CB/PA SPEAKER *HELP*

OK guys! Here's the scoop:

Today I wired up a $60 Midland 1001Z 40-Channel CB RadioMidland 1001Z CB + $57 FireStik FG4648-B Four foot No-ground plane CB antenna kit (Black)Firestik 4' No-ground antenna + $21 Indoor / Outdoor PA Horn Speaker - 6.3” Portable PA Speaker with 8 Ohms Impedance & 25 Watts Peak Power - Mounting Bracket & Hardware Included - Pyle PHSP6K25w PA speaker.

First I had to solder the 1/8" jack to speaker wire to plug the PA into the CB. I made sure it worked by plugging the PA speaker into my iPhone and music was heard very clear, although not very loud (expected though).


After mounting the PA speaker I ran the leads and speaker wire through the firewall and got everything all pretty.


Yet when I switch the radio to PA mode I don't hear anything from the speaker. I tested with my iPhone again and I could hear music again so now I'm stuck wondering wtf is wrong.

The one issue I knew going into this....the CB output is rated 8W and the PA speaker is rated 25W (both 8ohm) so I was thinking it wouldn't be as loud as it could be, but I thought it would at least work. Especially after hearing music from my iPhone...I don't know why the CB radio's PA mode isn't working.

the heck??

 

Not sure if your intending to run receiver sound thru the pa?
The pa only works when you key the mic in pa mode to speak thru the pa spkr.
When you switch to pa the cb side goes dead. (at least on my old cbs-it's been 35 years since I had 1)

You should be able to drive that pa speaker with only 2 watts. 25 watts is just its max output (that sucker is gonna be loud!)

try reversing the leads

maybe move the jack around at the radio-the contacts may be spread

Only other thing is the pa spkr should be hard mounted for ground to metal like firewall or fender hump?

I probably didn't help lol

 

I posted the same question somewhere else and I think I got the right answer now.

The 1/8" jack I'm using is stereo and I'm guessing the CB's PA mode is only mono. Someone suggested switching the pole on the solder I did to the jack (if that makes any sense)

So I'm going to move the bottom wire in the pic to the other little pole that's behind it

 

that makes sense-didn't notice till now-hence the three contacts on the jack (right/left/ground.) try joining that unused terminal to the positive too or just go to Radio Shack and get a mono jack.

 

well switching the lower wire to the other pole fixed the issue. I left the "ground" wire alone and now we know....and knowing is half the battle.

YO JOE!

 

Cool so how loud is it and can you run the CB rcvr through it too? Glad it worked out!