CB Radio Setup Suggestions

Yes. Then you will need to check SWR as with any antenna. Although with the three Wilson's I have had they all worked right out of the box with no tuning needed. I run my coax through the rear slider and down behind the seats. That makes it easy because my radio is right here:

 

After looking over the pros and cons the magnetic version does seem better. I wouldnt have to drill a hole in my truck, I can just buy either the little wil for $36 or the wilson 1000 for $81 instead of buying the BAMF mount and the firestik kit, no running wires.

Just a couple questions about the little wil or the wilson 1000:

1. Amazon does not show the wire of the Wilson 1000 http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Series-Magnetic-Antenna-Removable/dp/B003H3L3U8#productDetails but one end is the antenna and the other end just screws into the CB Radio correct? Same with the Little Wilson?

2. Do you all leave yours on your trucks all the time or just put it out when you need it?

3. If you do not leave yours on your truck all the time where do you store the whip part in your truck?

4. Does the magnet bottom mess up the paint of the truck?

5. If I wanted I'm guessing I could just throw it out the back window on to my metal toolbox correct? Even though I'd get better signal with it being on the roof?

6. What is the preffered method for it being placed on the roof? Put it out the rear sliding window then close the cord in the window as much as you can without damaging the cord? Open the door place it on the roof then just shut the door in the cord? Or any other reasonable ways?


7. And in the links listed below are these reasonable prices for the antenna whichever one I decide to buy?

Wilson 1000
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Series-Magnetic-Antenna-Removable/dp/B003H3L3U8#productDetails

Little Wil

$52 WILSON 305-38 300-Watt Little Wil Magnet Mount Antenna

http://www.amazon.com/WILSON-305-38...-1-catcorr&keywords=little+wil+wilson+antenna

 

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Lusetaco are you sure the Little Wil's whip isn't removable? If you click the Amazon link and look at the second page for the little wil in the package they are separated. Or does it just come like that then once you put the whip on it's not meant to be taken back off?

 

The whip itself is removable yes. But that is how it is tuned, by sliding it up or down on the base. The 1000 is the same but also has the benefit of just unscrewing the the whip from the base leaving the magnet behind. The 1000 does have a dust cap, although I've never used it.

 

Plus the whip is longer on the 1000 correct? so i might as well splurge and get that one. Would you recommend routing the coax through the third brake light?

 

Yes, the 1000 is a longer/ better antenna. Just remember you're still only using a Cobra 19 so you won't exactly be setting the world on fire but it should perform decent.

 

If you plan on taking any overgrown trails stay far away from any of the roof mounted antennas.... especially a magnet mount. You can't give those things away around my neck of the woods - and I have been trying. Within five minutes into our trails they rip off the roof.

Do not pinch CB coax...ever.

Personally I have my CB, aux speaker, and swr meter all installed inside my center consul. It's very clean and no one would ever know it's there if it weren't for my aux speaker being recessed into the consul.




FWIW I was talking to a guy in New Orleans last weekend and I'm in NJ.

Proper tuning, peaking, antenna cable length (as short as possible), and antenna (running a 102" whip) are the keys IMO. Even with a crappy cheap radio like I have I can grab plenty of signals.

 

I've never had mine fall off, and I have banged that thing around pretty good. They will take a serious beating. Firestik: not so much. There have been times when I have hit it hard (makes an awful noise) and have had to stop and see if it was still there. Yup, not going anywhere.

 

I use to have a fire-stick (diesel flex) fiberglass antenna mounted to the bed behind my cab that did pretty good back in the day. I'm currently working on a pneumatically-retractable bed mount antenna for a ham that will fold down, ill try and post when done. When I get the ham i'm gonna mount it in the dash below the CD player. Check out the Scosche single-din dash kit. Some people have been able to fit a CB's in these since they have such a large bay under the CD player. Although the larger Cobra CB's seem to work better that the compact ones, not sure if they would fit.

This is not a Scosche dash kit, it looks like a metra, but this is the idea:

http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q676/Bruth925/CBRadioComplete_zps70345238.jpg

The scosche seems to have much more room.

 

I was hoping it would fit in the cubby hole below the cigarette adapter plug, if not I might go with what CREEPYTM did and put it in the rear cupholders. I can't do what lusetaco did because i have a custom subbox there and I can't do what you suggested because i have the stock radio/touchscreen.

 

you have one of the magnetic wilsons? and behind the cab, so between the bed and the cab in that gap?

 

I just watched a video on SWR tuning and the 1.5:1 ratio and how to tell if your antenna is to long or short, do the wilsons adjust easily?

 

Yes, just slide the whip up or down.

 

As far as mounting the Cb radio, I recently bought a 2nd glovebox with the intention of mounting my cb in the face of the box almost like a stereo in the dash. and run a trailer harness style plug as my power supply so that it could disconnect and switch back to no cb in just a few minutes. I dont know if anybody else has any interest in doing that but I suggested it to a few friends in my hunt club who are gonna take the idea and run with it

 

Thats an idea. I guess the only problem is the microphone cord length. but you could possibly extend and run that somewhere else.

For the op, it should fit in the cubby hole. check out this thread if u had not seen it:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/236709-cb-install-location.html

 

if it doesnt fit in that cubby hole hopefully it will fit in the cc. thanks for that forum Runn0r.

 

The Cobra 19 ultra III is 7" Long (or Deep) x 4.5" Wide x 1.75" Tall, I'm not sure if that will fit or not. I need my dad to mail me the CB hopefully it fits in that cubby that would be the ideal spot for me. The CC would be nice to keep it hidden though. I look at the pictures in that forum and I look at my CC and it looks like theres is bigger, hard to tell without the actual CB in my hands though.

 

I'm surprised no one else has chimed in with other antenna options, thought there would be at least one person going against the magnet mounts.

 

On the volume knob of the Cobra Ultra 19 III it has off all the way to the left if anyone that has one can you tell me if that just turns the volume off or if it shuts the whole radio off? I was just asking because if thats how it turns on and off if I wire it to only have power when the truck is on (if someone could help with wiring diagrams I'd appreciate it) and i forget to turn the knob to off it should still turn off correct? or would i still have to turn it off manually? I'd like to just leave it on and have it turn on whenever i turn the truck on (I saw a youtube video where a guy wired his to a fuse in one of the fuses in his engine bay but that was on a 2013 Sierra, so if someone could help me with where to wire to again I'd really appreciate it).