Well, if you think about it, it's not really off the subject! You should have a CB in your 4x4 and not just a cell phone!

My all time favorite, until I got my President fixed (no longer made), was a Uniden Grant XL. Very large body, but is identical part-for-part with the Cobra 148 GTL. Has plenty of dials and switches to use. AM and SSB. I think the cost of that is around $200.

For antennas, I will always recommend a Wilson 1000 or K40. I don't know how much you know about radios, so I'll just say this. You can make a $500 radio not worth worth a damn with a $20 antenna. If you want to do it right, go all the way live!

On the dual antenna question... I've seen a lot of semi rigs who use those, and the benefit to that is merely more surface area. From what I understand, the dual antenna setup is pretty useless for a truck smaller than a semi. With either of those antennas I mentioned above, you can easily use a magnet mount (strong magnet) or hard mount if you want to cut into your cab.

You won't be let down!

Hope that helps.

/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif- J.R. -/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif

 

i use a cobra (cant remember the model and dont feel like going outside /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif ) with duel wip anntenas i mounted them on the bed right behind the cab then ran the cables under the cab ........i think i paid 130-150 for the cb and i got the antenas for my b-day two years ago ....no complaints with this set up yet .......though i would suggest putting some foem on the antenas so they dont slap against the cab .......i also have two hooks one on each side of the bed (on top rail) so i can hook them down if they are smacking around to much offroad (sorry for the spelling)

"where the road ends, the fun begins"/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

Paul Lanctot

 

For antenna, I'd recommend a Wilson 5000... Around here, at least (Michigan) it only costs a few bucks more than the Wilson 1000 and seems to give some more clarity, and range, at least in my opinion...
I use a fairly cheap CB (uniden 510xl) it's a small unit with the only controls being basically volume and squelch, however, for the price (I think I paid around $40) it seems to be a good unit...

Tim
"The_Sandman_454"
/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif '79 Suburban 4x4 454, 6" lift, 35x12.5s & '85 GMC S15 4x4

 

most of my friends and i run cobras (25, 29 and 148's) i have a uniden grant xl.. same thing as a cobra 148.. the key to a good system is the antana.. buy a good one and have it matched.. if the cb you get has a built in swr meter and calibration knob this is ez.. otherwise go to a cb shop thy usualy charge 5-10 bucks to tune an antana.. the legal watage is 4 wats so if you stay leagal (yha right) you limit your self to about a 5 mile range with a tuned system and a clear channel.. if you have side band etc its possable to talk hundreds of miles.. on the dual antana thing.. alot of peple like the look.. but it makes the cb directional.. ie: it is more powerfull in one direction and real weak every where else.. good for truckers , bad for in the woods.. if you want the look i sugest leaving 1 un hooked or use it as an antana for your am/fm radio.. you'll pick up stations you didnt know existed.. lol..

so.. buy a cheep radio, and a good antana (wilson 1000 if you want a mag mount, or a 102" steal whip if your hard mounting it) oh.. tne wilson 100 is about 3db louder than any other mag mount out there.. and a 102" whip is almost anothe 6 db if tuned! remember in electronics 3db= twice the power! a wilson 100 retails about 69 bucks.. a 102 is about 20 at radio shack..

 

My favorite is a Galaxy. I have never owned one, but have heard them and like the way they sound. If I was going to choose between Uniden and Cobra, I would choose Uniden. The guys are right, antennas make all the difference. RedDog

 

What about Firestik antennas? Has anyone used them?

http://www.firestik.com/

Daniel
http://Contagious Racing

 

I have a SSB Colt Black shadow radio. I love the side band but no one in our club has onebesides me. The am is decent for the distances between trucks on a trail tho. I dont like the dual fiberglass jmirror mounts, I had a set and broke them both off on tree branches. They dont give much and break easily when they try to flex. i have an 8' whip on my rear bumper that works real good. I have an insulated hook on my cab to hook the ant. when wheeling, it cuts the range a bit but like i said it works great for talking between trucks.

