Community Forums

vanwyck · 11-20-2013, 09:13 AM

There is a CB antenna on my 05 Monaco Knight, does anyone know where the cable location is? I want to install a CB and cannot find the end of this cable.

bdpreece · 11-20-2013, 12:18 PM

It will be tied up under the dash along with about a billion other wires. What the dealer told me was to put my hand up in the wires and shake everything and I would hear the locking ring make a metallic sound. Didn't work too well; I knocked a wire loose and had to be towed to the Cummins shop. Then had to drive to the dealer and they opened the front of the dash and found it buried in a wad of wires. Mine was a little to the passenger side of the steering wheel. Good luck and be careful.

itdave · 11-21-2013, 08:08 AM

I would not bother to search for the cable. The CB antenna installed by Monaco provides very poor CB operation. Most CB antenna's require a ground plane (read metal car body) to operate well, the one on your coach is mounted to a small metal plate under the fiberglass roof. The best thing to do is go to a CB shop and have them mount a CB antenna to the "A" pillar on the drivers side. You will get much better range with your CB.

Rambling Man · 11-21-2013, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itdave

have them mount a CB antenna to the "A" pillar on the drivers side. You will get much better range with your CB.

Please explain what and where the "A" pillar is. I was thinking about installing a CB also.

Wiley

Rambling Man · 11-21-2013, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rambling Man

Please explain what and where the "A" pillar is. I was thinking about installing a CB also.

Wiley

It is amazing how much good information has been posted on his forum by kind and generous members. I did a search and found out what the pillar is, how to access it and how to put it back together. Thanks to all the members that we're going to answer my question first thing in the morning.

Wiley

Arch Hoagland · 11-22-2013, 12:07 AM

I'll second the "Don't bother finding it." I hooked mine up and it didn't work well at all.

You can't tune it with an SWR meter and therefore can't get it to send very well.

itdave · 11-22-2013, 07:30 AM

Rambling Man
Unless you are comfortable drilling holes in your motor home I would have a good CB shop do the work. They will also be able to tune the antenna to the CB radio.
Just a follow up question, why do you want a CB. We had ours installed for a caravan trip to Mexico, but now we don't turn it on very often. It seems that truckers have quit using them and when they do there is a lot of profanity.

deSanford · 11-22-2013, 07:53 AM

Get a "HAM" radio license and have more fun. deSanford

Rambling Man · 11-24-2013, 10:54 PM

Itdave, good question. I had a CB years ago on most of my vehicles and just used them to help keep me aware of what was ahead on the road (traffic, construction, breakdowns, police). Now we have GPS, computers, and cell phones, and all can help keep us aware of the road. What is missing though is the ability to reach out to some stranger in close proximity and tell them their tire is low, their hood is open, or that there is ice on the road, or a wreck up ahead.

Maybe we could post our cell number on the front and rear cap (just kidding). I think I will start a new thread to see how many of us listen to the CB while traveling.

Wiley

itdave · 11-25-2013, 08:05 AM

Good idea, we are full timers and do a lot of traveling. Over the last year I have not got any good travel info nor been able to connect to others on the road. Just my two cents,

ShapeShifter · 11-25-2013, 09:20 AM

I found the CB is mostly silent. But when there is an accident or other road condition that causes a big backup, there is enough chatter that at least you know how big of an issue it is, whether it's worth looking for an alternate route, and which lane to use to get around it if you decide to stay on the route. A GPS and a cell phone won't tell you all of that.

Another time, I was on a narrow twisty mountain road following a convoy of oversize trucks crawling up the mountain carrying parts for a huge wind turbine. It was great to be able to talk to the convoy and arrange safe passing places. Without coordination, there would've been nowhere to pass and we would've been stuck behind them for hours.

The CB has not been a heavily used piece of equipment, and I could live without it. But it has been handy on several occasions.

A CB is cheap enough that it can make sense to put one in. And while the factory antenna isn't great and you won't be talking to someone miles away, it's still good enough to talk to those in your immediate vicinity and get useful information that affects you directly.