DIY: CB Radio Install; Lots of Pics! (1 Viewer)

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Oh YEAH! Need a set for the 62 as well!! Tired of the dang mag mount for my hammy.

I have those as well.

J

 

[MantaRay67]

The Firestik site says the mount needs to be :

Are the bolts into the body sufficient ground on the labrak mounts or was grinding powder coat really necessary?
Is it necessary to grind paint for a contact patch between the body and the mount?? I'm ready to haul out the Dremel to ensure contact, but don't want to compromise good corrosion control if I don't really have to.

 

[TheForger]

The Firestik site says the mount needs to be :

Are the bolts into the body sufficient ground on the labrak mounts or was grinding powder coat really necessary?
Is it necessary to grind paint for a contact patch between the body and the mount?? I'm ready to haul out the Dremel to ensure contact, but don't want to compromise good corrosion control if I don't really have to.

All I know is I did not do any paint grinding at all. Mounted the antenna bracket straight up to the paint. I have a SWR reading of 1.2-1.5 across all channels and have successfully communicated from ~4 miles at my farm (granted there was lots of static but regardless still had comms)

 

[cmck]

Next, I had to mount the antenna to the LabRak drivers side bracket using the FireRing and FireRing stud mount. If you use the basic stud mount from Firestik you will not have enough thread in the coupling nut for the antenna to seat properly; make sure to get the FireRing stud mount! This and the coax cable are available as a package deal from Firestik and you can choose whether you want a 9ft length of coax with the PL-259 connector already soldered on, or an 18ft length of coax with the connector NOT soldered on to make it easier to route. I chose the latter option to make the job a bit easier. Here is a crude diagram of how I planned on routing the coax when I still planned on doing the panel mount connector:

View attachment 1184029

I mounted the FireRing underneath the bracket. I ran the coax through the bottom loop of the LabRak mount and then through a 3/8" hole I drilled near the rear hatch about 3" above the top mounting bolt for the bracket:

View attachment 1184013

This allowed me to run the cable through the grommet and then, after removing the rear taillight, I could use a fishing wire to route it between the body of the truck and the interior trim that would normally cover the factory subwoofer:

View attachment 1184014

Here is the coax coming out by the rear drivers-side door:

View attachment 1184015

I then began lifting up the carpet by removing the door-sill trim and a little bit of the weatherstripping. I wanted to run the coax along the inside of the door-sill where a lot of the factory wires are also routed through. The blue wires seen in the photo are power wires for my amp that powers the subwoofer in the rear. I basically ran the coax parallel to those blue wires at this point:

View attachment 1184016

Testing your memory here.....how long was the antenna wire run from the rear?

I’m doing a ham install under a single din radio in the dash and I have 13’. What do you think?

 

[TheForger]

Testing your memory here.....how long was the antenna wire run from the rear?

I’m doing a ham install under a single din radio in the dash and I have 13’. What do you think?

I purchased the FireRing Low-Pro terminal and that came with 18' of cable. I would estimate I had about 3-4' of excess cable once I was ready to terminate it. I would say 13' would be stretching it, but I'm not going to say it would be impossible. All comes down to how you route it and what short cuts you take to get it up front.

 

[cmck]

I purchased the FireRing Low-Pro terminal and that came with 18' of cable. I would estimate I had about 3-4' of excess cable once I was ready to terminate it. I would say 13' would be stretching it, but I'm not going to say it would be impossible. All comes down to how you route it and what short cuts you take to get it up front.

You passed the memory test....thanks. I was thinking run it up under the headliner plastic trim then down the a pillar. I could ignore the rear and make a mount on the driver hood with a much shorter run.

I guess its close enough to run a length test with a wire and test the antenna performance in both locations, before I make a final commitment.

Again, thanks for the speedy reply.

 

[TheForger]

You passed the memory test....thanks. I was thinking run it up under the headliner plastic trim then down the a pillar. I could ignore the rear and make a mount on the driver hood with a much shorter run.

I guess its close enough to run a length test with a wire and test the antenna performance in both locations, before I make a final commitment.

Again, thanks for the speedy reply.

Another option to consider is mounting the body of the radio in the rear like you said, and run a mic with a much longer cable that is routed whichever way you want up to the front. Also go with an external speaker mounted under one of the seats or dash. My Midland isn't exactly the loudest radio I've ever heard...

 

[RUMble907]

Yesterday I called the old laser shop and they are going to cut me a few blanks.

I have a few "samples" from the old prototype run that I can make up. @Kmonty66 gets the first pair and the other few (4 IIRC) are up for grabs. But, it'll be a few days before I can work them into the schedule.

J

Did you end up making these mounts up for sale?

 

[Kiwi in Alaska]

Yesterday I called the old laser shop and they are going to cut me a few blanks.

I have a few "samples" from the old prototype run that I can make up. @Kmonty66 gets the first pair and the other few (4 IIRC) are up for grabs. But, it'll be a few days before I can work them into the schedule.

J

I would be interested in this also if you are selling

 

[neckbone]

He’s actually in the process of development for these. We’ve been encouraging (pestering, hounding, begging) for a few months. Think he’s getting close. You can follow it in this thread.

Trail Tailor Offerings- Racks, Sliders, Control Arms and Misc

Stainless would be about 70.00 each vs. 90.00 a pair for mild steel and powdered. Oh man, if you make the antenna mounts in stainless I'm in for one for sure. I have a set (L&R) from another place that dosen't make them anymore that I have only had installed since July and they are already...

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