Introduction

Classic Range Rover CB Installation
Choice of CB and Mounting Location
Antenna
Wiring
How it Worked Out
Other Owners' Installations

Range Rover 4.0/4.6 CB Installation
Objectives
Choice of CB
Mounting Location
Antenna Mount
Wiring
How it Worked Out
Other Owners' Installations

CB Equipment Sources

A Citizen's Band radio is generally considered essential for off-road expeditions, both for communication with other vehicles on the trail (many clubs will not allow a vehicle to participate in trail rides without a CB) and for summoning emergency asistance. In Range Rovers, there is not a lot of spare under-dash space to mount a  CB, and few owners are keen on the idea of drilling holes in the roof for an antenna. However, solutions can be found which overcome these obstacles.

Classic Range Rover CB Installation

Choice of CB and Mounting Location
Several manufacturers (Cobra, Midland and Uniden) make CB radios with all the controls in the microphone unit, so that the other parts of the radio can be mounted out of sight. I used a Uniden unit, which contained all functions in a microphone-sized unit with a single coiled cable leading to a combined terminal box and microphone bracket. (Nowadays there is an even smaller and better all-in-one unit, the Cobra 75WXST).  This I mounted on the vertical plastic panel below the front of the driver's seat cushion -- inconspicuous but ready to hand. When the unit is in active use, a hook and loop strip on the side of the plastic trim above the transmission tunnel provides an even more convenient resting place for the microphone.

Antenna
Many antenna mounting options are available, including rooftop magnetic mounts, bumper and gutter mounts, and the through-glass window mount. The latter uses capacitive coupling of the signal through the windscreen to the antenna, without the need for any holes. I chose the Antenna Specialists Co. Model 240; the antenna comes with an excellent mounting kit and instruction sheet. Installation involves cleaning a suitable spot on the windshield (usually the upper right hand corner), and affixing the antenna base on the outside and the coupler inside using double sided tape and silicon adhesive. I mounted the antenna base an inch or so below the top of the windscreen to allow plenty of clearance from the heater wires embedded in the glass. 

The antenna itself is a center-loaded quarter wave type, about four feet long and rated "9 1/2 on a scale of 1 to 10" according to my vendor who sold a wide range of radios and antennas. It can be easily mounted and dismounted from the base as needed, and collapses into two parts for easy stowage -- for example under the carpet in the back seat. (I leave mine off unless I am on a trip, since it won't fit under the garage roof, and is not too convenient in car washes!)

Wiring
The required electrical connections present few difficulties; the coaxial cable from the coupling unit on the inside of the windshield can easily be routed downwards behind the plastic trim piece inside the "A" pillar so it is out of sight. The cable is then led under the carpet and behind the center console to the space under the driver's seat. Plastic jumper connectors can be conveniently used to make the two required connections (12 volts and ground) between the CB terminal box and existing wiring. Any of the numerous black wires under the seat will do for the ground. I connected the 12 volt input to the load control relay feeding the driver's side seat controls; this line (also located under the seat -- white with yellow tracer) is fused at 30 amps and is activated both by the ignition switch (including the auxiliary position) and the driver's side door courtesy light switch. This ensures that the CB will not drain battery power if accidentally left on when the vehicle is left unattended, but allows operation of the radio from outside the vehicle without having to reach in with the key and turn on the ignition; you can merely open the door and grab the microphone.

As with any CB setup, the antenna should be tuned for optimum performance (minimum VSWR) after everything is installed -- the vendor performed this service free of charge.

How it Worked Out
The resulting installation is extremely unobtrusive but readily accessible, and has given good service, although I have found the antenna mount to be insufficiently rugged for long term off road punishment. The antenna's threaded base tends to get bent from the weight of the center loaded whip swaying around vigorously above it, and for off road convoys I have often used only the bottom half of the antenna to prevent this problem. Also, it would be nice not to have to attach and detach an antenna every time one wanted to use the CB. One final comment is a problem common to any installation -- it is a nuisance losing the channel setting every time the power is turned off. Someone should invent a CB with a small built in battery for retaining the channel setting when power is absent!

Other Owners' Installations
Gordon Kallio has a very neat installation in his Range Rover -- his CB is mounted inside the front of the center console cubby box with the controls facing upwards. The antenna is mounted to the left rear light guard, and can be bent down and attached to the roof rack for entering garages. He reports that range with this setup is rather limited but otherwise it works well.

Perrone Ford has installed his CB behind the cubby box, with the antenna mounted to the hood. He says it has worked out extremely well in practice both on and off pavement, and emphasizes the importance of professional tuning of the installation.
Step by step pictures of his installation procedure appear at this link.

Scott Dickenson mounted his CB under the rear seat of his Great Divide Edition RR, facing forward -- a very neat trick. He ran the antenna cable through the sunroof opening when the CB was in use.

Chad Manz has a nice installation of a Uniden Bearcat PC78LTW CB behind the center console on his 89 Range Rover; see the pictures at this link. He used a removeable Wilson antenna mounted on the center of the roof.

Callan Campbell used a Cobra 75 WX ST radio, mounting the power unit inside the cubby box, where the front ashtray used to be. He removed the ashtray for easy access for hooking up and removing the antenna lead and mic cord. He attaches it with Velcro and removes it when not in use. His magnetic base Wilson antenna is mounted flat/horizontal on the ARB bumper.   

