Mounting Location for a CB Radio???

[Stang2Vibe]

Anybody find a good location for mounting a CB inside the Vibe? I was just out at my mom's house and I got my ol' CB out of the basement. I was going to mount it inside the center console between the front seats, but then when I thought about it, I wouldn't be able to hear it very well (if at all) from in there. That's a really convenient location since there's already a power source in there, but this doesn't seem like a practical place. The only other good place I can think of is on the right side of the shifter console, but I am trying to avoid drilling holes in a visible place if at all possible. Anyone have any other ideas?Also, what are others doing for an antenna? I've got a magnet-mount whip antenna that I used to stick on the truck lid of my old Grand Prix. I don't think I want to put it on the roof of the Vibe because it's almost 4 feet long. I found an old thread on this and saw that some people were using a window mounted antenna that passes the signal through the window, and I was wondering if anyone was having any luck with that. I don't need to be able to call Jupiter with my CB, but having some range would be nice.

[jeffgtx]

would you consider getting a replacement top part of the center console and mount the speaker in it yp thru the top so you could hear it? that would be pretty cool. and the drape (is that how you spell drape?) the hand walkie talkie part on the front.that would be neat. i want that!otherwise how about underneath the seat?

[Stang2Vibe]

The speaker is built into the top of the CB so the sound comes right out of the CB unit itself. I don't want to have to get into all the trouble and expense of hooking up an external speaker somewhere.I thought about under the seat too, but I won't be able to reach the mic down there and I can't see the display so I know what channel it's on. I also wouldn't be able to adjust the other knobs (volume, gain, squelch). It has to go somewhere that I can read the display at a glance, be able to reach the mic without too much difficulty, and adjust the knobs. I have to be able to do all this without wrecking the car. Avoiding the speed traps will do me little good if the car is wrecked trying to reach the mic or adjust the knobs !

[kostby]

What he (jeffgtx) said about the mounting idea.Now, on to the antenna -->I had a 'through the glass' CB antenna years ago on my VW Rabbit hatchback rear glass. It worked OK, but I never had a really good antenna (K40 magnet mount?) to compare it with. I virtually always travelled busy interstate highways, so there was never any problem listening. I didn't talk much, so I don't really know how far I could 'get out' beyond a mile or two. Not a whole lot of help so far, am I??? LOLThe original exterior mount attached with epoxy adhesive. It came loose and my antenna and mounting became a flying projectile at about 75mph on the interstate one morning. I never did find it, so I suppose it got stuck in some 18-wheeler's grille opening.I attached the second one with GE Silicone adhesive. I finally cut that one off the window when I sold the car. By that time the CB craze was dead, so I never re-installed it.EDIT: Regarding mounting it under the seat, I had a CB with the channel and volume control right on the mic. That was about 1975, though. I doubt you could find one today, even at a flea market or garage sale. I finally blew the reverse-polarity diode when my cigarette-plug shorted out and got a single sideband unit to replace it.

[Stang2Vibe]

Hey, any help is good help! Thanks for the antenna info. I might have to stop in at Radio Shack and some other electronics stores tomorrow to see what they have for an antenna.I've seen those mics with the controls on them before and I think that they are still available. I'm not going to spend the money on that though. You can switch the channels and adjust the volume that way, but I still couldn't tell what channel I was on if I can't see the display.

[kostby]

It wasn't just a specialized mic. The whole radio was designed around the mic, so it had the channel LED display right on the mic along with channel and volume controls, and NOT on the 'box' portion. The volume pot also included an on/off switch, so it was pretty handy. It was about a $200 unit new, but I got a refurb for about $50. Later I got a second brand new one for about $25 for my mother because she was traveling south for the winter. She sold it at a garage sale years later for $20!

[ColonelPanic]

A glass-mount may work for you... I've got a glass mount 2M/440 antenna for my ham radio on the right rear quarter window. It works, sorta. There's going to be a bit of a trade-off for signal quality vs. ease of mounting (and not to mention, no permanent damage.) If you don't want to go mag mount, that may be one of your only options.Here's one that your local Radio Shack may have:http://www.radioshack.com/prod...2D802You could put it on one of those windows back there, or even on the hatch glass itself - that's where mine was initially mounted. I moved it after I got the windows tinted, since I wanted it on the easiest window to retint if I wanted to remove it in the future. I think ullbergm had a through-glass CB antenna on his, maybe he can chime in and tell you about the signal quality. As far as finding a location to mount the unit itself, ugh. These cars don't make it easy for us to add those goodies! You'll find a place somewhere though...

