CB Information

Renegade363 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:36 pm

CB Information

I have no knowledge about CB’S. So I want to start looking into one. The clubs I’ve been in we used FRS radios.

Questions I have are.

1. Where do you place the CB on the inside of your Jeep? (pics please) so I can get ideas.
2. How do you hook up the antenna to the CB?
3. What Firestick antenna is the best to buy? Where on this antenna do you hook up to? (pics please)
4. Where on your Jeep did you hook up your antenna? (Pics Please)

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:28 pm

Renegade363 wrote:

CB Information

I have no knowledge about CB’S. So I want to start looking into one. The clubs I’ve been in we used FRS radios.

Questions I have are.

1. Where do you place the CB on the inside of your Jeep? (pics please) so I can get ideas.
2. How do you hook up the antenna to the CB?
3. What Firestick antenna is the best to buy? Where on this antenna do you hook up to? (pics please)
4. Where on your Jeep did you hook up your antenna? (Pics Please)

I have the small radioshack $50 special. I wedge it beween the center console and the passenger seat when I go on a run. Since This covers the internal speaker, I attatch an old computer speaker to it and leave it under the passenger seat so I can hear people talk. I have the power leads connected to a cigarette lighter adapter from radio shack as well.

I have a firestik 4' Firefly antenna with a fire ring connector. I built a mount out of aluminum angle iron to mount on the top two bolts of the spare carrier. The antenna goes onto the angle iron and the fire ring and bolt attatch to the underside. I then run the cable under the lift gate, and under the seats to the cb in the front of the jeep. Works great for about a 2 mile range. If you want more range, you have to establish a ground plane which is much more difficult on the KJ.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:30 pm

I run a Cobra 75. Easy to set up and takes up just about no space.

Got an "add a fuse" and put it in the radio spot, so I won't accidentaly leave it on. Positive wire connects to this.

Ran the negative wire under the panel in front of your knees and used a pre-existing hole for the ground.

The wires are connected to the box already (I put the box under my seat on the sub, three cheers for velcro) and the antenna connects to it.

Ran the antenna under the mouldings to the back of the Jeep. I had a 3' Firestik that worked great until I broke it and I'm using a Wilson 3' right now.

Cable comes out and hooks to the antenna.

Pretty easy and works well. Hope that helped, let me know if there's any other pictures that would help you out.

Ed · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:46 pm

I've no idea whether they're available in the US, but I've just installed a Uniden UH089 in my KJ. There's not a lot of space to mount CBs so I put it in the driver's side door pocket, with the mounting bracket screwed back into the door panel. It's nice and handy, but if you can find somewhere else to put it then I'd reccommend doing just that, getting the power and aerial leads through into the door is a right pain in the butt. The aerial is mounted on the front bull-bar.

I would send you some pics but my Jeep's in bits at the moment due to me trying to set it on fire last night with a slight electrical miscalculation. (Note to self: 700 watts of additional lighting draw more current than a 3amp piece of wire can handle!)

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:17 pm

Ed wrote:

II would send you some pics but my Jeep's in bits at the moment due to me trying to set it on fire last night with a slight electrical miscalculation. (Note to self: 700 watts of additional lighting draw more current than a 3amp piece of wire can handle!)

Uh, yeah, just a little too much amperage there

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:34 pm

My CB sits in the same spot as CaKJFreedom:

+
+
+
I mounted my connector box in an easier location for access:

+
+
+
Replaced my stock radio antenna with a CB antenna (specific components required for this mod)

Edwin · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:49 am

Galaxy 929, Firestick antenna, Fire ring coax.
http://www.claysradioshop.com

I wedge my C.B. between the seat and the console. I plug it in to the cigarette lighter. My antenna is mounted with a door jam mount by the rear glass.

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:32 pm

pixeldzn wrote:

... If you want more range, you have to establish a ground plane which is much more difficult on the KJ.

What is this? Can you elaborate more?

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:09 pm

Guyute1210 wrote:

pixeldzn wrote:

... If you want more range, you have to establish a ground plane which is much more difficult on the KJ.

What is this? Can you elaborate more?

http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Mnt-Grnd.htm

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:56 pm

pixeldzn wrote:

Guyute1210 wrote:

pixeldzn wrote:

... If you want more range, you have to establish a ground plane which is much more difficult on the KJ.

What is this? Can you elaborate more?

http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/Mnt-Grnd.htm

Thanks. Would the mount that Kilby has that goes on the tire lug nuts be in that ground plane? I can't remember, but someone on this board has that mount.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:50 pm

Guyute1210 wrote:

Thanks. Would the mount that Kilby has that goes on the tire lug nuts be in that ground plane? I can't remember, but someone on this board has that mount.

