Wiring up a cb radio
 

Ok so I got a CB radio a while back and already have the place to mount it and everything, how to run the antenna I just need to know where to hook it up. I've heard about the power distruibtion block?, and taping into a existing power wire. What exact place can I tap power from. Like wire color or picture, I have a 04 so it might be a different wire then whats on a 03- Thanks for the help.

If you don't use your light plug for other big things that draw a lot of power, you can use those wires rather easily. A CB will never draw 15 amps to pop that fuse. If you want it to turn on and off with the truck, your best bet is to use a relay with constant power and control the relay with a circuit that turns on and off with the ignition.

Can you go into more detail about using a relay with constant power? What all do I wire up? I'm guessing constant power or the relay, then a wire coming off the ignition for switched power then the power to the radio?

I got you man... simply run a fused wire to your battery to for power to the relay, plug that into the #30 slot on the relay. Tap into a ground and plug that into the #86 slot on the relay. I would tap into the switched power wire to the radio (yellow wire i believe) to get your signal to switch the unit on when you start the truck and plug that into the #85 slot. lastly, your wiring the power wiring from the cb to the 87 slot and ground your cb. Now your cb will shut off when you turn off your truck.

Awesome thanks man! What kind of relay do I get from Autozone? This gives me something to do tomorrow.

Exactly!

A standard Bosch pattern relay has numbered terminals.
85: From an ignition switched source like the radio power
86: Ground
87: Constant power from battery
30: To CB radio

85 & 86 are interchangeable
30 & 87 are interchangeable in this configuration

Ok got it so just a standard Bosch pattern relay, sounds good!

I believe their is also an 87A, maybe not on bosch, but all the ones we are workin on at my school are. But basically fishy told you exactly right. Good luck and post some pics!

87a is an optional terminal if you buy the SPDT model. A SPST model will not have the 87a terminal. In this case, you can get one with an 87A terminal and it will remain unused.

With the relay off, 30 and 87A are connected.
With the relay on, 30 and 87 are connected.

wow that sounds like a lot more work than it has to be.
i would just be running the the power wire to a switched power source from the fuse block with an inline fuse(most cb radios have them) and ground the radio.i have been using cb radios in my vehicles for years and two at all times in my big rig and i have never needed a relay for them. what is the point of having the relay? it seems like it's more trouble than it's worth.

That's all I've ever done...