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Where to put my CB antenna....

Claymore

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No shouldn't make a difference - unless of course you're transmitting while listening to the AM radio - it can bleed through in some cases then. I've never had an issues with CB and AM/FM car antennas causing issues for each other.
Thank You so much.......It will make things much easier.
I've never been much of a radio listener in any case.
Thanks again!!!!
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nunucello

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I use a Bingfu antenna mount that lets me mount on the hood lip without drilling any holes. It uses a clamp mechanism with a plate between the screws and panel so it doesn't scratch the paint.
These mounts look like this:
61SNCs7gKiL._AC_SX480_SY360_.jpg


I use them for CB and my HAM antennas. I like that they can mount on pretty much any lip area. They worked great on the Compass I had with the hood lip hanging over the side at an angle.
Thanks for posting this. Do you have a link ?
 

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Thanks for posting this. Do you have a link ?
They are sold under a few different brand names. Look for "Lip Mount Antenna" and find the one for your radio (They make them for CB, HAM, and DMR). I got my HAM one from Amazon after I got my CB one from a local radio shop.
 

nunucello

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They are sold under a few different brand names. Look for "Lip Mount Antenna" and find the one for your radio (They make them for CB, HAM, and DMR). I got my HAM one from Amazon after I got my CB one from a local radio shop.
thank you
 

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jimmy fitzwell

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I've got to chime in here even though this is an old thread. BTW-I was kicked off this forum but I have temporarily snuck back on.

Transmitting any kind of power over, say, 200 watts on a CB or 10 meter radio with an antenna within, say, five feet of your head is maybe a cancer risk. 1000 watts is down right deadly! 30 mhz is the bacon frying freq. Channel 19 is 27.189 mhz. 10 meters is 28-29.

The best place for a mobile transmitting antenna is dead center on the roof. The worst is in the bed.

An NMO mount is the best and then you can use any length (FREQ) whip you want. I've never trusted myself to drill through the headliner so Mag mount runs a good second place. Run the coax through that oval grommet down low in the back into the bed. I think I saw one on the Mav in a back of the seat photo.

Avoid RF interference to your vehicle's electrical systems (at power above CB and FamilyRadio) by pulling your power directly off the battery. This is paramount!

QRZ.com (the world wide amateur radio forum) has a dedicated mobile radio section with 2500 discussions. They can be jerks, just like this forum, but there is a ton of info.

Plus you can find info on becoming a ham. Real radio for you and your community. (No more Morse code requirement).
 
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deadeye

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Crossbar won't work as a antenna needs to have metal that makes connection with the body/frame for a proper counterpoise. Truck beds are usually a bad place to mount as the beds usually don't make a solid ground connection with the frame - some older trucks were better for that. You can mount in the bed and then run a large 0 gauge ground wire to the frame, I've done that before.

CB radio is still going strong though - lots of people on the air.
Remember this is a unibody truck, not your typical body-on-frame truck with rubber isolators. My bet is you will get a good ground in the bed. Maybe ask some Honda Ridgeline folks?
 

Random

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Lots of Cleveland Cliff steel in these trucks!
 

deadeye

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I'm a big CB radio / Ham Radio guy and I've always had a CB radio in my vehicle. I either hard mount or magnetic mount my antennas. Currently my antenna is a Wilson 5000 magnetic mount center of the roof.

That would be great for this truck but I'm wondering if the body is aluminum or steel? I know on the F150 guys complain they can't use a magnet mount antenna.

I could go with a fender mount antenna but I'm worried the gap in the hood will be too small compared to a full size truck. Other option will be to mount off the back corners of the bed with a frame mount but that's never ideal for best radiation pattern of the signal.

Haven't been able to determine what the body will be - anyone? Please say not aluminum as that makes this all tougher.
This 3rd brake light bracket for Ranger is the cleanest way I have seen to mount antennae. Maybe ask if they will make one for the Maverick, or maybe we luck out and they have the same 3rd brake light?

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bullet-proof-diesel-antenna-mount-install.7455/
 
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Big Kahuna

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This 3rd brake light bracket for Ranger is the cleanest way I have seen to mount antennae. Maybe ask if they will make one for the Maverick, or maybe we luck out and they have the same 3rd brake light?

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bullet-proof-diesel-antenna-mount-install.7455/
Those types of mounts are known for not providing a good ground so I'd be careful with them. Also that guy chose a 35" cb antenna which is just a waste of time unless you only plan on talk 1-2 miles. It's a clean install but a ton of work. A Wilson 5000 magnet mount on the roof will perform so much better than that install. It's a trade off for a lot of people - most guys worry about looks and put little 2 or 3 ft antennas on their truck which don't do squat, only good for talking to the trucker 1 miles down the road. For me I wouldn't even bother with that as I'm a more heavy duty user of radio.
 
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KenT

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Why can’t you mount the CB antenna on the roof and run the antenna lead thru the center high mounter stop light. You may have to file a notch for the wire to fit in to reattach the lens cover.
This is what I am planning to do for a SiriusXM antenna, and would be extremely disappointed to find out that it won’t work.
 
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Big Kahuna

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Why can’t you mount the CB antenna on the roof and run the antenna lead thru the center high mounter stop light. You may have to file a notch for the wire to fit in to reattach the lens cover.
This is what I am planning to do for a SiriusXM antenna, and would be extremely disappointed to find out that it won’t work.
I'm sure you could do this and I've done that in the past, the problem is just getting around through the headliner to where you want it to be.

I will likely mount on the roof and run the coax down to where the wires from the truck bed come into the cab and bring it in through there or look for another route underneath the truck and come up into the cab. I've done that a couple of times on other trucks and it worked pretty well. Or I might just run a fender mount. Not 100% sure yet.
 

TCK

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Seems we have now discussed everything.
 

KenT

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I'm sure you could do this and I've done that in the past, the problem is just getting around through the headliner to where you want it to be.

I will likely mount on the roof and run the coax down to where the wires from the truck bed come into the cab and bring it in through there or look for another route underneath the truck and come up into the cab. I've done that a couple of times on other trucks and it worked pretty well. Or I might just run a fender mount. Not 100% sure yet.
Don’t think your plan will work. This is a unibody vehicle; there will be no need for openings to run wires from bed to cab.
On the Maverick, you can fold down the rear seat back and see where the headliner terminates. I am hoping that it will be relatively easy to insert an electricians fishing pole through the gap between the headliner ending and the cab back steel panel and grab the antenna wire.
 
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Big Kahuna

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Don’t think your plan will work. This is a unibody vehicle; there will be no need for openings to run wires from bed to cab.
On the Maverick, you can fold down the rear seat back and see where the headliner terminates. I am hoping that it will be relatively easy to insert an electricians fishing pole through the gap between the headliner ending and the cab back steel panel and grab the antenna wire.
Ah - true I wasn't thinking that there won't be a gap between the bed and the cab...man how did I miss that in my planning :) lol

So brake light housing might be the cleanest way to get the coax into the cab.

Other option is to mount at the back of the bed and run the coax through the same wire the 12V power is routed to the rear of the truck. Bed mounted antennas aren't ideal as they can be directional but I've done it in the past and actually had some good luck with them.

Or a fender mount might still be in the cards but the gap on the hood on this truck is likely to be tiny compared to a full size so doubtful a fender mount is going to work.
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