CB hookup

[Shooterj2003]

I’m planning to hookup a cb in my frontier , my choices are my old ltd 29, my cobra 19 or the new kid on the block the Cobra 75,the big decision is based on space and the new kid has it all , but I own the others -several 29’s from my work days with Yellow frieght,I’ve lots of respect for 29’s but as I said space is at a premium with Frontiers , the 19 can be squeezed in but there is no squeezing with the 75 so my mind is made , I see there is a glass mount antennae and I’m not familiar with them or thier ability’s I’m used to metal to metal and things like the wilson 1000 I want avoid magnetic mounts because it’s my paint and I care about paint now!the glass mounts seemed small and this may have an affect on abilities and range can I have some clues on if this is right thinking.I never was a cb guru I just had CB shops set me up, At Yellow we mostly used homemade sound boxes from toolboxes with a sound system and CB built in for portability from truck to truck .They would strap down on the passenger side and the antennae would vise grip to the mirror mount outside for the most part they worked good.how is the best way to hookup this truck , wiring will be run direct to the battery with a fuse and avoid all connections to vehicle wiring

 

[slowmover]

Some formatting of post would be appreciated. (One thought blurs into another).


This thread is a recommended course for best high performance CB radio:

Best Mobile 2025

A general: what should I recommend to friends who want high performance in Citizen Band? Let’s ballpark it at $500 entry. Will last longer than the time they own the automobile. Seatbelts, Concealed Carry, and CITIZEN BAND. This thread aimed at YOU, not the guy who knows even less. However...

forums.radioreference.com

1). Things changed a couple of years ago. The radios you mention aren’t what are wanted any longer. I’d not go without SSB for when it’s wanted. AM/SSB. The QT80 radio is small. Has the needed Noise Reduction Circuitry (DSP) that makes all the difference in Hear, and Get Heard. The performance difference is unreal.

— Do an online search of how others have mounted radios in your vehicle brand/M-Y.


2). A WILSON 1000 or 5000 permanent-mount, roof center, is fine. Maybe not as durable long-term as the NMO advised, but a few hundred OVERSIZED pilot car operators do fine with them.

3). Clean power from BATT (fuse POS only, not NEG). Attach NEG to closest ground point.

4). DRIVER EXTREME DRX-901 Extrnsion speaker wakes up the performance angle. With the radio type recommended a Hi-Fi speaker makes CB what it always wanted to be.

Best audio is a system whereby speaker location is part of the solution (above and behind left ear; rarely ever stuck on dash facing operator; this is Good down to Bad) so time spent planning and doing layout as with all the rest is where the majority of time gets spent on an installation.

Words spoken on-air are just clues. Rapport is a strongly intuitive sense which is paramount. Speaker quality and location matter greatly.


Now, . . anyone without experience of what DSP enables — and best systems provide — has no idea of what Citizen Band can do (thirty years experience doesn’t matter).

— With whatever components you use, take the time to get Antenna system “best” as that’s the one matters most. Upgrade as you go.

Just don’t wait too long as trade war may make things more difficult (impossible?) to acquire.

The thread linked is the best approach, IMO.

.

 

[niceguy71]

I’m planning to hookup a cb in my frontier , my choices are my old ltd 29, my cobra 19 or the new kid on the block the Cobra 75,the big decision is based on space and the new kid has it all , but I own the others -several 29’s from my work days with Yellow frieght,I’ve lots of respect for 29’s but as I said space is at a premium with Frontiers , the 19 can be squeezed in but there is no squeezing with the 75 so my mind is made , I see there is a glass mount antennae and I’m not familiar with them or thier ability’s I’m used to metal to metal and things like the wilson 1000 I want avoid magnetic mounts because it’s my paint and I care about paint now!the glass mounts seemed small and this may have an affect on abilities and range can I have some clues on if this is right thinking.I never was a cb guru I just had CB shops set me up, At Yellow we mostly used homemade sound boxes from toolboxes with a sound system and CB built in for portability from truck to truck .They would strap down on the passenger side and the antennae would vise grip to the mirror mount outside for the most part they worked good.how is the best way to hookup this truck , wiring will be run direct to the battery with a fuse and avoid all connections to vehicle wiring

without a good antenna, whatever you do will be a waste... the antenna that goes through the windshield doesn't work... at least I've never heard anyone saying it works... mostly you see people put that and a little 18" antenna.. and they can get few hundred feet of usable range.
so plan on a good 5 foot tall CB antenna.... if you're worried about the paint.... drill a hole in the roof and install a Larsen antenna they are said to be fantastic!

NMO27 - Larsen NMO 52" CB Antenna 1/4 Wave​

every new CB person will always say no hole... no way.... no how.... but if you're going to stick with the hobby, it's the way to go.
if you want to get your feet wet and see if CB is still fun... put a minimum 5 foot Mag mount on the roof... I had a k-40 on my Blazer in the same spot from 1990 to 2000 ( I drilled a hole for the coax and siliconed it in place through the fiberglass top so it wasn't removable) when I took it off 10 years later the paint was fine... little more shiny than the rest of the truck... but no one is going to see the roof!!!
I have a magnetic mount now and I take it off once a week and lay in in the bed of my truck and run it through the car wash..... so it has been on and off about 100 times ( 2 years) and the paint looks perfectly fine... my antenna has a rubber bottom that seems to protect the paint. so I wouldn't worry about the mag mount. and try it out... in a few months you'll know if you're going to stay with the hobby then drill the hole...... so for now look at the Wilson 1000 or the Stryker SAR-10 or what they say is the best.... the Sirio 5000 performer... and also buy the magnetic base for the Sirio ( the Sirio is 77 inches tall!!!)...you can later drill a hole and permanently install the Sirio

as for the CB ....all the new radios have NRC ... I believe the Cobra 75 all road has something similar.... I'm not sure how well it will work ( I doubt Cobra has it working as well as NRC in other radio's
... Radioddity makes a lot with NRC....but it's mandatory in CB's now... it removes a lot of the static background noise allowing you to hear people far away or hear cheap low powered radio's that you could never hear without it.

with NRC receive turned on to # 2 or #3 a low 4 watt radio say 8 miles away might be heard... you could hear the person far in the background and talk to him.... his radio won't move your Signal meter but you can just hear him and talk to him..... if you shut off the NRC all you will hear is static. .... truly worth getting

no one is on CB anymore.... you will barely get a radio check anymore.... but Side Band is hopping! so many people on SSB it's ridiculous... everyone is talking skip on SSB all across the world.
if you're going to spend the money ....that Cobra 75 all road is $199.....you really should get a good radio and they are large.... as SlowMover said the Radioddity QT80 ( $299.99) is fairly small for a SSB radio packed with great features... and a 100 watts of power!!!!...

you could get a Anytone 5555 N II for under $200 with free shipping from China Anytone 5555 N II but it's a massive radio 12 inches long!!!!

before you buy the Cobra 75 All Road.... and I'm sure it will do fine for just CB... it does looks easy to install.... take a look at the Radioddity CS-47..... it's very similar but the cord is permanently connected to the unit.... but it's the size of a pack of cigarettes so you could easily mount it between the seat and console.... and then just hang the mic on the dash ... it's much cheaper than the Cobra.... it also has NRC and it can be modified by just moving a jumper inside it.... once modified it puts out 8 watts on AM and 15 watts on FM it's $76.00 at Amazon Radioddity CS-47
I did a range test with the Radioddity CS-47 from my F150 to my Base and it did ok... 9 miles.... ( mobile to Mobile would be far less)
whatever you get for a CB have fun with it and the hobby.... but the important part is the antenna and it needs to be at least 5 feet tall ( mine is 57 inches but does what I want it to do. I have a Tram 3500, it was discontinued a few years ago and the warehouses were selling them cheap to get rid of them.... you used to be able to buy one for $55.00 bucks!!! ...but they are now $85 bucks.... and for $85 bucks I would think it would be worth while to spend a little more and get a better antenna like the Stryker SAR-10 ..... it's on sale at Walmart right now for $105 bucks GREAT DEAL Styker SAR-10

this is my CS-47 range test .... if you fast forward it to about 29:00 you will see the range test.... but using that same base antenna and the same mobile antenna... most CB's I test are all about the same 9 to 10 miles
good luck with whatever you get.....
come back sometime and let us know what you get and how it works.

 

[K6GBW]

I guess it's going to depend on what you want out of the radio. If you want to talk to other cars in a caravan you can go with a 4-watt radio and a marginal antenna. The glass mounts are a complete waste of time and money, so don't frustrate yourself! The antenna is the biggest part. If you don't want to drill holes or use a magnetic mount, you will be limited. A hood mount is probably all you can manage. If you WILL drill a hole, then an MNO base loaded antenna like the Laid NMO-27 or similar is a great choice. But as niceguy said, in the real world the magnet mount antennas are nothing to be afraid of, they'll cause much less damage than stone chips from driving on the highway will cause. I wouldn't write them off as there are some good antennas that work well and are easy to install and tune.

As for the radio, if you want a simple AM/FM radio the remote mount that niceguy suggests in his video would be really good. The Wilson 74 All Road is good if you use the wired mic rather than Bluetooth. The Bluetooth can be wonky. But you can test it and see if it works for you and if it does then you're set.

Basically, when it comes to putting in a CB, it's kind of like getting a tattoo...you got to be all in or all out. A good install with proper power lines, grounding and a great antenna will be the best, least annoying, radio you can do.

On my Subaru Crosstrek I'm planning to put a Breedlove ball mount on the left rear "C" pillar with a 4' antenna and run the Radioddity CS 47 under the passenger seat. The Breedlove mounts are a commitment, but many they work, and they look kind of cool after they're done!

 

[niceguy71]

Basically, when it comes to putting in a CB, it's kind of like getting a tattoo...you gotta be all in or all out. A good install with proper power lines, grounding and a great antenna will be the best, least annoying, radio you can do.

love the reply.... love the Tattoo statement... very true
someday soon SSB will be small enough that everyone will be able to fit one in their vehicle... and we won't have to scratch our heads wondering why on earth anyone in their right mind would only put in an AM only CB.
and AM only would be ok if people would use them or at least leave them turned on... but I guess it must take away from being able to talk on the phone non stop.

I have seen a lot of CB antenna's in my town lately... I actually went grocery shopping and saw three tall magnetic antenna's in the parking lot... on the road I saw a Stryker and got on 19 to ask him how he liked it.... and got nothing..... the next day I saw a woman with a Dodge pick-up and it looked like a Tram 3500 or maybe a Wilson 1000 so I got on 19 to ask about it..... NOTHING but static.... last week I saw a K-40 trunk lip mount on the back of a buick..... I got on 19 to say hi.... and nothing..... funny I live in a small town and I must have seen 4 Strykers and several either Tram 3500 or Wilson 1000 and 20 FireSticks..... I think that's a lot to notice just driving around in a small town......
I think I saw a Wilson 5000.. it had a bigger base on it.... but it was driving at me and I couldn't see it... so CB's are out there in my area... but sadly very few have it turned on.

 

[K6GBW]

My suspicion is that people put the radios in and only use them for specific purposes, like off roading or when in a caravan. Us serious static junkies listen all the time, but we are the exception to the rule!

 

[slowmover]

Most have such poor performance out of obsolete gear and lousy installation past inferior antenna that GP use hardly seems worth the trouble.

Skip makes it worse, but,

Go first class and talk right past them to those around you.

This is like some kinda secret.

About half of my unsolicited TX is to tell the A-wipes, if you’re not on the road, get the hell off 19.

This’ll wake up a few around me. “Proves” that Skip & The A-Wipes ain’t dominant. I think that even most truck drivers aren’t aware of this.

Whether or not I get local responses it’s definitely fun to go after the bad actors. Manhood not present, or, they’d be better off back home in Africa (I save that one for Joisy accents). Not Americans, and not men.

.

 

[niceguy71]

Most have such poor performance out of obsolete gear and lousy installation past inferior antenna that GP use hardly seems worth the trouble.

Skip makes it worse, but,

Go first class and talk right past them to those around you.

This is like some kinda secret.

About half of my unsolicited TX is to tell the A-wipes, if you’re not on the road, get the hell off 19.

This’ll wake up a few around me. “Proves” that Skip & The A-Wipes ain’t dominant. I think that even most truck drivers aren’t aware of this.

Whether or not I get local responses it’s definitely fun to go after the bad actors. Manhood not present, or, they’d be better off back home in Africa (I save that one for Joisy accents). Not Americans, and not men.

.

I agree,

people should have their radio's turned on .... ( my opinion or what the hell did you buy it for)

and 2ndly all the ass clowns on 19 should let it be for what's intended purpose was... traffic advisory and help.

but I don't think it will ever be used for what is once was

I used to like to just leave my base station on 19, in my work shop and listen to ???? well I thought I would listen to the truck drivers and people telling where the speed traps are and weather reports of black ice ( Am I allowed to say Black ice??? or do I have to use some politically correct term?) but I turned it on every day for 6 months.... never a truck driver.... never a radio check and never a speed trap report..... nope it's just whistling and playing music and religious preaching and a continuation of the super bowl

I sure would love to find that moron that keeps saying Audio....

I wouldn't mind two people both on the road talking about whatever.... that would help the hobby grow..... if traffic alerts needed to be broadcast those two fellows could easily move to another channel...
sadly you can't even have a conversation on 19 ... it's just filled with noise and idiots.

all the surrounding towns in my area all have a local channel... we have 6 channels that are always talking about their towns local gossip.... but they don't tie up channel 19.
sad for the new people that buy a CB and think they will talk on 19.. if they don't have some friends and family with CBs or find a local channel... they will think CB is dead.

 

[prcguy]

without a good antenna, whatever you do will be a waste... the antenna that goes through the windshield doesn't work... at least I've never heard anyone saying it works... mostly you see people put that and a little 18" antenna.. and they can get few hundred feet of usable range.
so plan on a good 5 foot tall CB antenna.... if you're worried about the paint.... drill a hole in the roof and install a Larsen antenna they are said to be fantastic!

NMO27 - Larsen NMO 52" CB Antenna 1/4 Wave​

every new CB person will always say no hole... no way.... no how.... but if you're going to stick with the hobby, it's the way to go.
if you want to get your feet wet and see if CB is still fun... put a minimum 5 foot Mag mount on the roof... I had a k-40 on my Blazer in the same spot from 1990 to 2000 ( I drilled a hole for the coax and siliconed it in place through the fiberglass top so it wasn't removable) when I took it off 10 years later the paint was fine... little more shiny than the rest of the truck... but no one is going to see the roof!!!
I have a magnetic mount now and I take it off once a week and lay in in the bed of my truck and run it through the car wash..... so it has been on and off about 100 times ( 2 years) and the paint looks perfectly fine... my antenna has a rubber bottom that seems to protect the paint. so I wouldn't worry about the mag mount. and try it out... in a few months you'll know if you're going to stay with the hobby then drill the hole...... so for now look at the Wilson 1000 or the Stryker SAR-10 or what they say is the best.... the Sirio 5000 performer... and also buy the magnetic base for the Sirio ( the Sirio is 77 inches tall!!!)...you can later drill a hole and permanently install the Sirio

as for the CB ....all the new radios have NRC ... I believe the Cobra 75 all road has something similar.... I'm not sure how well it will work ( I doubt Cobra has it working as well as NRC in other radio's
... Radioddity makes a lot with NRC....but it's mandatory in CB's now... it removes a lot of the static background noise allowing you to hear people far away or hear cheap low powered radio's that you could never hear without it.

with NRC receive turned on to # 2 or #3 a low 4 watt radio say 8 miles away might be heard... you could hear the person far in the background and talk to him.... his radio won't move your Signal meter but you can just hear him and talk to him..... if you shut off the NRC all you will hear is static. .... truly worth getting

no one is on CB anymore.... you will barely get a radio check anymore.... but Side Band is hopping! so many people on SSB it's ridiculous... everyone is talking skip on SSB all across the world.
if you're going to spend the money ....that Cobra 75 all road is $199.....you really should get a good radio and they are large.... as SlowMover said the Radioddity QT80 ( $299.99) is fairly small for a SSB radio packed with great features... and a 100 watts of power!!!!...

you could get a Anytone 5555 N II for under $200 with free shipping from China Anytone 5555 N II but it's a massive radio 12 inches long!!!!

before you buy the Cobra 75 All Road.... and I'm sure it will do fine for just CB... it does looks easy to install.... take a look at the Radioddity CS-47..... it's very similar but the cord is permanently connected to the unit.... but it's the size of a pack of cigarettes so you could easily mount it between the seat and console.... and then just hang the mic on the dash ... it's much cheaper than the Cobra.... it also has NRC and it can be modified by just moving a jumper inside it.... once modified it puts out 8 watts on AM and 15 watts on FM it's $76.00 at Amazon Radioddity CS-47
I did a range test with the Radioddity CS-47 from my F150 to my Base and it did ok... 9 miles.... ( mobile to Mobile would be far less)
whatever you get for a CB have fun with it and the hobby.... but the important part is the antenna and it needs to be at least 5 feet tall ( mine is 57 inches but does what I want it to do. I have a Tram 3500, it was discontinued a few years ago and the warehouses were selling them cheap to get rid of them.... you used to be able to buy one for $55.00 bucks!!! ...but they are now $85 bucks.... and for $85 bucks I would think it would be worth while to spend a little more and get a better antenna like the Stryker SAR-10 ..... it's on sale at Walmart right now for $105 bucks GREAT DEAL Styker SAR-10

this is my CS-47 range test .... if you fast forward it to about 29:00 you will see the range test.... but using that same base antenna and the same mobile antenna... most CB's I test are all about the same 9 to 10 miles
good luck with whatever you get.....
come back sometime and let us know what you get and how it works.

Was that the same test where I talked with your friend through my remote base when he got closer to home?

 

[niceguy71]

Was that the same test where I talked with your friend through my remote base when he got closer to home?

no I never posted that video.
it wasn't a very good video as we kept talking on the telephone and the radio... at the same time... it was a lot of confusion..
if I remember we got some pretty good range.... but I can't remember if it was 29 miles on AM or if it was 29 miles on SSB .... I think it might have been 18 miles AM and 29 miles on side band.

that night it was my 5555 N II base station and 50 foot to the tip Antron 99......to wx2watch QT-60 with Stryker SAR-10
I don't believe he has been able to get any contacts on SSB.... someday maybe I'll have him swing over and I'll put his 60 watt radio in my F150 and see if I can get a bunch of contacts across the country.... I normally can get contacts all across the country on a daily basis with my old President Grant Export that has 27 watts.... and then I'll put my grant in his truck and see if it's able to do it... it might be his hearing too????
sure is nice to have help on tests and see what can really be accomplished.

 

[K6GBW]

Maybe in a few years, when the skip settles down, the 11-meter band can go back to local communications like it was meant for. But right now, your right, it's skip all day long and yeah, channel 19 is just a sewer of recorded garbage. It's sad, but to hear anything like what we used to hear in the "old" days you have to go up above 27.405 and then you hear some semi-normal conversation. I say semi because still, to this day, for some reason as soon as some people pick up a microphone, they spontaneously develop an exaggerated southern accent that makes them almost unintelligible, and they develop the inability to speak plain English. Every sentence has to have some sort of riddle type phrase. Strange phenomena that should be studied by psychologists under laboratory conditions, I think.

I spent some time yesterday scanning on GMRS channels to see if there was any traffic similar to the old CB days. You know, people calling out to others kind of randomly. For the most part I heard a couple of repeaters ID'ing and I heard a lot of bubble pack radios with people calling out for cleanup on isle five and stuff like that.

 

[wx2watch]

no I never posted that video.
it wasn't a very good video as we kept talking on the telephone and the radio... at the same time... it was a lot of confusion..
if I remember we got some pretty good range.... but I can't remember if it was 29 miles on AM or if it was 29 miles on SSB .... I think it might have been 18 miles AM and 29 miles on side band.

that night it was my 5555 N II base station and 50 foot to the tip Antron 99......to wx2watch QT-60 with Stryker SAR-10
I don't believe he has been able to get any contacts on SSB.... someday maybe I'll have him swing over and I'll put his 60 watt radio in my F150 and see if I can get a bunch of contacts across the country.... I normally can get contacts all across the country on a daily basis with my old President Grant Export that has 27 watts.... and then I'll put my grant in his truck and see if it's able to do it... it might be his hearing too????
sure is nice to have help on tests and see what can really be accomplished.

I’m still plugging away with my 5555 N II mobile rig. I don’t get to experiment as much as I would like as the “Karens” in my HOA group always raise a questioning eye when they see the SAR-10 whip on the top of my truck in the community parking lot! Heaven help me if they should see me opening the hood of my truck.

As I mentioned, at some time in the past, I purchased the radio for my two annual trips down to Virginia. (Always curious as to which interstate lane to be in during traffic congestion.) So, I don’t use it except for special occasions.

I’m still considering permanently mounting the radio in my Tacoma but the only location I might try involves removing the passenger side glove compartment – don’t want it to be visible when I have to park in the seedier side of town. But, that sure is a big radio to try to conceal. ( And yes, SLOWMOVER, you are absolutely correct that a temporary jury-rigged install SUCKS!) I think I have a good ground to the frame of my truck via connecting to the lag bolts of the passenger seat but I’m still using the 12 volt outlet for power – I’ll have to wait for warmer weather to wire that permanently to the battery as I do not have an indoor garage workspace.

Three weeks ago I did drive up to Mt. Wachusett (2000+ ft elevation vs 200’ for my home) to try for some contacts. Heard lots of skip on channel 38 LSB from Florida. But, very congested and I don’t think anyone heard me… I also tried channel 19 AM, but again, NO JOY for any responses.

NICEGUY71, I hope maybe we can get together again when the weather warms up. I had a good time participating in your range check. Looks like I might have a lot of spare time if the Feds don’t rehire me for my seasonal boat captain’s gig with the park this summer.

PRCGUY, it was a pleasure talking with you on your remote station. Definitely a good clean STRONG signal from 12 miles away.

A snow storm is predicted for tomorrow so maybe there will be some radio chatter on channel 19. Guess I’ll put the radio in the truck tonight, before the snow starts…

 

[slowmover]

“ . . As I mentioned, at some time in the past, I purchased the radio for my two annual trips down to Virginia. (Always curious as to which interstate lane to be in during traffic congestion.)”

Mainly, it’s the use of routing so as to avoid heaviest traffic volume. Adding miles can be beneficial.

If I was leaving eastern MA to head to VA it’d be to pick up IH-84 to Scranton, PA. Then south on IH-81 to IH-64 at Staunton, VA to join IH-95 at Charlottesville.

Stay out of the BOS-WASH corridor.
Skirt the edge.

The truck traffic to and from America does it this way. The corridor is regional plus local trucks for the most part. The long-haulers intercept IH-95 on closest E-W access to make deliveries inbound via minimized exposure.



Drive through 90-million or 9-million?
“Hmm, lemme think on that”.

You’ll hear more on the route I’ve suggested once at Scranton.

Shorter ain’t faster, necessarily.
Risk Avoidance tips the balance.

.

 

[Chris155]

“ . . As I mentioned, at some time in the past, I purchased the radio for my two annual trips down to Virginia. (Always curious as to which interstate lane to be in during traffic congestion.)”

Mainly, it’s the use of routing so as to avoid heaviest traffic volume. Adding miles can be beneficial.

If I was leaving eastern MA to head to VA it’d be to pick up IH-84 to Scranton, PA. Then south on IH-81 to IH-64 at Staunton, VA to join IH-95 at Charlottesville.

Stay out of the BOS-WASH corridor.
Skirt the edge.

The truck traffic to and from America does it this way. The corridor is regional plus local trucks for the most part. The long-haulers intercept IH-95 on closest E-W access to make deliveries inbound via minimized exposure.

View attachment 177645

Drive through 90-million or 9-million?
“Hmm, lemme think on that”.

You’ll hear more on the route I’ve suggested once at Scranton.

Shorter ain’t faster, necessarily.
Risk Avoidance tips the balance.

.

We’ve made enough east coast north-south trips to know this is sound advice. Go inland, the gps estimate that takes you through jetsey/nyc Says 12 hours, actual time is 16. The inland route is 15 low stress cruising hours.

 

[DeeEx]

I’m still plugging away with my 5555 N II mobile rig. I don’t get to experiment as much as I would like as the “Karens” in my HOA group always raise a questioning eye when they see the SAR-10 whip on the top of my truck in the community parking lot! Heaven help me if they should see me opening the hood of my truck.

As I mentioned, at some time in the past, I purchased the radio for my two annual trips down to Virginia. (Always curious as to which interstate lane to be in during traffic congestion.) So, I don’t use it except for special occasions.

I’m still considering permanently mounting the radio in my Tacoma but the only location I might try involves removing the passenger side glove compartment – don’t want it to be visible when I have to park in the seedier side of town. But, that sure is a big radio to try to conceal. ( And yes, SLOWMOVER, you are absolutely correct that a temporary jury-rigged install SUCKS!) I think I have a good ground to the frame of my truck via connecting to the lag bolts of the passenger seat but I’m still using the 12 volt outlet for power – I’ll have to wait for warmer weather to wire that permanently to the battery as I do not have an indoor garage workspace.

Three weeks ago I did drive up to Mt. Wachusett (2000+ ft elevation vs 200’ for my home) to try for some contacts. Heard lots of skip on channel 38 LSB from Florida. But, very congested and I don’t think anyone heard me… I also tried channel 19 AM, but again, NO JOY for any responses.

NICEGUY71, I hope maybe we can get together again when the weather warms up. I had a good time participating in your range check. Looks like I might have a lot of spare time if the Feds don’t rehire me for my seasonal boat captain’s gig with the park this summer.

PRCGUY, it was a pleasure talking with you on your remote station. Definitely a good clean STRONG signal from 12 miles away.

A snow storm is predicted for tomorrow so maybe there will be some radio chatter on channel 19. Guess I’ll put the radio in the truck tonight, before the snow starts…

Pardon me, but any chance your initials are WC or BC? Calling KB1MS_? If so, wow…old friend here…

 

[wx2watch]

Pardon me, but any chance your initials are WC or BC? Calling KB1MS_? If so, wow…old friend here…

Sorry, my initials are JH. But, congratulations on the advanced amateur license. (I'm still procrastinating and stuck at the technician level)

 

[niceguy71]

I’m still plugging away with my 5555 N II mobile rig. I don’t get to experiment as much as I would like as the “Karens” in my HOA group always raise a questioning eye when they see the SAR-10 whip on the top of my truck in the community parking lot! Heaven help me if they should see me opening the hood of my truck.

As I mentioned, at some time in the past, I purchased the radio for my two annual trips down to Virginia. (Always curious as to which interstate lane to be in during traffic congestion.) So, I don’t use it except for special occasions.

I’m still considering permanently mounting the radio in my Tacoma but the only location I might try involves removing the passenger side glove compartment – don’t want it to be visible when I have to park in the seedier side of town. But, that sure is a big radio to try to conceal. ( And yes, SLOWMOVER, you are absolutely correct that a temporary jury-rigged install SUCKS!) I think I have a good ground to the frame of my truck via connecting to the lag bolts of the passenger seat but I’m still using the 12 volt outlet for power – I’ll have to wait for warmer weather to wire that permanently to the battery as I do not have an indoor garage workspace.

Three weeks ago I did drive up to Mt. Wachusett (2000+ ft elevation vs 200’ for my home) to try for some contacts. Heard lots of skip on channel 38 LSB from Florida. But, very congested and I don’t think anyone heard me… I also tried channel 19 AM, but again, NO JOY for any responses.

NICEGUY71, I hope maybe we can get together again when the weather warms up. I had a good time participating in your range check. Looks like I might have a lot of spare time if the Feds don’t rehire me for my seasonal boat captain’s gig with the park this summer.

PRCGUY, it was a pleasure talking with you on your remote station. Definitely a good clean STRONG signal from 12 miles away.

A snow storm is predicted for tomorrow so maybe there will be some radio chatter on channel 19. Guess I’ll put the radio in the truck tonight, before the snow starts…

I can't believe anyone would complain about a CB antenna on the roof of a truck in a HOA parking lot!... that is just completely unbelievable
to me.... you said they look... I'm sure no one would complain.

something I just thought of....
because I just can't believe you don't get tons of LSB contacts... and if you went up near the mountains 2000 feet of elevation..... you should have had ZERO problems with the 60 watt radio ( I was thinking it was the QT60.... but I now know it's the 5555 N II ( same radio)
so something is VERY wrong... the other day I thought of you.... so I tried my 27 watt mobile from my driveway and had 4 guys come back from various places in the country on the first try.... I was thinking it must be your hearing.... but all the guys I heard coming back to me were loud! you'd have to be dead not to hear them... and I'm about deaf!
so in the warmer weather your more than welcome to come over the house and we will play around with your system... I have rolls and rolls of 12 AWG so I would like to take a piece and put it to the battery and run it outside the truck and into the window just to see what kind of difference it makes...... the GROUND PLANE is very important all you have is your roof/cab... so I would like to see if we bonded the hood to the cab what difference we would get.
anyway thinking about your install.... I don't know for a fact.... but it's been said many times not to coil or fold your coax cable together as it will hurt performance???
I have my antenna wire coming in the back of the cab on the passenger side ...I then run it to the drives side and under the carpet and around the seat and back to the back of the cab then under the middle seat to the radio... my coax never crosses itself.... I did everything people suggested to get a good working system and it works great... do I believe bunching up the coax kills the performance???? I doubt it.... but I wasn't taking any chances.... so is you coax coiled or folded up???

