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installing a cb in my truck

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  • country_boy

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    Feb 7, 2009
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    Bought a cobra model 29, hoping to install it in my truck. Ive seen antennas but, need some opinions on what all I need to buy to have this cb installed and working in my truck.

    Much obliged.
    Texas SOT
     

    Big country

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    That will do antenna wise. As far as the tuner if you don't know what you're doing the best thing would be to take it to a pro. If you do know what you're doing, have fun.
     

    hink

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    Oct 1, 2011
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    need a base, antenna, coax cable, and a good source of power AND ground....


    then take it to a cb shop and have it peak and tuned, or peak tuned...

    they hook up a meter and adjust the swr's close to about a 1.5 reading on the meter as they can, and send you on their way


    unless you run a linear amp, the (all) cb's transmit and receive at 4 watts.... on an untuned setup that is about 1-2 miles... on a good tuned setup you can see up to 15-20 miles, and with a linear amp you can see forever, as the truckers say.

    the 29 is a good radio, i have a little micro uniden 510pro xl, and am looking for something different.

    Peaked and tuned on the radio is different than tuning the antenna system to the vehicle. The SWR meter is temporarily installed inline between the radio and the antenna, then the antenna length is physically adjusted to closely match the electrical length of the RF signal being transmitted. I prefer the antenna style that has a brass screw at the end of the antenna, that way I can fine tune the physical length without cutting any wire that can't be put back.

    CB radios also transmit and receive using AM signals. Factory radios transmit using a low wattage signal, then 'swing' up to but not exceeding 4 watts -- the max allowed by FCC rules for unlicensed radio operators. A peaked radio will have the ability to deadkey 4 watts, then 'swing' more than 4 watts, which is what gives the radio the ability to talk out the 15-20 miles. Tuning the antenna will increase the ability of the radio to transmit that signal, as well as the ability of the antenna system to effectively transmit that RF signal to the receiver inside the CB radio.

    The different channels on a CB radio correspond to different frequencies in the RF spectrum. An SWR meter will generally be used to tune the antenna system on channel 19 to an SWR as low as 1.2, which will keep the SWR on chanel 1 and 40 to around 1.7, and the channels between somewhere inbetween. Keeping the SWR below 2 will keep your transmitter happy, and increase your reception range, keeping your operator happy.

    If you have the room, I'd highly suggest a co-phase setup -- two separate antennas using a Y-cable off the back of the radio. It will also add to your transmission and reception range, being that CBs are held to small power transmission every little bit helps.
     

    shooterfpga

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    cophase is cool, if you have a semi truck, otherwise you will just look like someone that doesnt know what youre doing. whatever antenna you get, make sure its atleast 3/4 of it is above the cab. if not, you will enjoy talking to either yourself a lot, or those behind you. i swing about 350w max.
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    Jul 11, 2009
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    Hink had a very factual post. The meter in question is an SWR (standing wave ratio) meter. It measures how much power you put into the antenna compared to how much power is reflected back. You change the length of the antenna until the SWR is as low as possible . When the antenna is most efficient, the swr will be lowest.

    My choice was a 108" whip antenna identified by a large spring at the base and bumper mount. That is a 1/4 wave length and mine would hit 7 miles fore and aft on the highway with no linear amp, no power mike and completely legal transmitter. Set it up right and you don't need lots of power and the feds won't be looking for you.

    Co-phase antennas don't radiate in a circle. They aim the majority of the power fore and aft.

    From experience........The biggest danger from running illegal high power on CB is not from the Feds. You will splatter about 2-3 channels higher and lower when you run power and your fellow CB enthusiasts will come gunning for you. You mess up their transmissions and they will locate you and damage your equipment.

    I knew guys who ran two linears......one was a preamp for the big linear. When they keyed the D104 "lollipop" mike, the house lights dimmed! One could light a florescent light bulb 5 feet from his antenna!

    Another had a mobile running a ton of power. When he transmitted, the giant size car alternator made the car slow 10 MPH! Don't do that stuff. People will come looking for you.

    Flash
     

    shooterfpga

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    nobody comes looking for you, everyone is running power. you could hook mine up to an osciliscope and you wouldnt see anything dirty. i dont take any of my equipment to hacks. as for those guys you talked about, when you get into the higher end of the it like keydown competition style rigs, then yes im sure people will hate you. anything under 600w is not going to make a difference as far anyone on the rx side. if youre gonna peak and tune, make sure theyre trusted and not just because some trucker dude told you so, most of them just wanna be heard and not so much as heard clean. i run a wilson 5k, theres a guy kale that builds some awesome antennas, called predator 10k, but i would knock those over so i cant run one :(

    cbradioforum.com <---i suggest you go here and read up. lots of good info there, plus pictures of installs to help you out.
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    nobody comes looking for you.

    Snicker............some of those guys were running 1kw to the antenna. You obviously haven't been triangulated and targeted. Dream on............

    Flash
     

    shooterfpga

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    nobody comes looking for you.

    Snicker............some of those guys were running 1kw to the antenna. You obviously haven't been triangulated and targeted. Dream on............

    Flash

    no i havent, because i dont run a high wattage and stomp on everyone. like i said, those guys youre talking about are running keydown competition setups. thats not my thing. secondly, everyone is running power out there, around the same as me or more. anything less than 600w is not going to make a huge difference that someone on the other side is gonna say, hey man youre running power. i know, because ive tested both with and without power. they wont even be able to tell. i hardly run it unless i need to, like when im in an area thats hard to TX/RX, otherwise i run barefoot.

    lots of guys that were stompers were targeted, but you know why? its because they were jerks, always holding down the mic and cranking their 1KW juice and just trash talking. as long as youre not an idiot, you wont have any issues, and if someone is targeting you because they think you might have power, theyre idiots too, grow up.

    as long as you are properly grounded you wont have any RF bleed out. if you buy equipment from hacks, youre gonna get hack results, ie: tons of bleed out all over the channels, into tvs, into radios, etc. thats because they dont know what theyre doing and dont care to have clean power. when i say clean power, im talking about non overmodulated power that is crisp, clean and clear when you key up.
     

    ROGER4314

    Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
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    its because they were jerks, always holding down the mic and cranking their 1KW juice and just trash talking. as long as youre not an idiot, you wont have any issues.

    I agree. The guys were jerks and could stomp on the whole state by keying a microphone! They kept weapons ready as folks would cut their coax, paint their house, trash antennas or even burn their vehicles. Sigh.......it's not the kind of life I want to lead.

    You said it right. If you behave and don't stomp on people, be courteous and act right, CB can be a lot of fun! I lived it and loved it for many years. My handle is "The Little Mean Boy."

    It always cracked me up to see ads for linear amplifiers designed for 10 meter Amateur band. The statement "Illegal for use on 11 meter Citizens Band!" was always in the ad. You can read that two ways....................big smile.

    Flash
     

    shooterfpga

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    Some of us have to use the things most every day....and no, we don't talk like that any more...THANK GAWD!!!!

    lmao, i still hear dudes talking slang on there. especially on the superbowl its BAD on there.

    oh and just a story about what happened to me one time on the cb. i was talking to a buddy of mine and i seen this really hot dirt hauler chick. man she was smokin hot. so im talking to him on the cb and he tells me to change channels because he cant hear me. i switched channels and started going back to how the driver was smokin hot etc and she keys up and says thanks guys. hahaha, busted. my buddy knew the driver and what channel she talks on so he tricked me!
     
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