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Recomendations for a CB

890 views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  **DONOTDELETE** 
G
#1 ·
Gentlemen-

I was wonding what you all use for cbs. I was looking into getting one,but I would like some opinions on what you use. I don't want to break the bank but I do want a decent cb.

Thanks

Tim 85 cj-7

Tim 85 CJ-7 2.5 Skyjacker, 2 inch body, Herculiner, Holley carb, 32 Dunlop Muds, HEI
 
#2 ·
I have a simple Uniden 40 channel CB - cost about $50. Easy to install, seems to hold up well to all the shakes and bounces on the trail, and I didn't spend an arm and a leg on it so my worries about damage or theft is lower too. It's small so can mount about anywhere. I take it out when not using it so it doesn't attract attention. Power is via a simple cig. lighter adapter. Takes about 5 min to put in, attach power, antena, ready to ht the trail.

Keep on Jeepin'
Scott
 
#3 ·
I really like the Galaxy line of 11 meter radios(10 meter with CB channels included). There is an internet connection where once you sign up as a member you can order them for much cheaper than anywhere else, and they are sent out with all of the high tech mods done to them that is not allowed to be sold retail. I use a Galaxy DX55V with the clarifier opened, and some tweaking done to the ouput amplifier. This unit usually goes for $299, I got it delivered for $199, (with the mods and helpful tips not allowed normally). I also purchased a Texas Ranger 500 watt linear amp, with recieve amplification as an added modification(club members only, and to be used only by licensed radio operators). Ill tell you what, this thing can talk through mountains. We came upon a broke down rig in the middle of Claw Hammer, he had a buddy with everything he needed back at base camp. But no one could get a signal out, I had everyone turn off there CBs and fired up the linear and got a hold of someone in camp like they were next door. Like my Radio Guru at this web site says(and with a real southern draw) "that babe cun bloww bluue smoke" I take it that its radio guy lingo for a very powered up unit. His prices are very good on the entire spectrum of all the major manufacturers. E mail me for his web site I know he is always under the watchfull eye of the FCC, and he really is a very nice guy.
H8monday@msn.com

Jeff
89 Wrangler
If at first you dont succeed, your replacement will try and try again.
 
G
#4 ·
Uniden 510 or 520 is a great radio. My family has a trucking company and that is all we use. They are only about 35 dollars and they will talk
farther than alot of big expensive radios. They also stand up to the dusty and dirty environment that we put them through. At that price, you
arent gonna cry if someone snags it either. I put quick disconnects on mine, and it mounts with big knobs, when I leave I just unhook it and
throw it in my tuffy box. My opinion, I wouldn't buy a cigarette lighter style or the hand held portables. There is a site called cyberrebate.com
they have a GE handheld that costs like 80 dollars, and then there is a full 80 dollar rebate. A few guys on other boards have bought it and
they got their rebate.

 
#5 ·
I like the Cobra 19, a little 40 channel unit that cost $50.00 is very small and works very well. Put a good top load antena on and set the SWR's and you can talk for miles,,, I have one of these in my motorhome and one in my YJ, I have a hand held GE in the Cherokee,, the wife did not want a radio hanging down anywhere in sight in her Jeep.
GP'n
 
G
#7 ·
I've just about given up on CBs because of all the noise and garbage on the channels. Most of the fellow members of the club I'm in have
gotten thier amateur radio license. The 2 meter band is much better for communications. I still have a CB though, because not all members
have thier license.

Gary
 
#8 ·
The 10 meter radios are pretty entertaining sometimes also. If you get up on top of a mountain. A lot of the sideband channels are still used quite a bit by the FCC,Nasa,Navy, and who knows who else. Sometimes you can catch a couple of these guys just yammering away in the middle of the night, talking uncoded about some interesting things for hours. I have a list of designations for the different channels somewhere if anyone is interested.

Jeff
89 Wrangler
If at first you dont succeed, your replacement will try and try again.
 
G
#9 ·
I've got a Cobra 75WXST(I paid $90). As far as I am concerned it is the best CB on the market for Jeepers. The whole CB is contained in the "mike". There is a smal junction box you mount in your vehicle that hooks to power and the antenna, as well as jack for an optional external speaker (I highly recommend using an aux speaker). The great part about this is: 1- The valuable part can be removed from the vehicle in about 5 seconds, great for us open top guys. 2- You can mount extra junction boxes(about $20) in all your vehicles and move the CB from Jeep to truck to car very easily. Thius model also has some pretty good features ( dual channel monitoring, 10 NOAA weather channels, etc) and performs well.

