Does anyone have a cb radio in there truck?? i was thinking about getting one but all the ones i have had before alwayse get engine noise in them, making them useless on the highway. so basically if anyone has any input on models, wiring, and antennas i would greatly appreciate your help.

 

Cool! ! ! ! A CB Question.....

Dude, it was the first thing I put in it when I bought it. I have a Cobra 25 nightwatch in mine. I have it mounted on the transmission hump in the front of the cab on a cell phone mount. I also have a 9' whip coming off the back of my toolbox in the bed. CB ran me $100, the entire install including PA system cost me $250. Took about 3 hours to do at a local CB shop. I love it! I have had zero problems with it.

I have pics in my gallery

 

how did you wire it ?? to the fuse box or to the battery?? did you ground it to the body or back to the battery?? ... great looking truck i have the same color do you have the leveling kit with those tires??

 

I'd be grateful for some information on your CB install (and pictures wouldn't be bad either!).

I've had a Cobra all-in-the-microphone model, but haven't attempted to install yet.

Thanks.

GREG

 

Yes, I do have a leveling kit on it. 2.75" kit on the front.

Wired it to the fuse box, grounded it to the body. I had the wiring run through the firewall, under the body, then out to the bed where it hooked up to my 0' whip which is coming off my tool box.

I have my truck going in shortly for a suspension lift, so I will be posting better pics. I will also create a CB gallery with better pics.

 

I don't have a CB, but a UHF commercial radio, as I do in all my trucks. Installation is basically the same.
I have installed a lot of mobile radios over the years, and I have learned a few things:
-Anywhere you cut corners on the install will be a source of headache down the road.
-Installation supplies that come with the radio are rarely enough.
-Cheap antenna systems will make the most expensive radio operate like crap.
-Permanently mounting the antenna is the way to go. Mag Mounts are a short cut.

Wiring off the fuse box will work, but can lead to a lot of issues with noise. Radios work best when supplied with sufficient clean power. There is a lot of electrical noise in modern vehicles, not just from ignition systems, but from all the computerized equipment. All professional radio installers that I know will avoid using the existing fuse panel as a source. The best way to do it is to run directly off of the battery. If you have more than one radio, run a heavy gauge cable to a dedicated fuse block for the radios. By running directly off the battery, you can avoid a lot of noise sources. Use a heavy gauge wire, even for a CB. 14 or 12ga would be the minimum I would run. Fuse both Positive and Negative sides as close to the battery as you can. Run all wiring in a split loom or spiral warp to protect it. Route all wiring away from existing wiring, and if you must cross an existing wiring harness, do so at a 90 degree angle. Use grommets where you feed through the body. This will help get clean power to the radio, and not starve the radio for power by forcing the current to run down a small wire. Small wire has more voltage drop over a given distance. Solder all connections. Crimp connectors work well, but they work better when soldered.
Ground the radio! Don't rely only on the negative lead to the battery for your ground. Run as short a length of wire as you can to a good body ground. If you have to make a new ground, then do it. Use a heavy gauge wire, #12, or if you can, use a flat braid. This will provide a low resistance path to ground for any noise.
Don't skimp on the antenna. I have always installed professional grade permanent mount antennas, and have never had a problem. For CB, nothing beats a 102" stainless steel whip. Anything else relies on coils to fool the radio into thinking the antenna is longer than it is. Coils don't radiate energy well. I have heard that the Wilson brands work well, but have never used them. Either way, use an SWR meter to check to be sure the antenna is the proper length. Don't skimp on the coax cable. Cheap coax is very lossy, and you can loose a lot of your transmit, and receive signal in bad coax. Hint: Radio Shack does not usually sell high grade coax. If you install your own connectors, solder them on. Solderless connectors are just another short cut. When you mount the antenna, don't skimp there either. I perfer using a permanent mount on the roof of the cab. I know most would cringe at the thought, but that is the best way to do it. Mounting off a tool box, the bed or the bumper works well depending on the antenna. If the antenna is blocked by the cab, you will a drop in performance. Getting the antenna up high and in the clear is the way to go. Antennas rely on a ground plane under them to work well. The more steel you can get under the antenna, the better. If the antenna is in the center of this ground plane, you will see equal performance in all directions, if you start to mount it off center, you will see a degredation of performance in some directions.

It isn't easy, but it will give the best results. Do the best you can with what you can afford.
Avoid spending big bucks having a radio "peaked and tuned" if you are just going to cut corners on the rest of the install. A good antenna system will cost, but will pay for itself.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for all of the great information!

GREG

 

I've been trying to find a place in my FX4 to mount a CB without hacking up the interior, but with the center console and a big ol' cobra 148 or RCI 2950 every spot I think of to put it is about 1/2 inch too narrow. Also I'd have to disagree on the magnet mount comment I've had good results with the wilson 1000 with the magnet mount good SWR and it doesn't move they use one strong magnet; you have to be have a good grip on the antenna when you get it near the roof.

 

Gator,

A really good magnet mount will work pretty well, but when compared to a permanent mount antenna, and measured at a properly equiped test range, the perm. mount will outperform the mag mount by about .5 to 1 Db. That isn't a whole lot, but when you are going for the best possible signal, it can make a big difference.
Good SWR does not mean it is a good antenna. I can connect a dummy load bank of resistors that radiate zero power, and that will give me a perfect SWR. What needs to be considered is the radiation pattern of the antenna, and how much signal is actually radiated by the antenna.
Nothing at all wrong with mag mounts, I understand the adversion that people have to punching a 3/4inch hole in the roof of a $35,000 truck. After you do a couple, and you experience the difference a professional installation makes, you will never go back.