CB radio installation.

[Adrock]

I have my old cb kicking around, as well as an antenna and other junk I need to make it work. I would like to get it running on the cheap. I kind of like the idea of having it sticking sraight up right in front of the shifter, where some peoples hot/cool boxes would be. I'm going to talk to a radio shop about getting a second antenna and how that kind of system works. I was just wondering if anyone knew of some 12 volt line I could tap into over there, or if I could even make my way to an open fuse and get it working that way. I don't know a lot about this kind of thing so what I just said might not make any sense, but its what I remember doing with the cb in my last truck.

Suggestions would be great, even a good shop to go to, i got mine at burnaby radio on hastings just east of boundary.

[Shepherd]

Hey Man.
i just stuck a cb in mine. I had it kicking around from 10 years ago. They are very simple to instal. I mounted mine right where you mentioned. That is a great spot. You can wire it in to the fuse box or tap into one that does not get used much. For me I will use the fuse for the cigaret lighter. Just for know I hooked up a old cord with the plug for the cigaret lighter on it. It was for an old cell phone cord. It plugs right in. This means I can take the hole radio out when I want to. I did this just to try the old radio out. I may put a new radio in. Or just keep this old radio shack jobby. I hope this was of some help. To bad we are so far appart or we could say hi from our Delicas.

Trav

[Adrock]

cool, thanks for the info, actually cbs have insane range when the signal hops from antenna to antenna (piggybacking i've heard it called i think) I got some rather racist remarks from truckers in texas. It was almost scary.

[Mystery Machine]

I don't know a lot about this kind of thing so what I just said might not make any sense.

If you can wait, I'll give you a hand when I come over....just remember to get the jack, stands, grinder etc...for that 'other' project too.... :lol: :lol:

Looks like you'll be keeping me busy for my stay at 'Adrock Villa'

Might need to pay a visit to a few motoring shops with you to stock up on bits to do all these jobs. :lol:

Regards,

Bruce.

[Adrock]

My friend has a shop where they convert vans to RVs and I am trying to get in there for a day while you're here. I've got a few friends whose tool supply I should be able to get into but as of right now I don't have much.

On the plus side, I removed my steps and mudflaps just to see how things looked and get a bit of a head start. You were right, I love the look without the steps.

[Green1]

why not take the power the easy way? straight from the battery, the "hood" opens that direction anyway, so it's easy, all 3 of my radios (1 CB and 2 ham) are fed straight from the battery, just remember to put a fuse inline!

my radio install:

The CB is the microphone hanging on the dash to the right of the shifter, with my CB all controls are on the mic, so the radio itself is hidden under the radio with the blue display on the left. the one with the blue display (dual band ham) is mounted to the side of the shifter housing and because of the passenger grab bar, is out of the way for people sitting there, the one with the orange face in the foreground (2m ham used for commercial radio) is mounted to the side of the centre arm rest, again it is completely out of the way for the passenger there (though their arm on the armrest can make it hard to see...) all radios have their displays visible from the driver's seat, and the one on the side of the centre arm rest can be seen and operated from the driver's side middle row captains chair as well.

and as for antenna:

the black antenna on the bull-bar is CB, the coax for it runs in under the passenger seat, through the engine compartment and out under the vehicle to the antenna. the 2 ham radios have the 2 magnetic mount antennas on the roof, they have their coax run out the sliding door (though tucked under the rubber trim)

closeup of bull-bar mount:

[Adrock]

Thanks so much for the detail. Judging by your setup I would guess you know a thing or 2 about radio setups and stuff. I never had my radio tuned properly when I had it setup before, mostly used it for the PA haha. Do you know anything about SWR tuners and how to use them? I was thinking of mounting an antenna on each of the mirror arms, I was told the less vehicle you have near the antenna the better.

Any suggestions?

