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CB Setup

5K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  sparky 
#1 ·
Hello, I have read a lot into CB setups and how they work, but am still a little unsure about ALL of the items that I need because I don't want to buy the wrong thing. My plan is to buy the Cobra 29 LX. My first question is does that come with the necessary equipment to power it (cable to the battery)? The following purchases will be the FireStik K8-A 18' antenna coax cable, Teraflex 1912002 Antenna mount (to put on lower section of tire carrier), FireStik K4-A stud with screw on coax termination (do I really need this?), Hustler QD-2 Antenna Quick Disconnect, FireStik SS-3H HD spring, and 4' FireStik II FS-4B.

Do I need all of these products (by the way, all of the listed products can be found on Amazon -- if that makes it easier to find them)? Any input is really appreciated. I want to get a CB, but do it right at the same time.

Thanks!

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#2 ·
The CB will come with a power cable, but it will be too short. I ran mine to the battery terminals directly, so a length of power cable, an inline fuse holder (the fuse in the CB/inline at the CB end is to protect the CB, the added one is to protect the run of power from the battery through the firewall or cowl to whereever your CB is mounted) and some ring terminals.

I wouldn't bother with both the spring base and the quick disconnect (I got both myself), but do one or the other (I went with the quick disconnect since I got the Wilson Flex-3 which is a VERY bendy/flexible antenna). Where I go offroad, even with a 3ft (1 ft shorter than yours) antenna, I hit the tip of the antenna on branches/overgrowth pretty much every time. I don't think a rigid antenna with a spring base would work well for me, but that's a call you have to make based on where you drive.

I also don't see on your list a mechanism to mount the CB. For a while I had mine just flopping in the center console. I ended up getting a single DIN mount (plus modifications since it was junk as delivered) and put it under my single DIN after market stereo head unit.
 
#3 ·
You may also want to pick up or borrow a cheap SWR meter so you can tune the antenna to the radio, this will give you the best range.
 
#4 ·
If you look at the Cobra 75 WRST (I believe) it can easily be mounted inside you console behind the rear window switches and wired through your center console for a clean install. If you want pics I can get some. No one even knows I have a CB because of how hidden it is. I also purchased all of mine for $161 to my door using ebay. I also did not use crimp butt connectors but the solder and shrink wrap ones from Home depot.
 
#5 ·
In my mind the SWR meter is a 'borrow' (even though I ended up just buying mine) item as you use it once when you first do your antenna and then it gathers dust until you change your antenna again.

Due to vibrations, correctly done crimps are better for offroad use than soldered connections, but many people (including me) aren't willing to spend what it takes to do them correctly.

If I had money to burn or was doing professional or production work, I'd use stand alone adhesive lined shrink wrap (tube) set with a heat gun over correctly crimped butt connectors (matching machined connector [not formed sheetmetal] w/ die, on a ratcheting tool).

What I actually do on my own Jeep is non-adhesive shrink wrap tube set with a lighter over hand soldered connections.

Next lower quality would be the cheapie crimp butt connectors you get at Walmart or auto parts stores. Lowest would be wire nuts or those awful t-tap 'toolless' connectors.
 
#6 ·
You might consider a trip to a local truck stop [ TA, Loves, flying J etc. They stock every thing you need and often have some deep discounts and many have CB shops that can help. also consider a cobra 75 wrx no bigger than a pack of cigarettes and more than enough for a jeep running in convoy on the trail
 
#7 ·
The Cobra 75 is what I went with. I mounted the power box between the passenger seat and the console, actually on the console towards the rear. I didn't run my power to the battery. My bud had an awesome idea, and what we did is hook the power line to a 12V plug, like what is on the end of your phone charger. My Sahara is a 2014, and has a full time power plug in, inside the center console. So when I want to use my radio, I just plug it into the 12V power supply in the console. Pretty damn nifty.

When I purchased mine, I got the heavy duty spring, 2' firestick, fire stick coax, and the RR spare tire mount. My buddy and I got the same set up at the same time, and he bit the bullet and got the meter from a truck stop. I think he paid 20 bucks or less for it.

The 75 w/ the firestick is a great combo for trail riding and convoying. We get about 1.5-2 mile range; which is great for 2' antennas. I wouldn't have it any other way, and it's way better than having a big CB taking up precious room in your jeep.
 
