Mounting and Wiring CB Radio Help

Anyone here got good knowledge on CB radios for second gen trucks? Me and a buddy are doing a 1000 mile, no paved roads, loop and obviously want to be able to talk and cell coverage sucks in the mountains. My issue is where to mount the actual radio and what the best way of wiring it is. I'm putting ditch lights on so I plan on just mounting the antenna on my passenger side light mount.

I've heard wiring to the battery and straight to a ground is the best for the radio but that worries me cause I don't want to have a dead truck in the middle of nowhere. Also what wires should I buy in order to actually wire the radio?

Talk to me like I'm a child, electrical stuff can be confusing for me haha

 

Best mounting place I found is on the side of the center console, right next to the shifter. That places it next to the passengers knee. It's out of everyones way but is easily accessible.

You can fish the wires over to the drivers side very easily with a wire hanger, and then out through the grommet to the engine bay.

I'd also recommend running your wires that way straight to the battery. As far as worrying about leaving it dead, simply don't leave it on. I did leave mine on once for 6 hours accidentally and the truck started just fine. Could always get a jump starter battery pack for $100 and peace of mind.

 

walkie talkies, easy, cheaper, and still work well. Just get quality ones and you can go a long distance.

 

Did this for a week long trip once. Went through $40 of batteries and lots of time where we couldn't talk because some one didn't realize their walkie talkie was dead. We're getting more and more serious and long term about our trips so reliability is key.

 

Would you drill to mount it? I've heard of people like using velcro before.

 

I personally did. Just drilled two tiny pilot holes, and used a hand screw driver to slowly put the screws in. It bit enough plastic to be solid enough and not shake around off road.

 

rechargeable batteries? and leave it plugged in

 

Have you also considered HAM? Getting your basic license isn't hard if you study, and HAM is much more reliable than CB. Can also reach farther with repeaters and such in case of an emergency.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cb-install-06-access-cab-write-up-update.482867/

I will be on and off through the night to answer questions as needed.

 

Ever since they lifted the restrictions on CBs as far as talking goes. A lot of your last sentence does not really apply any more. A good CB with SSB capability and a properly tuned quality antenna can communicate pretty far (30 miles is not uncommon)...and just a relatively small inline HPA from a good company and your talking all farther than you would ever need to. I regularly talk with guys 50 miles plus with my setup. If there is skip atmospherics...well, Tabogo and Trinadad, Ontario Canada, Texas, California, Montana...all have given me good contact reports.

 

It's not even a debate which is better for long distance communication. If OP a planning that serious of a trip it would behoove him to learn the basics of ham.

 

How is it not a debate? A quality CB, with a quality tuned antenna, running a clean inline HPA is going to allow him to talk as far as he needs to, with no reliance on repeater stations that he may, or may not be able to reach (No mention that those repeater stations don't always work). I'm not saying a good HAM radio isn't a great assest (there is a reason many folks run both in vehicles). However the purpose of CB radio is more in line with what the OP wants to do as well (vehicle to vehicle communication). Besides, do you really expect his buddy to also have to go and study and take the HAM test? Likely not, his buddy is probably already running a CB so him running a HAM and his buddy not always being able to reach him on a 10 or 2 meter freq. will do him no good!.

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To the OP: A good CB with a quality antenna with a good tune will likely get you anywhere from 5-10 miles range with each other depending on terrain and other factors. A lesser quality antenna your probably looking at around 7 miles or less. If you can give more information about what how you all intend to travel we can give you better suggestions. If you both plan on being close to each other the whole time you can be up and running with little trouble for less than a 100 bucks. If you look at the link I posted to my own personal build and go similar you are going to spend a couple hundred bucks.

Regardless of what kind of setup you go with the following advice is sound regardless if you go HAM or CB or both (really the only difference between the two is the frequencies they operate on and that HAM guys sometimes push data but that seems something of a moot point for you).

1) Run all your positive leads for your radio (and HPA if you get one) directly to the battery. This includes ensuring your negative cables have a good clean ground to the frame. I suggest 10 gauge wire, but a lot of folks use 12 and there radios work fine.

2) Ensure you use inline fuses to protect your equipment and your truck.

3) If you are trying to decide to drop the money on the antenna over the radio or an HPA go with the ANTENNA! A good quality antenna with a proper tune can make a decent radio sound like a pretty good radio. A great radio coupled to a bad antenna will sound bad. You can upgrade the radio later if you want.

4) Stay away from used or "tweaked" HPAs. They are likely going to make your signal sound dirty and splatter. If you go with one, get one brand new from a reputable manufacture. EDIT: I forgot to add that technically these are still against FCC regulations but I have never ever heard of anybody getting in trouble for using one except for base stations that try and annoy people. The FCC has no time or money to worry about people that push extra power that are considerate to other people.

5) Use coax cable that is designed for radio transmissions (50 ohms) and look for something that is well shielded (I personal do not go with less than 95% shielding)

www.rightchannelradios.com is a great site that can help you out since you seem somewhat new to them. They explain things in a way anybody can understand.

 

Straight to the battery is the only way i've ever installed ham/cb radios. Just make sure you turn off the radio when your not using it while the vehicle is not running.

 

Awesome man! this is all the information I needed. Thanks. Would you recommend putting the antenna on my hood (shared mount with a ditch light) or on the tailgate of my truck? Wiring to the tailgate will probably be harder. Also, what do you recommend for a good antenna? I'm concerned about grounding my antenna too, I don't know what a good ground is and I've heard I can fry my CB if not grounded correctly.

 

As you can see from my original thread, I decided to mount my antenna on the roof where I get the max height (they make magnetic mounts if you don't want to drill through your truck which I would understand). As far as the tailgate or the hood goes...well, that's largely a matter of personal preference.

You asked about which antenna to use. I would recommend the best that you can afford. Like I said...the antenna is what affects your range and signal quality the most. It also depends if you are height restricted or not...or if you are part of a 4x4 club that has restrictions (some do because some people do stupid things). If you are concerned about hitting signs or anything above you then go with a magnetic mount or one with a quick detachable base. Mine screws right off and back on in litteraly less than three minutes so its no big deal to me.

Antenna Grounding: this is a big topic debated a lot. Just understand that when you mount your antenna, you want it to be connected to the vehicle body/chasis through actual metal contact (magnetic mounts use what is called capacitance grounding which works fine) as this helps reduce interference to your signal. Regardless of mounting location, the big thing is to buy a quality antenna and get it properly tuned!!! (cant stress the tunning enough as it really helps the signal). The tunning takes only a few minutes generally on most antennas, and once you set it, its good to go unless you seriously smack the antenna hard or something like that.

 

So if I mount my antenna on the hood, can I ground it to the same ground that the battery is hooked up to? The bolt on the side of the engine bay?

 

If you are talking about the one on the inside of the front driver side fender that the batter has the short 12inch cable or so than yes. That spot will work great, and it so happens where I have the ground for my actual radio going to. Although if you are mounting the antenna on that same fender it is likely a moot point. Mine is grounded through the cab itself where it is mounted.