So,
I bought a cheap Cobra 40 channel CB last week. I installed it today. I love it!

Has anyone else done this?

pictures tomorrow, i promise.

Danny

 

Heh, been there, done that. I have a portable walkie-talkie that I keep with me all of the time, plus I bought a Cobra all-in-the-mic 'hide-away' unit that I will install soon. No permanent antennas, though.

Nothing beats the trucker chatter for the latest traffic info and reasons for backups on the road.

 

Moving this to the Audio section where it may collect more responses.

 

Here is a thread that discusses some amateur radio installations in a Mini.

73, Tom

 

Oh god, please no.

 

That's a big ten-four, good buddy!

 

Installed:
Uniden B996T Programmed and in the glove box (with thru glass antenna)
Cobra 19 Ultra III CB (with thru glass antenna)
Motorola Talkabout T7400 FRS/GMRS with remote speaker/microphone
Valentine One Radar Locater with remote display
Garmin c550 GPS

Still to be put in:
Uniden BC-RH96 for B996T (will be under center console switches, casing partially modified)
External speaker for B996T
Complete wiring for 3 additional switched power supplies in glove box (to power the scanner and remote, hardware is in just needs wire run)

Some quick photos from this evening:








I'll update with 996 photos once the glove box wiring is cleaned up.

 

If you turn all of those accessories on, does the car slow down?

I remember the heyday of CB radio chatter, it was moderately seful at best, then "everyone" got one, and nobody listened anymore... haven't listened in since the early 80's... wonder what it's like now?

Good installs though, for all that hardware it came out reasonably clean!

 

Car still runs, I can even fire up the additional lights on the front and run the AC too!

In April I made a 3100mile one-way road trip in one week, never again will I drive a long stretch of highway without one. Left it on 19, there would be hours of silence and periods of non-stop chatter. I typically knew of the bear and traffic situations with 4 to 30+ miles of advanced warning; I also heard in Nevada that "that black car with the yellow lights must be Japanese", my MINI was the biggest news since they renovated the whorehouse and upped the rates So there was definitely an entertainment factor with it as well. In doing my research to make sure everything was done right, I also came across quite a few who have been helped with directions and local info as well.

And thanks for the comments on the install, ideally a non MINIac will walk by the car and not notice the interior one bit.

 

I pulled out my 20 year old Radio Shack 40 channel unit last week, put a mirror mount on my tow hook, and attached a 4 foot fiberglass whip. Used it on a 800 mile round trip to Atlanta - loved it. Get a LOT of ignition noise, though, so I have to turn squelch way up, and thus only get really short range reception...

Any recommendations on newer units with good noise suppression in the MINI?

 

Took this pic of a MetroplexMINI member's boot:

 

so does this CB have a loud speaker??
I have always wanted a CB radio in my car.. but I also want one with the loud speaker so i can talk through the car haha. that would be alot of fun...

if not.. is this something that can come with other CB's or maybe added to it?
(i dont want to have two mics in the car)

looks awesome!
haha

 

Well. why didn't I think of that? I was thinking about a glass mount, but there's a drop in reception for CB applications. a magnetic mount (which I used for long trips) will eventual scratch, as dirt will collect. And no drilling for my mini; no need to be permanent.
I went with the handheld radio shack. It can accept an external antenna and an combo mike/speaker. This way, it's easy to remove, as I normally do not use the CB. And there's no ignition noise as it runs off of battery.

Most CB radios will offer a jack for the PA accessory, which needs to be wired as well.

 

Installed my new Cobra 19 DX IV tonight... install looks pretty much just like Motor On's - fits perfectly in that side of the parcel shelf... I drilled a couple of holes for the antenna cable and power, so it slides all the way back in there... if there were a "factory" CB option, it would look like this.

MUCH less noise than my 20 year old piece of junk... I think I'm gonna love it. May play around with different antenna whips until I find what works best.

Gotta wire a PA speaker sometime...

 

Where do you take power for the cb?
Does it come with a cig lighter adaptor?

 

CB's typically come with leads and a fuse to support hard-wiring. You can add a cig lighter plug on there and just plug them in, if you want. Personally, I have a bunch of low-power stuff powered off of the audio wiring harness (CB, phone charger, GPS, radar detector). Another approach is to use an add-a-circuit in the fusebox in the footwell.

 

I think that's how I had my first cb connected, back in the '80s. It's been that long.

So there's an empty port in the fuse box? I'll have to look. Where do I find an add-a-circuit?

Thanks Blimey.

 

Your cig circuit is rated at around 15amps -- your CB should draw less than 5. You can either go with a cig plug, or hardwire on to it.

 

The Add-A-Circuit thingy "piggybacks" on an existing fuse in the fusebox, adds an new fused circuit. They have them at many auto parts stores, sometimes at wallyworld, etc.

 

Ok, well I felt this was really the only place I could put this

I recently got my HAM ticket and wanted to make room for a 2M/70CM radio, I'm also doing ~500mi minimum highway miles per week. So the Cobra 19 has been getting a lot of use, and it just hasn't measured up to my standards...so tonight this got installed behind the passenger seat...

 

That's an awesome radio - I just wish it wasn't so big...

You're right - The Cobra 19 is just *ok* - but for occasional use (all mine gets) it's *ok*. I'm still liking mine. Definitely not as good on signal quality, sound quality, etc. as the high-end Cobras.

 

"Nobody goes there no more; it's too crowded!"
Yogi Berra

There's somebody out there to talk to on a CB? Thought those things went the way of the brothers G.

 

I almost never *talk* on mine - I have a microphone eliminator rigged up so I don't even have a mic plugged in. But I listen to 19 when driving on the interstate - sometimes get advance warning of LEOs.. and always handy when there's a traffic backup to hear the truckers telling when to get off for detours around...

 

yeah the big thing this should help me with is the sport suspension adjusting the squelch without consulting me and now the radio makes the most of the antenna.
Lots of truckers which will give you amazing peace of mind always knowing what's coming up on the road ahead, anyone that's taken a blown tire tread (gator) to the bumper knows it's far less hassle if you get told about it a few miles in advance and just make your lane adjustment as needed instead of having to call the insurance company, and there is the reminders on where the highway patrol is, or directions to a decent restaurant or the nearest gas station (sometimes you just got to go! ) And there's plenty of entertaining jabber on the side as well. Also warned me one day when I had a wreckless driver hitting people and running them off the road approaching me, the Troopers and deputies where trying to chase him down after the truckers called him out (many troopers listen in to CH19) so I was able to take some actions to protect the MINI from becoming a victim.

Here's a video of some of the warnings you'd typically get get from a CB (this is from the radio I just pulled out, and even it sounded marginally clearer in person)

 

iv always been interested in having a cb in my mini, but i havnt (like most) been to keen on having such a big antenna on such a small car. But just outta curiosity, does anyone know of the shortest(and maybe 2nd shortest) antenna that actually works well and picks up good reception? Also, is there a way to mount the radio, in such a mannor that doesnt require any drilling? Thanks