94 F-350. It has a sliding rear window. I'm installing a cb now but don't know how to route the antenna cord. The antenna is a magnetic mount that I'm putting on the roof but how can I run the cord outside? I tried it out the rear window but it puts pretty heavy strain on the lock mechanism. Do you all just run the cord out the door and across the roof or does anyone have a good clean way to run it out the back?

 

Run it under the cab, between the cab and bed. Look for and rubber plug under the floor and make a small slit in it to pass the antenna wire. Most likely you'll have to pull the carpet up. If you have enough cable, you could fun it under the cab and to the firewall!

 

Disregard. I hooked it all up and can't hear anything. I have to turn the squelch to get any static but no one is out there from where I'm at. Thanks for the reply Dragrazor.

 

Dragrazor is right, that is a good cable route. What do you think is wrong with the CB?? Why can't you hear anyone, there is always someone yacking, the skippers are out there making yakking noises 24/7 try some different channels.

 

I don't know what's the deal with it. All I've heard was some guy who said he was from Puerto Rico and then I could only hear him with the squelch turned up. I've gone through all the channels too. Could it be something with the antenna somehow?

 

I ran mine in the passenger door and then pulled some of the plastic panels to hold it in place and run it down to behind the seat. This is on a regular cab and it worked pretty good I was worried about branches or stuff in my bed catching the wire having it run down the back of the cab

 

What kind of radio do you have?

 

well, it may not be what you're looking for, but I did two different approaches to antenna mounts

I had a magnetic one mounted on the opposite side of the hood as your AM/FM antenna. run it through the crack between the hood and front quaterpanel. Squirm it down through the door at dash-level. tuck it somewhere inside the dash and to your radio. be careful what you tangle the cord on under the dash.

I also had one of those cheap ones that you adhere to your rear window. that seemed to work pretty well. I put it on the upper corner of the window, then the opposite part on the inside of the window. I ran the cord behind the plastic trim pieces. Take it to the front of the cab, over the door(all behind those plasic pieces), down to the dash, and behind it again. seemed to work the best.

Hope I helped.

Ryan

 

It's made by Cobra but it doesn't have a model number. Just says 20 Plus (for the channels I guess). It's an old thin looking one. Good price-free. Could it be because I'm away from the highway?

 

First off, have you tuned your antennae to the radio/truck? Radio Shack sells a Standing Wave Radio (SWR) kit that you place in line and will help you here, or go by any of the CB shops in your area and have them do it for you.

You probably remember the days when you ran an external TV antenna? Remember how the external made a big difference over rabbit ears (unless the station was close to you). Same principle applies here, Amigo. If you want to play with the big boys it helps to have a good antennae.

 

I second the SWR meter, I have a splitter on my truck so that I can use the am/fm antenna and can reach about 2 miles. the meter is about 20 bucks or maybe a bud has one.

 

my cb is mounted right in place of where the ash tray used to be....then i ran the wire through the molding of the truck and i put a little hole in the top of the light assembly above the rear window. looks real clean and dont ahve any leaks and the wire doesnt really show. Maybe this helps.....

 

hehehe... we used to have a VW bug on my street when I was little, with a full wave antenna on it. That would alwyas crack me up!

 

Take it to the shop, maybe for 20 bucks they can tell you if there is enuf power output across the band to make it worth all the trouble of installing and matching the cable and antenna.
The SWR (standing wave reflection)meter is important, it measures the amount of reflected sine wave that actually bounces backwards from the antenna back into your radio power output. The reflected signal is power lost and not transmitted, it subtracts from the outgoing signal and lowers the amplitude. The reflected signal is always present, the trick is to minimize the reflection across the entire bandwidth of the transmitter by matching the impedance of the transmitter to the transmission cable, and to the antenna as much as possible. Example: If you tried to broadcast without an antenna, anotherwards, if your cable had an open circuit at the working end, the entire signal from the output of the radio would bounce off the unterminated cable end, and come straight back into your output amplifier. A short circuit at the end of a cable does the same thing. High power amps will blow up sometimes when 100 percent of the signal is returned, it causes oscillations and stress at the output and poof, no more transistor.

If you don't feel it is necessary or worth it to see a pro, then try and follow these basic rules. Keep the power wires(B+) as short as possible, make sure the power ground is very close by. Use a good quality coax cable, that isn't kinked, no sharp turns, don't squeeze( pinch) the cable. make sure there is no dirt or corrosion on the connectors. Make sure the antenna base is well grounded to the chassis also. and try to keep the majority of the antenna mast away from the body or above the truck body.

 

Fordtruckguy ....
I'm plannign to mount a small CB in the ashtray spot on my '91 ... I can't figure out how to get the ashtray out! Can you help?
Thanks, DR in Dallas