i bought one of the cheap cobra cb's at walmart and i was thinking that i would mount it underneath the ashtray. i was curious as to which wires were there to use for power. ive been researching past threads and couldn't really find a straight answer. am i gonna have to cut and splice a power wire of some kind? if i choose to run a wire from the battery.. what size fuse do you think i might need? i was also wondering what everyone did with the walkie talkie thing(techincal term). pics of applications, install, wiring options would all be appreciated!!! thanks for any help!


*EDIT*- is there any retail store i.e. pep boys, best buy circuit city, 4 wheel parts, or anywhere that stocks firestik antennas?? if so how much do they usually run?

 

best place to get firesticks and such besides online will be a truck stop

 

about $22 for a 4 foot firestick.

I don't really know how the ohv engine compartments are.....but the engine fuse panel....there's two covers. Take the smaller one off. there's two studs and there's constant power off there, that's where I pull power for my electrical accesories. for a cb, a 10a fuse should be fine.

Check out these pics:



Let us know if that location would work with the manual....that's where I plan on mounting mine.

 

cool... i was thinking last night.. if i mount this antenna on the back using alon's mount, where am i gonna be runnin the cable, and what are suggestions for doing it?

 

I ran mine along the inside of the passenger's side frame rail. It penetrated the cab at the rubber stopper beneath the passenger's seat.

 

that sounds like a pretty good idea. ill try that. thx for all the help, you guys have really been more help than you know.

 

as for the power, i just spliced into the ciggarette lighter...
i mounted it in the little ash tray thing there too, and grounded at the controller behind the cup holder. (don't know if your interior is like mine though...)

 

I just called the walmarts around me and they all say that they dont sell it...Does anyone know if there is somewhere besides walmart and radioshack and neither of them sell the cobra?Thanks

 

EBAY is your best bet; its where i got mine

 

Alright thanks

 

I hate calling the stores they are such lazy a$$e$. I walked into the walmart on my way home from work and guess what they had.....about 10 cb boxes sitting right in plain view!

 

yeah.. i was wondering why they would have them in all the walmart stores around here, and not in michigan.

 

If i wire it to the cig light do I have to unplug the unit so it doesnt kill the battery? or will just shutting the unit off work?

 

Just shutting it off will be fine. You do not need to disconnect the power.

 

is there a way to use the cig lighter power line without making it useless? im not amazing with wiring but i guess just make it a 3-way splice?

 

Can i wired it straight to the battery?

 

thats how ive got mine; no issues

 

^^ yeah thats another way that ive heard to do it. just fuse it.

 

Do you have to fuse it? cuz I havent had to do that so how would I do that?

 

I haven't fused it, but I probably should.

 

just go to a parts store and get some kind of inline fuse. cut the power wire and put it in.

 

YES YOU NEED A FUSE.

Unless of course you don't mind your truck ending up a smoking hole in the ground.

 

oh ok

 

YESS!!! When somebody doesn't use a fuse, I always think l2en, big fire, truck be gone. USE A FUSE!!!