Cb Radio Installation

bkathsalero · 08-14-2009, 03:15 PM

So I drive a total of 100 freeway miles a day. So I figure it will be a little less boring with a cb radio I just need some help with what to do here?

First: Where should I mount it? Don't think there will be enough room under the cd player. I was thinking on the headliner between the visors take that little cubby out and mount there. Or under drivers seat, or between drivers seat and center counsal mounted to counsal. Or kind of hidden in the dead open sopt behind the center counsal towards the fire wall. What do you think? Any other ideas? maybe glovebox?

Second: Where should I put the antenna? was thinking under car mountedto Unibody? Dont know how picky the antennas are on signal. Any other ideas? I don't want the antenna visable. And how picky are they?

Third: Whats a good cb radio? I mean this is for fun not proffesion so cheaper is the route I'm going, like a mid-class radio. But I need to be able to get semi truckers channels?

ANY HELP WOULD BE AWESOME!! cause I am completely in the dark with cb radios..

JUST REMEMBER I'M GOING FOR A SLEEPER MOD HERE!!

JLw7123 · 08-14-2009, 03:24 PM

walmart sells cobra cb radios for 34.94 but that is were i live http://www.walmart.com/search/search....y=0&Find=Find

Bad99Olds · 08-14-2009, 03:38 PM

Im willing to be my 50 freeway miles take twice as long as your 100 freeway miles. Lol. Check out walmart radioshack, and boating supply catalogs are good too, they have cb radios most of the time.

StoopidAlero · 08-14-2009, 03:55 PM

haha nice, time for some lot lizard hunting! 10-4!

bkathsalero · 08-14-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad99Olds

Im willing to be my 50 freeway miles take twice as long as your 100 freeway miles. Lol. Check out walmart radioshack, and boating supply catalogs are good too, they have cb radios most of the time.

about 3 hours on the road a day

bkathsalero · 08-14-2009, 04:39 PM

any mounting ideas?

lonnie · 08-14-2009, 04:42 PM

CB radios that you buy from radio shack and walmart all operate on the same frequency. Antennas are very picky on frequency and most have a specific range at which they operate in. You can not mount the antenna under the car you will have no range at all, and you will have to ground the radio to the chassis which would cause reflected power which could damage the radio. Mounting a Cb radio in our cars is going to be a challenge in itself but anything is possible depending on how much money you want to invest. Or you can mount it in the glove box. The antennas are generally 4' fiberglass like you see on trucks but below are some alternatives I found which should work.

The way you should go in my opinion is to buy a ham radio which would cover a multitude of bands...but we are talking more bucks that route.

Decent stuff
CB radio: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2533133

Antenna1: MIDLAND 18-258A
Antenna2: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2295114

Chipmunk-Alero · 08-23-2009, 11:06 PM

O cmon........it wasnt all that hard.

I had a small Cobra mounted in the cubby hole area but recently switched to a Connex. Thats your best buy because they are the best. But if you just want something to have fun with on the road a Cobra is just fine.

The little small Cobra you can get at Wal-Mart is fine. Thats the only one I know of you can mount in the cubby with a little custom work. If you mount it anywhere other than like right in front of you, you might want a talk back speaker, that way you can hear the CB really well and listen to your car radio too.

Anyway heres what I did. CB in the center compartment, 2 Under dash Talk-Back speakers, and I got an extension cord for the mic to run under the console out from under the dash and hang on my rearview. I need to change my antenna. It's a cheap 12" model from a Truck Stop (LOL) but I get about a 2-3 mile radius out of it and its mounted where a normal car radio antenna would be.

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 09:30 AM

So got the cb installed. Radio has power/ground, turns on, with the co ax cable going to the antenna, and the antenna grounded to my strut tower. only problem is i get no signal!!! just my exhaust when I'm wot. wtf anyone have any ideas?

lonnie · 08-25-2009, 10:11 AM

Did you tune the antenna?

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 10:29 AM

/\/\well since the first thing that popped into my head after reading that was wtf? no? how do I do such a thing?
I kinda messed with this allen bolt that extended the antenna about 3 more inches before putting the "weatherguard" on

Gr1m · 08-25-2009, 10:37 AM

why are u grounded to the strut is the real question lol

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 10:38 AM

for the antenna ground? where would you suggest?

lonnie · 08-25-2009, 10:47 AM

Post up some pics then its easier to tell what you got going on. But what I mean by that is that some units come with an antenna that hasn't been tuned (cut)for the frequency range that you will use. They usually provide a cut chart that tells you the frequency range of the CB and the proper length the antenna should be. If it doesn't come with a cut chart then its safe to say that the antenna was pretuned at the factory.

Where do you have the antenna located?

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 10:49 AM

r/r quarter panel mounted so co ax cable comes in the cubby behind the interior rag by the body vent. I will post pics tonight when i get home, I'll tinker with it today at work.

lonnie · 08-25-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkathsalero

r/r quarter panel mounted so co ax cable comes in the cubby behind the interior rag by the body vent. I will post pics tonight when i get home, I'll tinker with it today at work.

Ok...but if you have this mounted inside of the trunk then that will be your problem there. I know you are going for stealth but depending on that antenna I don't think you are going to be able to pull it off. Post pics of the connections to the back of the cb, and pics of where, and how you have the antenna mounted.

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 11:20 AM

sure will and the antenna is mounted outside of car its a full 3 foot antenna looks like an rc car now

lonnie · 08-25-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkathsalero

sure will and the antenna is mounted outside of car its a full 3 foot antenna looks like an rc car now

HaHaHa....

When you say that you grounded the antenna...are you saying that you grounded the metal shield of the coax to the car or are you saying that you grounded the actual antenna to the car?

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 12:18 PM

The antenna. I bought it from a truck stop. It had threads to go into the co ax and then a black ground wire comming out of the antenna as well. I had to buy the adapter to go threw sheet metal where the coax goes on one piece, antenna on the other and the two pieces screw together to let me go through a panel. Then drilled a small hole next to the adapter to fit the ground through.

bkathsalero · 08-25-2009, 12:23 PM

Some of the things i got, but my adapter thing connects to the co ax cable threw the bottom