Cobra 75 WXST Install
with
Wilson 4" Flex Antenna

When shopping for a CB and antenna I was able to get a lot of help making my decisions from the experiences of others. Since I have done my CB install I have had a lot of people ask me questions about it and this is my chance to give back some of the help I recieved. Be warned however, that this write-up was done months after the fact so the pictures are lacking. It also was not intended as a detailed write-up and more as a consolidation of the information that I have sent out in PM's.

I chose the Cobra 75 WXST model CB for a few reasons. I wanted to stick to the Cobra brand based on their fine reputation. I decided on this model based on it's small size since TJ's don't have a lot of room. Their soft top (or lack of) and possible lack of doors make it's ease of removal a definate plus.

My first order of business was the mounting of the antenna. I chose a simple way of mounting since I figured that I would move it later. After using it for a while, I think I like it where it is.

I removed the spare tire and drilled a hole into the stock spare tire carrier. I'm not sure of the proper size (nor was I sure then) but a little trial and error will give you the answer. From there I inserted a cheapie mount from Valco electronics (just do a Google search for the link) and just tightened the nuts. The only thing that you have to get right here is the position of the plastic washer.

Then I assembled the antenna. I screwed the antenna into a heavy duty spring and then into a quick disconnect. The other end of the disconnect got screwed into the mount and I was able to just twist the two together.

The antenna is a Wilson 4' Flex antenna. I chose this model due to it's flexability and because it's tuneable with a screw instead of by trimming. As you can see, I get a good bit of clearance over the roofline. I have managed to bend the hell out of this antenna and I never remove it even though it hits my garage door rather hard. It has suffered no ill effects.

The CB install was very simple, although I don't have the pictures to prove it. All I did was pop out my change tray in my console and stick the CB to the floor with double sided tape. I was too lazy to remove the console to fit a drill in there so I just used tape. The stuff I'm using is made for outdoor use and it's working perfectly.

Next was the mount for the mic cord. Take a look at the picture below first to get a better understanding of what I did. I drilled a hole in the side of the console but it wasn't big enough so I used my Dremel tool to enlarge the hole. The included trim plate made a perfect blueprint. Then just screw it all together.

Ok, almost done, but you still need power to your CB. You can run it to a switched power from inside your Jeep but there is a better and easier way. Buy some wire from Radio Shack, use a connector to attach it to the CB wires (one for power and one for the ground). You can run it behind your gas pedal and into the engine compartment through the little rubber grommet that's there just for this purpose. If you've never used it before you'll need to poke a hole in it but that only takes a second with a screwdriver. Then just run both wires to the battery. I crimped some connectors onto the wires but you can feel free to do it however you like. By running it this way you will have majorly cut down on noise and have also converted the CB to stay on even when the Jeep is off (so you can hear people on the trail while you're sitting.)

Next, just screw the little mic hanger into anywhere that you want (just drill a couple of pilot holes first). I like the location you see in the pics but I have since added a second hanger above my rearview mirror to make it easier to get to when I'm using it. The higher mount also makes it a little easier to hear but, due to the small speaker, could benefit from an external speaker.

I couldn't figure out how I wanted to run my CB cable (or if I would move my antenna later) so I just took the easy way out. I just hooked up the ends and ran it under the carpet. A few zip ties helped secure it to my tailgate hinge to secure it a little better. For a temporary install it is working really well and I think I'll keep it this way.

The only thing left was to set the SWR. The instructions included with the SWR meter are better than I could include here so I'll leave you on your own for that.


I hope that this page will be of some help to someone.
Dave

Update

After using this CB for almost a year I saw that there was a need to add an external speaker. I can't say for sure whether the CB is lacking or whether it's due to my hearing being bad. Either way, the quality and volume of sound are much improved with this addition.

I just went to Radio Shack and picked up their cheap model external CB speaker. I could have upgraded but I didn't see the point in spending a lot of money for something that will get exposed to the weather. All I had to do was run the wire under the roll bar padding and plug it in. To mount it I just zip tied the bracket to the roll bar for ease of removal.

I have said over and over how tough the Wilson antenna was. I have even called people pussies for being scared to have it hit the garage door. I've said that you could bend the hell out of this antenna and you could not hurt it. Well, I figured out how to hurt it. If it gets caught between the slats of your garage door and close the door, it will get pulled from it's base. Whoops.

I was at Radio Shack anyway and wanted an antenna faster than I could get another Wilson shipped to me. I was going to go with the 102 inch steel whip antenna, but they were out of stock. So, I picked up a 60 inch steel whip so I'd have somthing. Now, it does not flex nearly as well as the Wilson but I did manage to get my SWR lower, although I'm not sure how much of that is the antenna quality and how much is the extra foot in length.