CB Radio

Just wondering why you want a CB radio? Are you familiar with Ham Radio? You can get really small Amateur Radios otherwise known as Ham Radios which you can talk on FM frequencies that are much clearer than CB, go further, and actual speak to intelligent people on. You do need a license, however it is fairly simple to get and you don't need to learn Morse Code any longer. Go to ARRLWeb: ARRL Home Page for more information on it.

I just installed my Ham Radio in my 2008 Prius. Most of them have remote face plates so you can stick the transceiver in the back in the hidden cargo area, or under a seat (that is if you don't have a package 5 car where the NAV and the Stereo take up the room).

If your still set on a CB radio, there are places you can mount it in the Prius. You just have to get creative.

 

I didn't put two and two together. Well glad to hear you are a Ham. What on Earth would you want a CB for? I was a CB'er back in the 70's then became a ham around the late 80's. I have never looked back. Every time I tune up that band, all I hear is trash. I wish it wasn't like that, but everywhere I have tuned up that band it has always been language that was beyond what my ears were programmed to hear. If your really looking for a CB though, look at either Cobra or Uniden. They have always been descent in the past, however everything is made in China these days so take that for what its worth. You would be better off putting in an IC-706MKIIG or one of the other HF radios then mod it and it can double as a CB. I have heard that the Prius gives nothing but noise below 30mhz, however I have never tried that. I stick to the world above 30 in the car. I mostly use 2m/70cm and am in the process of trying to find a 220 only radio to throw in there for those long cross country drives where there are still people out there on that band.

Do you have any trouble transmitting high power 35/50W in the Prius? Was wondering how the car reacts to the current drain and the RF. Haven't put out more than 5W thus far because I am temporary in the 12v receptacle.

Check out this guys Prius Install. Maybe it will give you some ideas. I'm seriously looking at it.
2005 Toyota Prius Mobile Installation

 

Boys, that was the funniest thread I have read to date!!!

WA1HOG, love the call!!

Post #2 knocked me out of my chair!!

HOG check out this link ...

RadioShack.com - Phones & Radio Communications: CB & Ham radios: 40-Channel Mini Mobile CB

Do you mean something like this.. its tiny, cheap, 40 ch, black front, ???

Its a trucker chew toy!!

I understand!

73 de Pat KK6PD

 

I have one of those $60 plug in jobs with the stick on magnetic roof antenna. Worked well on previous cars, but I admit, I've not tried it on my 07. Don't see why it wouldn't fly.

 

OMG are CB radios still around?

 

I was wanting to install a IC-706 primarily for 10 meters but I guess the Prius has a lot of electrical stuff that would make it quite noisy. I had figured on making a bracket using the towing hole and putting the antenna there.

de K6RDK

 

I am also a Ham (mostly do CW). I have had a CB in my pickup truck for about 2-3 years and I've found it very useful while sitting backed up in traffic wondering what the hold-up is. There's usually someone up ahead that knows. These days the CB is nearly silent, not like back in the old days when you couldn't get a word in edgewise.

My CB is a Midland 1001Z that I bought for about 35 bucks. Problem is that it doesn't hold the channel when you turn the power off. It also has a switch hardwired for channel 9, but I looked up the XCVR chip inside the radio and was able to change over the switch from channel 9 to channel 19. So now when I power it up, the radio is always on channel 19 if the switch is enabled. Only annoying thing is that the display flashes "19" when you're using the switch (the flashing number can be annoying but you get used to it). All you have to do is look up the spec for the transceiver chip in there, follow the PC board traces and you'll know which wires to snip n solder.

I know it's a crappy antenna, but I bought one of those multiplexer boxes so I can use my stock FM radio antenna with the CB. I don't want an antenna farm on my car. The little antenna coupler is similar to the one at the bottom of this page: http://www.rainbowkits.com/couplers/couplers.html (warning: see edit below)

I have not put one on my Prius yet, but I'm planning on it. I'm also interested in what people come up with here for their Prii - especially in the way of CB antennas. I'm not planning on an antenna farm.

I took a look at the Uniden 520 on the web. It looks like it might have the same CH9 feature. It probably has the same XCVR chip inside as the midland, so you might be able to do the same mod. When you get it, let us know if the "9" flashes when you have the CH9 switch enabled. Also interested in how the noise level is. May want to get one of those myself...


EDIT:
WARNING - DO NOT USE THE PRIUS ANTENNA AS A CB ANTENNA USING THE COUPLER DESCRIBED ABOVE!!!
Unfortunately, there is an inline antenna amplifier between the radio and the prius antenna base. The antenna amplifier is located in the headliner above the passenger side back seat. Transmitting through this amplifier would (a) not work, and (b) probably ruin it, therefore (c) you'd have to replace it and it would be a (d) real pain in the nice person to change.
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/34515-antenna-mod-3.html#post713499

 

I bought a nice little handheld from Radioshack that works nicely for up to a 1/4 mile with the little rubber ducky antenna. It nearly matches the performance of my hardmount (barefoot mode) in the pickup truck if I stick my Wilson 1000 (or Little Wil') whip on the roof. But it doesn't look good on the car, and I have to take it off to park in the garage.

Contemplating one of these: MS512M 8 Inch Tall Magnet Mount Antenna Kit - WalcottCB.com

Regardles of radio type or brand, a properly tuned antenna is the key to performance.

 

There are small CB radios on the market. I have one from Cobra and it is not bad. I have better (full size) Cobra for longer trips. That one is loaded with features.
While I totally agree with previous posters about "quality" of conversations you hear on "19" and surrounding channels. To have CB or not I think opposite. I think CB might give you invaluable insight into road conditions that no other radio will give you.
Whenever is slow down on the road listen or ask on "19" and some of the truckers will get you live update what exactly is going on, which lane is blocked, cops, anything useful...
While ham radios are technically way better than CB's there is almost no chance that you will have person with ham radio at the scene to give you report. Every truck comes with CB built-in and shear number of truckers on the road almost guarantees that you will get information needed when you needed. You even don't have to ask for it since they talk between themselves a lot so you just listen. Since CB range is not bigger than few miles anyway that "feature" tells you that conversations you hear are going on in your vicinity which is of your interest anyway.

So I vote for CB in the car. They do have ON/OFF switches anyway.

Zack

 

How hard is it to install one in the Prius? Wires and such

 

When you have the Channel 9 switch enabled, does the "9" flash?