CB Mounting in new cars

[Recka79]

If there is another thread somewhere please point me in that direction. I have a 2015 Chevy Traverse that I'd like to mount a Cobra 29 in. I used it in my old work truck, and Isuzu NPR and there was plenty of easy mounting options. With my personal Chevy the dash is already taken with the touch screen and HVAC. My Console has a shifter and storage/armrest but no place for a radio the size of the Cobra 29. I don't want it on the dash because of heat and there is another storage area I keep important items in on top of the dash. I was looking at the laptop or tablet mounts I've seen online that bolt into the passenger seat and come up of the floor. I think something like that would work but the $200 plus price tag seems a big much for how I'm going to use that (Translation, my wife will kill me for spending double what the radio is worth to mount it). Do any of you have examples of ways you've mounted a CB or Ham in a newer car that still looks pretty good? Thank you in advance! Recka AKA 585 in MA

 

[russbrill]

If there is another thread somewhere please point me in that direction. I have a 2015 Chevy Traverse that I'd like to mount a Cobra 29 in. I used it in my old work truck, and Isuzu NPR and there was plenty of easy mounting options. With my personal Chevy the dash is already taken with the touch screen and HVAC. My Console has a shifter and storage/armrest but no place for a radio the size of the Cobra 29. I don't want it on the dash because of heat and there is another storage area I keep important items in on top of the dash. I was looking at the laptop or tablet mounts I've seen online that bolt into the passenger seat and come up of the floor. I think something like that would work but the $200 plus price tag seems a big much for how I'm going to use that (Translation, my wife will kill me for spending double what the radio is worth to mount it). Do any of you have examples of ways you've mounted a CB or Ham in a newer car that still looks pretty good? Thank you in advance! Recka AKA 585 in MA

That's a tough nut to crack.. Most of the guys I know that have mobiles in newer vehicles, are using equipment with a Remote-able Head. For example, my wife Ford Escape has almost no room for a radio, so I installed a Yaesu FT-7900 (we're both hams) with the RF housing in a side compartment, and the head mounted just below the AM/FM radio controls, it almost doesn't fit...

My only suggestion would be to scrap the 29 and install one of those radios with all the control on the Mic... I'm sorry, I can't think of another method... May be another R.R. member will have an idea...

Good luck to you...
Russ

 

[a417]

you have examples of ways you've mounted a CB or Ham in a newer car that still looks pretty good? Thank you in advance! Recka AKA 585 in MA

I've had luck with cutting the bottom of a center console storage compartment out and mounting scanners/radios in what turned out to be a suprisingly deep area. You can buy aftermarket replacements for console storage areas at fractions of the OEM. There could be several inches of extra space you didn't know you had access to.

 

[WB9YBM]

In checking my cars' owners' manual I was surprised they actually included a note on radio installation: they mentioned to not route the coax near wiring harnesses (I'm guessing because the harnesses MIGHT pick up a stray sig & it finds its' way to the computer). Staying clear of where airbags (OR their covers!!) deploy night be worth investigating...

 

[alcahuete]

I personally would not worry about the heat, putting it on the dash. It wouldn't be my first choice, but it's not something I would worry about personally with a 4w CB.

 

[WB9YBM]

I personally would not worry about the heat, putting it on the dash. It wouldn't be my first choice, but it's not something I would worry about personally with a 4w CB.

...unless you're in (let's say) Arizona, Nevada, or Texas on a typical summer day and the car's been sitting in the sun--ya' know, a day where you could fry an egg on the hood with the engine off.

 

[alcahuete]

...unless you're in (let's say) Arizona, Nevada, or Texas on a typical summer day and the car's been sitting in the sun--ya' know, a day where you could fry an egg on the hood with the engine off.

LOL!!! Of course. I live in the Mojave Desert and have never had a problem with my dash-mounted RADAR detector, or pair of 5550e, which although are not dash-mounted, still endure the heat. There is definitely going to be an increase in heat, even when driving with the air on, when dash mounting anything, but negligible as far as performance or life IMO.

 

[mmckenna]

I think something like that would work but the $200 plus price tag seems a big much for how I'm going to use that

For that price, it would be easier to buy a smaller radio.

