CB Radio suggestions?

[FLY_FISHING]

as for CB's the Cobra 75WXST is ideal

 

[MeefZah]

how is the ball mounted to the back of the 2730?

I don't have any pictures of that, but I can describe it for you.

I used a piece of flat strap, 2 - 2.5x12mm bolts, two spacers, and the RAM ball mount.

Basically the RAM is mounted to the flat strap using nuts and bolts; the flat strap is then mounted to the rear of the head unit using spacers (to act as a stand off against the nuts holding the RAM mount on) and the small 2.5mm bolts. The power/data cable is secured to the flat strap with wire ties and the mic cable is routed along the back and secured with wire ties as well.

You know what, I'll just go take a picture later...

 

[susanbanthony25]

Meefzah, I have read a lot of not so great things on the slip over or mounts that utilize set screws. I am not 100% on a magnet type mount yet either but will probably be the one I go with.
I will definitely look in to the Kenwood models you recommended.
I could've sworn I read something about a HAM radio that was able to interface with CB radios but I could be mistaken. Thanks again for the insight.

 

[Chas of MRT]

My radio setup is listed below. Some what overkill with 3 units but works great for chasing & racing the Baja 1000. The CB is just for close range com between other chase trucks where the VHF is for talking to the race truck. I only keep the CB installed all the time, its in my glovebox. It has never let me down, clear communications and only cost like $50 at Frys. The VHF go inbetween the seat and center consoles, not mounted.

MRT Baja Chase Team Setup

1x Cobra 18 WX ST II
1x Cobra Magnet Mount Antenna on-road
1x Firestick II FS4-USA 4FT Antenna off-road

2x Icom F5021 VHF Mobile Radio
2x PCI 3db Antenna
1x PCI External Speaker

1x Icom F3011 Hand Held Radio

 

[susanbanthony25]

My radio setup is listed below. Some what overkill with 3 units but works great for chasing & racing the Baja 1000. The CB is just for close range com between other chase trucks where the VHF is for talking to the race truck. I only keep the CB installed all the time, its in my glovebox. It has never let me down, clear communications and only cost like $50 at Frys. The VHF go inbetween the seat and center consoles, not mounted.

MRT Baja Chase Team Setup

1x Cobra 18 WX ST II
1x Cobra Magnet Mount Antenna on-road
1x Firestick II FS4-USA 4FT Antenna off-road

2x Icom F5021 VHF Mobile Radio
2x PCI 3db Antenna
1x PCI External Speaker

1x Icom F3011 Hand Held Radio

Thanks! How did you mount the firestick?
How good is that handheld car to car?

 

[MeefZah]

Meefzah, I have read a lot of not so great things on the slip over or mounts that utilize set screws. I am not 100% on a magnet type mount yet either but will probably be the one I go with.
I will definitely look in to the Kenwood models you recommended.
I could've sworn I read something about a HAM radio that was able to interface with CB radios but I could be mistaken. Thanks again for the insight.

The only issue is lack of a good ground. The solution to that is simply to run a ground wire from the antenna base to a good ground.

Here's the radios. They are each $139.00 right now. I don't have the Kenwood mobile as I opted for a dual band Icom so I could get a remote head, but I handled the Kenwood extensively prior to buying the Icom and liked it a lot. I do have the Kenwood portable.

Kenwood TM-281A Mobile Transceiver TM281

Kenwood TH-K20A, THK20A 2 Meter HT

 

[Chas of MRT]

Thanks! How did you mount the firestick?
How good is that handheld car to car?

Firestick is on a bedbar. I forgot to mention this was on my Tundra. No radios in my 4th gen:sorry:

 

[Salvo Jimmy]

I used a Cobra 29 WX NW ST with a Wilson 5000 magnetic in my 2004. It was tuned by the shop where I bought it and the antenna set to within a nats hair of 1:1 SWR. Worked very well and was mounted on the driver side of the console next to my right leg.

