CB radio antics!!!!

Discussion in 'Dodge 3rd Gen Cummins 5.9 (24v)' started by Bigg Redd, Apr 5, 2010.

  1. Bigg Redd

    Bigg Redd Member

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    OK, heres the issue. I know the electronics on a 3rd gen Dodge CTD can be quite challenging to figure out, BUT this is wierd. I plugged in my CB radio (cigarette lighter adapter) and put the magnetic antenna up on top of the cab near the rear sliding window. I started the engine to see if there would be any feedback on the CB. I keyed the mike and the engine kind of stumbled during idle. I did it again a few times, and the engine stumbled everytime I keyed the mike. Whats up with that?? Can anyone shed a little light on the subject? Will I screw something up in the electronics if I use it anyway? Has anyone else experienced this. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks :confused:
     
  2. Rob Knoell

    Rob Knoell Well-Known Member

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    Yep. My brother in law had a CB in his 2003 Dodge Cummins and had a Bully Dog Power Pup and the Outlook monitor on it. Every time he keyed up the mike the truck would start to de-fuel. We could watch it on the monitor every time. I don't know why it just did.

    LT.
     
  3. kevinc

    kevinc Member

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    I have a 2003 with an Edge EZ pressure box. I have a CB hard wired in to the truck. I haven't had a problem. You might try hard wiring it in. If you want to take it in and out, try leaving a male and female connector on the wiring somewhere where you can connect and disconnect. If that doesn't work might be feeding back through the programmer somewhere.
     
  4. Bigg Redd

    Bigg Redd Member

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    Sorry for gettin back so late. Mucho busy!! Thanks for the information guys. I will try hard wiring the CB and see what happens. I like the male/ female connector idea.
     
  5. LOUDandPROUD

    LOUDandPROUD Well-Known Member

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    Here is what I would do and I know this because I have installed many different kinds of two way and cb radios in a lot of pickups. First dont power your radio through the cigarette lighter, when wiring in a radio of any sort you want to ground as short as possible. Strait out of the radio to the chassi. Second the mag mount antenna might also be part of the culprit. A hard wired hard mounted antenna creates a common ground between your vehicle and the radio. If done right a lot of radios will power up with just the hot wire and the antenna hooked up. My last vehicle was a 2006 Dodge with a cummins and the one before that was an '02. I had cb's in both as well as a dual band fm two way radio and never had any feedback or electronics glitches in either one. Now I have a 2010 Ford with my CB antenna in the roof. No noise and no engine glitches. E-mail me if you have some more questions about something like this....

    B-
     
  6. Bigg Redd

    Bigg Redd Member

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    LoudandProud,

    I did a permanent mount to my CB and hardwired to the fusebox. It now has its own powersource with a dedicated fuse, and grounded directly to the chassis. I did this a couple of weeks ago. Works great and I dont have stumbling/ defueling issues anymore. I still use the mag antenna. Not to keen on a permanent mount just yet. This antenna is about 48" long (long enough to tickle birds). I will have to do some research on antennas and see about something a bit shorter as a permanent mount. Works fine for now though. Any info on antennas would be great. I get roughly 8 or so miles of distance with my radio. Good enough for smokey reports on the open road. Thanks for your reply.waytogo
     
  7. mfurrh55

    mfurrh55 Active Member

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    Bet this is what ruined my bullydog monitor, it went to defueling the truck and now it doesn't work right anymore, says my egt's are 1700-1800 when not hooked up,and mine is an 07 dodge,what gives?
     
  8. LOUDandPROUD

    LOUDandPROUD Well-Known Member

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    I use a Laird C27 CB antenna, they used to be Antennex. It has a 49" stainless steel whip. Works awesome. 8 miles out of your current setup is actually pretty good. Most CB's out of the factory only transmit 2 to 3 watts and the legal limit is only 4. My antenna is mounted on the roof of my truck, my last pickup it was on the fender. Either place will work well. Yes the roof mount has a hole drilled through it but that doesnt bother me. Its a 3/4 inch hole and is one of the best mounts you can do. Firesticks arent too bad, they offer a lot of different sizes, colors and you can tunes them to work better on different channels. The down side is they do break easier. I have had them ice up and snap right off on the interstate. A couple pickups back I had had a firestick that got about the same range as your mag mount. Hope this info helps. B-
     
  9. Bigg Redd

    Bigg Redd Member

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    Will the CB Police be out looking for me with that kind of "illegal" distance?? I did have my radio tweaked and peaked at a local truckstop, for $20.00. THats probably why my range is so good. I do remember a few years back on a very overcast night, I was actually talking to someone in Tulsa OK on this old CB, for about a half hour or so. That was kind of cool. Some times when just goofing with the CB, I can reach out 15+ miles. I guess conditions have to be just right. I dont know what kind of mag/whip antenna I have as I bought it at a swapmeet for $8.00 about 20 years ago. Im happy with it.
     
  10. 1ATony

    1ATony Well-Known Member

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    That's pretty cool.I used to talk on the CB years ago.
     
  11. Bigg Redd

    Bigg Redd Member

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    I did too, for a while, but I found that there are lots of immature idiots and sh*t talkers that just like to stir things up on the air. It got to be frustrating so I quit doing it. Some guys have nothing better to do than to create havoc and blanket the area with megawatt transmitters and voice their vomit to those who will listen. I just use it now when I travel. :cool:
     

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