounded is the metal area around the tailgate where you have bolts for the tail lights. Mounting the antenna to bed stiffeners is a good place as they will be grounded.

Dont try to run wires to ground it, they will give you bad swr numbers. Have your mount bolted right to metal thats bolted to the frame.

$30 Tekonsha 3040 Trailer Brake Controller Harness, Compatible with Select Lexus GX460, GX470, LX470, LX570 : Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WLL0OI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

cool beans on the brake controller. That’s a great idea. Damn you’re speaking my language, that’s such a clean setup using what you have available to your advantage. That’s my kind of process!

I have a coworker who likely has a swr meter I’ll have to ask that he does and if I can borrow it. If not I’ll just buy one they’re 20 bucks not the end of the world.

my plan was somewhere at the rear of the bed driver side. That is my next unknown was how to mount it. I know there are a few that do mounts that stick out behind the truck. That’s a potential.

ideally I’d like to have the ability to quick swap the radio and the antenna out for a VHF instead but that just might not happen, leave it as CB and just keep my baofeng for ham and vhf stuff.

I think after your help tonight I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous and now put together a bom. That brake controller idea is awesome. And I knew that about the fuse box, was planning to do a direct wire inline fuse but the brake controller sounds like 8 million times easier and already done for me. Ill likely not need both together long term so if i ever need a brake controller I can just swap over for one for that trek

thanks again man! Really appreciate the help.

 

Good install. Would advise to use a metal-shielded Rj45 connectors and choke since there is a ton of RF happening around the dash. You wouldn’t know what you’re missing until you upgrade...

 

I actually have chokes in my Amazon cart

 

Follow up for anyone who finds this thread in the future as well:

The trailer brake controller is always hot. It is a convenient spot for power, but the black will supply 12V when the truck is off. So, I will probably not use a brake controller, I will probably wire directly to the battery w/ inline fuses for now, and then run a switch or relay later on. Heck, for about 10 bucks for a brake controller harness anyway, I might buy it and use it anyway for now.

Though, to add, it IS already fused and clean, so that's nice. Controller wire is about 10 bucks.

 

Could of sworn it was keyed. I have not used mine yet, but I like that its clean power mostly. I may end up not keying it since I have the switch on my dash for radio power.

 

Who really uses a CB anymore? The only thing I can think of is to yell at that big-rig that cut you off and almost run you into a ditch or something. And who wants the big-ass (To be effective anyway) ugly antenna stuck to their rig?

 

Well, CB radios are for more than just yelling at truckers. You can use them to get road updates, directions to the nearest stop, talk to other people in multicar road trips, hear about speed traps, or just have conversations.

As for the antenna, a firestik antenna is 3 feet, and just as effective as the "big-ass" whip antennas.

Other features that are nice on CB radios is the weather band and some of them have PA outputs to yell at people on the road.

Can you get all those things with ham or a cell phone? sure, but you have to be on the right channel for ham that everyone else is on. and a cell phone you can only talk to people you have the phone number to.

A CB radio has its place, and is still very useful.