CB radio

[Tank33]

Does anyone here have a CB in there Grand Am? I saw one a few months ago I think, any pics?

[BOOTMASTER]

sorry man, this is depressing....

[Tank33]

Originally Posted by BOOTMASTER

sorry man, this is depressing....

To each there own I guess.

I am a actual Trucker for a living, not a wannabe, the CB installation is so I can talk to my fellow drivers and friends when I am in my car, not just when I happen to see people on the road in the truck, and it's another gadget to put inside.

[oldinstaller]

This may date me, but I do remember installing cb radios into cars and trucks way back in the day. The only issue for an install on a Grand Am is where to mount the actual cb radio.
I know that I personally have not kept up with cb radio technology or cb antenna technology either. If you were to ask me, I would try to find a cb radio that can interface with some type of aux input on your stereo system so that way you don't need to have some ugly looking speaker box to hear what people are saying.
The antenna is one thing that you cannot get away from. It is bulky and tall and will always look like a cb antenna. Probably trunk mounting it would be the best application. I do remember K40 used to make a really good cb antenna. It didn't require much adjustment when you do a swr match, signal quality was incredible, (in some cases, it out performed firestick antennas), and you can remove the antenna so no one ripped it off your car.
I'm sure there are some websites out there that have some info on cb radios that have all the controls in the mic. It makes it real easy to mount and hide away when not using it.
Sorry I don't have more information to help you out.

[oldinstaller]

I found 2 companies that make a "all in the mic" cb radio. Cobra makes a model called the 75 WX ST that has a separate brain where you connect your power and antenna coax, and Midland makes a model called the 75-822 which is a combination portable/mobile cb radio with separate attachments to adapt.
Neither one is very upgradable so if you used to using a power mic or linear amp, they have no provision for those types of accessories.
Looks like K40 is still around and I saw several postings on the internet for their product line of cb antennas.
I hope that was more good information to help you out. If you a true "diehard cb user", just stick with the good ol stuff despite the bulkiness and huge antenna mounts.

[Tank33]

Thanks for all your help oldinstaller!

Here is what I am going with:

Cobra 25 NW LTD Classic (has a fully illuminated face, pretty cool at night)
Wilson 1000 roof top mount antenna with a 62 inch whip, total height of 5 ft 5 in.
SWR/Power meter with a 3' jumper.
Small external speaker about 2 inches tall and 5 inches wide.

The CB is probably going to be placed in the center console in front of the shifter. I am planning to cut out the back portion of that cubby hole, and slide half of the radio through there, and the other half will be in the cubby hole.

The antenna will be mounted directly in the middle of the trunk lid, and since it is a rooftop mount, no paint wrecking magnets or wires will be showing, 100% clean install.

The speaker, I think I will run the cable for it, behind the dash, to the driver side pillar, up there, under the headliner, just to where my sunroof switch is, and that's where I will mount the small speaker, firing on a downward angle.

The SWR/Power meter, I am thinking either on top of the CB, or mounted to the underside of the dash by the steering column.

All in all I can't wait to get it done, will be something unique, I plan to do some LED lighting all around as well while I will be doing all that stuff, light up the top of the CB and such.

[oldinstaller]

I should have known...truckers go with REAL cb radios, not that "wannbe" stuff.
I can tell you are not fooling around with a 62 inch whip and a swr meter too.
Well good buddy, you sound like you are set on your decision of gear. Don't forget a few tennis balls on the tip of the whip just in case the tip smacks the car and doesn't chip the paint or crack the windshield.
Good luck.

[Tank33]

To me the Cobra 25 isn't even really a real radio, but it is the biggest radio I can fit in the center console, the radio in my semi, now that's a radio!

I will post some pics up when I get it done.

[rocketfast123]

Good choice with Wilson 1000, it you can find a 5000 get it. I run a 5'ish firestick with a trunk lip mount.
http://www.cbradioforum.com/


Cobra 29 WX ST (wish it was NW)


You are right about cutting the back part out.


long ain't it?


Under my air filter is where the PA speaker is


I use to run a 520 ProXl, very good radio. Easy to peak and tune. Now it's in my wagon

[PhantomLover007]

I had to at the light switch and the whip antenna Rocket.. The antenna makes you look like a UC...

[rocketfast123]

Been is service 3 years on my car so far. To me a light switch is a light switch. ::

ps
It sucks when i have to take the wip off when i go into some parking decks.

[Tank33]

I could have gotten a Wilson 5000 but decided against it because it has a larger base on it, and I figured it may be to large and look bad.

I really wanted to run a larger radio such as the chrome edition 29 LTD, but it simply was to wide for the console, you can stuff it in there as you did, but the console only narrows in further the closer you get to the back, and I did not want to butcher it up to terribly bad.

So that only left me with one option, the 25 I picked up. I do have to run a SWR meter now as there is no SWR CAL on the smaller CB's but that's ok, it is one more gadget to mount somewhere.

I have always liked the inside of my vehicles to look more complicated then they are. I love having lots of switches and gadgets and gauges and meters and stuff everywhere, makes people wonder that way

I have a good plan in place for the install, once the antenna and meter get here I will be jumping on it right away. I am going to mount the radio pretty much at the bottom, and then I am going to put about five, 5 MM LED's on the top back portion of the console, so it will light that left over area up nicely.

Going for a very clean install here, pretty excited about how this will turn out if all goes well!

Have you ever had any problems with people vandalizing your antenna rocketfast123? I must admit I am somewhat concerned that some punk will walk by and think it would be fun to grab my whip and bend it into a coat hanger.



Also, could you get some pictures of the top of your trunk lid rocketfast123? I am curious to see how you mounted that antenna.

[rocketfast123]

So far it has not been vandalized. I'll get some pics of it in the day time.

[rocketfast123]

I got it from ebay, they seem only to last about 3 years in Alabama weather.


Well i found out why my radio has had a drop in performance. The red wire is just a ground. As far as i know it has not been hit by lightning

[Tank33]

Yea that would definitely hurt performance.

I think I am going to run a grounding strap from each trunk hinge to the fenderwell's or somewhere good, get that trunk grounded out good.

[GregFarz78]

CB radios are fun and probably better than a radar detector for spotting cops. I wish you didn't need an antenna the size of the empire state building though you think in 2009 they can figure out how to make them tiny. Don't they make cb's that you can mount under your seat and you'll only see the mic in the cabin?

[rocketfast123]

They do but most if not all are crap. The 520 ProXl is a very good small radio.

[Tank33]

Well I got the car in sooner then I thought. All props go to a guy here in a local shop who does incredible work, definitely a master installer.

Decided to add a switch panel too, as I am in need of some but didn't know where to put them. I like the look of this, it looks like the CB is actually suppose to be there. He even built a bracket on the back and bolted the radio right to the entire center console, solid as a rock, no vibrations or anything!

Opinions?

[rocketfast123]

I like, now where are you gonna put the mic?

[Tank33]

My mic hangs off of 2 mini bungee cords that hook into the lip on my sunroof frame, works out perfect. I am very happy with the install, already had lots of compliments, and some haters who don't like CB's in cars, oh well, I did something different!