Mike

Thumper 2
85 fullsize Jimmy
http://sites.netscape.net/mikesthmpr/thumper
/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

 

Has anyone used the cobra handheld units? Are they junk?

 

Re:tough-trucks

so basically i'm shooting myself in the foot with the duel wips ........they are matched to my cb but from what i understand you are saying that they will work better if i unhook one (i like the look) .........just wanted to make shure i understood you before i unhook one .......also why is it that this ocours

"where the road ends, the fun begins"/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

Paul Lanctot

 

on the dual issue, you cannot just unplug one of the antennas and expect it to work. I've had one short out before (corrosion from salt) and the raido wasn't understandable from more than 100' away. If you have a dual antenna setup, you must leave them connected. The dual connections does make it semi-directional, but not in the issue that you can't hear it 1mile on the sides, and 5 straight ahead/behind. You will have a lot of issues with radio antennas altering the direction. I was advised against my set up by the cb shop that I purchased all my equipment through. I was told that with the radio antenna being near the antenna on the passanger side, that it would cause it to have a weird "directional" direction. Honestly, I've never experienced any shorcomings with my radio. I'm also using 3' K-40's (life time warr.) I've been very pleased with their construction & boradcast/receive ability. I have a friend that can hear me just fine, but am unable to hear him. He has a single 6' firestick. As far as CB's, I currently have a Cobra. Just a inexpensive job. Around $70 if I remember correctly, and I'm interested in a dual sideband midland, (reworked 15watts I think) but the cost is holding me back. Along with where I have my cb mounted, currently in the center vent area of the dash. I'd suggest going to a cb shop and asking them what they would suggest, what warr. come with the equipment, and find out what other customers think of their service. I've been very happy with the local shop that I deal with. I cut the ends of the dual cb wire setup to wire it through the dash/door & side mirrors on my truck, the shop than rewelded ne new ends on the wires for $5 each. Plus I knew it was being done correctly.

Corey
88k5
(Dual whips RULE!)

/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gifGirls Like Guys In Bow Ties
http://www.geocities.com/corey_perez

 

Re:tough-trucks

heres some web addresses on cb's, antana's etc..

http://www.roity.com/rc/index.asp <---- good page covers basics
http://members.tripod.com/~cb_antennas/index.shtml <---- an advanced antana page
http://www.thecbshop.com/ <----- a good shop/internet sales
http://www.bills2way.com/ <----- also a good shop

 

Re:tough-trucks

Just making some nice clickable links for lazy people like me.. /wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Oops, messed that up the first time...

<---- good page covers basics
<---- an advanced antana page
<----- a good shop/internet sales
<----- also a good shop

Tim
"The_Sandman_454"
/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif '79 Suburban 4x4 454, 6" lift, 35x12.5s & '85 GMC S15 4x4

 

Re:tough-trucks

thanx.. i am just to wone out from x-mass to do it.. ok .. call me lazy

 

Re:tough-trucks

I ran dual attenas forever until someone told me they worked better by themselve and to my surprise it was true. I would suggest taking the other one clear off, I still got interference from the 2nd one !! I also run the cheap stuff, just poor or don't care!! Have a $30 Cb and $80 anttenna !!

BIGBURB

 

Re:tough-trucks

The dually antennas, depending on the phase matching, are normally set up to be directional from the front and to the back of the vehicle. That's why the truckers use it, they can talk up and down the road better. The antennas are poor from the side as a by product.

 

I have a Uniden Grant XL which works well in a vehicle. It cuts out a lot of engine noise that my Uniden PC122 couldn't. The 122 is the next lowest Uniden radio. The XL goes for about 135 bucks on line. Also get is tweaked and peaked at a shop, along with antenna matching.

The 9 foot whip antenna is the best type of antenna for a vehicle. If you don't have the clearance for 9 feet, or don't like they look, go for a Wilson antenna. They are more durable than the K40.

