If any of you have a CB Radio in your SD please list what brand, model, location you mounted it, and how you wired it and grounded your antenna/s.

I have a Cobra in mine and I ran the power to the over-head console LCD screen, black wire to top of cab metal frame, mounted 2 three foot whips on my tool box and ran 12-gauge wire from them to the frame. I still get interference over the CB when I roll up my windows or start the truck, I can hear it all on the CB. Should I ground the CB on Neg part of the Battery and not the upper frame of the body ? When the Truck is off and I'm not playing w/ the windows I can hear fine.

 

Rat shack model TRC-496. Powered from the radio fuse in the cab junction box. Grounded to the metal support frame under the steering column. Twin 36" glass antenna on the tool box, ungrounded. No noise or supression issues to date.

 

My box is alluminum, steel mount brackets. I'm stumbled....tonight I'll reground the CB to the Battery, hope it works.

 

That's the same as my box, and the box is mounted on the plastic bed rail caps. No external ground on the antenna. I was going to ground them seperately, but I decided to fire it up to see if it worked without the antenna ground. That was more than four years ago.

 

Galaxy DX73V, grounded to underside of dash, powered from the back of the fuse box. I notoched the trim panel for the bracket and added a plate of aluminum for support. My radio sits below the CD pocket, and to the left of the that useless hook. It was a nice spot, nothing goes there, it is easy to fiddle with while driving. RG8U runs behind the glove box, down the door sills and to the grommit behinde the back seats.

 

Try going staight to the Battery and Good GRN Sometimes then OEM wiring could cause Noise mainly it is powering other systems at least how it was told to me by a CB shop that twecked my Cobra 29 It pushes some good Power something like 45 watts This when I use to be a over the road truck driver years ago.
I also was told Burnning up you CB can be caused by wiring it in to the OEM wiring Don't Ask me why that what I been told, I think it by not having a clean power source.
If you still picking Up power noise try shelided wire for power wire this could also help.

 

I ran the power straight to the Battery, Negative straight to the battery which is grounded. I still get the same sound as before, no change. WTF is going on ? It's a Cobra DX III in thing, the 40 or somethin, I forget.

 

When grounding the radio it's only important to ground to the frame (not just tap into a ground wire for something else). The main 12VDC power wire should be run to the battery to prevent static / feedback from the electrical system of the truck (most often a hum that gets louder with RPM. Which is actually static from the alternator running).

You wont hear any change if you ground the antenna's or not. You will get better reception, and transmit with more clarity with a properly grounded antenna. It can cook the radio if the antenna is ungrounded as well. Without a ground to disipate unused RF from the radio any RF not absorbed by the antenna is returned back to the radio and will burn the transmitter if its enough. At 4 watts its not likely to do much damage unless you hold the mic key for a long time. A modified radio will cook up quick though!

If your using fiberglass whips... Good luck with the installation! It can be a HUGE pain in the butt to get them right. You have to be carefull not to ground out the center of the antenna. Use an Ohm meter between the center of the antenna plug and the metal you have mounted the antenna to. Has to read 0 in order for the antenna not to wreck your radio FAST. First time you key up having an antenna that is grounding out that way you've damaged the radio (even with the 4 watts). Best to check for continuity right where the antenna wire goes into the radio (between the outside sheild and the center conductor. This checks the cable for ground faults as well.)

 

BTW, not many fiberglass whips have grounds (they absorb LOTS of RF through inefficency), the only time you need to ground a fiberglass whip is if it has a additional ground wire at the bottom of the whip.

Good luck again on installing one without grounding out the center electrode! If you find continuity between the center of your cable, and the sheild. And you've been using the radio that way... Garage sale the radio and get a new one. It never will sound right again transmitting or receiving to my experience.

If you wire 12VDC+ straight from the battery and still get the alternator humm, you may need to go to a car stereo store and get a resistor. There cheap, and any stereo store should have them.

 

I have a Uniden Pro 520XL, mounted just above my transfer case shifter(some 06' SD have a small glove box here), conveinent to reach, antenna is on a fender mount, under left side of hood next to hinge, coming out between hood and fender, powered from the fuse panel, grounded under dash, seems to work fine,,same CB in my last 3 SD's, put a small slit in rubber at steering column/firewall, slid antenna wire through there.

 

Don't have a CB but my VHF/UHF "Ham" rig is mounted just to the right of the steering colum under the dash. I throw the mic into the little storage hole just above it. Power is run directly from the battery. No problems with hum or static at any RPM. The antenna is mounted smack dab in the middle of the crew cab roof with a NMO mount. Best place for a ground plane and omnidirectional RF output.

Oh. And no issues with power output of the rig. 50w on VHF and 35w on UHF.

2003 F250 CC.

 

I have been able to filter out engine noise by running multiple grounds from different points on the radio housing (not just the black wire in the pig tail) to the truck chassis. Difficult to do if the housing is plastic though, but you could back out some screws that hold it together and wrap some wire around them. It is worth a shot.

Also, as mentioned, stop by radio shack and pick up a 12V DC noise filter. It is a little RLC (resistor, inductor, capacitor) type network, can't be more than $10, that goes in series with the 12V supply.

Ed

 

I'll pick up a Noise Filter sometime this week when I have time. THe noise can be filtered out if I turn my Squelch out but I can't hear anyone unless they are close range. The CB is mounted to bolted to the plastic casing under the Overhead Console....perhaps I should also ground out those bolts to something ? I should just trash this CB....pain in the ***. Changing my power supply and grounds has done nothing so this Noise Filter is my the CB's last chance to avoid gettin ran over. Upgrade time is a comin.

 

Uniden PC68LTW mounted on center console using a RAM radio mount. Antenna is a Wilson 500 MAG mount in center of roof. Radio powered from upfitter switch # 4 and grounded under dash. No noise and good weather channel reception.

 

A trick I used to use when I had my fiberglass, take a few feet of coax and loop it as close to the antenna as possible. It made a significant difference on that set up.