Tj Mount For Cb Radio - Page 2

97TomsJeep · 03-26-2006, 09:38 PM

How's the range on the highway to and from trail?

TJdave · 03-26-2006, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97TomsJeep

How's the range on the highway to and from trail?

It really depends on what type of CB you have and the antennea and so forth. I got my CB radio from a trucker stop and they "upgraded" my CB wth all new parts. Supposedly there is a legal limit as to how powerful CB's can be without needing an operators license. I don't know muh about Cb's but supposedly mine is supercharged.

bryans98tj · 03-26-2006, 10:07 PM

I have the same CB as fried-gold and it is mounted to my Tuffy console in the passenger area. I am in the process of fabbing a cage/psreader bars and will have it mounted overhead once it is done.

-b

Mudder6699 · 03-26-2006, 10:49 PM

Yeah I wouldnt mind getting a cb for trail riding, specially since 2 of my friends might be getting wranglers now too.

rock_rat · 03-27-2006, 06:08 AM

I did a new antenna mount on my jeep Friday. My old ball mount (the white antenna in the full Jeep pic) had a bad habbid of rotating and dragging on the ground. Having just put on rocker guards I wasn't in the mood to drill new holes so I mounted it behind the licence plate holder. I used the top right hand bolt from the holder to mount an SS angle bracket(the clamp style) from firestik. It fit like it was made to go there. The only problem was I could not use an acutal mounting hole in the braket because it was to large to ground properly to the bolt. I used a smaller hole that was above and just to the right of the main one and let the licence plate mounting bolt just tap right through it(ok its a screw not a bolt). I ran the coax through the hole behind the tail light and through the rubber grommet on the upper fender well. I havn't realy tuned it yet but I'm geting 1.5(1-40):1.6(20) so I may not bother playing with it to much. By the way I run the cobara 75WXST and love it.

TJ-n-Oregon · 03-27-2006, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rock_rat

My old ball mount (the white antenna in the full Jeep pic) had a bad habbid of rotating and dragging on the ground.

It wasn't installed correctly then. I've run them for years and never had that happen...no matter what antenna I had on there.

**CETROV** · 03-27-2006, 07:53 AM

I built a cage for the CB

Then put the CB in it.

Mounted it on the roll bar

Keeps it out of the way - there is a hook on the back of the cage that rests on the
little hook on the windshield frame - stays on with hose clamps. Never any problems with it at all.

rock_rat · 03-27-2006, 07:59 AM

I think it had to do more with the fact it was a cheap'o mount from RS. When ever the antenna would hit a tree limb or brush (quite common around here) the ball mount would swivle. You just could not tighten the mount enough on that stupid plastic plate to keep it from rotating. The only thing that holds the ball to the jeep is a center stud with a nut and lock washer. I have no doubt a higher quality ball mount would hold up better and if someone was in a more open area then the RS mount would have been fine.

TJ-n-Oregon · 03-27-2006, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rock_rat

I think it had to do more with the fact it was a cheap'o mount from RS. When ever the antenna would hit a tree limb or brush (quite common around here) the ball mount would swivle. You just could not tighten the mount enough on that stupid plastic plate to keep it from rotating. The only thing that holds the ball to the jeep is a center stud with a nut and lock washer. I have no doubt a higher quality ball mount would hold up better and if someone was in a more open area then the RS mount would have been fine.

That's what I run. I went that route because of the spacing and were I mounted it. There is very little I'd buy from RS...but their SS whip, spring, and ball mount are okay. And I doubt your foliage is any lower than ours here, too.

tctrjeep · 03-27-2006, 08:32 AM

Can I give one little bit of advice to folks about "supercharged", "tuned", or "tweaked" CB radios?

Don't.

It is a violation of federal law. CB radios are limited to 4 Watts AM/12 Watts SSB. They are also limited to 40 specific frequencies. If you modify a rig to work outside of these parameters, you are risking some heavy fines or worse. You can not use any form of amplification. I do not want to see anyone caught in this sort of thing.

The FCC has a program they call the Volunteer Observer program. This is staffed by volunteers who listen to the airwaves and report violations to the FCC. There is a guy at the FCC named Riley Hollingsworth. I have met him a couple of times.

