aero3685

Hey, I am interested in getting a CB radio. I was just wondering if anyone had one, and if so, what size fuse should I use to hard wire it in. I will most likely wire it, and then have a plug for it, so I can take it out for the regular driving. I have to drive from Florida-Michigan once every 12 weeks, and do a bunch more highway driving from my house to my co-op job, and figure this will be a good thing to know about traffic cond. and weather, and jsut for safety when my cell is out of service.

thanks

TheOtherDave™

Aren't there hand-held units made by Uniden now?
I can't think of anyone who has a CB wired into their vehicle... :thinking:

Andy

I got one. My Cobra unit came with an inline fuse on the power wire and then just a ground and I was done. I also used a glass mount antenna on the back side window that just looks like an old fashioned cell phone job (I barely notice it's there). Just make sure you use real 3m double sided tape. I stuck the antenna on with just the tape the came with it, and it and my friends both fell off.

I like mine. I mounted it into the center console and you can stick the handset back inside and shut the top and you'd never know it was there. It has a speaker built into it and jack for an external one if you wanted it. A buddy of mine got one for his Protege5 when I got mine. They're nice for taking trips cause it's basically like they're in the car with you. I think it cost us around $100 for everything and the range isn't bad. On a good day, we could probably get 2 miles out of them, but I'd say a mile is more average, more than enough for two cars going the same place. I turn it on and BS with truckers sometimes when I have to make a long trip alone, but I haven't done that in a while. Here's a pic of my setup.

aero3685

Thanks...I think that might be the same one im lookin at. Its about 90 on Ebay. I have a 91 accord that had auto seatbelts(no center console)...but I was planning on getting one from a 5th gen, and molding it in, now I'll just have to make sure I get it soon. So with the antenna, do you have that wired to the cb or just stuck on the car? I was thinking about getting a magnetic mount one, but im not sure how well that thing would accept speeds at or over 85-90.

Andy

I think that radio Cobra something something, I can't remember the numbers was only about $60 from a local CB/Stereo shop. The glass mount was around $40. My friend mounted his onto the kickpanel down by his feet in his Protege5. Fits alright but you have to unplug the mic if you don't want to kick it all the time.

My antenna is mounted to the back side window at the bottom. I don't have nay pics, but it's not that noticeable. You could just lay it inside, but you'd probably get no range. I had a friend with a setup in an Eclipse a while back and he just put a magnetic mount on his rear decklid and we were going 100ish on the way to Carlisle one year and he had no problems. Those magnets are pretty damn strong. I perfered the glass mount because it's less obvious.

aero3685

cool, i kinda want to get a nice one, since if I do something, I try to do it right the first time...but then again, I wont use it all the time, so it doesnt have to be the best. I still kinda want to get a magnetic one, just because im sure you get more reception, but then again, one that maybe is glass mounted and possibly amplified could get the same results and I wouldnt have to worry about putting it up/down and all that. I will prolly check out some local radio places for advice and maybe a pawn shop, and see what kinda stuff they have.

I might also do a custom install where I just take the face part, and put that next to the e-brake(where a cupholder would be in the 5th gens, so there would be the cover, and then mount the box under the pass. seat.) But that would all depend on how hard it would be to extend the wiring stuff and make it work.

Nightshade

The magnet mount antenaes do fine at speed. The magnets they use are really high powered. Just remember to get your antannae adjusted properly or you lose range and somtimes you won't broadcast at all if it is too far off.

aero3685

I just read something about the cb's having to be tuned or something when you get them...Will I need to have someone tune it, or is that just for certain things?

Nightshade

Nah its just the antannae you have to tune. I believe Radio Shack seels the item to tune it...if I remember right it is called an SWR unit. Not sure about the price but if you use the CB a lot they are handy things to have around...especially if you remove and replace your antannae on the car a lot.

Every time it moves positions...like say you put it on the trunk lid and took it off the roof...then you will want to make sure the metering remains at optimum levels. You can also get ones that hook up inline and are always monitoring broadcast strength and attenuation levels.