Install CB Radio?

RobertTank · Post by **RobertTank** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 10:21 pm

Any one done this? Where did you mount it? What type antenna?

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 2:38 am

Quote, originally posted by RobertTank Â»Any one done this? Where did you mount it? What type antenna?Not yet, but im in the progress of seeing if it will fit where the inverter plug is. Here is a photoshop of it: http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...o.pngAlso check here i asked some questions about the dash and got good replies.http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...01907h ... ro...01907

Altus · Post by **Altus** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:50 am

I've got one installed -- but I went with a remote unit... the kind where you can mount the 'box' anywhere you want, hidden away, and all the controls are on the mic. Picked it up off ebay cheap - but you can buy them new if you're interested - Cobra makes one - model 75WXST - see http://search.ebay.com/search/...a+75*You can get them for under $100.As for antenna - I sacrificed function for form, and went with a 15" long magnet mount one. Mounted on the top lip of the tailgate, just to the side so when you open it, the antenna misses the radio one.

RobertTank · Post by **RobertTank** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 4:13 am

There are several warnings in the manual about possible interference with the electronics of the car. Any concern here?

Altus · Post by **Altus** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 7:00 am

I haven't run into any yet... not even with radio reception -- which is amazing considering the CB antenna is about 2" away from the radio one

cdFxer · Post by **cdFxer** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 8:03 pm

Anyone going for the dual 12' whips? Maybe one on each side of the rear quater panels

chaotic_amber · Post by **chaotic_amber** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:11 am

Did you ever get your CB installed in the dash? I'm kinda interested in installing one myself. The remote option is ok, but I think installed in where the household plug is would be much better.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:57 am

Quote, originally posted by chaotic_amber Â»Did you ever get your CB installed in the dash? I'm kinda interested in installing one myself. The remote option is ok, but I think installed in where the household plug is would be much better.Not yet, but i'm still planning on doing that (if it fits). Work has been hell lately and i havent had time for anything fun Maybe im being too careful but i have not been able to get the trim around the shifter off.. the top clips are hard to get off.When/if i get it done i'll be sure to take pictures

chaotic_amber · Post by **chaotic_amber** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 10:50 am

Do you already have the head unit? If so what kind, if you don't mind me asking. I have been searching and I found a small one at Radio Shack that would probably fit to the left of the steering wheel if I got rid of the blank plates next to the trunk release. The only problem being that its radio Shack and I was hoping for something a bit higher quality. Possibly remote mount one of the Cobras inside the dash and just use one of those blanks as a plug in for the handset. i believe from readong some of the other threads that there should be room there.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:36 am

Quote, originally posted by chaotic_amber Â»Do you already have the head unit? If so what kind, if you don't mind me asking. I have been searching and I found a small one at Radio Shack that would probably fit to the left of the steering wheel if I got rid of the blank plates next to the trunk release. The only problem being that its radio Shack and I was hoping for something a bit higher quality. Possibly remote mount one of the Cobras inside the dash and just use one of those blanks as a plug in for the handset. i believe from readong some of the other threads that there should be room there.I probably have the one you were looking at. it's the next to smallest one that RS sells. http://www.radioshack.com/prod...D1710 If i cant make that one fit i may look at the smallest one: http://www.radioshack.com/prod...D1703 I like the first one since it has a compass plus the weather radio. I wasnt sure if i'd ever use it, but it has come in handy while on the road wondering what the weather will be like. It will also cut in if there is a weather alert and with tornado season coming up that might be nice.As for getting a cobra i have a problem.. my wife works at RS and she'd kill me if i bought the cb from anywhere else.. (I think it's called 'RadioShack fever', being *way* to attached to the company.. )I think you could make it look really nice and clean if you got one of those cobras with everything on the microphone. You could put a jack in one of the blanks and it'd look factory. http://www.cobra.com/index.php...1.jpg

chaotic_amber · Post by **chaotic_amber** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:50 am

