cb radios

[stevehink]

Any suggestions on what to buy , as far as cb radios  are concerned

[mike se il]

A big trash can to throw it in.

Sorry, but every time I am near a CB I am reminded why we got away from them.

If you ask 10 different people you will get at least 12 different answers.  I don't think Uniden, Cobra, or Midland makes any junk, just certain models might be a little better.

I found this at http://www.rightchannelradios.com/pages/choosing-the-best-cb-radio-pv-c0-27.html and it is excellent advice: " A cheap radio and correctly installed quality CB antenna will perform infinitely better than an expensive radio and a poor antenna setup"

Back 35+ years ago I had a '68 Mustang with 48" center loads co-phased on the gutters on the roof.  They were too close for a very directional pattern.  But I could put the cheapest radio on it and out talk much more expensive ones.  An awful lot your performance is in the antennas.

[stevehink]

that is good advice. Thanks

[toughguy189]

Cobra 29 is a trucker favorite

[nwobcw]

   If money is no big deal buy a side band radio.  More channels and more power.  Put a good antenna on top the combine cab and easily reach out 25 miles.

[kraft-t]

I thought they went out of style about the same time as 8-track stereos. Folks around here use those new fangled  cell phones.

[steeringwheelholder]

Good advice so far. Antenna makes all the difference. Cobra 29 or 25 will do well for a medium quality cb. Unidens are ok as well. The "good" radios are Galaxy or if you can find a Royce. Do some research how to set your SWR "standing wave ratio" on the cb and antenna will help you set one up to sound good. A cobra 29 or above has a knob on the radio to set it There is nothing worse than a squeal or hum or the massive echo some truckers think they need. I like mine to sound like we were sitting next to each other in the seat, not an announcer at Lambeau Field.

[mike se il]

"A cobra 29 or above has a knob on the radio to set it"

WRONG!

You cannot fix an antenna problem by turning knobs on the radio.  Some radios have built in SWR meters which can be mis-calibrated by turning a knob, but all it does is give a false reading.  It does nothing to correct the problem.

[steeringwheelholder]

Easy trigger. I never said turning a knob would fix an antenna problem or if it needs cut down. They don't adjust that much. If the guy wants to go out and buy a fancy radio and a separate meter to set it to 1.1 or 1.2 is one thing, but when he is asking what type of radio to buy, I doubt he is gonna buy the extra equipment to set it. A cobra 29 is a step up over the cobra 25 or a radio shack cheap because you get some SWR adjustment, rather than hooking it up and start talking. I don't think I'd take too much advice from a cb expert whose first advice was "find a trash can" but that's just me.

[mike se il]

I'll admit to not being very involved in CB radios for several years. But I have been very involved in two way radios. And while it may be possible to put an impedance match in a transceiver, I strongly doubt you will find one and if you do it A) will require two tuning knobs and B) will not correct any antenna problems. All you're doing is adjusting the meter to give the reading you want. The mis-match is still there. As for the trash can remark, if you do just a little work with better communications equipment and systems you will understand the reason for saying it. in chronological order Mike SE IL N9GIK KZZ589 KIM6823 AV164 Foglight KLJ0449 unit 4