View Full Version : Yet another CB install
A lot of people have already done this install already over the years. So there's nothing really new. But I remembered to take a few pictures during parts of the install showing things that other modders didn't. I thought I'd share.
Some the the threads I worked off of are:
CB installation - no holes - no drills (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/3686044512/p/1)
CB antenna - single or dual stick (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/7071006251/p/1)
CB installed... for real (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/7411047451/p/1)
Parts:
Midland 75-822 all-in-one handheld with the car adapter atached,
Firestik SS-J4 Jeep fender mount
3-foot Firestik Firefly antenna
9-foot Firestick MU8R9 coax
Valor 203EZ foldover mount
A lot of people have already done this install already over the years. So there's nothing really new. But I remembered to take a few pictures during parts of the install showing things that other modders didn't. I thought I'd share.
Some the the threads I worked off of are:
CB installation - no holes - no drills (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/3686044512/p/1)
CB antenna - single or dual stick (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/7071006251/p/1)
CB installed... for real (http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/6706011751/m/7411047451/p/1)
Parts:
Midland 75-822 all-in-one handheld with the car adapter atached,
Firestik SS-J4 Jeep fender mount
3-foot Firestik Firefly antenna
9-foot Firestick MU8R9 coax
Valor 203EZ foldover mount
This is where I mounted it right over the driver window on the roofrack rail
Mounting plate secured. Scraped under lip of rails to get good ground with chassis. I opted to put the bold head down and have the bolt threads pop up simply because it was easier fiddling with the washer, plate, lock nuts, nuts, etc this way given the size of my box wrench.
Note to readers. Don't tighten it down now. You'll need a little play in order to add the antenna mounting stud.
From an angle where you can see the order of the hardware.
Open up the marker light by removing the screw at the rear and pulling rear edge up and sliding from out of slot. See the tunnel toward the right edge of the plastic; the coax will go through here.
Pull the gasket out.
Next I punctured this and ran the coax through and sealed up with black gasket sealant in the end (but forgot to take a picture).
Underneath this hole is a second larger hole in the roof that you can feed the coax through. As is mentioned in other threads, if you remove the door trim (which just sticks on) and pull down on the headliner you can see in there well enough to pull the end of the coax through with a needlenose.
To get the handle off work out the plugs in the handles. These aren't covers for screws. They're just the caps on the clips that hold the pull handle on. As others describe in the references threads, work around the edges carefully with a small flatblade screwdriver. Once they're out enough, give them a firm pull and then they look like this:
Then pull the handle firmly
For the curious, this is what the handle looks like once it's removed.
I didn't get pictures in between the headliner and the roof since it was too hard to get the light in there, hold it open and take the picture.
But once the coax is through the roof and pulled over to the sides, then it can be routed behind the pillar trim by pulling it out.
If you keep routing it down, it comes out of a hole in the upper left part if the driver fuse box.
From that point, I routed it behind the dash, ziptied it along the rail that runs right behind the lower edge of the dash trim over toward the center console.
Back up top, I liberally allied sealant to the gasket where the coax went through, reseated it and screwed the marker light back on.
Then I mounted the stud to the mounting plate and the firering connector to the stud. This is it from straight above.
Because of the way I oriented the bolts for the mounting plate, I found some nut caps I had lying around that just happened to cover the threaded end of the bolts to reduce the liklihood of snags.
Because the antenna is three feet long, it angled up quite a bit lying down on the front roof rack crossbar. So I slid them back.
Here it is with the antenna down.
Now for mounting the handset. I didn't the get Cobra compact that a lot of others did. I got this Midland unit that can be used on batteries as a belt-hung handheld, off a AC adapter, or from a car adapter that hooks it directly to the antenna coax and get's power through an accessory power jack.
It didn't come with any provision to mount it on the dash.
So let's get a little white trashy.
I wanted a secure stud without having to remove the belt clip. I didn't like the adhesive ones since they never stay on. So I took a small angle bracket and hammered it flat.
The I cut it where the fold was, drilled a hole right near the bottom and attached a small pull I found in a junk box with a small bolt and nut.
Next I removed the belt clip from the handset, layered this makeshift stud bracket under it and screwed it back together.
Now for a hook on the dash. I tried to get it to hand with some heavy coat hanger but I just wasn't talented enough to shape it right.
So instead it wandered the house looking for some raw material I could do something with.
Can you believe that there is an alternative use for these computer expansion slot bay covers that you just toss in a box when you add adapter cards to your computer?
