CB Radio Information and Installation

I did they are.

 

May be random but I'd thought I'd share an experience. I bought a Wilson 1000 nmo mount antenna a few months ago. I live in Alabama and yesterday I talked to a guy from North Dakota. I know conditions were perfect, but still I was so proud of that antenna. Locally I have talked up to about 10 miles with it. One of the best investments and best antenna's out there is the Wilson 1000

 

Check this out. Cobra -75 Modded switch blank. Makes for SUPER clean install.

 

OMG that's the shit right there!

 

Basically it is just a jumper with the switch blank in there. After making this one, the next ones I make for sale will be 18" instead of the 14" this one was.

 

I checked mine and there is a residual ground but it is not sufficient enough to ground led lights. I had to ground to the frame.

 

Nice work. How long until you're looking at selling those? I'd definitely be interested.

 

Selling a couple now. I am ordering parts per order.

 

I've read most of the postings on grounding the antenna bracket and I'm still confused . I'm using a BAMF tail gate antenna mount and a Firestick 4' with the Fire-Ring cable. The cables diagram shows nylon insulator washers on both sides of the mounting surface. So how is the antenna grounded in this case if there isn't any metal to metal contact between the bracket-cable-antenna bolt?

 

The antenna is not grounded the bracket is. It is a return path back to your radio via the coax braid it is part of a ground plane. If you look carefully at the connector you will see that the 3/8 24 stud is also is insolated (provided you have an SO239 connection) the stud is connected to the center pin on your coax

$43 PL259 USA Made PL-259 Improved Double Shielded RG-58u for FireStik Antenna K-8A 18-Foot Single CB/Ham Coax Cable

PL259 connector nothing else the ring part of the PL259 connector on the coax is the ground connection.

 

As helpful and detailed as this thread is to be honest it's a bit beyond me. I have not yet gathered the knowledge to tear apart my interior and tackle all the required wiring.

My question is as follows: Is there an easier way to install a CB in my 2012 Taco? (I know...I know) I'm interested in a BearCat 980SSB or similar and desire a very clean install so that it looks pro and functions as intended. I'm guessing that the center glove box is the best location as I don't believe the compartment forward of the drink holders is large enough.

Also - anybody have experience on linking the CB to the trucks speakers? Complicated or not, is this feasible and or work well?

Thoughts? alternate threads?

Cheers,
Salt

 

Honestly Its not hard at all to tear it apart and do the wiring. Where ever you mount it you will still need to route a coax wire in the cab. I went through a drain plug under the carpet for mine. I used to have the hidden CB mod but quite honestly I found it not functional. It was a pain to change stations and adjust things. Also the new Cobra's have a different screen so you can only read it looking straight on. It was impossible to read your channel. I just had to count each click on the adjustor. I relocated mine here with velcro strips just so If I ever moved it I wouldn't have holes in my interior. It's sooo much nicer. The most common places I see it is in my location or wedged between the center console and seat.



Regarding the linking it to your truck speakers all you would have to do is run an aux cord. If you have stock radio there's a mod somewhere to do that or if you have an aftermarket most will have an aux input. Good luck

 

Most CB have a speaker out put, it is a mono 3.5MM jack (1/8") if you want both speaker to work you'll need to buy a male/female adapter that joins both stereo pin together then just plug it into your AUX radio jack put the radio on aux. I would suggest that you don't use the PA function on the CB or your ears will ring for days.

 

I would suggest just getting an external speaker. I used to use the aux input to use the truck speakers, but you get stuck just listening to the cb which can be boring if there's not much talking going on, especially if you like to have music playing. This is the external speaker I got and it's plenty loud over music.

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/c...-pa-horns/products/cobra-extension-cb-speaker

 

Using the same on my setup, plenty loud.

 

Hey yall, as a (hastily) trained former (part-time) radio operator in the U.S. Marines

MARINES 69-75, SSGT, 2 1/2 YRS NAM, 2531/2542/2811/2849, CARRIED PRC-25,PRC-77 W/CRYPTO GEAR. READ & LEARN:

A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine.
General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps

NO SUCH ANIMAL: trained former (part-time), GOT IT!!

 

Subd for future use. Thanks!

 

wow, this thread is awesome. I have never owned a CB radio, and I am looking to install one in my rig. Therefore, I have a few questions and a few things I want to confirm to make sure I read and understood correctly:

1. I have heard those Uniden 510s are good, basic and reliable for a basic CB radio. Does this still hold?

2. Using coax cable to power the radio is best to prevent unwanted engine interferences. Correct?

3. Do I need to retune my antenna if I move it to a different location, say from front to back, back to top, etc?

4. So OP mentioned that if we have extra cable to not store it in a loop, but store it in a figure eight or cut it down. Is this for signal intereference issues?

5. In reference to question four. Scenario: let's say one day one of us is out in the middle of now where and we need to get our antenna to a higher place for better range. My first thought would be, well I need longer wire and climb up that tree, or I need longer wire and set it up on the roof of my truck on a magnet stand. A. Do i need to retune for this? B. For this scenario I would like longer wire, could we carry additional wire stored somewhere and use a coupling at the end of the installed wire to extend it? would the coupling/splice cause any issues?

6. Does the ground on the antenna need to be well insulated to prevent interferences as described in question 2?

 

1 Can't tell you about the radio every one will have a different ideal.
2 No. But do not wire it to existing wiring if you are trying to keep noise out, wire it directly to the battery.
3 You can, it probably will make no difference unless it was in a poor place to begin with like against the cab that will change the SWR and if it is tuned there it will be wrong once it's moved.
4. Any extra cable will create loss coiled or other wise.
5 If you are going up a tree with a CB antenna you would need to make a resonate dipole antenna in order to make it work with any real results (simple project). You could use a stick antenna but it will have to have radials.
6 The ground is every part of your mobile install including the truck it's self so no it would not have to be insulated. Go back to #2 coax is a poor power cord for many reasons.

 

1 Can't tell you about the radio every one will have a different ideal.
2 No. But do not wire it to existing wiring if you are trying to keep noise out, wire it directly to the battery.
3 You can, it probably will make no difference unless it was in a poor place to begin with like against the cab that will change the SWR and if it is tuned there it will be wrong once it's moved.
4. Any extra cable will create loss coiled or other wise.
5 If you are going up a tree with a CB antenna you would need to make a resonate dipole antenna in order to make it work with any real results (simple project). You could use a stick antenna but it will have to have radials.
6 The ground is every part of your mobile install including the truck it's self so no it would not have to be insulated. Go back to #2 coax is a poor power cord for many reasons.