hey everyone, so im on my first jk and dont really know a lot about cb's. i do however want one and was looking to see what would be the best bang for buck. i saw a few different options on cb radio sets on quadratec and cooltech. not gonna lie, ill probably have someone else install it since it is my first cb experience. and i would like to have a quick disconnect since i am forced to park in a parking garage in midtown bc of where i work. i look forward to hearing yalls opinions and learning more on cb's. thanks, dean

 

I purchased this kit from rightchannelradio.com . I had no problems with installation and used for two outings with no problems. They give you a choice of antenna s and mounting locations. I chose the teraflex spare tire mount and the Wilson antenna. I only use it for wheeling and take it off when not in use.






Attachment 309702

 

I run the kit from cooltech that includes the license plate mount. Have been running this mount for a few years now and I have zero complaints! This mount doesn't seem to have the SWR and grounding issues that many of the tailgate mounts get...plus it has a nice clean look to it. I currently run a 4' Firefly antenna with a quick disconnect.

 

Nice! That's the kit I'm currently looking at to get. I'm glad to hear you don't have any complaints about it. Where did you mount the cb?

 

I bought a Uniden Pro 520XL, 3' Firestik II, Firestik stud mount, Tail gate mount from crappy rugged ridge, and 18' coax, SWR tuner...bought everything on amazon and cost about 100 bucks...managed to install without drilling anything and removing minimal amount of plastic paneling...Mounted it securely in place to the middle footman loop with some velcro and two zip ties. Looks clean, cost less than a dollar, took less than 5 min.

 

CB is Cobra 75 WX ST and mounted with the bracket from cooltech.

Like this one:

 

The Midland 1001Z CB is a good entry level CB that is not very expensive. I installed mine on top of my upper dash bezel and then got a second one from a forum member so I could remove it when I don't need it. For my antenna setup I bought a FireStik LG3-M2-B no ground plane (NGP) antenna kit. The molded side mount is easily mountable to the rear license plate bracket and the supplied cable reaches from the radio down behind the center dash under the driver's seat along the driver's side of the vehicle and down through the grommet in the top of the rear fender into the license plate bracket. There are no exposed wires and everything can be removed so that it's virtually impossible to know that I've ever installed a CB at all. Here are some pics and a link to my photo album that has more information on my setup. It is easily installable in a couple hours and it works great. The entire antenna kit is only $50 and includes the mount, the antenna, and the coaxial cable that connects the antenna to the radio. Click the Where to by link on the FireStik website for a vendor near you.

A shot with the antenna and my Old Glory flag flying proud!



A shot of the license plate bracket with a mockup drill template used to locate the side mount.



A FireStik illustration showing how the molded side mount secures to the vehicle.




A closeup shot of the mount and the antenna installed





Another shot of the mount and antenna installed. See how inconspicuous the mount is on the license plate bracket.



Finally a shot of the radio on the upper dash bezel. You can mount yours anywhere between here and the back of the vehicle and have plenty of supplied cable left to make it between the radio ant the antenna.


The link to my photo album. Read the captions to the pictures. There is more details in them.


https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/memb...allation-8701/

 

Tell me more! Tell me more! Do you have any pics?

 

Uniden 520 XL
I would recommend the Uniden 520 XL after digging through about every post on CB's I can find. It is everything you need and no extras. Fry's seems to have them the cheapest.

-small,cheap, tough, simple and works good with a good antenna setup.
There is also a 510 XL for about 10-15 dollars less. You loose the R/F gain, an automatic noise limiter, and the ability to make it into a PA system (if you install a horn).





Cobra 75 WX ST
As far as handhelds the Cobra 75 is a good option and is super popular . The speaker on it is a bit weak. You really need to get an external speaker for this one. It doesn't have a PA option, and the squelch and volume are a bit hard to use. You will have to mount a small body piece in addition to having the hand held. It has a ton of cool features like:
-scanning thru channels
- Having 2 channels broadcast
- 4 memory channels
- Its small and easy to store.
-You can change the channel with the handset
-Weather Channels

It is a bit more risky being that all the components are in the hand held so you need to make sure not to drop it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4ASM0MDrMvE#t=98s

Midland 75-822
The Midland 75-822 seems like a pretty good hand held that you can plug into an antenna. It isn't as popular as the Cobra. It plugs into the cigarette lighter vs the battery like the other ones. This power technically isn't as good but works. It seems like a good option for someone who just wants to use it on the trails and maybe use a magnet antenna, then keep it tucked away most of the time. I have heard it only takes about 15 seconds to make it into a walkie talkie if you want to spot someone. This one can easily be moved from a jeep to another car if need be, where as the Cobra has that extra box needed. It comes with a clip instead of a button on the back.




MOUNT
Technically a hood mount would be the best. After looking under my 2012 I cannot see how I could get that to work even with drilling.

The Arizona Rocky Road Antenna mount is probably the best rear mount, ie high up and not in-between the tire and window, not next to metal. I have seen someone mount theirs near the top of the 3rd break light which would work good too. You just need to account for the rear wiper blade on the hard top.


The cooltech ultramount (shown below) is nice because then the Coax doesn't get bent all the time with opening the rear gate. It can wear it out.

FireFly Antenna
The antenna makes all the difference in CB's, that are limited to 4 Watts. You want to make sure you get it grounded well. Then you need to tune them with a SWR meter. In theory you want them to be as high as possible and have 1/3 above the roof.

After a ton of research I think the FireStik FireFly (not to be confused with there other models) is the best Jeep Antenna overall. Very flexable, Light weight, More top wound than than the more popular Firestick II. It will have FL in the name if it is a firefly. Here is one on a cooltech ultramount


Gear Keeper" is an option for holding the Mic. I found a video with one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6gGzpE7vbc&feature=player_detailpage#t=54s This one shows it retracting better but only in this small part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=e3gmD04IA-c#t=289s This isn't mine ,but I love the idea and it will work with the 2012 hardtop.

You might want to check out this link. https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-c...1/#post2539864 A couple post lower it shows the hardware. It look like it will work with the 2012 hardtop that uses the footman loop

 

This is all great! Thanks much!