CB Power Question

[D_Acord]

Just installed a Cobra 75 All Road CB and I currently have to connected straight to the battery but I am wondering if I can use an add a circuit and connect it to the fuse box for ignition only power?

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[SC Notary]

I have the AUX switches on our JT. I use the ignition wire under the passenger side of the dash to power both the GMRS and CB.

 

[Mr._Bill]

If you have the factory installed Aux Switches, there are hot wires under the glove box. If not, you can use one of these adapters to pull if off the 12v power port. You can also use one of the add a circuit taps and run it from the fuse box, I believe F52 is a common one for ignition power.

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[hjdca]

Just installed a Cobra 75 All Road CB and I currently have to connected straight to the battery but I am wondering if I can use an add a circuit and connect it to the fuse box for ignition only power?

Note: you may get "interference", static when using the 12 volt switched in the passenger well or the 12 volt plug... My first GMRS unit was hooked up to to the 12 volt switched on the passenger side, and I had to use a ton of squelch to get rid of the static -- when I went to my 50 watt GMRS, I went straight to the battery and it was quiet.... but, I also used a better ground...., so, that may also helped... Make sure you have a great, short ground first, then, temporarily try the 12 volt switched to make sure it works good for you.

Note2: I also have a Midland 75-822 tuned by Bells CB hooked up, but, we never use CB, and I hooked up this one to the 12 volt plug.... My impression is that going with the 12 volt plug (which is switched) was better than switched wire in the passenger side.... I am not really sure about that, because we never use CB, and my Mic and antenna are just stored in the truck... I would recommend that you check both switched options and see which one works better for your radio...

 

[djthumper]

You will get the cleanest power off of the battery with a good ground. You can add a relay so that it only has power when the vehicle is in run and it cuts power when you shut it down.

 

[SeaSharp]

I would keep it run straight to battery for best reception and just have an inline fuse.

 

[D_Acord]

So another question. I have it grounded to one of the ground points on the passenger side fender. But it shares a ground with my voswitch. Is this an issue or should it be grounded by itself.

 

[K7WWA]

One thing that I didn’t see mentioned is you need or should have a fuse in the ground wire near the grounding point. That is standard for a very good reason. If something goes wrong in the starter or some other high current device it will find ground somewhere. You don’t want it to go to ground via your radio’s antenna ground.
I have been in the two way business and hobby since 1962.
I really love my Mojave Jeep. I also know what Jeep stands for, Just Empty Every Pocket

 

[RJWHD95]

Best practice is never use vehicle wiring for RF equipment.

 

[Radio Guy]

One thing that I didn’t see mentioned is you need or should have a fuse in the ground wire near the grounding point. That is standard for a very good reason. If something goes wrong in the starter or some other high current device it will find ground somewhere. You don’t want it to go to ground via your radio’s antenna ground.
I have been in the two way business and hobby since 1962.
I really love my Mojave Jeep. I also know what Jeep stands for, Just Empty Every Pocket

Not standard and not necessary. How many factory electronics have a fuse in the negative lead? And factory electronics are grounded all over the chassis and some direct to the battery. About the only scenario I‘ve heard of a potential problem is where you ground a CB direct to the battery and if the main wire from the battery ground to chassis breaks, a starter may try to pull current through the radio ground wire to the radio chassis then through the coax shield to the antenna/vehicle chassis ground. In 50yrs of installing and using radio equipment I think I heard of maybe one case of this.

If a radio is grounded to the vehicle chassis along with the antenna being bolted to the vehicle chassis somewhere, how would a bad starter cable damage a radio? The drawback of a negative lead fuse is voltage drop across another fuse and lower voltage to the radio and radio mfr supplied fuse holders are notoriously bad with frequent failures and high resistance.

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