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Message |
    
Sam36
New member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 8:18 pm: | 
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From my post here: http://www.copperelectronics.com/cgi-bin/discus4/board-auth.cgi?lm=1153264782&file=/34/91967.html
I am thinking about maybe getting a cobra 19. next issue will be antenna. i can get a mag mount wilson 1000 but i was really hopeing to go for a more stealth look. i was thinking about getting a roof mount wilson 1000 and then using the "Wilson Short Load Adapter" then getting one of those Firestick antenna splitters:
that away i could mount all that in place of my stock antenna on my car. how good would that work i wonder? its a 2000 ford mustang. the stock antenna location on it is on the right front fender. also how big is the base of the roof mount wilson? i only have about 1.5 inches from the antenna hole to the edge of the fender.
sorry for trying to rush everyone into giving me info. im just running out of time to get this project going, i only have about 2 days left before i need to decide what to order that away i will have a couple of days to install it all.
Thanks!! |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 959
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 9:46 pm: |
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Why waste your time. If you want a decent setup so you can talk to people, then get a good radio and a good antenna. A Wilson 1000 is a good antenna the way it comes in the box. If you start hacking it you may not be able to adjust the SWR or you may even cause a short and then burn the finals out of the radio. I read your other post and you go from a Magnum M257 to a Cobra 19. What is it you want? A good setup or a cheap might be able to talk to the car in front of you set up. Also is is going to tune the antenna for you? Stealth look, it won't happen if you want a good performing system. If your only going from Texas to Colorado, burn a couple of MP3 disk and turn it up loud and roll down the window, that'll keep you awake. Tell us exactly what you want! A good system you can build on or a cheap system you can throw away when you figure out you want more. If you look at the member pictures and their mobiles you won't see much stealthiness, most likely the opposite. Anyway let us know. There may even be someone here in your area that can give you a suggestion where to get equipment. If you decide you want to get into this CB hobby and do it right the first time, then buy your radio from Copper. Make sure it's in stock first. Other places probably won't beat Coppers radio pricing, and I think if they did I think Copper has a price matching policy, don't quote me on that though! We want to help you but we need firm decisions on your needs. In my Jeep I run an Old Superstar 3900 and I have two 7 foot whips co-phased off the back, other fellas have Penetrators, Wilson's, steel whips and just a variety of different set ups. You also have to remember personal preference comes into it also. I will be buying a new radio for my Jeep to replace the aging 3900 and it will most likely be a Magnum S9 or S6 but I like good radios. Like I said let us know some firm answers and we will respond, I usually come out here several times a day so I'll try to remember to ck this posting.
See Ya!
Wildrat/Mark |
Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 1909
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:09 pm: |
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first you need to answer this question.
"do i want a CB just to have in the car, or do i actually want to "get out".
if you just want to have a CB in the car, then any of your options will work.
if you want to have any sort of good range with this CB then you need to throw the word stealth out the window.
ONLY big obnoxious looking antennas get out well.
anything that will "look" good will not "work" good.
i would say get the mag mount wilson 1000 and use it just like it is.
just take it off when not in use.
if you get the mag mount wilson 1000, you will need to put it on the roof of the car to get out well.
sorry, but sports cars and CB's do not play well together, unless you like the look of antennas sticking up.
matt |
Milkman21218
Member
Username: Milkman21218
Post Number: 86
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:32 pm: |
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Sam, Read some of the other post and you will see if you just want a antenna to say that you have one buy anything. But if you really want to hear and be heard get the better one. Wilson 1000 very good. And when you get your new Magnum 257 you'll already have the antenna for it. If you want stealth it's better to have none at all they both work about the same. |
Jameslarson
Intermediate Member
Username: Jameslarson
Post Number: 275
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:32 pm: |
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I say even if you have a very expensive car, who cares about looks? If I had an expensive car, I would still put a predator 10K right smack in the middle. I'm not out to impress anyone with the looks of my car. Who cares what others think about the look of my car? Whether they like it or not, I still go through life the same, so what does it matter? Even if I had a "nice" car.
Now to stray away a second from my opinion on looks and to answer your question more direct. If you need to spend more money either on the radio or antenna, I say spend more on the antenna. I'd rather have a cheaper radio with a good antenna, then an expensive radio with a bad antenna. The wilson is OK I guess.
