3rd Gen CB Radio Mount

[bzingre]

Thought I would post some pictures of the CB installation on the 2003. Truck is 4x4 with NV5600 6sp. Also has the center hump cup holders. I installed the Genos mount, but did not like the real estate taken up over the cup holders. I decided to fab up some brackets and mount to the inside of the lower storage compartment between the seats. 2 6mm screws and angled hole strap for the brackets. There was old junk floating around in the compartment, and I can count on 1 hand in 10 years I've had someone in the middle seat. Linear and radio wired directly to battery with #12 wire. Mounted the external speaker face up just behind the 4x4 lever with Velcro on the speaker to latch to the upholstery. Phone clip for iPhone 5 from ProClip (very sweet and high quality). Radio is a new Cobra 29 LXBT. Used Firestik under hood lip antenna mount. Only thing I wish was different was the angle of the radio face. It's slightly forward, which makes the display a little tough to see. Otherwise, I like it.

 

[AH64ID]

Looks good.

Did your shifter rotate, or you throw a G56 in there?

 

[bzingre]

Haha, the patern indicator seems to wander around in circles, been that way for years. OE Trans and Shifter.

 

[retirednak]

Looks sharp,been wanting to install one myself. I don't have the cup holders on the floor, just the one that folds out from the dash. Do you think the Genos mount would still take up too much room? Mine is an '03 auto & never had anyone sit in the middle seat,don't expect to.

 

[DaveHess]

I have mine mounted in the same location only mine is mounted on the front or outside of the lower section of the center armrest. I made a bracket that mounts very much like the one Geno's sells. I mounted the speaker to the right side of my 4wd lever housing. retirednak, yours should be the same as mine. I mounted the mike clip on the dash just to the left of the one pictured above. But what I like to do when I travel is use a GearKeeper I purchased at a truck stop. I mounted a small hook on the forward side of my overhead console and I clip the Gear Keeper to it and then hang the mic. The mic then hangs about eye level and when I want to talk, I just grab it. When done it just goes back. I know it is corny but I like the "trucker" look and feel to it. BTW, I have the console mounted cup holder that Geno's sells and it works perfect with is CB mount.

 

[ThomG]

I puzzled on where to mount a cb in my 04. I thought overhead would be out of the way, and convenient. I pulled the overhead cab light out, carefully probed with a rounded heavy wire, then a "stick" ruler towards the top of the windshield through the hole. I felt sure that the roof liner would support my cb if the weight were distributed over a large area. I cut a piece of 4 ply plywood slightly less than the width of the hole and 16 inches long, I soon found though the length seemed reasonable it would not it would not go into the the space without risking tearing the liner, Finesse is the key to success here. The length was revised a couple of times, I believe 10 or 12 inches worked. The angle was adjusted to my liking with a wire with a hook bent into it. Fender washers top and bottom of the cb bracket for each of 4 3/4 in. coarse thread drywall screws and using care to not over tighten. This has worked well for me. The mic is mounted to the side of the radio, "extra" cord is held up with a small bungeecord when not in use to keep it from flopping around. No vibration, has stayed put thru 30,000 mile trip in 2012 including 920 or so miles up and back on the Demster Highway on the way to Inuvik NW Territory [all gravel wash board road]. There are a lot of different ways this was mine so i thought I'd share.
ThomG

 

[Jbremount]

I have been thinking of getting a CB. How are you guys mounting the antennas?

 

[DaveHess]

I have used two different locations for the antenna. The first was mounted using a bracket under the hood back near to the drivers door. I used a 3 foot Fire-Stick. The problem with this location was I could not get the antenna to match the radio (SWR). So I made a bracket that mounted on top the bed bulkhead and located it in the front left corner (drivers side). From this location, you almost have to use as I did, a 5 foot Fire-Stick to get the antenna high enough above the cab. Fire-Stick states that 60% of the antenna must be above the cab. And since I tow a travel trailer, their recommended location was drivers side corner of the bed. Using this location with a 5 foot fiberglass Fire-Stick and their Fire-Wire coax cable, I was able to get my SWR readings down to 1.1 on channels 1 and 40. My radio is a Cobra Classic.

 

[wcjp]

I have used two different locations for the antenna. The first was mounted using a bracket under the hood back near to the drivers door. I used a 3 foot Fire-Stick. The problem with this location was I could not get the antenna to match the radio (SWR). So I made a bracket that mounted on top the bed bulkhead and located it in the front left corner (drivers side). From this location, you almost have to use as I did, a 5 foot Fire-Stick to get the antenna high enough above the cab. Fire-Stick states that 60% of the antenna must be above the cab. And since I tow a travel trailer, their recommended location was drivers side corner of the bed. Using this location with a 5 foot fiberglass Fire-Stick and their Fire-Wire coax cable, I was able to get my SWR readings down to 1.1 on channels 1 and 40. My radio is a Cobra Classic.

I've found Fire Stick to be finicky with SWR. I now use Wilson antennas. I use the same on the truck and Jeep. Truck is 1.0. Jeep is usually around 1.1.