CB Antenna Install

[MarkT]

I finally got around to installing my CB antenna. (CB's are really nice to have while off roading.) Also, you can attach a buggy whip to the same mount if you are running the dunes...

I could not find a mounting system that I liked. So I decided to build my own our of odds and ends I had lying around.

From the research I've done, one of the best places to mount a CB antenna on a pickup truck is in the driver's side rear stake pocket.

First step was to remove the plastic bed rail cover. I started at the rear and carefully pulled up on the plastic. Once you get started, one row of clips can be easily reached from inside the bed under the lip of the rail. For the other clip, I used a little hook to pull one side of the clip towards me and a little screwdriver to push the other side of the clip away from me... once I got the hang of it, the entire bed rail cover was off in seconds. (Hint: use a little block or something under the rail cover as you release it so it doesn't reattach itself... )

Then I found an old antenna bracket. I decided to bolt it into the rear post hole. The only problem was the bed rail is not exactly square so I needed to bend the bracket slightly.

Pic showing the bracket and the slight bend:



Then I measured and drilled two holes to mount the bracket into the post hole:



The bracket installed in the post hole. (the bolts were later cut off flush with the nuts)



I measured the location of the antenna and drilled a hole in the plastic bed rail cover. I used a "unibit" to make the hole. Nothing makes a more perfect hole in plastic or thin metal. You can see the pilot hole in the following pic. Also note you can see one of the mounting clips near the top of the photo.



One last note. Before buttoning everything up... make sure the coax is connected securely and the antenna is not shorted!

Completed:



With antenna removed.... which will be most of the time:

 

[TehKing]

Looks like the ideal spot for it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[MarkT]

added finished pics to first post.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Nicely done Mark! Thanks for posting the pics and write-up.

It's great to see your installation and it's cool that you removed your rail cover. I didn't know it was that easy to take off.

I'm going to get a Cobra 75 CB radio but I still need to figure out where/how to install the antenna. I have the Bakflip and the Bedrug so your installation isn't for me (but I like it a lot especially the fact that it's removable).

Nice graphics in your pics too. I like that - it'd make a great decal

 

[MarkT]

I can't take credit for the graphics. I asked for and received the file from BigJ... I was thinking if someone ever copies pics to save or share from here why not include a little advertising?

funny thing you mentioned decal... I think the file is named "decal 3" or something like that... or did you know that already? lol

 

[BigJ]

Very nice Mark.

How do you plan to run the coax into the cab?

 

[NoCaDiver]

Nifty install Mark.

 

[FSM06]

Nicely done Mark, looks great!

 

[frogslinger]

I finally got around to installing my CB antenna. (CB's are really nice to have while off roading.) Also, you can attach a buggy whip to the same mount if you are running the dunes...

I could not find a mounting system that I liked. So I decided to build my own our of odds and ends I had lying around.

From the research I've done, one of the best places to mount a CB antenna on a pickup truck is in the driver's side rear stake pocket. EDITED

I am not trying to be an ass here but I think your info is wrong. The position that you have put your antenna is good for receiving from the rear, and the sides, but you need at least 2/3 of your antenna above the cab to effectively broadcast forward from that location. The other thing to bear in mind is that the antena needs a ground plane to bounce its transmission off of. In this location it will basically be trying to use the bed of your truck. In this location the CB will be putting most of its strength forward and to the right. To diagram it imagine a perfect circle around the truck... that would be your area if the truck was flat and circular... because of its shape the circle created by an antenna mounted directly in the center of the truck will be an oval... it will be longer in front of and directly behind the truck.... moving the antenna from this central position gets the oval to skew, somewhat counter intuitively, in the opposite direction to the movement.

To put it another way, a CB antenna tends to act like it is broadcasting straight down. The radio waves will bounce only off metal surfaces. Imagine you are standing where the antenna is hurling tennis balls at your feet as you slowly rotate. If you were in the center of the truck all the balls would bounce once and head out in the direction you are facing. If you are in the corner where your antenna is placed, only the ones thrown whilst you are facing straight forward to about 90 degrees if you are rotating clockwise will bounce. Most of those balls will end up to the right side and forward of the truck.

The short version of what I am saying is this... you will probably get fine reception from where you have it positioned, but you will have relatively poor transmission straight back and to the left. Given that we drive on the side of the road that we do, I would suggest that a better position would be on the passengers side... this will let you talk to oncoming traffic better, and will not put your sweet spot for transmitting on the curb to your right. If you want it to work better for offroad where you need to talk backwards and forwards, I would suggest a taller antenna mounted in the stake hole behind the cab on the passenger side. If you want the best transmission (and incidentally reception) possible in all directions mount it in the center of the truck about 6 inches in front of CHMSL.

My credentials:
Practical- CB hobbyist, Radio Telephone Operator for the 494th LMTC, 70 MTD and JLTF 28 and 82
Theoretical- Computer Information Systems major... which does not seem related until you find out that we have to study radio wave propagation etc in order to understand Cellphone and WiFi network deployment.

 

[MarkT]

I am not trying to be an ass here but I think your info is wrong. SNIP .

I've heard and seen so many opinions and theories on antenna mounting that I'm not going to argue with you for even a second... In fact, I will agree that the roof position you mentioned is the best. But it's not practical for me (garage height) and I didn't want to drill a hole in the roof.

Here's one article on mounting... http://www.cbradioschannel.com/tag/cb-antennas/

And another not specific to trucks but does mention driver's side mounting and talks about the common "ground plane" misnomer:

http://www.k0bg.com/antmount.html

And I've also seen a very technical article someplace that comes to that same conclusion... driver's side rear stake hole. But they could be wrong. (I think the source was on the Wilson Antenna site which is now down)

That said, on my FJ Cruiser I ran a "Bandi mount" on the rear door hinge with top-loaded 2 foot antenna that barely cleared the roof. Best set up? No way. But it worked well enough to communicate well on our runs with a range of several miles at times... much, much better range than a handheld FRS radio used inside the vehicle.

That's all I'm looking for. A radio that works decent enough to keep in touch with the group. Thanks for your input and sharing your technical knowledge!