Today I was messing around with getting a CB antenna on my truck. I had a radio laying around and figured, why not put it to use? So, I started looking into how to make it happen.
First thing I needed was a decent mount. I didn’t want to drill any holes in my truck, so I looked for something that could clamp on. I found a few options, some that attach to the bed rails and others that use the stake pockets. I ended up going with a stake pocket mount since it seemed the most solid and easiest to install.
Next up was the antenna itself. There are tons of different types out there, from short little whips to long fiberglass ones. I decided to go with a mid-sized fiberglass antenna, about 4 feet long. I figured it would give me a good balance between range and not being too much of an eyesore. I picked up some coax cable and all the connectors I needed too.
Getting the mount installed was a breeze. It just slipped into the stake pocket and tightened down with a couple of bolts. I ran the coax cable through the mount and up to where I was going to put the radio. I hooked up the antenna to the cable, making sure everything was nice and tight.
Then came the fun part – mounting the radio. I found a spot under the dash where it fit nicely and wouldn’t be in the way. I wired it up to the truck’s power, and connected the antenna. Time to test it out!
I turned on the radio, and right away, I could hear some chatter. I messed around with the squelch a bit to get rid of the static, and then I tried transmitting. I managed to get a hold of a couple of other truckers on the highway, and we chatted for a bit. The signal was clear, and they said I was coming in loud and strong. Success!
Here’s a breakdown of what I used:
- Stake pocket antenna mount
- 4-foot fiberglass CB antenna
- Coax cable with PL-259 connectors
- CB radio (obviously)
Overall
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was a fun little project, and now I’ve got a CB radio in my truck. It’s not something I’ll use every day, but it’s nice to have, especially on long road trips. Plus, it just looks cool, right?
