Hi,
I have a Tacoma (2006) and need to install a cb radion to talk to my students while in the field. I got a Uniden unit from Radio Shack. Mounting is no problem and the Antenna installation is good too. I just don't know how to connect the electrical wire to the car. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
cheers
Axel

 

Mine's just wired right into my fuse panel, constant to my brake lights and main power to my cigarette lighter if I remember correctly.

 

you could run it to one of the stereos power lines. just be careful with that. a better way is to either wire it through the cig lighter, or run a wire directly to the battery. i just got done installin a new stereo, and a cb is much easier. all you got is posi and grnd

 

Mine has more than just positive and ground. It has a constant in order to store information such as last channel visited and so on. And then also has the main power source with you want to attach to a power source that is only live when the vehicle is turned on in order to prevent it from draining your battery if left on by acident.

 

How do I get to the stereo wire?

 

depending on how much gear you have running on top of stock components.. you might wana run it strait to the batt.. less interruptions fom other stuff.. lets your signal get out there.. remember on there own CBs are line of sight..

 

Ok, how do I get the wire from the cab, through the firewall to the bat? Sorry, I am not a car tech. I'm "mechanical inclined" but not very experienced.

 

Open up that dash.

I wired mine directly to the battery (through a fuse block). I just have to remember to shut it off after each use. But even if I don't, the power draw is pretty small. I've left it on a couple of times with no problems at all.

The external speaker is even wired direct. I prefer direct because you can still sue the radio even if the truck is off. So you can leave your vehicle off and still listen in on the channel.

 

open up the dash, if theres not a hole leading into the engine bay on the firewall, drill one. careful though, there probably will be rubber grommets. if so, dont drill thru the grommets. guide it through. simple as that. and ive never had a cb that had more than + and -. then again every radio ive had was kind of an oldie, but worked well enuf. didnt have a memory option.

 

isnt this a contradiction in terms? u mean u wired yours directly to your fuse block..

run a + directly to the batt.. and a good solid ground.. you want this running on its own stand alone system.. even then if your noise suppressor on your altonater is bad... youll pick up your engine as an in comming signal.. then youll need an inline RF suppressor...

 

Well what I meant is that positive isn't going to some sort of switched lead such as the radio.

As far as the RF noise, I just tune the squelch until the noise just barely goes away.

 

thats ok if you want.. but the squelch is a dial for your resistance to incoming signals.. if someone is on the edge of your range limit and you have that sucker turned up alot you wont hear them.. it has its good points.. like tuning out the donkey show signal form down south.. but you want to use it the least amout as possible