#9 ·
Here's the shopping list from my install:

Teraflex 4997100 CB Antenna mount
FireStik K-8A 18 foot single antenna coax cable
FireStik Heavy Duty SO-239 stud mount
FireStik FS-3BK antenna in black color
Firestik SS-3H heavy dusty stainless antenna spring
SWR meter
Strike Force Zebra CB radio mount for JK wranglers
Uniden Pro 520XL CB radio

Having the radio mounted over the rear view mirror makes use of space that would otherwise be empty in my jeep, but it can be annoying at times. I wish I'd installed a Cobra 75 mounted down low instead.

With my setup, when I'm done talking for a moment and need both hands to drive, I have to hang the mic on its clip, otherwise it will dangle by its cord, bump into the windshield, etc. If my radio was mounted near the floor I could just drop the mic on the seat/cupholder.

The K-8A cable came with PL-259 connectors preattached, and those connectors are big. I had to route it out the tailgate through the center "vent" instead of through one of the tailgate grommets that I would have preferred to use.

My 3' antenna gets caught on branches and stuff all the time on the wooded trails I run. It also almost hits my garage door when I pull in. With my upcoming lift and tires I will need a shorter antenna or a lower mounting location (perhaps a license plate bracket) because it won't clear my garage door after that.
 
#10 ·
I went out and took a couple pictures for reference of my set up. Someone mentioned clearance on the trail, well, with a 2' firestick, I have zero issues with that. That was why I chose the 2' vs. the longer one. See picture below.



The way I have mine mounted it works really well. It's quick to grab and easy to get back on the clip, even on the trail with a 6 speed.



I tried taking a picture of where I mounted the box, but it wouldn't load. (said the file was too big) but if you can picture a small box mounted out of site behind the seat, between the seat and console, that's it. A lot of people just mount them under the seat too.
 
#11 ·
I basically did the exact same thing as Tarpon except I did not mount the small power box. Mine is set up so I can pull everything out at once. I plug into the cigarette lighter in the console and put all the guts in there, when I done using it for a trail ride I pull the guts and put them on the shelf for the next time.
 
#15 ·
I just did just about same exact setup 2 weeks ago minus quick disco.

Do yourself a favor- good the stainless mount and buy it although it's $34. I had to grind down all connection points of teraflex mount, buy stainless bolts, and grind down tire carrier for swr. So it's will rust down the road and need replacing.

The 29 lx is great, but much bigger than I realized. Wish I went smaller.

I've gone through my firestick antenna and now on a Frances fiberglass. I'm now going to go to a steel wilson. Although I want to talk very far. Right now I'm about 2 or 3 miles in slight hilly country.

Have someone align and tune to 29- make sure they do not cut your modulation limiter. Ask, If they say they are going to go somewhere else. They are a hack.

Pm me with any questions
 
#17 ·
Will this setup work as it is right now and simply need to he tuned using an SWR meter? I don't have the antenna grounded (is it necessary to ground it in this case --if so, how?) Any help is appreciated!

Dagger
 
#18 ·
Will this setup work as it is right now and simply need to he tuned using an SWR meter? I don't have the antenna grounded (is it necessary to ground it in this case --if so, how?) Any help is appreciated!
I wouldn't transmit until you check swr. I'm willing to bet you're not grounded ENOUGH and have high swr.

Your stud grounds the antenna/coax to the mount which in turns grounds out to the jeep. However, with the powder coating on the mount I doubt it really is. Mine didn't have enough grounding.

Are you getting "antenna warning" on the 29?
 
#23 ·
It's working well. I mounted it above the stereo. I haven't tuned the antenna yet, due to the fact that I have yet to pick up a SWR Meter.

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#25 ·
Quick question. If I have my CB radio setup and adjusted to get an SWR on the SWR Meter of 1.1 on Channel 1 and 1.1 on Channel 40, but I can never hear any incoming signals clearly, does it just mean that I'm not close enough to the other people operating CBs or could there be an underlying issue?
 
#26 ·
Both, hard to tell without compairing to another radio.

You are not hearing clearly, are they distorted or faint?
Is RF gain all the way up and squelch turned town. Change channels, you might be getting bleed through from a strong signal on another channel.

Start with channel 19, that's the on the road / trucker channel and has the most activity. If you are listening on the upper channels, 40 and below, they are used by SSB operators and will be distorted on an AM radio.
 
#27 ·
Thanks for the info. As to your question, the voices are faint and there is a lot of static that makes it difficult to decipher what anyone is/may be saying.
 
#28 ·
What channel do yoyu hear the voices? Any specific or all of them.

Thinking about this a bit, a 1.1 SWR on 1 and 40 does not sound right. What is it on channel 20. You should not be getting a flat reading across the entire band. If you are, look for a short at the antenna. Was the mounting assembled correctly with the insulating washers in their proper locations?
 
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