The 2016 however does not accommodate that location or any other that is convenient for the size of the 29.

Would appreciate any thoughts from users of the Cobra 75 as I'm thinking it could work with the junction box in the shelf/open area below the audio/AC stuff on my 2016 SR5 and using a 5000 magnetic.

Conversation with my truck stop CB shack says no way the 75 will come close to the tuned 29 in performance and they can't tune it. It also does not have the 4W max power of the 29 and I see that on the Cobra site.

So I have to re-think the solution. Will be making a visit to the shop so they can look at the vehicle and maybe offer a suggestion.

 

[MeefZah]

Conversation with my truck stop CB shack says no way the 75 will come close to the tuned 29 in performance and they can't tune it. It also does not have the 4W max power of the 29 and I see that on the Cobra site.

So I have to re-think the solution. Will be making a visit to the shop so they can look at the vehicle and maybe offer a suggestion.

All mobile CBs are 4W output power, that's the max allowed by law and that's what the default power level of every single unit is. This includes the 75WXST. That's why for general use in a tight passenger compartment a smaller CB makes more sense - same output but smaller footprint.

I'm sure the larger chassis of the 29 allows more internal room to modify it for higher output - but that is illegal - and something no one really bears in mind is, if you tweak your output to 1.21 gigawatts, you are still trying to talk to guys who are at 4 watts. It'll be a pretty one-sided conversation unless they are close enough to you that your output of 4 watts would have been enough to talk to them in the first place.

And... good luck finding a mounting location for the 29 in a 5th gen that doesn't look like rape.

 

[MeefZah]

how is the ball mounted to the back of the 2730?

I don't have any pictures of that, but I can describe it for you.

I used a piece of flat strap, 2 - 2.5x12mm bolts, two spacers, and the RAM ball mount.

Basically the RAM is mounted to the flat strap using nuts and bolts; the flat strap is then mounted to the rear of the head unit using spacers (to act as a stand off against the nuts holding the RAM mount on) and the small 2.5mm bolts. The power/data cable is secured to the flat strap with wire ties and the mic cable is routed along the back and secured with wire ties as well.

You know what, I'll just go take a picture later...

Here is a photo. The spacers are not visible due to angle, but they are just generic hard nylon spacers and basically sit directly beneath the flat strap, under the small black hex head bolts, and they add about 4mm of space between the back of the flat strap and the back of the head unit.

 

[Salvo Jimmy]

All mobile CBs are 4W output power, that's the max allowed by law and that's what the default power level of every single unit is. This includes the 75WXST. That's why for general use in a tight passenger compartment a smaller CB makes more sense - same output but smaller footprint.

I'm sure the larger chassis of the 29 allows more internal room to modify it for higher output - but that is illegal - and something no one really bears in mind is, if you tweak your output to 1.21 gigawatts, you are still trying to talk to guys who are at 4 watts. It'll be a pretty one-sided conversation unless they are close enough to you that your output of 4 watts would have been enough to talk to them in the first place.

And... good luck finding a mounting location for the 29 in a 5th gen that doesn't look like rape.

So the fact that the Cobra site touts the 4W for 29s and 25s but not others including 75 is meaningless, not to mention one radio mag review I saw checked a 75 at 2.5W. My 29 came in at 3.5W and was tweeked to 4W as part of the tuning. the "tuning" in my case was not to do illegal mods. Just to tweek it to the top end of legal vs what came in off the shelf.. So if you can't tweek the 75 you are stuck with what you get.

BTW saw reviews of some low end Unidens that were well below 4W as well.