You want a stealth look? Do what I did. get a predator 10K, and install one of those heavy duty quick releases. I mean the type that is made from stainless steel and preferably has 2 small metal protusions as opposed to just 1.
For the radio, well, I don't know your budget. If you want sideband at a cheap price, try ebay, and look for a cobra 146 gtl or a Uniden PC-122 (or pc122xl). Spend a little more and maybe get a 148gtl.
be sure to get good coax. I know some think it is overkill, but at a minimum, get Rg-213u.
I say the heck with looks. Again, I am not out to impress anyone. I mean really, think about it? why do you care if other people think your car looks "cool" or not. Hey, I'm not saying you should make your car be rusted or neglect it. but all you're doing is adding a CB antenna (Preferably on the roof to do it right). Use a quick release if it really bothers you. Anyway, good luck, let us know how you make out. |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 960
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:39 pm: |
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Wow, KV, what did you do skip every couple of sentences and put down what I wrote or did you get the red pencil? Good Job!
Rat |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 997
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 11:13 pm: |
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KV Said:
sorry, but sports cars and CB's do not play well together, unless you like the look of antennas sticking up.
Chad Sez:
Watch your wind loading at high speeds  |
Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 1911
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 4:44 pm: |
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WR, i think we both posted thinking we were the first.
looks like you beat me to it.
i will be the cliffs notes version.
chad, slow down, you're too old to be going that fast. and turn off your blinker!
matt |
Cowboy_bob
Junior Member
Username: Cowboy_bob
Post Number: 46
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:18 pm: |
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Just get a Wilson 1000 roof mount.KEEP THE ANTENNA AS HIGH AS YOU CAN....The Coil and whip are removable and you get a rain plug when you do remove them. The roof mount gives a better ground than a mag. You wont see any coax and the mags will scratch the paint when you remove it or replace. Believe me I know! The Wilson 1000 will handle a lot of wattage in case you wish to add a linear. |
Dale
Advanced Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 574
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 7:59 pm: |
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id say at a ery minium get a wilson 1000 mag mount.the mag net will scratch your roof thru time only if ya leae it on permanitely.for just talking local the radio ya posted cobra19 with this antenna will work great.on thing about cbs is your radio is only as good as your antenna.now if wya want long distance hundres of miles then a better radio and amp will be needed |
Sam36
New member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 8:21 pm: |
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as far as getting a magnum 257, that is something that i would like but can not afford right at this moment. the cobra 19 looks nice and will fit in my car. also yesterday i saw a cobra 25 ltd at the pawn shop for $60. it didnt have a mic or power cord with it though but i might be able to sweet talk the sales people into giving me a better deal or throwing in a mic. is the 25ltd any better then the 19 or not?
as far as the antenna i had just hoped that the stealth way would not hurt performance too much but i guess not. i am ok with using a mag mount on the top of my roof but i would really like to have something more permanent.
I am really thinking about just getting the roof mount kit and sticking like a 4ft silver load in the stock antenna location. i know it is not the best place but i really dont want to have to mess with a mag mount plus try to figure out how to run the wire across my roof. |
Milkman21218
Member
Username: Milkman21218
Post Number: 88
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:35 pm: |
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Sam, It's a great radio the cobra 25 is a lot better than cobra 19. Maybe you can use a trunk mount. |
Sam36
New member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 7
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 6:19 am: |
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i looked into the trunk mounts but it is not going to work on my mustang.