 

No doubt,,, The Superstar 129 is the best radio. It has 2 power options so if you are going to use a linear you can match the low
power to the proper linear input. It has both SSb and the Illegal FM channels. As for antennas.. Wilson is the only way to go. Even
though my truck is 20 years old I wouldn't have a magnet mount for the world. I love to see folks having to get out and re-set it after
a few low limbs. My superstar has been peaked and pushes 15watts on the High power mode, good enough for 3-7 miles here in the
Virginia swamps.. Good Luck !!

 

Real Happy with my 20 year old Robyn SX102 B and a Echo 200 watt linear, with power mic, pushing it thru a 102 whip, talk to whom I want when I want. By the way the Echo is a old tube type linear!!!!! Honestly most 4X4'ers on a C/B are talking to a bud less than a 1/4 mile away on a trail and just about any radio will do that...my .02 worth.......White Knight aka sneaky pete KDF5749

 

I used to use a Firestick antenna on my truck, and was quite satisfied with the performance of it. I plan to buy another one when I replace my handheld radio/ magnet mount antenna combo.

The dual antennas boost your signal to the sides (not the front/rear) unless your vehicle is over 108" wide. It works for semi trucks, but Blazers and P.U. trucks are better served with a single antenna in the middle of the rig. If you mount the antenna to a mirror, the side, or the rear of your vehicle you'll extend your broadcast pattern toward the opposite side (from the antenna) of your truck.... If your wondering why, it's the same reason you should have your antenna matched to your truck... your truck is almost half of your radio's antenna! You need to match the antenna to your truck, because on some trucks, the truck is slightly more than half, on others it's slightly less than half. The shape of the signal is effected by how much of the truck is to the sides of the antenna.

Blade

 

Kinda sorta, it was my understanding that the metal part of your vehicle established what they refer to as a ground plane, and this is what your signal...radio transmission wave is bounced off of. Years ago we used to do Fox hunts using one cb as the fox and other to find him, by the strenght of his signal...my vehicle han 2 48 matched top loads, on a matched harness, and was on the back end of a Mercury Montego roughly 48 to 58 inches apart, and was severvly directional, most of the signal advancing forward towards the hood, by dropping the front of the vehicle in a lake, water deep enough to hit some portion of the metal on the car, and using a 200watt push-pull linear I have managed to shoot skip as far as Alaska back in the early 70's, anyway like I said earlier most ORV commications on a cb are less than a mile to another ORV on the trails, and any cheap cb will do that......White Knight CLRR

 

I went with the cheap radio, good antenna route. I've got a basic Uniden unit and a 3' Firestik. This combo was recommended by both my work (we have dozens of cars running around with CB's) and most of the people in my group. I chose the short antenna to avoid hitting limbs on the trail and mounted on the side mirror for now. If you mirror mount an antenna, I definitely recommend getting a spring for it so it doesn't rip the mirror off.

6.2Blazer

 

Anyone know a way to boost radio reception signals? will a cb antennae work? Tried the FM booster and it was actually worse than before. I live in an outlying area, and would like to pick up more stations in the truck. Thanks.

LT

LakeTex
Durant, OK
'79 Blazer in progress

 

All the noise filters are just a capacitor. It will only filter electrical noise... And as far as getting better reception? Nothing beats height... You might want to try to get an antenna which reaches higher up than your stocker...

/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif- J.R. -/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif

 

Shaggy

My philosophy: Build the baddest radio you can that will talk anywhere you want it to. That way if you are out by yourself you know that you will always be able to raise someone on the radio if something really bad happens. The most reliable and "bullet proof" antenna combo is probably the 102" stainless whip. Just keep it clean and tuned and it will talk forever and give you really good receive. The higher you can mount it the better your RX/TX will be. Most people that I know don't want to drill a big hole in the roof of their car to put on a whip. I've seen several trucks for sale that have the 102" whip permanently mounted on the roof.

 

Dual antenna's do not increase the signal to the sides, they increase the signal to the front/back. The idea is that when the signal from each one interacts with the signal from the other, they amplify the signal where they meet & over lap creating in effect an oval that has it major axis parralel to the vehicle in question.

--Drew
83 S10 Ext Cab
/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif