truck install finally done

[niceguy71]

I took the day off to figure out my base station antenna or buy a new Antron 99 with ground plane kit... it's rained all night and all day!!!! but this weekend I did finally finish my truck install after a few months...... I have been wanting my truck undercoated for years but I wanted to do the RF bonding before I did the undercoating as no point in trying to scrape that cos Moline off to make good RF Bond connections. ( undercoating came out FANTASTIC everything is black and thickly coated underneath now)
I finally attached the CB to a slide out cup holder under the middle seat... this allows me to slide it in, up against the middle seat to access the cubby hole at the bottom of the dash... or slide it out and use the cup holders.. so I didn't have to compromise anything for putting the CB in.... other than NO ONE is ever going to sit in the middle seat again.... never had anyone there anyway.
my CB is 9 1/2 inches tall, it is just about touching the floor. if I buy the Anytone 5555 NII it will be 3 inches taller and I don't think I'm going to put up with that!
I did find a mini SWR POWER meter for $45 that gives the power out and the SWR in digital form ... it also beeps if your SWR is over 1.5 ... I thought it sounded good and the YouTube video's made it sound good... I asked people that had them for a couple years if they still work and everyone said they still love them... I REALLY LIKE IT and recommend it..... for now I just zip tied it to the side of my CB.... I may change it down the road. the relay is in.... no more cigarette lighter plug... I have the relay mounted under the hood... so it is 12AWG from the battery to a fuse to the relay... when I turn the key I have power to the CB and once I shut off the key, I have power to the whole truck for 15 minutes or until I open the door.... the negative and the back of the radio are grounded to an 8 AWG that is attached to the transmission floor hump and it also goes back to the battery. ( I drilled a hole in the floor and put the 8 AWG ring terminal under the floor to the steel of the hump and to the frame then the battery.... above the floor it goes to the radio... ) yes it was a TERMENDOUS amount of work!!!! I have 1-1/4 inch braided strapping on all four corners of the bed to the frame... then all four corners of the cab to the frame.... I have the cab bonded to the bed in two places...... I have the hood bonded to the fenders and the cab I have the fenders bonded to the frame... I have the roof bonded to the back of the cab and the pillar posts!!!
the difference from the power directly from battery to the radio VS the cigarette lighter plug... NONE! not any quieter at all
I never had any noise whatsoever anyway... the radio was always very quiet.... no difference from the motor running or just the CB on without anything else on.... all the bonding did bring my SWR down quite a bit whether it will help transmit and receive I don't know.
I have the Tram 3500 on the roof... it goes in and out under the garage door very well.. as it is very whippy ..the K40 was too stiff to go under the garage door daily..... the coax goes from the antenna across the roof and hangs into the bed... I have it tucked under the bed mat.... I drilled a hole in the factory plastic wire pass through in the bed behind the cab.... then I drilled a hole in the cab and put in a 1 inch grommet... so now when I do my WEEKLY car wash I can just jump in the bed unstick the antenna from the roof and stick it to the back of the bed along the floor of the bed.... so no car wash brushes will grab it or the coax. ... anytime I want to switch out antenna's I can just pull it out from the 1 inch hole in the bed and back of cab behind the seats......and replace it in minutes.

so far I have two radio checks on AM.... the few trips I've been on I saw a long back up and wanted to know if I should turn around or if it was clearing... it was backed up for MILES! so I got on 19 and all I could hear was some jerk with 30,000 watts tying up the channel!!! he was on for the hour I was driving.... I saw a speed trap another day and thought I would mention it on 19 ... but the same jerk was on ... he is actually Brodcasting all across the country! I have read about him for a few weeks now on several CB forums... so no one can use 19 for traffic or directions or anything.... he really should be on channel 6 but oh well....... I keep trying the SSB on 35 36 37 38 39 LSB but not gotten anyone yet... my power meter say's I am putting out 27 watts on SSB... I hear people from all across the country... but as of yet no replies. but it's fun to try.
so one of my retirement wishes is done and the base station is all ready and waiting for a working antenna so that will be soon too.
maybe I'll talk to one of you soon
Spindrift 155 is on the air in the mobile!

