CB Radio / Ham Radio?

nichos · May 1, 2020

Come'on good buddy!

Has anyone installed a CB radio or Ham radio in the new 2019s+? I have a jump seat and there's more than enough space in the middle there to mount one.

For a mag-mount antenna, is the roof aluminum?

mike5511 · May 1, 2020

I haven't yet, but I plan on it. Although, I don't know why. Nobody is on there much anymore, and most of those that are aren't worth the effort to talk to. I inherited a friend's CB shop when he died. I've got more radios and equipment than I know what to do with. I don't have a problem with drilling a hole and mounting it right in the middle of the roof. They make a plug to fill the hole should you decide to remove it. GMC dealer said if that rubber plug is installed, it won't hurt the trade-in value at all......if they even see it. Getting in the garage is the only issue I'd have with it.

Jav_eee · May 1, 2020

I put one in mine with a full center console. I hate mag mounts. Drill it. I leave the mounts in when I trade in because they’re super cheap. Dealers don’t even notice. They’ve never asked about them and that’s with the antennas being in place when they evaluate it.

Here’s a pic of someone else’s install so you can see what’s possible:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

HeySkippyDog · May 1, 2020

I have a K2, but I screwed my bracket into the little door that opens and shuts on the underside of the dash in the middle. I'm running a Beartracker 880, the CB/scanner combo unit from Uniden. Check it out, it's pretty sweet to be able to hear Police/Fire/EMS and other digital trunking systems that every service seems to have now.

It has 2 antennas, 1 for CB and one for the scanner. The scanner antenna is internal to the cab and works just fine that way, my CB antenna cable I route between the jumpseat and passenger seat, under the mats, up along the driver side B-pillar and out between the driver and rear door on the driver side so that it escapes through weather stripping with no pinching.

You may be able to do the same.

Also, FYI, the 980SSB and 800/880 use the same mounting bracket and microphone, so you can interchange head units as you see fit.

I also use a magnetic mount Tram 3500, it's a 55" with adjustment at the base for SWR tuning (use a meter, don't smoke your radio), and it's rated for pretty high wattage if you choose to use an amplifier. I'm close enough to some big highways, so I don't see the need for one.

I will say I have DXed with that antenna on my truck with my gain all the way up, SWR at 1.1 out to Texas.

Sent from my SM-J810F using Tapatalk

HeySkippyDog · May 1, 2020

I may get slightly better performance on the scanner if I had a roof mounted 800/900 MGHz antenna, but that's a function I prefer to keep "stealth". From an outside observer, I only have CB.

Sent from my SM-J810F using Tapatalk

Jav_eee · May 1, 2020

I may get slightly better performance on the scanner if I had a roof mounted 800/900 MGHz antenna, but that's a function I prefer to keep "stealth". From an outside observer, I only have CB.

Sent from my SM-J810F using Tapatalk

Outside observers hardly ever notice antennas ifk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

HeySkippyDog · May 1, 2020

Outside observers hardly ever notice antennas ifk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

You are probably right, but I like flying well under radar.

I can definitely confirm that an officer that stops you hates hearing themselves through your radio when you have a mic attached to the unit (which only works on CB, but they don't know that).

Sent from my SM-J810F using Tapatalk

ThatredneckguyJamie · May 1, 2020

haven't mounted one in my new truck but always had one before when I was running dogs. Never had alot of luck with the magnetic mounts

mojohn · May 1, 2020

nichos · May 2, 2020

On 4/30/2020 at 11:27 PM, mike5511 said:

I haven't yet, but I plan on it. Although, I don't know why. Nobody is on there much anymore, and most of those that are aren't worth the effort to talk to. I inherited a friend's CB shop when he died. I've got more radios and equipment than I know what to do with. I don't have a problem with drilling a hole and mounting it right in the middle of the roof. They make a plug to fill the hole should you decide to remove it. GMC dealer said if that rubber plug is installed, it won't hurt the trade-in value at all......if they even see it. Getting in the garage is the only issue I'd have with it.

I got my ham ticket a little while ago and haven't used it much. About 2 months ago we took a roadtrip, about 400 miles each way, tuned my handheld to the "highway channel" for hams ( 146.52 ) and I didn't hear a single click in 8+ hours of interstate driving.

However, the CB in my area (NEFLA) is fairly active. It's not quality conversation, but at least there's activity out there, and it is useful in traffic.

I was thinking about something like this:

Or maybe something in the bed.

Any thoughts from the experts?

Jav_eee · May 2, 2020

Drill it on the roof and be done with it. Best option out there. Drilled this one with 400 miles on it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

nichos · May 2, 2020

10 minutes ago, Jav_eee said:

Drill it on the roof and be done with it. Best option out there. Drilled this one with 400 miles on it.

Thanks @Jav_eee this is what I was looking for. Do you have any pics of your setup inside? And how long is your whip and hows the reception/SWR?

Edited May 2, 2020 by nichos

Jav_eee · May 2, 2020

Thanks@jav_eee

16” from the back of the metal roof to the front puts you in the perfect spot. DO NOT measure from the plastic spoiler

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

mike5511 · May 3, 2020

Nothing wrong with mag mounts if you get a good one as far as performance is concerned. I've run the Wilson 5000 and 1000 both on a mag mount and put 300-400 watts thru them. I don't like mag mounts because the coax situation and if you don't remove every so often, they will rust underneath the magnet. Much neater to just drill a hole and be done with.

mike5511 · May 3, 2020

5 hours ago, Jav_eee said:

16” from the back of the metal roof to the front puts you in the perfect spot. DO NOT measure from the plastic spoiler

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

How far down did you take the headliner, and how easy was it?