I've been waiting for a report from you about making a dipole.... I'm sure you could swing it from one window to another window or balcony, you being on the third floor would work fantastic.... as long as it didn't cause any interference in the building... could you imagine a knock at the door and the HOA president is standing there saying your radio is coming across everyone's TV..... but I think that is unlikely...
I'm sure you can make or buy a dipole antenna and sting it up outside your balcony and have a lot of fun with it....
I thought you'd already have it all set up?

 

[DeeEx]

Sorry, my initials are JH. But, congratulations on the advanced amateur license. (I'm still procrastinating and stuck at the technician level)

Ah, then you have a fellow tug captain/ham who must live near you. I used to work with him at a local municipal agency and I think I was the impetus for him getting his license.

 

[W8KIC]

Sorry, my initials are JH. But, congratulations on the advanced amateur license. (I'm still procrastinating and stuck at the technician level)

There's absolutely no reason for you to be "stuck" at the Technician Class level. Amateur radio exams are far easier to pass in 2025 than they ever have been. I'm two years shy of five decades as a licensed ham operator and back in the day, (late 70's - early 80's) The CW requirement was still on the books and the written portion of the Advanced and Extra Class exams were a bit more challenging than they are today (not taking into account the new digital modes) TBTH, the only reason I decided to go for an Extra Class ticket was because I wanted access to the bottom 25Khz of 80-15 meters. Why? Because there were and still are times when those rare DX stations MAY only be found in that bottom 25Khz portion of those bands. Now, does that happen often? No, but I just wanted to have the option on those rare occasions when it does happen. I'm 65 years old and just barely crawled out of high school back in 1979, with nothing beyond that as far as "higher education" goes and I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't have any trouble at all passing the Advanced Class exam and ultimately, the Extra Class exam, if you're so inclined. And of course, you'll end up with additional operating privileges that you don't currently have at this point in time. If, however, you're plenty satisfied with just VHF/UHF operation, as well as a portion of the 10 meter band, then you're ok with what you have right now. Just a few of my thoughts regarding license upgrading and yes, you can take every one of them with a grain of salt. Lol! Good luck with whatever you choose to do in the hobby.

73,
Dan,
W8KIC

 

[wx2watch]

I can't believe anyone would complain about a CB antenna on the roof of a truck in a HOA parking lot!... that is just completely unbelievable
to me.... you said they look... I'm sure no one would complain.

I've been waiting for a report from you about making a dipole.... I'm sure you could swing it from one window to another window or balcony, you being on the third floor would work fantastic.... as long as it didn't cause any interference in the building... could you imagine a knock at the door and the HOA president is standing there saying your radio is coming across everyone's TV..... but I think that is unlikely...
I'm sure you can make or buy a dipole antenna and sting it up outside your balcony and have a lot of fun with it....
I thought you'd already have it all set up?

Yep, these folks (my neighbors) have given me verbal blowback just for washing my little Tacoma in the parking lot. Someone even asked if I was running a commercial car wash service! Fortunately, permission to wash personal vehicles is granted in the by-laws which I politely shared with several individuals… (Car wash is about the only thing allowed besides parking.)

And some of these Karens are definitelyWATCHING. They have even “ratted-out” units where the occupants have had the audacity to hang some small flower arrangements on the outside of their balcony railings instead of the inside of the rail.

But, I digress…

A lot to be said for my poor hearing – wind noise when I’m driving does a good job of masking sounds. BUT, I have been testing lately when parked.

Just came back from running errands while safely driving in the snowstorm. I got confirmation that my mobile signal was working. Made contact with Joplin, Missouri and northwest Florida during congested radio conditions. That’s 1000 and 1100 miles, respectively.

Both stations said I had a strong signal! I was parked so no road noise. The engine was running and no hint of any fuel pump or other electrical interference. Excess coax is jumbled but not looped.

My plans/thoughts regarding a home antenna for what I assume would be viable for local use (two 9’ legs using transparent insulated speaker wire)

It would have to be something stealthy, to be deployed nightly in a hybrid “inverted V” vertical fashion from the 3rd floor balcony – wouldn’t dare to have wires visible during the day, especially showing a thick black coax feed.

Then there is the question of feeding and terminating the two legs – It can’t be as simple as just wiring each conductor wire of the coax (braid to one leg and center conductor to the other leg), can it? (I miss my ARRL antenna book – it disappeared in my divorce, haha) I’m sure this paragraph will elicit much scorn and/or laughter but hoping for some thoughtful suggestions regarding wiring and NOT the divorce.