[Hanselhoff]

Let me start this off by saying that this was pretty easy and I know nothing about electronics- I have a hard time using the toaster. I was hesitant to do this myself because I didn't want to blow up my daily driver.

I started with the $35 Cobra 19 unit, a bandi mount, 18' of coax, a Wilson 2' antenna (since replaced with a Wilson 4 foot flex), a Firestik antenna stud, this cool little speaker http://www.walcottcb.com/trucker-speaker-cb980-most-popular-small-speaker-p-95.html and crossed fingers.

No photo of this, but I took my dremel to the bottom side of the bandi mount where the stud grounds to and took it to clean metal. I also scraped the paint on the hole on the door hinge where the bolt goes through for a good ground. I installed the bandi mount and the antenna. The Wilson antenna has a seperate ground. FJ-piper helped me with this when I got by radio tuned and drilled /tapped a hole in the side of the mount.

I temporarily ran the coax in and under the rear floor mat. When I get to it, it will be run through the rubber boot with the other wires. From there, I just tucked it under the plastic on the driver side until I got to the door sills. The door sills pop right off and I ran the coax through and fished it up behind the driver kick panel, under the dash, and under the center console.

 

[Moeses18]

Nice Hans...I need to get one of those!!! Can't wait to get one of those.

 

[Hanselhoff]

I finally decided to mount the CB on the center console next to my right leg. I backed out an existing bolt and ground the black wire under it. I didn't have any connectors so I stripped an extra inch of insulation off and hooked it around the bolt.

Up and to the right from my finger you can see the bolt I grounded to. The hot wire I ran forward and fished up behind the dashboard.

I used an add a fuse with a 3 amp fuse from Kragen and plugged it into a switched spot on the panel. The end of the power wire just crimps into a connector already attached to the add a fuse.

Since I was mounting the CB with the speaker firing into the driver leg well, I decided to add a speaker while I was at it. I used the bracket and mounted it to the back of the center console. I drilled an ugly hole in the bottom of the well, pulled the plug and wire through, and it all got covered by the rubber insert.

I ran the wire forward under the console and zip tied all the extra wires together. I pulled the wire out from under the side of the center console and tied it in with the rest of the wires. Everything got plugged in the back, I mounted the mic bracket to the side of the radio, and used the bracket to mount every thing up.

Everything is clean and out of the way (except for the coax in the back) and it actually works!!!!! It motiviated me to hard wire my extra 12v outlets and put a switch in for them.

 

[Moeses18]

If you get my pm and you make it out tomorrow then Matt and I might be able to help you out with that 12v plug and we can have some wine, beer and hang out by the pool...we're doing burgers and dogs too!!!

Oh yeah, the install looks good...you're inspiring me to do my own install!!!

 

[Hanselhoff]

pm sent and i already installed the 12v stuff. now i have a pile of PA parts that i need to put together.

 

[Sanderhawk]

How much did the whole set up cost you? I need to get a CB. I can also install myself. Where did you buy your system at? I really wish I would have had a CB on our last run.

 

[Hanselhoff]

CB $35 from walmart. from walcott i got the Bandi mount $50, stud $6, coax $20, speaker $13, antenna $20- estimate only. i had it all set up on the last trail run but didn' have any power. i missed it to. oh and the add a fuse was like $10 from kragen. about $150 ish total

 

[Sanderhawk]

Thanks for the list. I just got back from Walmart and Kragens. I got my CB and the add a fuse. I am looking thru the walcott website right now making notes of what I want to buy. I will order it monday. I am printing out your how to and pictures to install this myself. I hope its cool if I need help I can ask someone. All your prices are right on the money. I`m basically buying the same things you have in your list. Thanks again for all your info. Steve

 

[lonelydriver]

Sweet setup, Identical to mine! even upto the placement. I have a 2 foot firestick.. and it really sucks.. maybe I should give the wilson a try. I have a magnet mount Wilson 1000 that i have wired also so I switch the coax to the 1000 when i'm on the trail and it's hidden in the back in the side compartment when i'm not using it.

 

[Sanderhawk]

I ordered all the rest of the items I will need from Walcott on Monday morning so maybe i`ll get lucky and it will show up tommorrow so I can do the install on Saturday. Keeping my fingers crossed. I`ll let you know how things go.

 

[FJ-Piper]

Looks really clean Hans. Have you jumped on a channel for radio checks yet?

 

[Hanselhoff]

not yet steven, havent heardd much chatter on my route and i am driving girlfriends car to save gas right now.

 

[Sanderhawk]

I didn`t get my stuff today. Anyway does So Cal have a specific channel you use on your CBs? I noticed mine has 40 channels seems like it would be time consuming to find someone out there at random.

 

[Hanselhoff]

channel five is what most people are using as far as i know

 

[SoCalOcFj]

Nice job! I've got to wire mine better. Hommie who connected the power jus squished a stripped pos wire & smashed it under a fuse.

 

[Sanderhawk]

Hans,

I got all my stuff today and started installing. I have a question. Can I put my add a fuse in a different spot then where you did. I noticed that the pink fuse in the side of the add a fuse is covering the blue fuse in your picture and I need to change that one out when I run my air compressors to air up. Can I put the add a fuse in any of the other spots available like maybe the top row in the fuse block?

 

[Hanselhoff]

here is a map of the fuse box. the part that is marked is the hot part so if the bottom of the slot is marked, flip the adda a fuse over.

 

[Sanderhawk]

It took me about 3 1/2 hours but I got my CB installed and it works as far as I know. I heard a couple of people talking on channel 19 pretty clear. I asked them if they could here me and they didn`t answer. So I don`t know if they were ignoring me or just didn`t hear me. I didn`t hear anyone on any of the other channels. Thanks Hans for all the step by step instructions and pictures and the fuse box map was the best of all. It all went real smooth.

Piper since I don`t know anything about CBs or if this thing is tuned or not. I`ll send you a PM to see when it would be good for me to drop by to see if my antenna is tuned or not. Thanks Steve

 

[socalfj]

channel five is what most people are using as far as i know

I'm impressed with your Spanish speaking skills - all I hear on my travels around MV, and up to Costa Mesa is Mexican truck drivers on 5 recently!

 

[Hanselhoff]

better than telemundo!!!! i just turn the squelch down a bit