CB Radio Owners... (1 Viewer)

[LandCrawler]

How many of them do we have here? What models are you using and what, if any, tuning have you done to get the best performance?

These things can be vital on the trail. And for group runs they are a lot of fun! I do not have one for my land cruiser, but all my old rigs have had one.

 

[MKtaco98]

I have a Cobra 40 with a Firestick Antenna. To get the best performance I put a remote swr meter in the glove box amd I retune the cb when I get out on the trail

 

[93yotasr5]

i have the cheap uniden from frys. i like it better than my old cobra model. and i also have a generic fire stik and 25ft wire from frys as well. seems to have a pretty good signal without any tune.

 

[matttaylor1976]

I've got a Radio Shack model and 4 foot firestick antenna. The cb has a built in swr meter, and by tuning it i've been able to talk to people 20 miles away. I've had this cb for about 7 years, and absolutely love the thing. Just wish it was a bit louder.

This one:

 

[LandCrawler]

That thing is awesome matt. I need to start shopping for some gear for my cruiser, and i think im going to start with a CB & Antenna. I have a custom antenna mount my buddy made for me.

Where do you guys have your antenna's mounted?

 

[matttaylor1976]

My antenna is mounted on the rear passenger side corner, just above the taillight. The only drawback to this spot is that my antenna smacks the back of the rig every time i hit a branch.

 

[TYM4FUN]

Was also wondering about this topic. Anyone thinking of going to HAM? Or is everyone pretty happy with a CB?

 

[LandCrawler]

I like the CB radio thing cause more people on the trail have them.

 

[93yotasr5]

i plan on going HAM one day

 

[TYM4FUN]

Think I will do both....After reading in a radio thread, it looks like you can get a really good HAM handheld for only like 65 bucks now.

EDIT: 42 bucks now...

 

[93yotasr5]

the HAM radio is cheap. i just dont know how to get certified. but i havent really looked into it either.

 

[TYM4FUN]

What length cable would I need to run from my center console to reach my mount in the back?

And would you recommend a quick disconnect mount or a bolt on mount to the bracket?

 

[93yotasr5]

i have a 25ft cable. its longer than what we need, but the extra lemgth helps with better SWR readings. i have mine going under the sill panel of the passenger side, then behind the side panels to the back.

 

[TYM4FUN]

i have a 25ft cable. its longer than what we need, but the extra lemgth helps with better SWR readings. i have mine going under the sill panel of the passenger side, then behind the side panels to the back.

Thanks, what about mounting? Is one preferred, permanent or quick disconnect?

 

[93yotasr5]

i have a permanent one. i put a spring on it so it doesnt snap. it was my first mod on my rig and its still holding up.

 

[TYM4FUN]

Thanks, I should have everything here next week and installed for the trip in January!

 

[93yotasr5]

awesome!!!

 

[matttaylor1976]

Just a heads up on the cable, if you run a long one (i also have a 25') make SURE you don't coil the cable anywhere. Coiling the cable causes weak signal, and induction. Run it in a rats nest pattern to avoid bad signal and weak swr. Mine is just bunched up in random spots to avoid any issues.

I also second the permanent mount and spring, I'm on my second spring though. They do wear out and need to be replaced about once a year. Take a look at the rear of my rig for what happens when a spring wears out....there are marks everywhere from the antenna slapping around.

 

[TYM4FUN]

Thanks for the heads up. This is what I have coming:

Uniden PRO520XL 40-Channel CB Radio
25 foot 50 ohm cable
Fixed mount and heavy duty spring
4 ft firestick w/ tunable tip
antenna mounts from socalfrank (one for the antenna and one to mount a flag pole.

I will be attempting to mount this where the ash tray is located in the center console.

 

[MKtaco98]

I installed mine in the same location on my Tacoma its a really clean set up