CB Radio Install
My wheeling buddies and I decided to get CB radios to communicate with each other instead of two-way radios. A CB offers a lot of benefits such as increased range and uses vehicle power source. Two other features the radio I chose include weather information from NOAA and a 5w PA system.
I spent some time thinking about where to mount the radio and looking at images found on Google and forums to get some ideas. In the end, I decided I'd like to mount it to the ceiling using an overhead console.
The Jeep Cherokee Limited comes with an overhead console. However, they are really hard to find in a junkyard so I grabbed a similar one from a Dodge Caravan.
I had to remove some plastic and add a mounting bracket to make my Midland 1001LWX CB Radio fit.
Because my Cherokee only came with a dome light, I had to cut two more holes in the headliner to support the installation of the OHC.
I routed all wiring to the front as that had the easiest access. I decided to put a connector on the CB power wires in case I needed to remove or replace the CB radio in the future - I didn't want to pull the whole ten feet. The large yellow connector powers the map lights in the OHC.
Now the OHC is mounted with working map lights and CB radio.
I opted to put the mic on the passenger side as it's more comfortable to reach for both the driver and passenger.
After looking at the options of mounting an antenna, I decided to go with a 3ft FireStik and fabricate my own bracket.
The bracket uses an existing screw with the taillight housing and the antenna cable runs through the rubber grommet to make a nice, clean install.