I'm looking to get a CB radio for my truck so me and my buddies can keep in contact wheel cruising around, does anyone know anything about them? I want one maybe off of ebay, just an inexpensive unit that will not be junk on me.

Are the radio shack ones any good? Cobra?

Any help is appricieated!

 

cobras are a pretty good radio. i have a cobra 148 gxl ( i think) with upper and lower side band.. i started with a radio shack and it did me good for 8 years until i sold it.. but i got a bigger and better one.. cobra 29 is a good radio to start out with. hope yall have fun on yur radios. if yur ever in tx give me a holler. they call me tarzan.. later

 

so the radio shack one is decent i take it?

 

Most CBs are pretty good - different models have different features, but all you really need is something that will push out the legal 4 watts. Make sure you know about SWR, and matching the antenna, before you transmit anything. To rush in blind is to blow up a perfectly good radio.

Radio Shack have good radios, Midland, Uniden, and Cobra. Of those I like the Cobra least of all - too fancy, too much technology, and too much to go wrong. 10 million truckers will disagree with that statement.

I have a Uniden in my truck, with sideband, as well as am, pushing 12 watts am and 35 watts sideband. Apparently it is not legal, so of course I never turn it on.

Theo

 

the cobra is pushing about 16 watts and 40 something sideband. never had a problem transmitting. look around for a local cb shop and they can help you or just go to a truck stop and you can find all kinds of help.. the guys at radio shack dont know much, at least they dont in my town.. your uniden sounds pretty good theo. is it the newer one they have out.

 

I have had it about 8 months. I often chat with Brazil, and Iceland, on the skip, channel 33 upper.

Theo

 

whats your handle. ive reached florida georgia and north carolina in the truck and australia on my base station.. maybe ill turn the radio on in little bit .

 

You guys bouncing skip from a truck or a base? On the southern part of this state I can hit Hawiia from a base if the weather is good.

I had a midland radio, 4 million buttons and dials and it didn't do that good with a K40. Set my girl up with a bottom line Uniden and a 10 steel whip and it works so good. My buddy did kind of the same. High end for his rig, low end for his girls and hers works better than his.

 

on good days only. my truck has a 8' steel whip flyin in the wind. i have a moonraker antenna for the base. its old school uniden. (you like that one dont you theo). i bounce from both radios.. i ll talk to my kids at home when i get off work. they are 3 and 4 and they love it.

 

About 5 years ago I think. I got two cb's for my b-day. one a cobra, and one a radio shack. The speaker went out, and a few turn dials quit working in the radio shack. To this day, even though it's been about 6 months, the cobra still works. I've used it as a base, and as well in my truck.

 

I would suggest if your just going to use it occasionally go with the Uniden or Radio Shack model. Also like Theo said make sure you have a good SWR its key to good reception as well as transmitting.

OK guys how far have you talked skip? I have "played radio" for many years and have talked to many countrys , However one of my favorites was talking with a Nantional Geographic expedition at the north pole. The other was during Desert Storm talking with our troops there.

 

My Handle is the Theologian, I use it for everything. The furthest I have skipped on sideband is Eastern Russia, Got a QSL from that guy. I have heard Australia, but never managed to make contact.

I use a Galaxy DX 99V through a full wave inverted V at home, with great success. I have 180 channels on that one, with AM,FM USB, LSB & CW - It is a really good radio - Europe transmits on a different frequency to here, and the DX 99 can get them easily. It also covers part of the 10 meter band, but nothing happens there most of the time. 26 and 27 megs is pretty active on that one.

The Uniden is fired through a balanced pair, on the truck mirrors, only 40 channels on that one, but with an SWR of 1:1 on 19, and 1:1.7 top, 1:1.3 bottom. I have had some spectacular contacts from the top of mountains with the truck. I have QSLs from South America, Russia, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Britain, and France. I wa heard by some guy in Singapore one day, from the Galaxy, but I couldn't hear him. He sent me a post card excitedly telling me that he had never heard America on 27mhz before. I wish I had heard him, that would have been cool.

I got into CB in Aus, with a Ham International Multiband radio, that had 120 channels, with the same modes as the DX 99V. . I hold an Aussie Amateur license, and really need to get off my butt and get the US one. I have a Kenwood HF set that I listen using a multiband inverted V - that is pretty good, if I got the license I could talk through it.

Theo

 

So Theo, any chance you might head back to Australia. Your church hold any different views there?

 

No, Bubba; Aus introduced gun control like you would not believe, so I won't be heading there anytime soon. The one right mankind of all nations should have is the right to defend themselves, by whatever means necessary - in Australia you can go to jail for injuring a felon who attacks you. Same anywhere with the Union Jack in the flag. Britain forced it's crazy notions on the entire commonwealth.

So I will remain here, and think about the next adventure.

Theo

 

I can't tell you how bad that sucks Theo. What are these crazy people thinking when the criminal has more rights than the victim.

Sorry I got off the cb radio topic stingray.