mounting the CB in a regular cab F150... what fun!

[niceguy71]

this hobby is not easy... I just thought I would hook up my base and my mobile and see how I get out and how far and chit chat a little.... the base antenna I'll deal with another day... hot HUMID summer this year with thousands of horse flies... so I still have to crawl under the truck and put 1 1/4 inch RF straps to the cab and body and to the cab body hood to frame and also some ground wires... but I'll put the antenna up and see how it does.... not too good 1.8swr on channel 40 ..........2.0swr on channel 20 and 2.2swr on channel 01 ... but I can drive in and out of the garage... 6 inches clearance... see picture... that poor antenna and my roof won't take too much of that... so now I'll mount the cb... I bought a floor mount that bends in all directions.. pretty nifty... $50 .... well it was not wide enough for my monster of a CB so I cut it in half.... then I could not bolt my CB into it as my CB is 11 inches long and it bottoms out.... I tried to put it in the truck but it would cover my cubby hole and it would make it so my slide out cup holder would not be able to slide out.... see pictures.... so I bought a workman transmission CB mount with cup holders and speaker... $50 looks really nice... I jammed it in place and it fit ( tight) see pictures.... but the CB mounts on the end of it and it is jammed up against the dash board... so that's out! ... then I thought if I mount it to the pull out cup holders it may just work... so I sent to a junk yard for one like I have in my truck $50....... I put wood in it and bought some metal brackets $50 ( screws metal and wood) looks like it may work.... when I use it I slide it out.... and the cup holders still work... when I need to get to my cubby hole I can slide it in and have access..... ,,, not really sure it will work as my problem is I can't get the old one out!!! I worked for 3 hours in the hot humid garage trying to get the old one out... I will run over to a Ford body shop and see if they can figure it out.... but I may have to take the seats out... does everyone run into this trouble or do the CB Gods just hate me????

 

[mmckenna]

SWR indicates your antenna is too short. Loosen the set screw and pull the whip out a bit, retighten the set screw and try again.

As for the mounting, yeah, that's always a challenge. Part of being good at radio installation is being a good fabricator.

However, there are easier ways to do what you are doing, and it won't cost you $50 each time...

I have a 2018 F250, and the dash is very similar to the F-150. I have a remote head VHF radio mounted in there.


I had to disassemble the center stack, which isn't really that hard. I cut a length of aluminum angle stock to fit inside that lower cubbyhole on the dash. That's bolted through the top of the cubby using 1/4x20 hardware and fender washers. That gave me a place to mount the control head bracket. Something similar would hold the CB mounting bracket.

You want me I should send ya' my address so you can send me $50 bucks now?

 

[niceguy71]

SWR indicates your antenna is too short. Loosen the set screw and pull the whip out a bit, retighten the set screw and try again.

As for the mounting, yeah, that's always a challenge. Part of being good at radio installation is being a good fabricator.

However, there are easier ways to do what you are doing, and it won't cost you $50 each time...

I have a 2018 F250, and the dash is very similar to the F-150. I have a remote head VHF radio mounted in there.


I had to disassemble the center stack, which isn't really that hard. I cut a length of aluminum angle stock to fit inside that lower cubbyhole on the dash. That's bolted through the top of the cubby using 1/4x20 hardware and fender washers. That gave me a place to mount the control head bracket. Something similar would hold the CB mounting bracket.

You want me I should send ya' my address so you can send me $50 bucks now?

Great install! .... I played with the SWR for a bit in an open cranberry bog.... at 5PM I heard talk on every channel on my radio.... nothing moved the needle but I was surprised how much chatter there was.... I raised the antenna as much as I could and it didn't improve the SWR.... hopefully after I RF ground the hood to the cab... and the cab to the bed and all three to the frame... it will come down some.... I am also for now plugging it into the Cigarette lighter.... after I get it installed I'll run a wire from the battery with a fuse at the battery.... BTW what size wire should I use... I was thinking 14 would be enough??? that will handle 15 amps and I think the 5555 and my Grant both only draw 10 amps.... I WILL be getting a Anytone 5555N II eventually if I can get my bracket installed... the RF grounded and the Antenna SWR lowered.

 

[mmckenna]

14 gauge would be fine for 15 amps.

 

[slowmover]

AT5555-N2 fused 15A.

10’ at 15A fused = 12-AWG per 3% voltage drop limit for critical components (USCG); one desires no more than 1/2V drop at DK.

I nearly always use 10-AWG as it’s size makes it easy to handle, pickup or big truck.

12V distribution panel included means future additions easily accommodated, so upsized wiring is a one-time thing.

Amperage requirements per componentry additive fused values . . and maybe a little extra.

Shortest total circuit length (Neg to closest ground) is best design.

Wiring & Grounding

.

 

[HandiScratchy]

If you're working on an Aluminum F150 this site has some good info on bonding and potential subsequent corrosion.

Bonding

 

[niceguy71]

If you're working on an Aluminum F150 this site has some good info on bonding and potential subsequent corrosion.

Bonding

I was told only my tailgate was aluminum.....but that seems to be steel too.,.,,. Seems like I finally caught a break