OBTW at my age "look"is not a consideration, just function but the purpose of visiting the trucker CB shop is to see what alternatives they may come up with, not necessarily including the 29, but at least something that can be put at peak legal performance

 

[susanbanthony25]

Lots of good input. Thanks Meefzah.
I just only know people with a CB. And I know I will get a HAM eventually for all the right reasons, for now a CB is all I really need I guess. But again, Mounting options for the radio and mostly the antenna are absent on the 5th gen.
I am coming from the JK world where mounts were a plenty and this is a little disappointing but I do see an opportunity for creativity. Maybe some sort of mount to the Rails on top like I have seen on some of the other members.

 

[MeefZah]

So the fact that the Cobra site touts the 4W for 29s and 25s but not others including 75 is meaningless, not to mention one radio mag review I saw checked a 75 at 2.5W. My 29 came in at 3.5W and was tweeked to 4W as part of the tuning. the "tuning" in my case was not to do illegal mods. Just to tweek it to the top end of legal vs what came in off the shelf.. So if you can't tweek the 75 you are stuck with what you get.

BTW saw reviews of some low end Unidens that were well below 4W as well.

OBTW at my age "look"is not a consideration, just function but the purpose of visiting the trucker CB shop is to see what alternatives they may come up with, not necessarily including the 29, but at least something that can be put at peak legal performance

Ok....

 

[Salvo Jimmy]

For all looking at a Cobra 75 like I was, another review said basically don't go with it unless it's absolutely your only alternative.

 

[Powder_Hound]

I know very little about CB's, but I'm thinking about getting one as they are used more than HAM's in my area (as far as I can tell). I've done some digging and I think I've selected all that I need. So, based on the image below am I getting all that I need to get started with a CB?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MeefZah]

You could probably delete the spring as the Firefly 3' is pretty flexible anyway, and the cig lighter plug I guess can be used for a temporary install but why not just wire it up correctly?

 

[Dragracer_Art]

The only issue is lack of a good ground. The solution to that is simply to run a ground wire from the antenna base to a good ground.

Here's the radios. They are each $139.00 right now. I don't have the Kenwood mobile as I opted for a dual band Icom so I could get a remote head, but I handled the Kenwood extensively prior to buying the Icom and liked it a lot. I do have the Kenwood portable.

Kenwood TM-281A Mobile Transceiver TM281

Kenwood TH-K20A, THK20A 2 Meter HT

I own several of each of these radios and cannot say enough about them. Fantastic and powerful.

Had one of the 281's mounted in the lower dash pocket of our '11 SR5 but haven't decided yet if I want it in that location in our new '16 SR5. I had to sacrifice the duct going to the rear of the console in order to get the radio deep enough.

Really wish Kenwood had a remote faceplate for the TM281's.

 

[Powder_Hound]

You could probably delete the spring as the Firefly 3' is pretty flexible anyway, and the cig lighter plug I guess can be used for a temporary install but why not just wire it up correctly?

Thx!!! I went back and forth on the spring and it will help keep price <$100 even more so if I remove cig lighter adapter. I haven't found any info on how to wire it up "correctly". I'm assuming this would entail running wires to fuse box, or splicing into existing wires?

Any tips would be appreciated. I'd prefer a clean direct connection through fuse box, but don't know how to do this.

Thx

 

[susanbanthony25]

Thx!!! I went back and forth on the spring and it will help keep price <$100 even more so if I remove cig lighter adapter. I haven't found any info on how to wire it up "correctly". I'm assuming this would entail running wires to fuse box, or splicing into existing wires?

Any tips would be appreciated. I'd prefer a clean direct connection through fuse box, but don't know how to do this.

Thx

All the CB installs I have done have been directly to the battery. Came through the firewall with the wiring and find a nice route out of sight to keep it clean.

 

[MeefZah]

Thx!!! I went back and forth on the spring and it will help keep price <$100 even more so if I remove cig lighter adapter. I haven't found any info on how to wire it up "correctly". I'm assuming this would entail running wires to fuse box, or splicing into existing wires?

Any tips would be appreciated. I'd prefer a clean direct connection through fuse box, but don't know how to do this.

Thx

I'll post up some info when I get off work.