 

[niceguy71]

here is a picture behind my passenger seat of the CB coax.... I didn't have any red Rust oleum so I used the Gray that I had to paint it after drilling the 1 inch hole but so easy to replace a Antenna now and so easy to go through the car wash.... the other pictures are of the under coating..... for a 12 year old truck with 40,000 miles it looks great and should last as long as I do.

 

[W9WSS]

To spruce your installation up a bit, consider using plastic split-loom to cover the visible wires.

From Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=plastic+...x=plastic+split+loom,aps,126&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

[niceguy71]

To spruce your installation up a bit, consider using plastic split-loom to cover the visible wires.

From Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=plastic+split+loom&crid=1RUR12BMSC40A&sprefix=plastic+split+loom,aps,126&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

I have that coming from the under the dash.. and I have a quick disconnect in the middle so I can take the CB out by just unplugging the quick disconnect and the antenna... the only place I don't have the loom is 5 inches under the radio but seeing it is always sliding in and out I didn't want the less flexible loom there. but thank you.

 

[522]

That was hard to read... I'll be honest, I didn't make it all the way to the end.

 

[niceguy71]

That was hard to read... I'll be honest, I didn't make it all the way to the end.

that's ok.. you can just look at the pictures and be happy for me

 

[slowmover]

It’s quite a bit of work to get things “right”.

This reference is invaluable:

KØBG.COM

A Web Site For Mobile Amateur Radio Operators

www.k0bg.com

Skip is a huge problem given base stations overwhelming AM-19 for mobile operators on days it occurs. To that end is this thread:

SKIP Problems in Noise Abatement.

The discourtesy of screwing up AM-19. The understood Truckers Channel. Got 39 to 119 other channels before we consider freeband. The thread is not to whine and moan, but to introduce others new to CB how to deal with Skip overwhelming local comms. The exigencies of the road. Your experience...

forums.radioreference.com

DSP in RX is clarity, and that’s an enormous help in working with Skip. My days are spent in this (control adjustments to suit the changes in the past hour).

Called NRC in latest radios, it’s not optional, IMO. Whether as an outboard device (WEST MOUNTAIN Radio CLEARSPEECH Speaker), or integrated, it’s the new offensive strategy against a solid defense determined to deny us use of CB.

— An AT5555-N2 would fit that mount location shown quite nicely. (DX-901 speaker on a board epoxied under headliner behind left ear, also)

2023 Best Mobile CB

Via mobile experience as an OTR truck driver. Several thousand hours annual use. Earlier references to the Qixiang factory’s new circuit board elsewhere. Several brands. The above possibly the best known example at present. Paired with the equally new Driver Extreme DRX-9010 External Speaker...

forums.radioreference.com

Testing installed systems has meant I’ve had to modify or re-do things more than once. Have always been happy after that extra work is done.

Antenna feedpoint choke + transceiver coax filter is one of those mods (and very highly recommended). Best with antenna upgrade to LAIRD NMO34b + W640 whip (optional spring).

Larsen NMO34B - 25-120 MHz Mobile Antennas

Low Band VHF 34-40 MHz Base Load Mobile Antenna

theantennafarm.com

Larsen W640B Heavy Duty Replacement VHF Whip 64" x .100 Black Whip

64" x .100 Black Whip

theantennafarm.com

— Getting rid of “temporary” coax routing & storage damage mishaps argues in favor, alone. The problem solving with Skip means lowered noise floor & higher antenna gain coupled to noise reduction circuitry.

— Feedpoint & TRX chokes can take several forms, pre-made or DIY.

— Antenna + filters + NRC radio = 2023 performance versus 1989. Big qualitative change.

Think, thermal riflescope versus open iron sights in reduced-visibility hunting.


— Pre-dawn would be best performance test. An overlook of a major route as local truck drivers getting underway, before sunrise and Skip gets underway. Know the air miles distance to highway mile markers, etc, about ten miles out from your location (map radius marked).

Be in position by/before 0500.


NMO-mount means one can also substitute 7’ or 9’ antenna for stationary work (adapter). Height is Might.

Thanks for the time & detail shown for your installation. Others will find it useful.

.