Powering The Radio Connect red first then connect black. Connect the red wire directly to the positive side of the battery or to a connection on the fuse box that is always on. Connect the black wire to the negative side of the car, usually the chassis. Any other location with good electrical contact will also work.

How do I run power to my CB radio?

Powering Your CB RadioTap Into Existing Wiring. If youre fairly knowledgeable about electronics, you can tap into one of the existing power lines used for other vehicle accessories such as stereos, speakers or seats. Use a Fuse Tapper. Use a Cigarette Adapter. Wire Directly to the Battery.

How do you hook up a CB to a battery?

The recommended way to hook up a CB radio is to wire both the radios positive and negative wires directly to the corresponding negative and positive terminals of your car battery. To do this often will require more wire than is provided with your CB radio.

Do CB radios work without power?

All stock CB radios are limited by FCC regulations to 4 watts of transmission power. Accordingly, all radios will have the same output power regardless of their price. As all radios are limited by this bottleneck, the largest determinant of performance is antenna quality and installation.

Do I need to ground CB radio?

Ground Your Antenna Mount If youre using a standard CB antenna (i.e., anything except a no ground plane, or NGP, kit), youll need to make sure your antenna mount is solidly grounded to the vehicles chassis. To ensure a good ground, check that your mount has a direct metal-on-metal connection to your vehicles frame.

How much power does a CB radio use?

Transmitter power is limited to 4 watts in the US and the EU. CB radios have a range of about 3 miles (4.8 km) to 20 miles (32 km) depending on terrain, for line of sight communication; however, various radio propagation conditions may intermittently allow communication over much greater distances.

What size fuse should I use for my CB radio?

You need a 7 amp fuse, that is what the CB shop reccomends for my radio, and probably yours as well. Using a blade type fuse, a 7.5 is what you will have to use.

Can you jump a car through the cigarette lighter?

The simplest fact is that, no, you cant jump-start a car through the cigarette lighter socket — at least not according to the traditional definition of the term. When you jump start a car using a jump box, the same tremendous flow of amperage happens between the jump box and your car.

Should you peak and tune a CB radio?

To peak and tune, a CB radio generally means to improve its performance by doing a couple of things, such as increasing the wattage and adjusting the modulation. Besides, the maxim legal power output of CB radios is 4W, so we strongly advise you not to exceed this limit, otherwise, the FCC might get involved.

Are CB radios making a comeback?

But not only are they still around, they are making a comeback. CB radio sales have increased steadily during the last three years, a trend not seen since the 1970s. At Sears department stores last year, CB sales grew at a greater rate than those of any other auto electronic product, such as CD players or stereos.