CB and antenna setup on a budget

Macland

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
If you're planning to down the antenna on a regular basis, give thought to a mag mount setup. Wilson, K40 sell great ones. I have a Wilson now and I use to have a K40. The K40 is loaded at the base on top of the mag and the whip is tunable. Solid magnet great range and can handle power.



Someone else may take that in to consideration when reading this thread later. My stuff is already paid for and in the way but I appreciate your input for the thread. Reading this thread and a few others has really educated me and I hope that others in the future will find this thread useful as well.
 

Airmapper

First Fill-Up (of many)
Looking forward to pics Mac, the blue antenna I gotta see. I thought about doing a bright color, but I'm all black so I stuck with the stealth theme, little spots of red here and there, like the antenna tip.

I haven't run a power line for the CB yet, using the cig plug in the center console. You can hear the alternator some taking off if it's not squelched. It's hardly noticeable though. If I run an axillary power box I'll make it a slot, but until then it's fine.
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
And how they ran their cable from outside to inside. AirMapper? I think we have a similar setup.

Running it in is easy, you poke a hole in the grommet that goes from hatch to body and run it in through there and then seal the grommet back up with electrical tape...I dunno about grounding your antenna...
 

Airmapper

First Fill-Up (of many)
I grounded mine with a ground strap from the mount to a roof rack bolt. I had to sand off the coating on the bolt where it mated to the ring on the strap. I don't know if it's the best way, but my multi-meter screamed continuity when I checked the strap to vehicle ground, so I'm guessing good enough. Another method is to run a fairly large gauge wire (12 at least) back to the hatch area and use a ground point in that area. I wanted to keep my ground run short as possible and as close to the antenna as possible is why I used a roof rack bolt.

I have a SWR of 1.4 on 1 and 40, and the needle doesn't even move on 19 (1.0 SWR.) Probably room for a little improvement perhaps, but I'm well within the safe zone.
 

Macland

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Bringing this back from the dead. Would like to get a CB set up as well. However, not to savvy with CB's. For instance, I know i have to get a speaker, CB, antenna, cable, antenna mount, running hot and cold wires, also tuning the CB seems difficult as well. Anyway hope some tips would be coming this way.
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
Bringing this back from the dead. Would like to get a CB set up as well. However, not to savvy with CB's. For instance, I know i have to get a speaker, CB, antenna, cable, antenna mount, running hot and cold wires, also tuning the CB seems difficult as well. Anyway hope some tips would be coming this way.

1. Speaker is optional, most CB's have decent ones already.
2. CB yes, for small and easy to hide, I recommend Cobra 19DX IV, yes there's one out there smaller that the mic holds all of the programming, what channel, etc, I don't like that, if that mic breaks, you can't stop at any truck stop and get a replacement mic.
3. Antenna/cable/mount: decide what your goal is here, if it's just off-road CB use, get one of the midland glass mount CB antennas, they're cheap and have everything you need, and are tuneable. If you have aftermarket tint, this probably won't work so hot.
4. Wiring: DIRECT TO BATTERY, that's it, no further discussion.
5. Tuning: get a SWR meter from Amazon and follow the instructions, the only hard part is that you really need two people to do it correctly.

Also, start studying to take your HAM tests, it's growing in popularity in off-road uses, especially since you have the possibility of running off of a repeater...which makes a $35 handheld radio a good possibility for that.
 
1. Speaker is optional, most CB's have decent ones already.
2. CB yes, for small and easy to hide, I recommend Cobra 19DX IV, yes there's one out there smaller that the mic holds all of the programming, what channel, etc, I don't like that, if that mic breaks, you can't stop at any truck stop and get a replacement mic.
3. Antenna/cable/mount: decide what your goal is here, if it's just off-road CB use, get one of the midland glass mount CB antennas, they're cheap and have everything you need, and are tuneable. If you have aftermarket tint, this probably won't work so hot.
4. Wiring: DIRECT TO BATTERY, that's it, no further discussion.
5. Tuning: get a SWR meter from Amazon and follow the instructions, the only hard part is that you really need two people to do it correctly.

Also, start studying to take your HAM tests, it's growing in popularity in off-road uses, especially since you have the possibility of running off of a repeater...which makes a $35 handheld radio a good possibility for that.

Thanks for the tips. I saw the ones with everything in the mic, I am not to fond of those as well just for the same reason you stated. It would probably be for off-road use if any and high way driving. Also, i am going to want to mount the antenna in the back, somewhere in the rear hatch area. I also like a weather band option, but i read where the extra money spent isnt worth it. I am really trying to stick to a budget under 100 bucks.
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
If the all in one cb mikes were known to break, I guess that's a potential issue, but, as they're built better than just mikes, breakage has never been an issue....and truck stops do have them. :)

They are also great if you have more than one rig (I have a jeep too for example), as you can quickly plug the mike jack in and go....so one cb for as many rigs as you can drive at the same time.

Space savings and braindead install ease make them very popular in tight rigs, I would not dismiss them as an option for the reasons given earlier at least.
 

ericcris10sen

First Fill-Up (of many)
The one issue I'm seeing when I drilled into my X was that after a while, it starts wearing out especially since you go over rocks and mud and rain may get to it. The hole becomes little larger and the screws don't really fit anymore into those holes. That's the only issue I have right now with my setup.
 

Tay-Lo

I'm the king of junk food!
Location
Upstate SC
A s tj said, the all in one sets are pretty useful. I have a Midland 75 that I use in the X and I travel for work so I also use it in rental cars. I've had no problems with it at all. I also like that it can run as a handheld with a battery pack and antenna that connects to it.

