cb install

[Mikes64]

hey all, ive searched but cant seem to find anything I'm looking for. I tried to search cb install but it only searches install. as you can imagine that's a lot of posts!! anyways, does anyone have any pics of how they ran their antenna wire out the cab to the box?i found some pictures from google but they are all older trucks. mine is a 2015 2500cc. thanks all!

 

[tcazes]

I don't plan on putting one in this truck but in my last few I ran above the headliner, into the bundle for the third brakelight then out into the roof. What kind of antenna rig do you plan to run? Magnet mount? Solid roof mount? Whips mounted to the bed? I was a MAJOR fb junkie all through high school and college. Extra alternators, amps, the works lol

 

[Mikes64]

I'm going to be using the front stake holes on the bed. i going to be running a uniden bc880 with dual firestik antennas

 

[Bounty79]

@Mikes64 I'm curious, where do you plan on mounting your CB in the cab? I have a HAM radio I want to install, but am finding no where I'd like it. Tossed the idea of installing it on headliner where overhead console is... Havnt gotten to it yet, no space for working on truck at my apartment sadly.

 

[craigsez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xwmh7bLqr8

 

[tcazes]

That's not a bad idea just big and bulky in my honest opinion. I would look at mounting it in the space directly in front of the gear shifter. In that cubby on a 45 would be perfect. Run the wires out the bottom and exit near your foot. Most cbs can have the mic out socket changed to the side of the box easily.

The dual fire sticks are ok but you plan on tuning them separately or just doing it for looks? I prefer a single antenna with a proper groundolane grounded to the frame, ground the exhaust system, body, whole nine yards. I could always get s much better signal with single over doubles.

For power you can tap the lighter if you don't care at all about sound quality or signal output but I'd highly recommend going with a relay setup directly to the battery. Switched power will have much less rf noise and give the internals much cleaner power. What are you actually going to do with this thing and how far are you trying to reach?

Now for ham bands it's much easier. Much smaller antenna.

 

[Mikes64]

it will be mounted under the dash in front of the 4x4 shifter. it has plenty of real estate there to keep it tucked in nice and clean, hidden wires and all. the power will be coming from the battery not the cig lighter, want to keep noise down as much as possible. as for the dual firestik setup, that has changed. im only going to be running a single. as for usage its going to be just normal cb use, not installing it for any reason other then i want it in this truck lol. and range, well what ever i get i get, im not expecting huge distances to get.

 

[tcazes]

Ok if you don't plan on shooting skip or anything than that's fine with the probably 2.5 watts output it will have if you get lucky. See I was all about long range and skip shooting. I had a 4 pill setup on a tuned galaxy in my last jeep and pickup. I use them heavily to reach out 20 miles or more checking traffic, speed traps etc. saved my butt plenty of times! My old commute involved a bridge that would back up regularly so it was nice to be 25 miles out and no to bypass it and go up river if need be.

 

[Mikes64]

That would be awesome to get that kind of range. I just don't know enough about radios to get that..looks like it's going to be time for some research

 

[tcazes]

id be more than happy to help! id love to put a rig in my ram but its just too pretty to clutter up with an antenna and coil and well my longhorn interior is my baby so no cutting it up to put a box in it lol

 

[Mikes64]

Well my setup is this, uniden 880 and a 4' firestik. What's next? I can change to a different ant.but don't want to swap out the cb. I'm wiling to go with a mag mount also if it helps with range

 

[tcazes]

I definitely recommend a Wilson 5000. by far best antenna I have used other than coiled custom built antennas for high power. ideally, the best mount would be to have it hard mounted to the roof but hey that looks tacky. regardless mounted as close to center mass as possible and preferably have the coil above the top of the truck.

next and most important in terms of the antenna is to tune it. get you an swr meter. a jumper coax and tune that sucker. that will make a WORLD of difference. then the only other crucial thing to do is good clean power and the best ground you can get.

as far as the Wilson, you can do a mag mount if you want....I don't like mag mounts...id rather have an elevated mount to get the coil over the cab and have it mounted to the bed however, center of the roof would provide the best ground plane and the best performance!

the 880 really can't do a whole lot but you could send it off to bells cb (only company id recommend) and he can peak and tune it for you. maybe set you up with a little 1 or 2 pill amp. thatd really get you reachin out there. but remember, doesn't matter how far you can touch if you cant hear them. its all a balancing act. but trust me....you will get addicted!

 

[Mikes64]

Well I finally found some free time to get the cb installed. Came out good I think

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[Mikes64]

I ended up with running the antenna coax from the stake pocket down under the cab and came up through the hole in the back seat storage area.

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[tcazes]

Sounds good there

 

[Bounty79]

Mikes64 although our cabs are slightly different, I kind-of copied you. Installed my 2M Yaesu on the bottom panel beneath the tray that slides out. I am happy with this position, although the tray is not able to slide out anymore (I never used it, and radio is as low as it can go)

Once the temp here gets a little warmer, I have an NMO antenna that will be going on the roof. Also need to get this thing wired for power as well.

 

[Mikes64]

Looks good!

 

[Iggy4935]

Reviving this thread. Can't seem to find a place to mount my CB. The about post was where I was going to mount but then I wouldn't be open the drawer. And I really don't want it on top of the dash. Maybe I just won't put one in this truck [emoji52]


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[Bounty79]

How handy are you with metal fab? I would have liked to mount something closer to my jump seat. Ive seen mounts for older trucks that bolt to the seat bolts. Radio faces straight up, in front of the jump seat. No room for all that fab work at my apartment...

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[SilverStreak88]

That's look's pretty good, I just got my radio peaked and tuned last night with a antenna. I'm going to mount mine like that one I switch my console out for a 4th gen with the cup holders in and free up the dash space.