Cb radio

[1994xlt]

I'm with @lil_Blue_Ford. A CB shop is an incredible resource to help you tune your radio and get the most out of whatever antenna you get, which is good to get from the CB shop. Some truck stops have them, or they're nearby. If you don't see one show up on an online search, find your closest truck stop and ask the clerks and/or drivers if there's one nearby.

I used to drive truck. 7 years, 2 companies, almost 1M safe miles.

Wow thank you.

 

[1994xlt]

Hey yall, got my antenna and mounts for my cobra cb today and then got to thinking this dang cb is too big to mount under the dash so do I try and stuff it in my ashtray slot? Or what would you do?

 

[1994xlt]

I’ll also add that at one point I was having a real problem with the one 4’ antenna that I had and happened across an old-school CB shop that happened to be open at the time. I went and talked to them, and for no charge they pulled out the electrical gear and tested everything, even hooked my radio up to one of the shop antennas. Turned out that my antenna wasn’t working. At all. It wasn’t coming up as shorted out, but it wasn’t doing antenna things either.

I also had a cheap coax and they made sure to show me the difference between a cheap coax and a good one. Good ones also aren’t really that expensive although like most things you can buy really expensive ones.

That was also about the point that I ordered myself a half dozen 102” stainless whips and decided that was the direction I was going with it. Done playing, go big or go home. Cheap often isn’t worth the hassle and it’s a lesson I’m often re-learning.

I will probably have a cb shop tune it or atleast check my tune? Not sure how much it would cost if it’s over 100 which I’m sure it is I probably won’t bother because then I’ll have to re tune it when I put it in another truck

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I will probably have a cb shop tune it or atleast check my tune? Not sure how much it would cost if it’s over 100 which I’m sure it is I probably won’t bother because then I’ll have to re tune it when I put it in another truck

Thanks! Also, that's not the case! Once it's tuned, that setup will work in any truck. The antenna becomes tuned to the radio and cable. It's a common situation for "slip-seat" truck drivers who do not use the same truck every day to take their radio with them. Once is enough, and you are looking at around $100, but trust me when I say it's money well spent.

As far as the location goes, I would say under the dash in the middle. That's out of the way enough to be safe but also visible.

 

[1994xlt]

Thanks! Also, that's not the case! Once it's tuned, that setup will work in any truck. The antenna becomes tuned to the radio and cable. It's a common situation for "slip-seat" truck drivers who do not use the same truck every day to take their radio with them. Once is enough, and you are looking at around $100, but trust me when I say it's money well spent.

As far as the location goes, I would say under the dash in the middle. That's out of the way enough to be safe but also visible.

Well I can’t fit my cb in the middle I have a automatic with the big plastic organizer under it, I could take out my ash tray but then I would have to install snot he cigarette lighter maybe they make a bracket for a cigarette lighter holder?

 

[Curious Hound]

Put a camera strap on it and hang it around your neck? Always handy and easy to reach the controls.

The side of the console?
Inside the console?
Mount on the roof? There is a center support that runs front to back that would support that weight.
On top of the dash? I had one there in my 88 F150

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Well I can’t fit my cb in the middle I have a automatic with the big plastic organizer under it, I could take out my ash tray but then I would have to install snot he cigarette lighter maybe they make a bracket for a cigarette lighter holder?

Could you take a picture?

 

[Curious Hound]

Does “snot he” = “another”?

 

[1994xlt]

Put a camera strap on it and hang it around your neck? Always handy and easy to reach the controls.

The side of the console?
Inside the console?
Mount on the roof? There is a center support that runs front to back that would support that weight.
On top of the dash? I had one there in my 88 F150

I thought about the dash but people say it’s bad for the heat?

 

[1994xlt]

Well I can’t fit my cb in the middle I have a automatic with the big plastic organizer under it, I could take out my ash tray but then I would have to install snot he cigarette lighter maybe they make a bracket for a cigarette lighter holder?

Does “snot he” = “another”?

Yes don’t mind that horrible spelling

 

[1994xlt]

Could you take a picture?

Of what? Sorry

 

[Curious Hound]

Yes don’t mind that horrible spelling

I do it, too. But that one took me a while to figure out.

 

[1994xlt]

I do it, too. But that one took me a while to figure out.

Sorry about that

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Hey yall, got my antenna and mounts for my cobra cb today and then got to thinking this dang cb is too big to mount under the dash so do I try and stuff it in my ashtray slot? Or what would you do?

I try to just pick whatever spot I can fit the radio. Sometimes I’ve tried to buy specific radios, like the little “paperback” radios that I have or because in my green Ranger the best spot I’ve been able to come up with is inside my custom center console and thus will be rather inaccessible, I’m looking at getting a radio with the controls on the mic so I can hide the actual radio.

There’s really no right or wrong answer for where to mount the radio, whatever works for you. I’ve sat in the drivers seat and held the radio at different possible positions and tried to find whatever didn’t get in my way but left it easily accessible from the drivers seat.

I will probably have a cb shop tune it or atleast check my tune? Not sure how much it would cost if it’s over 100 which I’m sure it is I probably won’t bother because then I’ll have to re tune it when I put it in another truck

A decent CB shop should test things for free or a minor charge. It’s potential business for them if something has to be fixed/replaced/modified. The shop I went to, they tested stuff for free, then I ended up buying, if I mind right, a new coax, mount, and my first 102” whip. Then knowing what I needed, I bought more of that stuff online later to start outfitting the rest of my fleet.

 

[1994xlt]

I try to just pick whatever spot I can fit the radio. Sometimes I’ve tried to buy specific radios, like the little “paperback” radios that I have or because in my green Ranger the best spot I’ve been able to come up with is inside my custom center console and thus will be rather inaccessible, I’m looking at getting a radio with the controls on the mic so I can hide the actual radio.

There’s really no right or wrong answer for where to mount the radio, whatever works for you. I’ve sat in the drivers seat and held the radio at different possible positions and tried to find whatever didn’t get in my way but left it easily accessible from the drivers seat.


A decent CB shop should test things for free or a minor charge. It’s potential business for them if something has to be fixed/replaced/modified. The shop I went to, they tested stuff for free, then I ended up buying, if I mind right, a new coax, mount, and my first 102” whip. Then knowing what I needed, I bought more of that stuff online later to start outfitting the rest of my fleet.

Okay thank you, I just got my cb mounted and I mounted it too my cup holders