2023 Peterbilt 579 CB mounting questions

Anyone know where the power wires are for the CB for this truck? Our mechanic pulled the whole top of the overhead compartment down looking for it and nothing. We found the antenna and CB speaker wire, but that's it.

Also, why in the HELL did they mount the antenna behind the sleeper? It is TOTALLY buried btw the tractor and trailer.

I expect 1/4 mile range with this setup or less. Why is Peterbilt this stupid? Why not just put the antennas on the mirrors like my old International had, or in the roof like my Cascadia had? The roof thing sucked but at least the antenna was high up. This one just sucks.

 

Take the plastic cover off , they are behind that box.

 

It's painfully obvious that the OEM's consider CB antenna systems an afterthought! The stock Volvo antenna system is actually quite usable, but the whips and mounts break easily. The Cascadia in the roof antenna is a friggin' joke! It will produce decent readings on an analyzer, but it's a "if you can see 'em, you can talk to them" antenna! I'd like to know how anyone can get a decent SWR reading on some of these OEM antennas mounted way down low or buried behind the sleeper!

JD

 

It's all about areo dynamics (better fuel mileage) and looks. The big manufacturing companies don't care, because they understand that cb radio is for short range communication. They know they will sell their trucks with or without a good CB antenna. The big trucking companies don't care either. They want the better fuel mileage they can get out of a truck. It does stink that they ignore one of the main tools that a driver likes to have. This is my thoughts on the subject.

 

On another forum...............very detailed experience of another driver.

MOBILE INSTALL: 579 Peterbilt

JD

 

Actually if you ever talked to the company just above the engineer level, they can tell you that their marketing people give them the limitations of what can and can't be put on the truck based on their research or research companies they engage. This is why you all have a minimal communications device that doesn't have the efficiency that it should, most of these systems use a multiplexed system for the entertainment and the cb at the same time.

That said, there is NOT an OEM quality setup out there, and those aftermarket parts won't pass their requirements so I would think the wish of having a good system won't becoming true.

 

Pls delete this

 

We did. They are not there. The mechanic looked for 20 minutes.

I just pulled the panel AGAIN and looked. That website provided a photo saying where the power terminals were. This truck does not have those.

 

Correct they do not! My ‘23 Pete has a CB power wire with that stupid T shaped connector on it. The connector goes to nothing that exists in this world as I’ve asked for years and nobody knows.

So you simply cut it off and wire your CB directly…until now. My wire had no power to it and the fuses are good. So I ended up buying a 12v cig lighter cb cord. I’ve still gotta route the wire under the glove box and up the A pillar but at least I have power now.

 

IF it has power to it when the key is on, it is for the CB, it is a simple OEM connector which you can buy cheaply off of amazon, Aliexpress or eBay.