i have a 95 f-150 im putting a cb radio in. what would be the best way to run the power wires without removing the dash? give as much detail as possible

thanks

 

i would run off the radio its got all the wires you would need .power ,igition, negative just take a power meter to find out whats what negative is always black the other 2 tend to be red , yellow, or pink

 

I'd go even easier than that. Run the positive straight to the fuse box and ground to a good ground some where under the dash you could get to easy enough. I usually run stuff like that to the radio fuse, or an assy fuse. Make sure you're CB doesn't stay on all the time though if it is a "hot" fuse!
Rich

 

If your cigarette lighter or powerpoint as they call it turns off with the key, that would be a good spot to get your power and ground from, plus it is already fused.

 

I was thinking of running it to the fuse box. Just trying to figure out the best way to do it.

 

im new to working on auto's, so i don't know too much. the only way im surei can get power for my cb is by running the wire directly to the battary, if you can i'd like some pictures and details on abetter way

 

Some people run them directly to the battery anyway. The battery is a good noise absorber, and some people with noisy electrical systems have to run the cb directly to the battery.

 

if you want to minimize the noise caused by the motor run it to the battery ....and make shure that all of your grounds are good in the whole vehicle

 

If you do go straight to the battery, you have the option of turning on the radio back at camp without draining the battery from the other accessories. Some guys like to keep the radio on and listen in case others get in trouble out on the trail.

I hook up to the fuse box. Pull a fuse and wrap the wire around one end and carefully slide the fuse back in. Then wire tie it up and out of the way. If I went to the battery, I'd leave the CB on and kill the battery every other day.

 

Just thought of this today, if you have the tow package, and do not use the trailer brake controller. You could get the brake controller harness and wire the CB to it. It is on all the time and fused. No wires to run through the fire wall, just have to route the antenna cable. Also if it has an illumination wire for the CB it is there as well.

 

any recomendations on what size fuse?

i think on the wire that came with the cb it already has a 3 amp fuse, not sure if thats right, but i think thats what it is

 

Well sure you want to go to a power source with more juice potential then say the cirgarette lighter. Car radio, heater blower motor...something like that is fine. You can tap off either side of the fuse if you use one in line on the CB wire itself. That way the CB will always be covered.

 

The fuse already with the cb will protect the wiring and the cb downstream from the fuse. If you run directly to the battery, you will need another fuse as close to the battery as possible, or move the 3 amp fuse out as close to the battery as possible, to protect as much of the wire as you can.

If you tie into the fuse box, pull the fuse, and check which side has power. The side of the fuse that is dead with the fuse pulled out is the side you will want to use, so that fuse will protect the wire till it gets to the 3 amp cb fuse.

You can use the hot side of the fuse at the fuse panel, but as in the case of hooking the wire directly to the battery, you will want to hook another fuse, or move the cb fuse as close as possible to the fuse box junction to protect as much of the wire as possible.

 

OK Dave. I follow you. Man you're paranoid. Safe I guess. Don't have any unfused wires exposed. Good point. I should verify what I did on my 300 Watt amp with 00 sized wire.

 

I think the stereo shops sell a special high amp fuse to mount near the battery for your situation.

I have seen a large wire like yours short against the frame, and the only thing that saved the situation was the lead terminal on the battery + melted completely till the battery cable fell off the battery. This was a situation of a wire getting pinched because of sloppy wiring practices, but it could easily happen also if you got in a bad accident.