CB install

[Spindrift]

Has anyone done it? The center console is giving me fits. The best place for viewing seems to be on the top, center section of the dashboard. It could go on the passenger side of the center console but that makes it tough for me to view the display, plus I'm concerned that it will interfere with my wife's legs when we're on long trips. Right now, it looks like the antenna will be a permanent, through the roof, install just in front of the bed light that is above the back window. I'd love to have Firesticks on both sideview mirrors but I don't see a viable mounting option there. Unfortunately, even though the mirror mount would get me the best reception/transmission capabilities, I don't see a clean install there.

Any and all ideas appreciated.

 

[sagebel]

Mine is in the driver side map pocket. Antenna is a magnetic mount. I bought a 90 degree adapter for the back of the radio and drilled a hole inside the front of the pocket for the cable. From there the cable runs under the driver side carpet and out through the body mount access grommet and then to the back of the cab.

 

[Jason]

On the roof would give you best transmission and receive abilities, and will act as a large grounding plain. Just like any other antenna, you want it as high as you can get it, with no blackages in 360* of the antenna. Well..as few blockages as you can, if you have a fifth wheel or somwthing, that'll block it some, and is unavoidable. Also, on a pickup, one antenna only..the majority of your dual antenna setups on a big truck, are a working antenna, and a dummy antenna for balancing out aesthetically. You will notice one is typically a cheap fiberglass, and the other a better, steel antenna. I ran a browning coiled antenna on my Pete, and the drivers side was just a generic one that came new on the truck. Wo live antennas close together will tend to really do a number on performance. I always bought my coax, had it madeand cut on the spot, you don't want a ton of excess coax cable laying around, nor do you want to wind the excess up tightly. If I had excess, I always bunched it loosely, and ran it up on top of the pass side sun visor, and laid the bunched part inside the strap on the visor. Coiled tight coax can also cause problems. Make sure your swr's are as close to 1:1 as you can get. I believe 1.3:1 is the absolute farthest you want to get, I always seemed to be able to get 1.2:1 and couldn't get any lower with all of the stainless and chrome close by.

 

[Jason]

Oh, and remember, 90% of your setups performance is in the antenna and coax setup. I've heard 100 watt radios not be able to get out or be heard properly over 5 miles, and I've heard peaked cobra 29's be loud and clear 5+ miles out. My 160 watt Galaxy could be heard 18 miles away from multiple reports on the other end, and the guy I was running with had about 300 watts..the guy who told me he first heard me 18 mm posts back, couldn't hear the other guy with 300 watts until he got closer.

 

[B.Warning]

Mine is in the driver side map pocket. Antenna is a magnetic mount. I bought a 90 degree adapter for the back of the radio and drilled a hole inside the front of the pocket for the cable. From there the cable runs under the driver side carpet and out through the body mount access grommet and then to the back of the cab.

This is what I did on my kr when I put the 11+ console in it. Worked out real nice, out of the way, and put the worthless map holder to use without drilling any additional holes.

I always run a shorter single magnetic antenna on the roof instead of fire sticks for the some purpose of every dumb redneck around my area has dual sticks. It doesn't work as well from far distances but to communicate across the field or from truck to truck or semi is fine for me. As far as proper tuning I'm sure I could improve it but I don't know enough about it to mess with it.

 

[Spindrift]

I've got a Cobra 29LX so in the side map holder is out of the question...just too big for that area. I was thinking about trimming out the inside of the center console, under the cup holder area but the LX is too wide. Any downside to putting it up top on the dash? I'm thinking that's a security issue but if I'm in an area that I think is sketchy, I can always remove it.

 

[my79f]

I would definitely not put holes in the top of the dash. Why not find a smaller CB to put in the map pocket? Obviously this doesnt help, but in my work truck i made a bracket that comes off the middle seat bolts to mount my CB. In about 5 minutes there is no trace that a radio was ever in the truck.

How often do you change channels? What about putting it under the seat?

 

[Spindrift]

I would definitely not put holes in the top of the dash. Why not find a smaller CB to put in the map pocket? Obviously this doesnt help, but in my work truck i made a bracket that comes off the middle seat bolts to mount my CB. In about 5 minutes there is no trace that a radio was ever in the truck.

How often do you change channels? What about putting it under the seat?

Do you have a '12? There's no middle seat, just the massive center console. I believe the Cobra 29LX is the smallest I can go with the features that I want to have; primarily dimming capability, weather channel and range. The booster adds a little bit of real estate to the radio.