The Kilby mount SHOULD create a ground thru the spare tire mount; if I had my Fluke meter handy I could go out and verify continuity to the swing gate. It would probably help if you get a ground strap from your local automotive parts store and go from the swing gate to the body panel on the hinge side. The main thing about a ground plane is that it is metallic mass that can help reflect the signal for better reception and transmission. Theoretically the best ground plane would be achieved by putting the antenna dead-center in the roof; anything else tends to skew the antenna pattern. In practice as long as you have a significant portion of the antenna (1/2 or more) above to roof line it should do fine.

meduncan · **Posted:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:21 am

I'm working on adding a CB to my KJ and I'd like to know where you guys are picking up the "add a fuse". Sounds like a great way to connect the CB but I don't know about electrical systems and I don't want to fry my RB1 navigation radio that I just had installed.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:39 am

You can pick up "add a circuit" at Pep Boys, among other places. Go for the minifuse version.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 8:22 am

I installed a Cobra 75 and get about 5 miles out of it once I had the antenna tuned (you can have this done at a CB shop). It is a great 4-wheel unit and the Tokyojoe/AdamIsAdam setup with the AR-1 works nice for me.

After reading more on CBs and talking to the guys at the CB shop, I will choose to get a different radio next time. The Cobra 75 is a "convience radio" and not a "talker." It is great for 4-wheel but alittle "quiet" on the transition. I have sent an email to Cobra about getting the part # for the audio delimiter but have not heard anything.

Next radio will be:
compact unit Cobra 19 or Uniden 510
medium unit Cobra 25 or Uniden 68
Magnum also has a small 30w unit (Mini Mag) but many people are only getting ~15w out of them.

I don't think the AR-1 would work with a "peaked and tuned" radio. With the $ you save not buying a AR-1 + the cost of a Cobra 75, you should be able to buy a very nice "talker."

I have found some great information on the forums at http://cbradioforum.com/ and recommend reading some of the threads on mobile units.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 10:54 am

Science_Guy wrote:

The Cobra 75 is a "convience radio" and not a "talker." It is great for 4-wheel but alittle "quiet" on the transition. I have sent an email to Cobra about getting the part # for the audio delimiter but have not heard anything.

Science Guy, what do you mean by talker and delimiter? Out on the trails, the Cobra75 works great.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:50 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

Science_Guy wrote:

The Cobra 75 is a "convience radio" and not a "talker." It is great for 4-wheel but alittle "quiet" on the transition. I have sent an email to Cobra about getting the part # for the audio delimiter but have not heard anything.

Science Guy, what do you mean by talker and delimiter? Out on the trails, the Cobra75 works great.

I agree the Cobra 75 is great on the trail. A "talker" is a CB term for a radio has proven to have well above average performance/engineering. When I have tested the Cobra 75, it has a strong signal but I was told it sounds "quiet." I am new to CBs but the CB tech who was helping me said to ask Cobra about the audio limiter to see if they could help.

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:42 am

I run a 5 1/2 foot Francis Hot Rod antenna mounted to my spare, good ground plane.

The radio is a Uniden Bearcat pc68xl
I mounted it to the side of the center console
I also got a 20 watt external speaker and 104 db RadioShack PA system

signal is good and works to a proven 12 miles...

way overkill for trail use but perfect for interstates...

vxla · **Posted:** Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:10 am

I've got the Cobra 75; just get an external speaker. It works fine and is loud then.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:42 am

vxla wrote:

I've got the Cobra 75; just get an external speaker. It works fine and is loud then.

The audio limiter regulates the loudness of the transmitter. An external speaker will not help that. I am happy with my 5 mile range I get from the compact Cobra 75 but I know you are looking for something more (refering to your HAM post). There are modified export CBs (although illegal) that can use CB and HAM freq. I am not advicating you break the law just let you know what is out there. Here are a few good threads to look at...

Regarding 10M Radios converted to CB

Debate on what is "legal"

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:41 am

Science_Guy wrote:

I don't think the AR-1 would work with a "peaked and tuned" radio. With the $ you save not buying a AR-1 + the cost of a Cobra 75, you should be able to buy a very nice "talker."

Back when I was looking at installing my HF rig in my KJ I e-mailed firestik about the power handling capabilities of the AR-1. The response I gor was that it was rated for 30 watts. Since mine puts out more than that, and since the AR-1 only handles the 11 meter (CB) band, I chose to do my antenna mount on the front fender.

Science_Guy wrote:

There are modified export CBs (although illegal) that can use CB and HAM freq. I am not advicating you break the law just let you know what is out there. Here are a few good threads to look at...

Regarding 10M Radios converted to CB

Debate on what is "legal"

If you do not have an amateur radio license I would not recommend getting a radio that can transmit out of band. This is one of the few areas I know of where the FCC actively enforces its regulations. I can't recall seeing a enforcement letter from them for higher power, but I do know they go after people who transmit out of band, and fines can be substantial - $5000 to $10,000 from some of the enforcement letters I have seen. Much safer to get an amateur radio license. I believe right now it cost around $15 for the exam and the license is good for 10 years. Heres a link to another thread on HAM radio in this section of the board.

CB Information

Who is online