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CB Install (I searched with no luck)

F

fdsa487

NAXJA Forum User
Location
El Cajon, a.k.a. The Box
<H3>http://www.wirelessbycobra.com/index.php?page=shop/browse&category_id=&id=2</H3>I searched all over and could not find a thread on installing a CB radio. This is the one I purchased and im looking to install it soon but need wiring help (I suck at wiring) but I found out where I want to mount it!

Its a 2000 XJ
Where is the easiest spot to go through the firewall? Can I hook it directly to the batteries positive and negative? If i did not hook it there where else could I hook it (easly w/ the least amount of dash removal) so that it would turn off when the vehicle is off?
What is the best type of antenna and antenna wire?

Its a cobra
40 channel Soundtracker, 10 NOAA weather channels Dual Watch, Front Firing Speaker Part #: 18 WX ST II
 
I'd like to know the answer to this as well. I cut off the cigarette-lighter plug (the CB is one of those temporary ones, but it was free), and put terminals on the positive and negative wires. I plugged the positive one into one of the 'pwr acc' slots in the fuse box, but I don't know how to properly ground the negative wire.
 
You can run the positive and negative to the cigarette lighter which has both. I did all the wiring on mine in about 10 minutes, and it took longer than that to just run the wires in the headliner and down the A pillar. It's nice not having to worry about the CB staying on when the jeep is turned off though, so that's probably the best spot I can think of to wire up the CB.

edit:
I have mine mounted between the sunvisors.
 
xjj33p3r said:
You can run the positive and negative to the cigarette lighter which has both. I did all the wiring on mine in about 10 minutes, and it took longer than that to just run the wires in the headliner and down the A pillar. It's nice not having to worry about the CB staying on when the jeep is turned off though, so that's probably the best spot I can think of to wire up the CB.

edit:
I have mine mounted between the sunvisors.
Click to expand...

Ok i can totally do that wiring behind the cigarette lighter. Im sure this is a dumb question but the power will always be flowing to the CB weather the lighter is in or out, right?

Where did you run your CB antenna cable? Do you have any pictures of the install =)
I really appreciate your advice:chef:
 
langer1 said:
The lighter is off when the key is off.
Click to expand...

That changes depending on year and model.

My 88 fleet XJ has the lighter powered all the time. My 90 pioneer is only powered in a Switched Power On condition.


I dislike connecting the CB power to the cigarette lighter circuit for two reasons.

The CB only will draw around 2 amps when transmitting, the cigarette lighter circuit is a 15 amp fuse. Unless you run an inline fuse for the CB wiring only, 15 amps is more than enough to damage the CB in case of a short.

That circuit also contains the radio,dome,vanity,clock lamps/illumination. That is alot of circuits already tied together. It starts creating exponetionally growing problems to add more circuits.

I prefer to either pull a new hot all the way to the battery, or to a Key-Off power source. I've used fuse box taps in the past with pretty good sucess. But I Always add an inline fuse holder with the correct amperage fuse for the radio.

A ground can be attached to any point that connects to the body with a conductive material. Like a screw. One of my favorite spots is at the lower dash, where the plastic is bolted to the dash framework. Just make sure that there is nothing that could catch fire in case of a short. 2 or 3 amps is not enough to cause an 18 gauge ground wire to get warm.
 
If you still want to go through the firewall, an easy place is to just drill a small hole on the driver's side near an identifiable grommet, and plug it up with a grommet from a hardware store. This is the path of most of the factory wiring.
In my 2000 there isn't much to work with if you want to tap into the existing wiring.

in the 2000, the cigarette lighter is on the accessory 12V, not battery. The 12V source on the right side (opposite the cigarette thing), however, is always live.
 
Last edited:
kubtastic said:
If you still want to go through the firewall, an easy place is to just drill a small hole on the driver's side near an identifiable grommet, and plug it up with a grommet from a hardware store. This is the path of most of the factory wiring.
In my 2000 there isn't much to work with if you want to tap into the existing wiring.
Click to expand...

I have some grommets laying around I can use. I'll look into hooking this thing up tonight.
Do you happen to know what the best AND shortest CB antenna is? I really want to mount it to my roof rack but I dont want it sticking up 10 feet, ya know.

kubtastic
did you hook your CB up to the cig lighter?
 
Here are some pictures I just took of my setup. I hope they can help you out

CBradio001s.jpg

CBradio002s.jpg

CBradio003s.jpg

CBradio004s.jpg

CBradio005s.jpg

CBradio006s.jpg
 
No problem. By the way, I ran those 3 different wires for these purposes:
On the driver side A-pillar: Power and Ground
Passenger side A-pillar: Antenna (black) PA speaker (white)
 
xjj33p3r said:
No problem. By the way, I ran those 3 different wires for these purposes:
On the driver side A-pillar: Power and Ground
Passenger side A-pillar: Antenna (black) PA speaker (white)
Click to expand...

My CB does not have an option for a PA... I wish it did but it would probably only get me in troublt ;)
 
Does a CB antenna have to be grounded? Because I saw an antenna that said "no ground CB antenna"... I thought that they were just straight up one cable from the CB to the antenna and your good.
 
Well, mine is bolted to the bumper, which is metal, and a ground. I've heard they won't work as well if they aren't grounded, but I've never tried it myself.
 
fdsa487 said:
Yes please.
Click to expand...
here ya go. im in a hurry Ill explain how i did it later.
<img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/shotstopper/100_1348.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
<img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/shotstopper/100_1349.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
<img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/shotstopper/100_1347.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
<img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/shotstopper/100_1344.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
 
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