Objectives
In setting up the CB in my 4.0, I aimed for some improvements based on experience with the earlier installation. The antenna size and location should be optimized for maximum range, and the mount should be rugged enough to withstand the repetitive g-forces of four wheeling. Finally, the transceiver and handset should fit in with the look of the Range Rover's interior and always be ready to hand. 

Choice of Transceiver
While I was researching currently available CBs, Chris Dow's Cobra 75WXST in his Defender 110 caught my attention on a trail ride. Similar in concept to the Uniden used in my Classic, the Cobra has all the controls on the microphone, connected to a small remotely mounted junction box. In the intervening years both microphone and box have been downsized considerably. In a recent internet search (July 2003) I found that these radios can now be obtained from Brandsmall.com for only $102.98 (search for Cobra CB or see this link below to take you straight to this product).

Mounting the Transceiver
The microphone bracket is mounted on the dash just above the right hand side of the radio, with the spiral cord running back between the passenger seat and the transmission tunnel. The handset  is readily accessible to both driver and passenger, the display is easily visible and the cord is neither in the way nor prone to tangling. The remote box mounted under the rear of the passenger seat, drawing power from the nearby 12 volt line driving the BeCM.

Antenna Mount
To improve reception and better withstand off-road gyrations, I decided against the through glass mount used on my Classic Range Rover. Optimal reception calls for an antenna planted in the middle of the roof -- but this is problematic for garages and car washes. One solution, which I am adopting initially, is the K40 mount which allows the antenna to be attached and removed via a rugged bayonet fitting to a magnetic mount that I leave permanently in the middle of the roof (see photo at right, looking back over the roof rack).

A drawback of this arrangement is the need to climb out and attach the antenna when it's needed. Ever faithful to the Range Rover philosophy of decadence combined with superior function, I began designing a powered remote controlled mid-roof mount, so the antenna achieves optimum performance but can be raised or lowered at will from a switch inside the vehicle. This would provide the ability to use the CB at any time without having to stop, get out and attach the antenna as was necessary on my Classic. Conversely, I would also like to enter garages, parking buildings and car washes without getting out and removing or restraining it. The plan would be to mount the antenna base to the shaft of a 12 volt reversible gearmotor (about 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, with 300 oz in of torque at 6 rpm) attached to a roof rack crossbar. To lower the antenna, the motor would pivot it 90 degrees rearward. This design is just hypothetical at the moment.

Wiring
I decided to wire the CB so it is always powered, rather than tie it to the ignition and/or power seat supply as in my previous Classic installation. The main disadvantage of the latter in actual use was the nuisance of losing the channel setting every time the ignition was switched off. The other approach, however, runs the risk of accidental battery drain through leaving the CB on.

How it Worked Out
So far the installation has worked well in the off-road convoy situation. The antenna mount seems very strong and is easily up to the rigors of off road joggling, including some heavy hits from overhanging trees. Reception is very good. The microphone mount supplied with the Cobra is a bit flimsy but does the job.

Other Owners' Installations
Ron Beckett installed a Uniden 476 MHz CB with a detachable head in his 4.6. The photo at right shows Ron's impressive 4.6 dash with a number of custom-installed accessories described belpow, including the CB.

The main body of the CB radio is in the loadspace, and the extension speaker is double-sided taped under the rear of the center console. His installation is shown in the photo at right, with the detachable head of the CB mounted on the console panel above the car radio. The microphone is mounted under the headlight switch.

Also visible in the photo is a double cigarette lighter socket which Ron mounted to the top of his dash using heavy duty automotive double sided tape (not the household type which comes off in the heat).  This is fed via a fusebox under the bonnet (hood). Ron says the trouble with the standard ashtray cigarette lighter is that it is controlled by the ignition key.

The black box with the LEDs just below the auxiliary cigarette lighers contains the power supply for Ron's Garmin eMap GPS (which mounts on the double sided taped-on mount to the left of the black box and below the face vents).  Also contained in the box are LEDs for the dual battery controller (to be fitted) which was also fitted to Ron's previous  RR. (He has yet to work out where to put a battery but has some ideas -- stay tuned!)  The other LEDs monitor the brake pump and the EAS compressor.  When they are switched on, the LEDs are illuminated.

(Aside: To get all these wires through the firewall, Ron ran a length of multi-core trailer wiring into the cab via the grommet behind the cooling system expansion tank. See the page on running cabling through the firewall for illustrated details).

Finally, the photo also shows Ron's cell phone installation.

If you have installed a CB in your 4.0 or 4.6 Range Rover, please email me with your experiences so we can post them here to share with other owners.
 

CB Equipment Sources

Brandsmall.com is the lowest cost source I have found for CB equipment. For example, they have the all-in-one Cobra 75WX I used in my 4.0/4.6 for only $102.98 (search their site for Cobra CB), while most other sources I found in a recent search had it for $139.99 to $181.50. Below is a direct link to product and purchasing information for this unit on the Brandsmall site.

Cobra® All-In-Handset Mobile CB w/Soundtracker & Weather Channels Model 75 WX For more information on the Cobra® All-In-Handset Mobile CB w/Soundtracker & Weather Channels Model 75 WX , please see our website.

Catalog City.com also has a huge variety of CB equipment from many different vendors including Kmart, JC Whitney, Dick's Sporting Goods, McSports.com, Modells.com and FogDog.