I recently bought a Cobra 29 WX NW ST CB and just mounted it under the pocket in the dash of my 99 F250 Supercab. The only problem is that I'm basically completely clueless when it comes to wiring the thing. Where should/do I connect the power cord to the chassis and to the power source? I am 16 with no experience in this sort of thing so I could really use some detailed info here. Also I will be running dual antennas behind the cab, I may only hook up one though. How do I get the Coax cable from there to the CB? And I will also be getting a PA speaker. Where can i find one thats at least 25 Watts? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Ok here we go.

CB Wiring: Hook up the positive wire to a 12V source. There are many ways to do this. The easiest is to run a wire directly from the battery that has an inline fuse. I said it was the easiest not the best though. Then hook up the ground to a piece of metal nearby. The closer the better to avoid noise interference.

Antenna wire routing: The best way to run the antenna cable is going to depend on the truck. I have no clue as to how theses new ones are but look for a removeable rubber plug somewhere in the floor board or back of cab. Cut the center and run cable through then seal with expandable foam.

PA Speaker: You can get these almost anywhere. Best bets are Radio Shack or your nearest truck stop.

Hope this info helps.

Russell
1968 F250 LWB 300-6

FORD=First on Race Day
#88 Dale Jarrett
#21 Elliott Sadler
#97 Kurt Busch
#28 Ricky Rudd

 

I mounted my CB the same way you did, my 99 is an extended cab not crew.

Before. you start any of this take the ground wire off the battery.

I ran my antenna cable under the carpet and over to the doorsill. It's pretty easy to pop off the plastic sill plates; there is a groove under them that you can run the cable along to the back of the cab, up under the carpet again and out the back through the rubber grommet provided.

Pull the cable through between the cab and under the bed pulling it then up through the stake-bed hole to your antenna mount. Take a piece of wire and crimp a O connection on one end, drill a small hole in the sill, rough off the paint with a piece of sandpaper and use a self tapping screw to secure the O connection to the now bare metal. Run the wire back along the path of the antenna cable, pulling the carpet smooth over both.
You can now replace the sill plates and zip tie the antenna cable securely.

Take the power cord provided and crimp a spade end, (3mm), to the end of the hot, (with the fused link), wire. It needs to be a total of about 36 inches long, add some if you need to. Pop off the fuse access panel and run the wire back up under the dash to the panel, pull out the # 3, (cigar lighter) fuse sliding the spade end along with the fuse when you put it back. Zip the wire along the dash frame and button up the panel. Connect the ground wire from the plug to the grounded wire from the sill. Tuck, (and zip), again and you are good to go.

You can buy your connectors, wire and PA speaker at Radio Shack.

(An alternate power source is the wires under the dash marked consumer power or for consumer use although I can't tell you which of these is hot.)

Let me know if this makes sense or if you need any other information. Don

 

a few other notes:

First, if you plan on mounting the antennas on the top of the box rail right behind the cab, be forewarned that the metal cab in front of them won't do great things for your signal.

Also, don't be too worried about the watt rating of your PA speaker. higher rating does not mean louder speaker. It actually depends on the output power of the PA speaker line on the CB. as long as the speaker is rated for more than that you're fine.

And, when running the antenna cable make sure you don't pinch it in anything, because that won't be good for your signal or your CB.