CB Radio help.

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

I've been wanting to buy and install a CB radio so I can hear the truckers while I'm on the road, just so I can do something to pass the time. So, I don't need 20 miles of reception and transmission range.

My concerns are these:

I want to buy the antenna listed below which is "magnetic mount" which I would then mount to the top of my Mazda 6. How exactly is this done. The only pictures I have seen of this antenna mounted are clean. No wires go back into the car, which suggests that they drilled a hole in the car. I don't want to do that.

Of course I only saw it installed on a replica car, so they may just have cut off the wire.

Even if I don't have to drill a hole, I'm worried that they wire is going to be too thick to run around some of the hidy-places in my car. Also, it might be ugly on top.

Antenna:

http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-A1500-Base-Loaded-Magnet-Mount-Antenna/dp/B00005N5X2/ref=pd_cp_e_0?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00005N5X1&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0E28615AWBM0K2FWHEH3

Radio:

http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-19-40-Channel-Compact-Radio/dp/B00083KUVS

-or-

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-1001Z-2-Way-CB-Radio/dp/B00024DIDK/ref=pd_cp_e_2?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00005N5X1&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0E28615AWBM0K2FWHEH3

Also, any other suggestions are welcome.

Click to read more...

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

you can get an adapter that converts your reg am-fm antenna to a cb antenna...and they make a cb antenna that is similar to the glass mount cell phone antennas...so no wires...another option is a trunk lip mount...

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I have one of the converters for the AM-FM antenna BNIB I was gonna use in my Jeep...I think I paid $50 for it...It has a meter built on it for power and modulation....it looks pretty neat

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

The lip mount is the best option out of those listed if you don't want to go through-roof.

Mag mounts have several problems; they tend to scratch your roof and collect moisture, given enough time, the cable gets pinched going through the window, and at CB frequencies, the mag mount doesn't provide as much of a ground plane as it does at VHF or higher frequencies.

The lookalike cell phone antennas might let you hear someone who's right next to you, beyond that, who knows //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I'd look here to find a mount that would work: http://rffun.com/catalog/hamantm/diamx.html

For an antenna, get the largest you think you can live with...it's an axiom that the best antennas are usually the ugliest and most obtrusive ones //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Can I do the lip mount on my car? It's a hatchback.

I ran the wires for Sirius radio with the antenna on the top and it looks fine. The wire goes from the little magnetic square into the cavity between the roof and the top of the hatch, through the weather strip that separates the gutter from the cabin, and then through the cabin to the HU area.

I wanted to do the same thing with the CB antenna.

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Oh and CRX, how well does that adapter work? I have a little 1 ft antenna on top for AM/FM.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

with the 1 ft antenna i doubt it would work well....i think it needs the standard type antennas to work at least decent...yours probably uses some sorta built in signal amp being that short

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Yeah I looked it up and it doesn't seem like it would.

I also read that the glass mounts aren't so great either.

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

hello? people?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Didn't we already answer that? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I've seen lip mounts done on hatches, no particular problems there...usually, they aren't rated for very heavy antennas but it doesn't sound like you want one of those anyway.

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Sorry JimJ.

Where would I find these other kinds of antennas?

How thick is that coax cable? is it like regular TV 75ohm coax?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

The good mounts will include a little run of RG-174, which is very flexible and small, designed to go over the weatherstripping without kinking.

RG-8X coax is about the same size as the 75-ohm stuff, but it has a stranded center conductor, making it more flexible. RG-58 has a solid conductor center, you might see that one listed too.

How tall of an antenna do you think you could live with?

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Well I was a bit surprised when I learned that the magnetic one was about 38" long. I would prefer something shorter, since I was going to put it on the roof.

However I got to thinking, I could stick it on the hatch, below the glass and forward of the spoiler. I also don't think drilling would be THAT hard, but it makes me nervous. I hope you understand that sentiment.

If I drilled, it would be the hatch part, btw.

This guy's ebay thread has a couple of decent pictures of the area.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAZDA-6-HATCH-SPOILER-WITH-FITTING-KIT--NEW_W0QQitemZ130276577354QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20081219?IMSfp=TL081219121001r11452#ebayphotohosting

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Well I think I'm going to get a mag-mount, JimJ. They've received decent-great reviews on Amazon from people who seem to be doing what I'm doing.

If you think that it's a terrible idea, I'll heed your advice, as your obviously a little better educated than me on the subject.

If someone wouldn't mind looking over the selection and telling me which Antenna is worth buying that'd be great. Realize though, that this is kind of curiosity, and the antenna's are different prices.

Antenna

1. http://www.amazon.com/K40-K30-Magnetic-Mount-Antenna/dp/B000H2W270/ref=pd_sbs_auto_9

2. http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-A1500-Base-Loaded-Magnet-Mount-Antenna/dp/B00005N5X2/ref=pd_cp_e_1?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000H2W270&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1Y8VEJRRHXA51FFSPJ5F

3. http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-HG-A1000-Highgear-Antenna/dp/B00005N5X1/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1231303472&sr=8-6

4. http://www.amazon.com/Little-Wil-Wilson-Magnet-Antenna/dp/B0006VKG7K/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1231303472&sr=8-10

Also, which of the two radios in the original post is better? I was leaning towards the Midland, because, well, it's cheaper.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I'm not exactly sure why the Cobra whip is double the price of the others, as far as efficiency goes, I'd imagine all of them would be pretty much the same.

The Midland should do fine.