Your suggestion for CB radio brands

Shops I can't recommend because I don't know what NorCal has to offer. Besides "good shops" are far and few.

Radios, I recommend for starts a Cobra 25 LTD classic. If not this radio, a Uniden PC 68 is also a good radio.

Tips...the cig lighter is not the best place to hook up a radio...hard wired to the battery is. However a cig lighter will work, just there's more of a chance to induce noise.

Another tip, is to center the antenna (whatever one you pick) dead center of roof on vehicle and adjust length until your SWR is 1.5:1. Do this and you'll get out all around. And when you do take an SWR reading, make sure the vehicle is in an empty parking lot away from any and all metal objects, buildings, etc. to prevent reflect.

But you said you're putting this on a 4 wheeler....you mean a car/truck and not a quad runner, right?

 

You can run it from the fuse box but that is about the same as a cig lighter....the battery is byfar the best.

As far as Rat Shack.....if you're talking about one of their small radios, forget about it, they're junk. The Cobra 25 or Uniden 68 i mentioned cost the same and get out better.

Also you didn't mention what antenna you were going to run, but the antenna is what makes or breaks any radio so get the tallest and best you can get. For a mag mount I suggest a Wilson 1000 as it only sits 5 feet tall. If a perm. mount I like a 102 whip, though they're a bit tall at almost 9 feet.

 

Just fish a wire thru the firewall and connect one end to the battery
Most times i just drill a small hole in the firewall with a cordless and run the wires thru. The disclaimer is "minimal common sense" when using power tools and knowing what is on the other side of where your trying to drill.

Most times I pull the glove box open and then out
Drilling anywhere close to the A/C duct from the inside out to the engine bay,then pull the wire from the outside back in from the battery.
I never ground at the battery,always to the chassis with a 5/16
self tap screw. Proper connectors and shrink tube are a must do IMO.

I buy the red/black terminals from a truck supply house,they are exactly the same as the factory ones seen in Commercial trucks,stainless base,post and plastic hand screw caps.
They mount very easily in many places under the dash and are very user friendly once installed.

Tuck everything up nice with a few zip-ties to finish.
A small dab of permatex silicone stops any leaks at the perforation site.

1) drill
2) drill bits
1) Terminal (dont recall the stock name)
6-8 Zip Ties

30 min tops to wire any vehicle on the planet.

 

Make #### sure and put an in line fuse on your power line too. Cheap protection against burning vehicle to ground.

 

Most of stuff that Rat Shack sells today is over priced Junk. I would go online or to a truck stop. The only thing I'd buy at RS is a 102" whip. They cost $20 there.

 

A truck stop is also going to sell overpriced junk.