Cb won't turn on

Never increase the size (rating) of a fuse; it's there to protect the wire between the battery and wherever it is against too large a load, whether it be a dead short or just too large a current draw for the size of the wire.

Typically, any radio with a transmitter that puts out more power than a stock/legal CB ought to be run straight to the battery, both for hot and ground. The hot (at least) should be fused right next to the battery with a fuse that's rated for whatever current that wire can carry (like, f'r instance, if you run a 6 gauge lead to the battery for a radio and other goodies), and a *second* fuse inline with the device that it's running, like the radio, rated for just that device's current draw (plus ~50%), immediately adjacent to the device (the radio, in this case). A radio that usually draws up to 2 amps is often fused at 2.5 or 3 amps to allow for short current draws, like when the receiver is turned up really loud, or other random vagaries.

Putting a larger fuse than is specified in the headboard (or jumpering around it) is a near-certain recipe for a disastrous fire. So far, it sounds like a fuse (or fuses) saved your proverbial bacon from all that expensive smoke they build into the radio being released inside your cab on the highway.

As long as you've got a metal roof and/or a decent counterpoise, I'd personally try a stock CB before moving up to more power (which does nothing to help your receive sensitivity or performance.)

That's just my two cents
73

 

Fuse/wiring topic explained very well by handlebar.
I think handlebar's two cents is drastically underpriced.

 

Awwww, y'all 're gonna make me blush.... And thanks very much for the endorsement.

73