[Green1]

for antenna instalations, the ones I have on my roof are in a good spot, the one on the bull bar is a positively lousy position... Antennas need the vehicle as a ground plane below them, and antennas should be as high up as possible, the ideal place for an antenna is therefore the middle of the roof (you want vehicle bellow the antenna, and not beside it (blocks the signal), and the more centred the more even the propagation pattern) the dual ones on the mirrors work well too, but are actually directional (work best forward and backwards and not as well to the sides) When you are looking at the dual antennas on the mirror arms, the closer to 8' apart the better, so they work well on big semi trucks and wide pickups... of course the Delica is awful narrow for that... but it still could work... but due to the way the vehicle is set up, on this vehicle for a good CB install I'd actually recommend a magnetic mount antenna on the roof, they're simple and cheap, and work well. (I may move to one yet, but my roof will start to get awful crowded as I have more antennas (and radios) to add yet :D )

SWR meter would be hooked up between the radio and the antenna and then you key the radio and watch the SWR.... details depend on the specific meter... A perfect SWR would be 1, though generally you'll measure higher than that, I'd be leary of an SWR much over about 2 though...

[Green1]

I should just add, for radio locations, if I didn't have the cool box, that would be the ideal place for the radio, with the coolbox I think the "perfect" place is where my blue radio is on the side of the shifter housing, it fits in between the coolbox and the engine compartment and doesn't intrude in to the passenger's leg room at all.

[Shepherd]

Hey dude

your radio will definately work better if you have the swr set properly. You can get a meter at radio shack. (Know the sourse) around here. You may be able to find someone with a meter and who would not mind setting it for you. One radio shack store let me and my buddy borow a swr meter.

Trav

[Adrock]

How about single antenna on one mirror? Or does the vehicle being directly under the antenna make the signal way better?

Thanks again.

[Adrock]

I think i'll go with mounting front and center on my roof basket. Although it worries me as far as driving into my carport, or anywhere with a ceiling. At least it will be hard to steal.

[Shepherd]

I think that with a magnet type antena it uses the vihecle to help the signal. I was always told to mount the antena in the center so the roof will help. I have always used magnet mount antenas exept on on my old jeep. I had one fiberglass whip on the corner of my rear bumper and did not get as good a signal. I also remember being told to set your swr whith your atena placed where it will stay. I mean mounted in place. Can anyone explain the tecnacal reasons. I don't remember all the big word explanation.

Trav[/b]

[Shepherd]

I think that with a magnet type antena it uses the vihecle to help the signal. I was always told to mount the antena in the center so the roof will help. I have always used magnet mount antenas exept on on my old jeep. I had one fiberglass whip on the corner of my rear bumper and did not get as good a signal. I also remember being told to set your swr whith your atena placed where it will stay. I mean mounted in place. Can anyone explain the tecnacal reasons. I don't remember all the big word explanation.

Trav

[Green1]

I think that with a magnet type antena it uses the vihecle to help the signal.

actually with any vehicle mount antenna it uses the vehicle to help the signal, there are 2 "sides" to an antenna, the thing sticking up is only one of those 2, to operate properly it also needs a ground plane (your vehicle) (there are antennas with built in ground planes, but as they aren't generally used on vehicles I'll skip these here) a good ground plane should have a diameter of at least a meter (preferably more)

I was always told to mount the antena in the center so the roof will help.

true, the more evenly distributed the ground plane beneath the antenna, the better the propagation.

I also remember being told to set your swr whith your atena placed where it will stay. I mean mounted in place. Can anyone explain the tecnacal reasons.

basically it boils down to what I've said earlier, remember that the vehicle itself is half of the antenna, so how it is mounted will affect the swr. more complex reasons include the interaction with other metal items (like the stock stereo antenna, another radio (like on my vehicle) etc) these can each interfere with the wave pattern as well.

Although it worries me as far as driving into my carport, or anywhere with a ceiling.

most CB antennas are a thin metal whip, they bend easilly and spring back in to place easilly too, no real problem, even the pretty rigid one I have on the front of my roof will bend out of the way for low roofs (as long as it's not TOO low), if however you get a fibreglass antenna be more cautious as they are much more rigid (and require much larger magnets)