Xj88

Wanting to do a cb/pa setup on the cheap. I will prolly go with a cheap compact midland/cobra cb from either walmart or radioshack. Looks like the cb will run me about 30 30 bucks and that the PA speaker will run about 25-30. I will be buying the whip later on. Other than just wiring the cb to the fuse box and a ground is it just plug and play for a pa speaker? I dont really wanna mount the PA on my roof rack, rather go under the hood. Im looking at a 50 wt speaker..would that be sufficient? Pics of speaker locations and ideas for the setup are appreciated.

sam24th

I got a PA under my hood beside the air box. i'll get pics when I get home. Also your gonna have to run a wre from the PA for the speaker if its like the one I have.

jmm0122

When I pulled off my bumper caps to paint them, I mounted mine on the inside of the bumper facing the bumper cap. It seems pretty dry and is much louder than when I had it installed under my hood. It was fairly easy to remove the bumper cap just a few screws and your done.

Xj88

Well im going to go ahead and buy the cb with a PA output, does the pa speaker just plug straight in?

jmm0122

Yeah, it is basically a headphone jack, nice and easy.

Xj88

Im praying it is long enough. Or that I can buy a long enough cord cheap. Im tired of splicing.

jmm0122

I got a cheap one and it came with more than enough cord. I have about 2 feet of unused cord that is zip tied in the engine bay. You should be fine.

mideerslayer

I have to ask, what it the reason for a pa speaker?

I have a out-put on my cb and I have always wondered what would be a good reason to install one.

I know they would be fun to pull into a friends driveway and start talking

Xj88

So I can talk crazy **** when going thru town

jmm0122

I use my to vent my road rage.

Cherokee9t8

I'm also running a p.a speaker in my XJ under the hood. I've had it in a couple vehicles I've had. No real reason or use for it other than cruising around and playing with it (as though the XJ doesn't already get enough attention.. lol). I have mine located under the hood against the firewall/driver's inner fender by the brake booster/master cylinder. It's plenty loud, and well protected there. I had to run my own wiring and headphone jack on my p.a though.

I also like to use the p.a and the police spotlight to scare friends/people at outdoor parties haha.

Corcor4

If you install a CB install it right... otherwise you'll cook your CB and it won't work after a while...
meaning you'll need the CB
-18 ft co-ax cable
-4 ft antenna placed on the mount about 6 inches driver side up the hood... (refer to pic)
- Weave the co-ax in a figure 8 and put it somewhere in your hood (helps with signal strength)
-GET IT TUNED. If you don't, it will eventually become untunable and you'll have to buy a new CB.

Best pic i got of mount location
http://www.flickr.com/photos/corycarlson/6157339534/http://www.flickr.com/photos/corycarlson/6157339534/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/corycarlson/, on Flickr

Converted96

Ok, ill chime in here.

I have a Cobra 29 radio, 3 FT firestik, firestick mount/cable and a PA speaker.

You cant just hook the PA up without an antenna and just use it for CB, without an antenna and having it properly tuned you can and will damage the CB radio.

I bought the more compact PA speaker from radio shack. it was about 20 bucks or so, and i think its 50 watts.

watts of the PA speaker doesnt matter. A CB I think only puts out about 7 watts, probably less on those cheaper units.

Going back to the PA speaker I bought from radio shack, it just had a pigtail on it, not much wire at all, in fact my splice is right by it under the jeep. I went to a truck stop and bought an extension wire in the CB supply area... its a MONO heaphone jack with like 15 ft of wire.. it has to be MONO end and not Stereo or I believe it wont work properly. the cable was like 3 dollars.

Having a higher power PA speaker is cool if you are going to run an external amplifier for it like i am.

I plan to buy a 2 channel amplifier with line level inputs and hook the PA output up to one channel, and the other end up to the External speaker output to run a couple 4" speakers in the dash.

Anyway, just dont hook that CB up without an antenna, and tuning that antenna, and having proper grounds.

mideerslayer

Now that might be a good reason to get one

sam24th

I used it to vent my anger at those BMW drivers who like to cut me off. (I personally dont have anything against BMWs or the drivers, but it seems like when someone cuts me off its usually some rich snob who drives a BMW)