Yeah, those are the exact ones I was looking at. Based on the dimensions you gave in one post I figured the first one was the one you had, the smallest one is the one I think might fit (i'll have to take a ruler out with me at lunch some day) to the left of the steering wheel, but I do sort of think that just the socket for the Cobra would look sort of good right there. Heck drop the mic and cord into the pocket cabinet thing under the shifter when you are done with it and everything is hidden nice and neat.Now all I have to do is find a decent antenna and figure out how to route the wiring back to the rear hatch so I can hook everything together. I want to keep eveything as tucked away and hidden as possible. Keep us updated if you get a chance to install yours, I definately want to see some picts when its done.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:58 am

Quote, originally posted by chaotic_amber Â»Yeah, those are the exact ones I was looking at. Based on the dimensions you gave in one post I figured the first one was the one you had, the smallest one is the one I think might fit (i'll have to take a ruler out with me at lunch some day) to the left of the steering wheel, but I do sort of think that just the socket for the Cobra would look sort of good right there. Heck drop the mic and cord into the pocket cabinet thing under the shifter when you are done with it and everything is hidden nice and neat.Now all I have to do is find a decent antenna and figure out how to route the wiring back to the rear hatch so I can hook everything together. I want to keep eveything as tucked away and hidden as possible. I'm thinking about going for looks vs. signal strength and get one of those thru-glass cell lookalikes. Actually im thinking about getting one for each side, one for the CB and one for the police scanner.Quote, originally posted by chaotic_amber Â»Keep us updated if you get a chance to install yours, I definately want to see some picts when its done. make sure you do the same

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:37 am

After some checking it looks like the cb wont fit in that spot.. i may look at the cobra instead. or possibly downgrade to a smaller cb.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon May 24, 2004 8:20 am

I'm going to take the test for my amateur radio license next month... So, I'm starting to buy some ham radio equipment. I just ordered a through-glass antenna for the 2 meter and 70 cm bands... The whip is 26" high. Now the question is, once it arrives, where the heck can I mount it? From what I can tell, if it is mounted on the rear window where I'm wanting to put it, it may hit the roof when opening the hatch. Not sure though, until I get the thing. If that's the case, I'll need to unscrew the antenna every time I open the hatch. I'm definitely wanting form over function here as well... The glass-mount job isn't going to work that great I'm sure, but I just don't want a huge antenna stuck to the roof of the Vibe. Anyone have anything to report on installing an antenna such as this?

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:44 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»I'm going to take the test for my amateur radio license next month... So, I'm starting to buy some ham radio equipment. I just ordered a through-glass antenna for the 2 meter and 70 cm bands... The whip is 26" high. Now the question is, once it arrives, where the heck can I mount it? From what I can tell, if it is mounted on the rear window where I'm wanting to put it, it may hit the roof when opening the hatch. Not sure though, until I get the thing. If that's the case, I'll need to unscrew the antenna every time I open the hatch. I'm definitely wanting form over function here as well... The glass-mount job isn't going to work that great I'm sure, but I just don't want a huge antenna stuck to the roof of the Vibe. Anyone have anything to report on installing an antenna such as this?I ended up getting two thru-glass antennas, one for each of the small back windows. It was really easy to run the wire from the antennas to the front of the car by pushing the cable under the trim.Seems to work decent, im sure its not as good as a 'regular' antenna, but it kept me from drilling holes in the vibe.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:54 am

Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»Seems to work decent, im sure its not as good as a 'regular' antenna, but it kept me from drilling holes in the vibe.I hear ya... Nooo drilling, and no magnet-mount antennas for me either! I did consider the side windows in the back... Actually, sounds like the best place for them. I'm interested to see what that looks like.. If you have any pics, I'd appreciate it. Thanks for the input!

spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Tue May 25, 2004 3:39 am

Well,Being a HAM radio operator myself, I just got my "rig" installed in the VIbe last weekend. I had the antenna on a couple weeks prior, but with all the rain we have had in these parts, I just wasn't able to get it done sooner. I am VERY curious to see how the glass-mount anntennas work for you, I have not heard anything just too good about them. I also read that depending on the type of glass the car has, it may not work at all. I tried asking my local dealer about the kind of glass that is on our cars, but I never got an answer. Maybe someone else in the forums will know about our glass type. Below is a quote from this webpage http://www.radialllarsen.com/t...s.htm"Q. How can I tell if the glass on my vehicle is suitable for one of Radiall/Larsenâ€™s on-glass antennas?A. First, look near a corner of a window for words meaning or relating to "sun" or referring to ultraviolet or other forms of radiation. If you find terms like "Soft-Ray", "EZE-Cool", "Solar-Coat", "Solar-Cool", "Insta-Clear" your glass is probably passivated and wonâ€™t work with on-glass antennas. If you don't find these helpful words on the glass and want to be 100% certain, ask a 2-way or cellular shop technician to test your glass with a capacitance meter."Anyway, I will have to get some pics posted at some point of my install. I am VERY happy with the install. btw.... I ended up getting a 1/4 wave, dual-band mag-mount. After I routed and secured the coax, the antenna isn't going to fly off the car just too easily. It is mounted just in front of the factory AM/FM antenna, in front of the rear cross bar. You almost can't even tell it is there. Hope that helps, I will have to get some pics and post them for you to see.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Tue May 25, 2004 3:51 am

Every Pontiac i ever owned had Soft Ray glass.This one, being part Toyota, uses Temper Lite.I would venture to say it is similar in nature to Soft Ray glass.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue May 25, 2004 4:06 am

Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»Well,I am VERY curious to see how the glass-mount anntennas work for you, I have not heard anything just too good about them. I also read that depending on the type of glass the car has, it may not work at all. I tried asking my local dealer about the kind of glass that is on our cars, but I never got an answer. Maybe someone else in the forums will know about our glass type. Below is a quote from this webpage I've got a on-glass antenna for my cb that seems to work fine, i havent really done any tests as far as the range, but it's definately not 100% blocked.Quote Â»Anyway, I will have to get some pics posted at some point of my install. I am VERY happy with the install. btw.... I ended up getting a 1/4 wave, dual-band mag-mount. After I routed and secured the coax, the antenna isn't going to fly off the car just too easily. It is mounted just in front of the factory AM/FM antenna, in front of the rear cross bar. You almost can't even tell it is there. Hope that helps, I will have to get some pics and post them for you to see. i'd love to see some pictures as well planning on getting my ham ticket soon, been putting it off for the last 10-15 years..

spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Tue May 25, 2004 4:24 am

Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»I've got a on-glass antenna for my cb that seems to work fine, i havent really done any tests as far as the range, but it's definately not 100% blocked. I guess maybe we don't have that type of glass on our cars then.... I had no idea. Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»i'd love to see some pictures as well planning on getting my ham ticket soon, been putting it off for the last 10-15 years.. That was my thing as well. I had been wanting to get my ticket as well, just never could find the time to go take the test. I finally did it back in November. Now I think I will start studying for my General license and get the morse code out of the way too.....

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue May 25, 2004 6:28 am

Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â» I guess maybe we don't have that type of glass on our cars then.... I had no idea. maybe we still do but that its not as bad as it could have been.. Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â» That was my thing as well. I had been wanting to get my ticket as well, just never could find the time to go take the test. I finally did it back in November. Now I think I will start studying for my General license and get the morse code out of the way too.....Cool.I may get my general as well, i started playing with morse code and it was not as bad as i had thought.what did you think about the test, i heard its pretty easy.

spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Tue May 25, 2004 7:35 am

Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»Cool.I may get my general as well, i started playing with morse code and it was not as bad as i had thought.what did you think about the test, i heard its pretty easy.Well, the Tech test was pretty easy, just study the materials. I find it much easier to know the material than to memorize the questions. I am not sure on the General Class test or the Morse Code test as I have not taken either one. Gee, Maybe I should start a new thread and see how many of us on here are HAM operators, and who would like to be....

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 25, 2004 9:03 am

That sounds like a plan. I didn't even know we had any hams out there...

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue May 25, 2004 9:21 am

Here ya go. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=10395

Install CB Radio?

Install CB Radio?

Re: Install CB Radio? (RobertTank)

Re: Install CB Radio? (RobertTank)

Re: Install CB Radio? (Altus)

Re: Install CB Radio? (RobertTank)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (chaotic_amber)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (chaotic_amber)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (chaotic_amber)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ColonelPanic)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ColonelPanic)

Re: Install CB Radio? (spoonman)

Re: Install CB Radio? (spoonman)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (spoonman)

Re: Install CB Radio? (ullbergm)

Re: Install CB Radio? (spoonman)

Re: Install CB Radio? (spoonman)