[ullbergm]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »I think ullbergm had a through-glass CB antenna on his, maybe he can chime in and tell you about the signal quality.I did. I never talked much on it so it cant vouch for the transmit part of it but i could listen to people good enough. But again i never compared it to a 'real' antenna. I have mine on one of those small back windows.Running the antenna wire from the antenna to the CB is easy. You can push the cable in behind the trim and it wont hardly show at all.I have since ran it truly behind the trim since i pulled all the trim off. but i believe i still have some pictures of my old setup.

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[tecton]

we used CB's alot when 4 wheelingi had a cb microphone with channel buttons on it and the mic/speaker all in the little hand unityou can till get those at ratshack i believe

[Atomb]

my CB is actually a hand-held with a short whip antenna. But it has this special attachment that replaces the battary compartment with cables that split into a cigerette lighter jack and an antenna cable connector.I have the 'through the window' mount on the back driver side small window (quarter window?). i then ran the antenna cable under the rear seat (used those 3M adhesive clips to run the cable along the side of the back area and under the seat) and then into the centre storage compartment. There i have the CB connected to the outlet so it's all hidden away nicely.The window mount doesn't have great range but far enough to hear about 'smokeys' over the horizon from 18 wheelers going in the other direction!

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »The window mount doesn't have great range but far enough to hear about 'smokeys' over the horizon from 18 wheelers going in the other direction!That's about 90% of the reason why I want one in the car anyway. I already have the CB radio, and it came with the wiring being hardwired into an adapter for the cigarette lighter. I also have a mag-mount antenna that I used an SWR meter on with this radio with the coax cable I have so that everything would work right.Has anyone found a mag-mount antenna that would work on the Vibe? It's just too tall of a vehicle to stick a 3 1/2 foot antenna on the roof. I also like the disguise of the window mount. It's fun to surprise truckers when there's someone right around them talking to them and hearing everything that they're saying and they don't even know it.Thanks to everyone so far for their input!

[ullbergm]

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »Has anyone found a mag-mount antenna that would work on the Vibe? It's just too tall of a vehicle to stick a 3 1/2 foot antenna on the roof.Naah, as long as you dont mind it banging into things in a parking garage its fine Usually it just hits the signs hanging down, but at the local casino i get a *thunk* sound every 2 seconds.. it hits the concrete ribs on the celing.The antennas in this picture dont bang into things but they are not much more than a foot either..The 5th one i added does bang into things but you can fold it by pulling on it and folding it over.http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/nr770hbnmo.htmlMaybe there are similar designs for CB?Even thou i'd probably still go with a glass mount on one of the small back windows. Mainly since you can run the cable so well from one of them, you cant really see it at all except for right by the window.(Just realized that you can see the window mount on my car in that picture..

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[Stang2Vibe]

(removed)!!! LOL, do you happen to haul the President around in your spare time or something? I think the President's limo has fewer antennae stuck to it than your Vibe! Ever been hit by lightning yet?I thought about the mag-mount banging into parking garage roofs and other things and that doesn't bother me so much. I really like the rather disguised look of the window mount. I think I'll go with that. My g/f doesn't believe me about what truckers say about girls they see in a car on the road. When she wears shorts in the summer and we're on the highway, I usually get chased down by groups of trucks whose drivers are trying to get a peek at her. It took me a while to figure out why they seemed to be harassing me on the road, then I figured it out. It was because she was slumped down in the seat wearing a low cut shirt and rather short shorts. If I can turn on a CB in the car when on the road and the trucks start swarming, she will believe me. I've been on the other side of this though, too. I've had to ride in large commercial trucks for my work and to keep it G-Rated, I'll just say that it is rather amazing what some women are doing in their cars during their daily commute to and from work and they don't realize that people can see them.