Advice on CB installation or RF knowledge (1 Viewer)

[Beowulf]

Thanks guys for all the input.

I finished the CB install this evening. Opened the case and installed a pigtail using good quality coax, good shielding to the case on the inside. Shielded plug on the end of the pigtail. Plugged the big hole in the case with a plate with a small hole for the coax. JB Welded the plate to the inside of the case. The pigtail is about 6" long and used a wire tie for a strain relief. Good solder joints everywhere with heat shrink.

Removed the PS seat for access to dash and to get to unswitched +12v. This is the location my 2nd fuse box will go when I install it and the 2nd battery so that is why I selected the PS seat for power. Soldered the connection, taped, and slipped it back in the seat wiring harness.

Antenna is running under the Husky liner, between the 2nd row seats, under the mat to the center console, then up to to the dash. Someday I plan to run the coax next to the PS frame rail.

Radio fits well and looks factory. Thanks to all and special thanks to Christo for letting people know the CB model to use and where to mount it. That saved a lot of time but it still took me most of the day.

-B-

(PS - Pitched a neighbors 12-man tent in the back yard. It's my son's 11th birthday party. Never laid eyes on this tent before. No instructions. Gusts to 30mph. Started at dusk, finished well after dark. Eight 11 year old boys "helping." I'm too old for this and I need a drink!.)

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

B:

Nice work, well done, please post pictures!

PS I remember as a kid groups of us 'camping' in various backyards in the neighbourhood - lots of fun and still brings back fond memories! I can't wait to take my 2 y.o. camping this summer

Cheers, Hugh (oh ya, get your ametuer lic, only 35 multimple choice questions seperating you from a great radio :G)

 

[scottm]

I've built antennas for industial experiments processes inside vacuum chambers. We ran enough power to need to water cool the whole thing! Your antenna and wire are like a tuned instrument. The electrical wave travels to the end and bounces back like a ball bouncing off a wall. Properly tuned, the ball comes back to the amp just as the amp is sending another pulse, and the system vibrates with little resistance. Any changes along the length of your antenna can cause part of the wave to reflect back at the amp or transmit out of the component, lost power. Not tuning the overall length of the system by small changes in the antenna also causes the system to be out of synch. This is very simplified, and I'm no expert, but that kind of tells you what's happening with the signal. My Uniden 510XL sits in my door pocket, as it has with my last three cars. It puts out around 20 amps to a mag-mount Wilson 2000 centered on the roof. It gets great reception and puts out a great signal. The whole thing moves to my wife's 80 or anywhere else in minutes. I did put a dedicated, switched cig lighter under the left dash for it. I suspect if I ran a bad antenna system I'd get a lot of reflected and lost signal, maybe blow the overtuned amp.

 

[Beowulf]

Following image is some of the parts used. The fuse taps won't work.

Inside of the unit with the bottom cover removed to gain access to the bulkhead.

Split the case with tin snips to remove the connector.

Bend the case like a barn door.

Here is what the final pigtail looked like.

Resealed the case with a metal plate with a hole sized for the coax and sealed with JB Weld.

This image shows how the pigtail was grounded to the case. I used a small screw through the rivet in the case. Put a nut on the other end and connected a ground strap with a connector on the end. This was soldered to the coax shield.

Another view of the completed pigtail.

This is the installed unit.

 

[CruisinGA]

Got the red X model Uniden B? 8)

 

[Beowulf]

Bailey,
Images are showing OK for me. Are you missing all 10?
-B-

 

[ParadiseCruiser]

B -

Nada aquí ???

R -

 

[cruiserdan]

DONOT ADJUST YOUR SCREEN......I see some enchanting small boxes with red x's in them......... :G

 

[Beowulf]

Sorry guys. I can't seem to remember the nuances of file naming between my hosting account and the images on this board. It appears to "like" my names once they are in my IE cache; then it doesn't like them if I exit IE and log back in to ih8mud.

Let me know if anyone is still having problems.

-B-

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

I see them all, they look fine (same on my home computer last night) - good job! Maybe I can get you to solder my portable J-pole antenna!

Cheers, Hugh

 

[CruisinGA]

That actually seems to be nearly the same CB that my grandfather gave me-only his was 20 years old and had "radioshack" stamped on it. It conked out on me after about a month, but it had already seen 20 years of service by then. And the environment of open-topped 40's is not conducive to long-lasting electronics :dunno: .

 

[Beowulf]

Bailey,
If you look closely at the 3rd and 7th images you will see a 1999 copyright on the board. You can still buy these radios new but I picked this one up on eBay. Uniden makes several of the current Radio Shack models.
-B-