There is. This is what I made with my dremmel and pliers.
And it mounts to the dash under one of the dash bolt heads like this:
This is the handset hanging on that hook.
It's an aluminum hook so it could be bent if you really pushed/pulled on it, but it's pretty small and out of the way. And I filed the edges a bit so that it's not rough on you if you drag your hand across.
Best thing is I can simply remove it if I come up with a better solution.
And this is the view of it from a bit farther back.
Looks good ree... thanks for the information and pictures!
Dave Compson
02-23-2006, 04:10 PM
Great job, thanks for the photos.
Dave
RIC-H0
02-23-2006, 04:31 PM
Good job!
Nice detail on the install!!!
Dremmels rock!
What did the CB radio and antenna cost you?
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RIC-H2:
What did the CB radio and antenna cost you? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
CB = ~85 at amazon.com
Antenna,coax,mount,foldover + swr meter and patch coax = ~90 at walcottcb.com
Not the cheapest I could probably do, but easy.
BTW, with this radio the antenna was a little bit electrically short, so I had to turn out the tuning knob about a turn and a half. My final SWRs with the antenna up were:
<table border="1">
<tr><th>Channel</th><th>1</th><th>19</th><th>40</th></tr>
<tr><th>SWR</th><th>1.1</th><th>1 - 1.1</th><th>1.2-1.3</th></tr>
</table>
Racer-X
02-23-2006, 09:17 PM
Looks nice. I put my CB in the same place but I don't like it. It's in the way of putting key into the ignition and I can't see the display when driving. I plan to move it soon. I'm going to fab a bracket off where you have your ipod.
Dewi2005
02-23-2006, 10:22 PM
Nice install, and thanks for the pictures. Im getting ready to do my install as soon as the antenna etc arrive. May be a bit different as I cant mount the antenna where you did as I cant slide my roof racks back because they are holding my Manik roof rack.... Ill post some pics when done for alternate installs.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Racer-X:
I put my CB in the same place but I don't like it. It's in the way of putting key into the ignition and I can't see the display when driving. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mine hangs low enough not to be in the way of the hands when putting the key in, but visibility is poor. My hook is loose enough to allow me to reach down and swing it upward a little and see the LCD through the wheel spokes though, so it hasn't been too bad.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dewi2005:
...May be a bit different as I cant mount the antenna where you did as I cant slide my roof racks back because they are holding my Manik roof rack.... Ill post some pics when done for alternate installs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks.
One thing I noticed immediately is that the antenna howls badly when it's up. My guess is that depends on how far back it is from the front of the roof (i.e. how the air blows over it). It may have been better to mount it near the back of the truck, but then I'd have to get out to raise and lower it. Something to think about.
Racer-X
02-24-2006, 01:23 AM
Good point ree! I can't hear my antenna over the howl of the gobi rack and lighting but placement is very important. I've only had it a few weeks and i've already reached through the sunroof a half a dozen times to lower it for low clearance - fast food, hotels etc.
Racer-X
02-24-2006, 01:36 AM
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Racer-X:
Looks nice. I put my CB in the same place but I don't like it. It's in the way of putting key into the ignition and I can't see the display when driving. I plan to move it soon. I'm going to fab a bracket off where you have your ipod. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It doesn’t really matter. Once you set the channel what’s to look at? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
True for the most part. But sometimes I like to put it on scan - last weekend for instance I was scanning and listening to truckers talk about road conditions and a semi accident that had all lanes blocked. During a period of long silence I would confirm it was still scanning. A few times it had hung on a dead channel because it was getting just enough signal to stop.
But your right, and if it wasn't for the ignition/key issue I wouldn't bother moving it. Even then I'm in no hurry.
Jeff B
02-28-2006, 02:32 AM
I have the 3' Firefly and a 2' Firestik II and the 3' firelfy makes a lot more wind noise... like a fake tornado sound from a B-movie. The firefly is a thinner antenna and therefore makes a higher pitch sound than the firestik II.
I had to switch to a NGP (no fround plane) version because my SWR readings were at 3 on chanels 1 and 40 after tuning. The antenna uses the same mount as Ree but is located further back, between the roof racks (above where the front and back doors meet). I have an air horn where Ree put his antenna.
I have a new roof from my rollover so that may be playing a part with grounding issues??
H2005
02-20-2011, 06:32 PM
Has anyone ran any antenna coax down the passengers side yet?
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