also is there a such thing as a good yet cheap swr meter? |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1575
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 1:42 pm: |
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Sam, If you want a cheap and quick setup just to accomodate you on your trip then just go with really any Cobra radio. The antenna is up to you. You can find them cheapy tiny antennas and will get decent recieve on channel 19 for road conditions. Any radio will perform considerably well as long as the antenna is one of good qaulity. Cars of today can get tricky with antennas. Installing one permanant takes time. You can't just throw it on there and thats it! You gotta be patient and if you get in a hurry you will just end up frustrated. Sice your low on time I recommend the magnet mount Wilson 1000. If you want something a bit stealthy then try a Little Wil magnet antenna. The little Wil is a lot shorter than the 1000 and has lower performance but works reasonbly well for a stock barefoot radio. For a permanant setup, since you cant use a trunk mount you may have to "OPERATE" actually drill holes. Did you try the trunk mount on the side of the trunk lid? I drilled a half inch hole in my trunk lid for my Predator mount and it looks good. You can also install the swivel ball mount on the rear fender. Have a look at my installs and others installs in the members pictures section for some ideas. I have recently installed the swivel ball and spring mount for the 102 inch whip, works perfect!. As for meters, The cheap swr meters will get you in the ballpark and usually do work pretty good. As for watt meters...never go cheap. |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 962
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 12:27 pm: |
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Now your talking a bit better. The Wilson Silver load will work good on a mag mount on the roof of your car. I used at one time a silver load on my Jeep with good results. As far as radio, a 25 is a step up, but I would be somewhat skeptical it coming from a pawn shop. It's already missing parts, and you don't know if it has been modded and by who. You said they want 60 bucks, and it needs a mic and power cord. Well after spending money on a good mic and a good power cord you would be real close to buying a new Cobra 29, which is a good radio. I have one in my junk radio closet, well not really junk closet, just closet for unused equip. With a silver load and a 29 you would be doing good. Then after you get some more bucks and become more interested in the sport you could have some mods done to the radio, don't let anyone do the modulation clipping, it can cause problems with the neighbors, plus there are other ways of being loud than doing that. Then after that you could get yourself a small transmission line stimulator (TLS) for a couple of bills, again here stick to the better ones, stay away from Palomar, they usually come new in the box with problems. When the time comes for you to do things like that you have a good resource here and plenty of people too put their two cents in.
WR
P.S. Make sure to have the SWR ck'd, don't just throw the radio in the car and go to talking, I did when I was new to the hobby years ago and it cost me a couple bills to get it fixed. |
Sam36
New member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 6:00 pm: |
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i could use a trunk channel mount on the side of the trunk, but would that be any better then the front left fender? that is where i was going to replace the stock antenna with a silver load. |
Sam36
New member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 9
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 7:45 pm: |
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alright well the 25ltd was only $50 at the pawn shop and it had the power cord and mic. i asked how they tested it and they said they just plug it up to a 12 volt source and see if it turns on. i can take it back if it doesnt work they said. i am going to go ahead and get it.
it is going to be a very tight fit putting it into my dash in my car but it will go. i am going to go ahead and get a silver load and a cheapo swr meter and i will see how all this works...
wish me luck :D |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 967
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 11:34 pm: |
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A Dremel tool will do wonders on a dash. If you go to Wilson's web site or fire stix they have a good tutorial on how to adjust your SWR. If you get the silver load or any other antenna that has the adjustable rod just move it like a 1/8 inch up or down depending on which way you need to go. If you have to snip it, do the same thing, snip it a 1/8 at a time. It may get a little tedious but it'll keep you from another stinger. If for some reason like you mess the stinger up on the silver load or like antenna, apiece of coat hanger works well till you can get another stinger. Just a closing note, I would probably go out to one of those sites I mentioned above and read what they have to say, so it is not Greek to you when you get ready to do the job.
WR |
Sam36
Junior Member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 10
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 6:05 am: |
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will do Wildrat
Thanks! |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 973
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 10:30 am: |
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Your Welcome |
Sam36
Junior Member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 11
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 9:45 pm: |
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Crud!
Got the goods in today and first thing on the list to do was to get the antenna installed and run the wiring.
Well got the stock one out fairly easy and got the mount for the antenna installed. I had bought a preformed cable with the connectors already on it but the hole in the firewall was too small for the connector to go through so I had to cut it off. Guess tomorrow I will have to go to ratshack and get a new PL-259 plug and then I will have to learn to solder it.
Next problem, the mount is on the fender and I knew the fender had an angle on it but I never realized how bad. Screwing the antenna into the mount leaves the antenna sticking way out to the side of the car worse then I thought it would. So I am either going to have to modify the mount or get some kind of swivel adaptor. I found a couple of ones that will work but they are all on uk sites. Would something like that really screw up the swr or anything? Well anyway does anyone know of anyplace to get a 3/8 swivel adaptor stateside like this one:
http://www.thunderpole.co.uk/cb_radio_
mounting_accessories.htm,http:
//www.thunderpole.co.uk/cb_radio_mounting_
accessories.htm
 |
Sam36
Junior Member
Username: Sam36
Post Number: 11
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 6:51 pm: |
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well i just bought one similar from firestik: Model: DV-90
i liked the one from thunderpole better though, its smaller.
anyway i should be giving the cb its first test here in a couple of hours :D |
