CB installation

[WhirlwindMJC]

ok, I have an old Realistic TRC-430 CB and a recently purchased Radioshack 21-802 through-the-glass mount cb antenna that I would like to mount in my 97 Pathy. I am a complete moron when it comes to these things and I have no clue on how to even begin. I don't know where the computer is in my truck, I know that it's under tha dash, as to which side, I couldn't tell you. I'm hoping somebody could help me out with this, cause it would really mean a lot to me. All I really gotta find out is how to mount the radio underneath the BOSE audo system in the little cubbyhole in front of the trans hump. and how to run the antenna wire/where to mount the antenna. Thanks again for your help in advance.

[WhirlwindMJC]

oh, and I almost forgot, what am I going to do about power?

[WhirlwindMJC]

when I say old, I mean, never really been used, fresh out of the box, bought in 1992. (just to clear that up) it even has PA, so I want to get a speaker for that. So if you wouldn't mind telling me how to install that as well/posting up some pics if aat all possible, that'd be really cool of you.

[ToeJam]

Don't worry about the computer in your truck, you don't need it for wiring a CB. All you need to do is find where you want to mount it, where to splice into power and how to get the antenna out of the car.

For power, just splice into your cigarette lighter. If you can find a live accessory wire on the fuse panel, try that also (don't ask me how, I don't know).

As for the antenna, the bigger the better. I have very little experience with them, but if I had to guess you're probably not going to get very good reception with a window mounted unit. From the sounds of it, it is pretty small. Most people in the X clubs are very happy with a 3'-4' fiberglass antenna. There are dozens of brackets to use when mounting the antenna, so cruse a Radio Shack or the like. In general, the longer the antenna and the shorter the cable (to the CB unit), the better off you will be.

Once you've hooked it all up, you'll need to tune the unit. If your CB came with an antenna (in the box, part of a kit) then you're fine. However, if you buy a seperate antenna (which it sounds like you did), then you'll need to adjust a "tuner" on the antenna to dial it in to the CB. If you don't do this, you'll likely have horrible reception and run the risk of smoking your CB. Tuners are pretty easy to find and any place that sells CBs should have them.

BTW - Don't ever key the mic if you don't have an antenna hooked up, you'll fry the CB.

This may look hard, but it is actually pretty easy. I've never hooked up a PA, but I'm sure that is easy too. Probably just one wire to the CB and then out through the firewall into the engine compartment.

Hope this helps....
Stu

[Chris_McCracken]

You'll have less interference if you run power straight from the battery (don't forget a fuse on the + side!). I originally ran mine off the switched cigarette lighter plug, and had pretty bad engine interference.

[rrdstarr]

I ran the power for my cobra right off the fuse box and it works great. You'll have to tune the Antenna like ToeJam said with and SWR meter. Yhe higher on the vehicle you can mount the antenna the better your reception. I wouldn't use that through the glass antenna. Get a Firestick II antenna.

[WhirlwindMJC]

ok, thanks. when I was talking about the computer though, I meant interference, I don't to like, be sitting at a light, start transmitting on my radio, and have my engine race and pull out into moving traffic (bad thing.) and I want it to be hot all the time, so I don't have to put the accessory on to get it powered if I don't have to.
also, how am I going to run the wire to wherever it needs to go to power it, and where do you all reccommend I place the antenna/how to run the wire from the radio to it. it's a cellular look-alike antenna, 15 feet of cable, antenna itself is like 3 feet long.

thanks again.

[WhirlwindMJC]

*taking what starr says into consideration* I really don't want to have to drill holes and stuff to get an antenna mounted. I figured this was the easiest thing to do, without hurting my truck *too* much. and how does the power go into the fusebox? How do you do that? I thought that the fusebox was jsut for fuses, I didn't think it had any open slots for installing addidtional accessories....

[rrdstarr]

This is the link below. Search is real easy to use here!

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t5618.html

[Schludwiller]

Whirlwind,check more threads in this section. There are a couple of antenna installs that people have done. You can also get a hatch mount, or a folding mount for your roof rack. Pathy's have a roof rack right?

If you want the power always on, then run power from your battery. If you don't feel comfortable with wiring, a stereo shop might do it for pretty cheap. Just remember "always on" accessories can drain your battery if you leave them on.

[WhirlwindMJC]

Schuld,

Yeah, pathy's have roof racks. And when you say "run the power directly to the battery," you mean taking the wires coming out of the CB and threading them through the firewall, across the engine compartment, directly onto the contacts of the top of the battery?

[Schludwiller]

Originally posted by WhirlwindMJC
Schuld,

Yeah, pathy's have roof racks. And when you say "run the power directly to the battery," you mean taking the wires coming out of the CB and threading them through the firewall, across the engine compartment, directly onto the contacts of the top of the battery?

Yes, but as others have said make sure there is an in-line fuse to protect the radio. One wire is your power, the other is the ground, which you can attach to an unpainted section of the body. Personally I ran mine to the fuse box and it works fine.

[WhirlwindMJC]

Schuld,

Thanks for all your help man. It really means a lot. I think I'm going to go ahead and run the power to my fusebox. Now, as for how to do that, I just really need to know where I can run the wire without it interfeering with the computer and once it gets there, what to do to splice it into the power supply. And when I get it into the fusebox, does the ground still have to connect to an unpainted piece of the body, or can it go into the negative lead in the fusebox? And how's this sound:
run the antenna wire underneath the carpet into the cargo bay, out of the carpet there, and up to the rear driver-side window glass? I know all this must seem like total easy stuff for you, but being that I have no idea about any of this, I really need the help, and since I'm in New Jersey, there's no CB shops anywhere that would be able to help me out with this stuff. As for the SWR meeter, a friend of mine has one, and I believe I can borrow it from him. And as for what to do from there (like how to tune it) is beyond me. I wish there was some local place around here that I could go to that I could get some information at. But this is the next best thing, I suppose. If anybody knows of any south jersey cb shops, let me know, cause I defininitely need to talk to somebody in person about this stuff.

More when I get home, I'm out of the house right now.

[DeFibVT]

This is how I ran my power from the fuse box. This has since changed and I am going directly off the battery.

[WhirlwindMJC]

Fib, is that some kind of connector I see on the end of your positive lead?