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Help with CB radio?

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Old 05-29-2007, 09:33 PM
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Question Help with CB radio?

hey guys, so just curious does anybody know how hard it would be to install a cb radio, and what would need to be done for everything to work properly? i did a search and it just kept saying "cb" is too small of a word and wouldnt be included. any help is great, thanks guys.
Old 05-29-2007, 11:51 PM
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CBs aren't hard to install if you want to go the basic route... Buy a CB that comes with a power adapter and buy an antenna that will work with that CB. Find some place to mount the CB (Under the driver side instrument panel (near your knees), on top of the dash, inside your center console... wherever. Antennas are usually either a magnetic base or a window clip (which keeps you from rolling your window up all the way, but doesn't scratch the hell out of your paint like a magnetic base will). Turn it on, push the button, start talking. Simple.

If you're looking for something that looks a little more "built in," maybe you can find a 1/2 DIN unit that you can mount under an aftermarket stereo headunit.

Hope that wasn't too basic, but not sure what else you're looking for.
Old 05-30-2007, 07:24 AM
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There are options for installing a CB that don't have to make your car look like an RC model. I have had one in my car for years. There are two models of CB radio where all the controls are in the handset - one from Cobra and one from Midland. That takes care of the problem of finding a place to mount a standard CB radio. Then you can use a CB antenna with an adapter in place of your AM/FM antenna so that it's not obvious. (Never get an adapter that claims to make an AM/FM antenna work for CB.)

I posted more details and some pictures some time ago in this thread. (the antenna picture doesn't show it clearly - it is only 36" tall so it looks very much like a factory antenna)
Old 05-30-2007, 09:27 AM
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you will also need a SWR meter in order to adjust your SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) by changing the length of your antenna, usually by a set screw.
Old 05-30-2007, 10:08 AM
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I had one professionally installed in the passenger foot well mounted vertically against the tunnel. I lost the use of the flip out cup holder while it was mounted there, but it was out of the way of the airbag which is very impontant. I had a glass mount antenna which was absolute junk- it got very poor reception & in the end I ended up removing the whole system from my car. The idea above about adapting your FM mount for a CB antenna & having a hard wired setup sounds like a much better way to go.




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