Not sure what your needs are, but these can be crammed pretty much anywhere, and they'll cost less than the $200 mount for yours:

CMX760 Bearcat Off-Road Compact CB Radio with Mic Display

Compact Radio for Off-Road with mic display. Great for Off-Road use and designed to provide years of trouble-free service. Its rugged components and materials are capable of withstanding harsh environments. It is the perfect choice when space or mounting options are limited. Product Overview...

uniden.com

I've got a less featured version of that one, I don't see it on their website. The RF deck is about the size of a paper back book. Connection to the hand held control head is with 8 conductor cable with an RJ-45, so you can use Ethernet cords to extend them. Had it installed in my old truck, worked fine.

 

[russbrill]

In checking my cars' owners' manual I was surprised they actually included a note on radio installation: they mentioned to not route the coax near wiring harnesses (I'm guessing because the harnesses MIGHT pick up a stray sig & it finds its' way to the computer). Staying clear of where airbags (OR their covers!!) deploy night be worth investigating...

Which car manufacturer? I know years ago GM and Ford had extensive information about two-way radio do's and don'ts... And back in the 90's Toyota had a 10 watt power limit, if I remember correctly...

 

[Recka79]

In checking my cars' owners' manual I was surprised they actually included a note on radio installation: they mentioned to not route the coax near wiring harnesses (I'm guessing because the harnesses MIGHT pick up a stray sig & it finds its' way to the computer). Staying clear of where airbags (OR their covers!!) deploy night be worth investigating...

Airbags are a huge concern. That's something I'm looking into. The last thing I need is a radio hitting me at 200MPH! Thanks for the heads up but it's definitely something I'm considering.

I've had luck with cutting the bottom of a center console storage compartment out and mounting scanners/radios in what turned out to be a suprisingly deep area. You can buy aftermarket replacements for console storage areas at fractions of the OEM. There could be several inches of extra space you didn't know you had access to.

I'm trying to avoid cutting into the original console or dash. I know what you're saying, I have 8-10" of space under my right elbow but if I had a radio there it would be very hard to operate and be functional. I think that's also how I release the spare tire. New cars just aren't made for CBs or Hams.

 

[mrweather]

The owner's manual for my 2018 Dodge Charger has a specific section on two-way radio installation (routing coax, don't connect to the negative terminal on the battery, etc.)

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

You might get a big square of Velcro and put the loop side on the passenger side of the center console and the hooks on the bottom of the radio. If the radio has a downward firing speaker, you will need an external speaker in the footwell.

 

[K7MFC]

You might get a big square of Velcro and put the loop side on the passenger side of the center console and the hooks on the bottom of the radio. If the radio has a downward firing speaker, you will need an external speaker in the footwell.

I cringe a little when I see velco installations. If you get into an accident, you have a 5 lb projectile flying around the car...

 

[a417]

I cringe a little when I see velco installations. If you get into an accident, you have a 5 lb projectile flying around the car...

...And insurance companies love to go bezerk about 'unsecured' items in passenger compartments.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Note I said "big square", not two strips. And I am not recommending top of dash like so many here.

If you do the math, a typical Cobra 29 weighs 4 lbs, (64 oz). The surface on the bottom is about 60 square inches. So you have 1 Oz per square inch of velcro. look up the shear strength of velcro. About 14 LBs per square inch. How many geez is that? Even if it peels away, that is 1.2 lbs per square inch. 19 geez.

 

[a417]

Oh i've seen the math, but by the time you're to the "'G force equivalent restraint' of hook & loop fastener" point in the argument with the insurance companies...the time & money invested in the battle offsets the price of a solid bracket into structural steel. Remember, they make their money by NOT paying.

 

[K7MFC]

If you do the math, a typical Cobra 29 weighs 4 lbs, (64 oz). The surface on the bottom is about 60 square inches. So you have 1 Oz per square inch of velcro. look up the shear strength of velcro. About 14 LBs per square inch. How many geez is that?

I don't know, but cutting corners when it comes to vehicle safety is not something I usually do, nor recommend others do. Velcro would never be an option for me.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Ok when your wife brings her 8 lb purse into the car, be sure she screws that sucker to the floor. She could use a bungee cord but I don't recommend those due to possible eye injuries,

 

[mmckenna]

I don't know, but cutting corners when it comes to vehicle safety is not something I usually do, nor recommend others do. Velcro would never be an option for me.

Similar to people that use two small sheet metal screws into a plastic dashboard to hold a 5 pound amateur/commercial radio and call it done.

 

[W8RMH]

The downfall of top-of-dash mounting is like placing a big sign saying, "Come break-in and steal me".