CB Radio - 5th Gen; route Coax to passenger A-Column Ditch Light antenna mount, and/or mount Cobra 75 transponder unit in Engine Compartment?

[ANGLICO]

I've settled on a Cobra 75 All Roads Wireless CB to totally avoid having the transponder in the cab.



https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-All-Road-Wireless-Radio/dp/B0BYL3NV6L

Am thinking of mounting the transceiver in the engine compartment on the firewall. The handset is USB powered and talks to the transceiver via Bluetooth.


EDIT ADD to original post (11/7/23): @GTyankee got me thinking of handheld options....

So toss those into the mix if you have some recommendations. Thanks.

 

[GTyankee]

what will you be using it for ?
What distances, 1/4 or 1/2 mile ?

is this one below in the suitcase, like the one that you intend to use ?
I rent this one to the Highway Patrol, when they are on the same job that i am working on.
Highway Patrol does not pay me, some Trucking Company does, but the CHP use it.

If i were you, i would be thinking about a Hand Held CB & a magnetic antenna like the LIL WIL

Cobra HH Road Trip Handheld CB Radio Kit

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/products/cobra-hh-roadtrip-cb-radio-w-mobile-vehicle-antenna- The ultimate handheld package features a mobile magnet antenn...

www.youtube.com

I have to use a Magnetic Antenna like this, to get any kind of range



Many people have been switching over to 2 way handheld radios.
They are handier, unless all of your friends use a CB

I also have Midland & Uniden Hand Held CBs
I use them as spares

 

[ANGLICO]

what will you be using it for ?
What distances, 1/4 or 1/2 mile ?

is this one below in the suitcase, like the one that you intend to use ?
I rent this one to the Highway Patrol, when they are on the same job that i am working on.
Highway Patrol does not pay me, some Trucking Company does, but the CHP use it.

If i were you, i would be thinking about a Hand Held CB & a magnetic antenna like the LIL WIL

Cobra HH Road Trip Handheld CB Radio Kit

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/products/cobra-hh-roadtrip-cb-radio-w-mobile-vehicle-antenna- The ultimate handheld package features a mobile magnet antenn...

www.youtube.com

View attachment 531368

View attachment 531369

View attachment 531370
I have to use a Magnetic Antenna like this, to get any kind of range

View attachment 531371

Many people have been switching over to 2 way handheld radios.
They are handier, unless all of your friends use a CB

I also have Midland & Uniden Hand Held CBs
I use them as spares

I like that suitcase idea. Be fun around the campfire.

You know, I'm thinking of the Handheld also. A handheld with a separate mike?

In a pinch, I can use that from in the house when the SHTF (LOL = I live in high density stupidity land, so my longevity is limited).

 

[WY-Dave]

I do piloting for my bro-in-law and I use the uniden pro401HH handheld. I bought some cheap amazon ditch light hood mounts, but even with the Firestik firering mount, the platform is not off the hood enough to hook up the coax to the ant. I have any easy 2 mile range with his Semi. If I need more range, I can get a bnc to n-type adapter and put a mag mount on the roof. It can even have an external mic/speaker combo

​

 

[GTyankee]

Many semi trucks use duel antennas
that gives them better reception, but tuning them is a little harder to do.
Many of them also have a linear amplifier, which is illegal if caught.
I ran 100 watt, when i used a cb just for fun, not work related.

A 400 watt linear amplifier will really reach out, but don't get caught.
You will only be transmitting at 4 watts with store bought CBs
Most store bought CBs will only communicate from CB to CB, if there are no hills between the CBs, that is called LINE OF SIGHT.

When i just used CBs to have fun with, usually we would find a tall hill, where nothing blocked our transmissions