Sent from my pocket computer
 

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
A tuned antenna makes all the difference. I have the Cobra DX 19 iii (one generation earlier than the iv). 30 bucks at Wal Mart. I bought a cheap mag mount antenna to use with it for 15 bucks...well...I couldn't hear or talk to anyone.

I then upgraded to a 4 foot Firestik Fire Fly antenna. I could hear people better, but they couldn't hear me.

I then finally found someone with an SWR meter...and WOW. I can actually talk to and hear people great and at a decent distance (at least a couple miles as far as I have confirmed).

All in all, my set up cost me:

Radio: $30
Antenna: $16
Stud mount: $5
Coax cable: $18
Wiring accessories to hard wire it in the cab: $10

Tuning the antenna took maybe 10 minutes and was very easy once I had an SWR meter. They aren't too expensive...but it is one of those things you will probably never use again, so I didn't want to buy one. Of course, going a year with a "CB Setup" that didn't work...I should have spent the extra $20.
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
A tuned antenna makes all the difference. I have the Cobra DX 19 iii (one generation earlier than the iv). 30 bucks at Wal Mart. I bought a cheap mag mount antenna to use with it for 15 bucks...well...I couldn't hear or talk to anyone.

I then upgraded to a 4 foot Firestik Fire Fly antenna. I could hear people better, but they couldn't hear me.

I then finally found someone with an SWR meter...and WOW. I can actually talk to and hear people great and at a decent distance (at least a couple miles as far as I have confirmed).

All in all, my set up cost me:

Radio: $30
Antenna: $16
Stud mount: $5
Coax cable: $18
Wiring accessories to hard wire it in the cab: $10

Tuning the antenna took maybe 10 minutes and was very easy once I had an SWR meter. They aren't too expensive...but it is one of those things you will probably never use again, so I didn't want to buy one. Of course, going a year with a "CB Setup" that didn't work...I should have spent the extra $20.


That's typically the issue, a passive antenna works w/o tuning...so you can hear others fine even without tuning, but, when you transmit TO others, they can't hear you unless you have some tuning.

The reason is that the antenna length is what broadcasts the signal frequency...and, if you are trying to transmit at a particular frequency (So you're on the "right channel"), and the antenna is the wrong length, some of the power the radio is transmitting that is "Off Frequency" is turned to HEAT and not a radio signal.

The more heat, the weaker the power left for signal...so, the weaker your broadcast...and, that heat is frying your electronics if too hot....so, no one can hear you complain that your radio is toast.


When you "tune" the CB antenna, all you're doing is setting the best length...and, if "Perfect" you'll have a 1:1 ratio, meaning 100% of your total power is turned into signal. This is not physically possible in real world tuning, as there are always losses...for example, a higher channel and a lower channel are BEST with a particular length...so, you typically tune for the "middle", so its best ~ Channel 19, and a bit off at the others.

We are talking about a millimeter either way changing the tune a lot...its fairly precise.

So if the meter says 4:1 (An SWR of "4.0" - you are frying the radio badly if you key the mike (NOTHING bad happens unless you key the mike, and try to SEND a signal).

If the meter says 3.0, you are still frying it, but a little slower....and so forth.

The best most field CB's in rigs can do is closer to ~ 1.5 or so...with under 2 being the main objective. Even a "2" means half your broadcast power is wasted....but the heat is not THAT bad yet (Not GOOD, but, more survivable, etc...)


Measuring is simple, yet, can be complicated by factors such as where you are when you measure it. You can get a reading that makes the SWR look better, or worse, than it really is...if there are objects too close by that interfere with the ground plane, etc.

The ground plane is what is REALLY the point to consider with an antenna mount...as the best situation is a flat horizontal metal surface beneath the antenna. Think of a stone being skipped across a lake...that's what the ground plane does for your signal.

:D
 

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Yep. That is why I mounted mine on the front head light guard of my bumper. 4 feet over the hood makes for a very strong signal. My SWR was right around 1.4 on 40 and 1 when I was done. A clean ground connection does wonders too, so I made a ground wire jumper screwed into the steel of my bumper. Just using the contact of the stud mount on the tab wasn't a clean enough ground for me, even after trying to remove some paint to get bare metal.
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
The main thing is that almost any CB is fine, and that you'll get more bang for the buck if the antenna/tuning is optimized than spending more on the CB itself.

A well installed/well tuned Cheap CB will easily outperform an Expensive CB with a sloppy install/poor tune.
 

GPD605X

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
Location
Gulfport, MS
Well, grabbed a Cobra 19 DX IV from Lucky_Lefty. Gotta figure out where to mount it and what all I need. I'm thinking about mounting it on the roof with a folding mount that way when I'm not using it I can just fold it down. My uncle does HAM radio so I'm sure he could tune it for me easy.
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Malin_Rebate

Skid Plates
Location
Tennessee
I've got 2 cbs now. I'm thinking of stacking them. One for my firestik and the other one for my 102" whip and buying a little one for the roof


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mine
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It's tiny AND the color of the face matches the xterra orange of the other gauges. Super Kewl!!
Having channel buttons on mic is helpful as well.
With a lil Wil mag antenna I was getting friends on Pismo beaches where the highway cuts crown to the coast figure about 10-14 miles but it was a straight shot from elevation. He was on a half wave or quarte wave antenna SSB base station at the trailer and I could pick him up. Other folks could hear me but I couldn't hear them. It's a TEAM MinCom
 
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