Here in the SLC area the FCC started running some serious enforcement prior to the 2002 winter games. We found out just what they can do.

If Riley gets a call about someone running an illegal rig, he has the power to call up some folks at Langley or other facilities with some seriously cool RDF gear. They can ID the location for an illegal rig within a few square miles. FCC field trucks can narrow that down fast enough. If a VO figures out that your vehicle appears to be the source and reports your license plate, that is considered official evidence by the FCC.

The FCC can inspect your gear at any time by force of law. If you refuse they can literally have the Sheriff break your door down. Not good.

If you are found with an illegal rig, the FCC says that monetary forfeitures normally range from $7,500 to $10,000. The rig will also be confiscated, and you can face additional fines or jail time. With the increase in "homeland security", this sort of thing is taken even more seriously. You don't always hear about it, but the FCC is out there and they do check for this sort of thing on a regular basis.

I don't want to spoil anyones party, but if you feel the need to communicate over greater distances than a stock CB will work, there are legal methods that allow you to talk clear around the planet, or even to off-world stations (ISS/Shuttle/Sats).

TJ-n-Oregon · 03-27-2006, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctrjeep

Can I give one little bit of advice to folks about "supercharged", "tuned", or "tweaked" CB radios?

Don't. ...

Holy cow! You mean we have rats in the wood pile?

OMG...quick, everyone who is running illegal gear (that would include you Hams with HF equipment that has 11 meters in it / Minorities need fear nothing) run and hide!

Wait a minute...shouldn't the whole truth be told?

Nah...that would be off topic, wouldn't it.

tctrjeep · 03-27-2006, 03:05 PM

What you elect to do is your business. I just wanted to make the new guys aware that there is a legal way to do things, and that some here have gone on another path.

If you elect to go the illegal route, make sure that you have $7500 to $10,000 in the bank to cover the fines. It can also lead to a felony conviction that can remove your ability to own firearms and to enjoy other benefits of our Constitution.

I know of a couple of VO's that enjoy the trails around here. I just recommend not risking it.

TJ-n-Oregon · 03-27-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctrjeep

What you elect to do is your business. I just wanted to make the new guys aware that there is a legal way to do things, and that some here have gone on another path.

If you elect to go the illegal route, make sure that you have $7500 to $10,000 in the bank to cover the fines. It can also lead to a felony conviction that can remove your ability to own firearms and to enjoy other benefits of our Constitution.

I know of a couple of VO's that enjoy the trails around here. I just recommend not risking it.

Whatever.

It's way off topic no matter how you cut it. And if you knew anything about what a true Peak and Tweak entailed, you'd know there are thousands of qualified technicians out there performing them...all well within the guidelines of the law. Saying "Don't do it" is misguided information. And I'd venture to guess that these "VO's" are nothing more than glorified Ham operators who find it easier to look at others when they can't even get their own house in order. I'd find it very hard to believe that all these resources you've mentioned would come into play over a 5 watt radio.

tctrjeep · 03-27-2006, 05:11 PM

If a "true" tweak and peak causes the radio to exceed 4 Watts AM/12 Watts SSB, it is in violation of the law. While it is true that they may not catch 5 Watts, if they do you are looking at $7500 to $10,000. That's a lot to risk.

I strongly recommend against it. That's all I am going to say about it.

fried_gold · 03-27-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctrjeep

Can I give one little bit of advice to folks about "supercharged", "tuned", or "tweaked" CB radios?

Don't.

Good advice. You sound like you know what you're talking about but to avoid confusing any newbies, "tuning" should be left out. Tuning a CB doesn't give it any more power or do anything illegal. It's more like adjusting the dial on an FM radio to "fine tune" the reception and hear your favorite music better.

Without getting too technical (I don't know a whole lot about CBs anyway), tuning means adjusting the antenna so the CB system works as good as it's supposed to work. For a million different reasons, they don't usually work perfectly once they're installed, sometimes they barely work at all, so, listen up newbies, tuning the antenna is an important part of installing a CB.