I run a 29 NW WX ST with a Wilson noise-cancelling mic and Wilson Lil Will antenna on my pick-up. I had it tuned and I could talk to the radio shop from about 8 miles away, and he had his squelch turned way out so he didn't have to hear guys whispering about their issues with missing undergarments. I'll upgrade to a Wilson 2000, probably, one day, when I get around to getting it (the truck) fixed up and painted nice.

I like the Wilson mics better than Cobra's. They are a lot smaller, fit in my hand better, and can be had with a wood grain finish. With the noise-cancelling, don't speak directly into it, and you have to have it right almost in your mouth. Hold the little rubber bumper up against your cheek and speak past the grill.

Wilson antennas come with an Allen wrench, you adjust the whip up and down in the base to adjust SWR. Better fiberglass whips have a stud or nut at the top that you run up and down to tune it. Antenna tuning is best done in an open area. Over 2 or 2.5 has the potential to damage the radio, under 1.5 is considered ideal, but the closer you can get to 1 the better. Also, built-in SWR meters, like the Cobra 29's have, tend to read low, so you want it well under 1.5.

The Cobra 25 can be had with most of the features the 29 has, but it will have fewer *****, and no built-in SWR meter. And a note on the SWR meter, you don't use the "CAL" **** to tune the antenna.

I think it was Wilson who came up with some sort of slotted bar in the coax, that you move a bolt and wing-nut back and forth in it, to tune the antenna length. I don't know how well it worked, if it did. Also, don't coil your spare cable, it can cause feedback and other issues. Wrap it around a sun visor, make a loop or two under the seat or above the headliner, just don't coil it.

The guy who tuned all three of mine (29 NW WX ST, 29 NW ST, and 25 LTD) told me that if I want to run dual antennas, to put one on, tune it in good, and put the second on as a dummy. You can't get them far enough apart to benefit from duals on a pick-up. You also don't want them on the bumper, having them parallel to anything metal decreases their effectiveness. Mine sets right in the middle on the back edge of the roof. If you run a fiberglass antenna, you will want a spring in it, too. You want the heavy-duty beehive-shaped one, the little straight one won't return to straight up after a short while and hitting a few drive-through overhangs.

I've never used the BT model, but I have heard that it takes a unique mic. I think it has a button on it to start and stop the bluetooth.

I haven't seen a new side-plug CB in a long time. I don't know for certain they even make them anymore. Every one I've ever seen in a truckstop is front-plugged.

I was wanting a 148 or a Galaxy for a while, but never got the money for the radio and other equipment saved up. The spare 29 is going in the daycab at work, and I'll be getting another 29WX for my second pick-up once I get it on the road again.

 

Don't flame me on this, as I am no CB expert, don't claim to be, and am only repeating what I have read on two or three CB guru's informational CB TECH sites.

These guys all pretty much say that the "don't shorten the co-ax" warnings are pretty much old wive's tales.

They claim that the best path for the co-ax is the shortest, most direct path, with just a little slack where necessary and all the excess length cut off, PROVIDING you are capable of properly cutting and soldering the co-ax ends on the raw cable.

Seeing as most standard pre-assembled co-ax pretty much all come in the accepted standard length, 18', or is it 21' ??, it is best to follow scot pa's advice about not coiling the excess.


Also, you need a good "GROUND plain", best to have the antenna in the center of it; which is why good magnetic antennae work so well; they can be plopped right in the center of all that flat expanse of metal.


It is also recommended to add GROUND straps to the mirrors when using mirror-mounts.

You want one end of this GROUND connected directly to the antenna's GROUND at the mount (a ring-terminal under a mount-bolt is good) and then routed to a good dependable GROUND.

Without these additional GROUND straps, the antenna must seek GROUND from antenna to mount to mirror-bracket to door to door-hinge, before reaching genuine GROUND on the other side of the hinge.

 

Coax comes in 6, 9, 12, and 18 foot lengths. Get the shortest one that still covers your distance.

My uncle put fiberglass antennas on his 96's mirrors. He took them off a short time later, they vibrated the mirrors.

 

Well, I just came home with a Cobra 29 WX NW ST. Getting a center console built tomorrow around the shifters to add a few switches, lights, the CB.... OH! And a place for my coffee cups.

 

Put your cup holders where you won't be likely to drop or dump them on the CB. My uncle had a real good old 23 channel that a coffee got spilled on, and he couldn't find anyone who could repair it.

If you have a CB shop around they should be able to replace some of the components on the board and get you a better outgoing signal and clearer reception. I had a basic done on the spare 29 and a full job done on the one with the weatherband.

If they make adjustments and don't replace any components, they are just turning up your modulation, which will make it louder, but not transmit any better. Too much modulation will make it sound like you are talking into a tin can.

 

No CB shops around here unless I drive 1.5 hrs away...

Good idea on the location...

Here is what I spent 6hrs to get just right...



And I have redone the design 3 times. Getting some other things thought out. I am adding an extra direct-to battery fused 12v power outlet, a switch to run another power outlet that will have my blue LED Emergency Response light and wig-wags, cup holders for both driver and passenger, and a inverter hookup for other things. That cable there is my shut off cable as the shut down solenoid quit on me at the last pull I did...

And then I might even try my hand at fiberglass to make something better looking...

 

Put some carpet on that and trim around the holes to make them square and it would look pretty good.

I can't stand shift ***** when the lines aren't parallel to the truck. I have to get some super glue for the one Frod at work. The little thing is loose in the top of the ****.

 

That **** is getting replaced with something else. Thinking pistol grip...

No carpet. I am really considering velour or the fake leather with some padding on the back side.