My other car is a BULLDOZER
 
G
#10 ·
Most of the basic CBs from decent manufacturers (cobra, uniden, etc.) are relatively comparable. A lot of cobras and unidens even use nearly the same chassis. Buy a decent radio, and take it to a CB shop to be tuned up. A $40 radio with $20 of tuning can put out 20 watts or more...far better than a $140 stock radio putting out 5 watts. Just as importantly, get a good antenna and mount it in a good spot (depending on body style, soft/hard top/etc.) Play with the antenna and a SWR meter until you get the SWR down below 1.5...tops. That's the only thing holding back my CB install...Can't figure out where to put an antenna on a soft-top, fiberglass body jeep. Maybe I'll put a 1/4 wave whip on the back bumper... we'll see.

Evolution of tools: stone, hammer, wrench, socket, impact, really big hammer, blue wrench.
 
#11 ·
Dean,
Just a note, A lot of organized runs dont allow whip antennas"No Exceptions" is usually their stand on it. I think it has something to do with insurance???

Jeff
89 Wrangler
If at first you dont succeed, your replacement will try and try again.
 
G
#12 ·
I have a uniden side band that I had all the extra channels put into it. It has like 300 channels r some dammthing. It has also been peaked and tuned. I also use a turner road king noise canceling mike. I can talk on that thing on the freeway with the top off and you can hear me. I love those mikes. Cobra and uniden is the same radio company. I have like $500 bucks into my radio and I got hurt and lost my truck driving job like a week after I bought it. I'l sell it for $250 if anybody is interested.
Hey farmjeep! Good luck getting a radio to tune right on a fiberglass tub I had all kinds of problems. I had to run ground wires to the antenna mount. I used a piece of stainless steel and bent it around the edge of the bed between the snaps. Then when you get all that done it still wont work great becuse there is no ground plane! The metal on a vehicle makes a invisable ground force which helps signal travel. That is why a cb in a semi will go farther than in a car. The big flat surface of the truck is an excellent ground plane. There are these little things you can put on the base of the antenna that have like 3 little antenna comming out of it. It is supposed to create a ground plane. I don't know if they work but I have one on my glass tub antenna mount. FOr a few bucks why not!

Al
My web page
 
#13 ·
For the Scrambler I started off with a $2 special I got from a lawn sale. I had it tuned for $10, bought a good antenna for $15 and am set. If it gets wet, destroyed, or stolen, I have a few more $5 specials to put in, but I'd rather not use the good ones if I can help it.

For the TJ we started out with a nice Uniden, complete with weather channels, for about $100. It got horrible reception and the weather channels never seemed to come in. We swapped it out for a weather resistant from Radio Shack for $50, it's awesome, gets nice reception, and is pretty rugged. It's yellow and looks nice as well. No weather channels, but we usually check before going out anyway. I wired it in to the dash, but installed a watertight quick connect so we can store it in the center console when were in public areas.

No CB as yet in the Scrammando, but I have an old Cobra (23 channel) with umpteen dials and buttons on it, my dad had in his Scout II, I had it refurbished (another $10), and will probably install it this summer.

For the Willys we have a few Maxxon handhelds that run on AA batteries with whips, also adapters that allow us to connect to magnetic mounts. They get decent reception, picked themup at Wally World for $75 each. We usually bring these to club rides cause there is always someone whose CB isn't working right or someone new that doesn't have one yet. My brotehr also borrows them for fishing and snowmobiling, and I'll usually have one packed away for long hikes.

JEEPN
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
GM151/SM465/NP205 twinstick/7"Lift/33"TSL's/IHC D44's 4.10's Lock'd
 
#14 ·
One thing I've noticed is that nobody hear seems to have a CB with a PA or a signal strength meter. The SSM is great for finding people (like when playing cat and mouse) and the PA is good around town here in FL when you have to remind the snowbirds that the gas pedal is the one on the right! I'm looking at a Maxon 45W from Walmart for $70. It has a PA button, and Analog button, scans the NOAA weather channels, gets the usual 40 CB channels, and has a signal strenght meter. IF I could find some of those individual meters that measure different types of wavelengths I'd put them in a tube and mount it above the dash. This cat would also find his mouse! You have to be careful how many amps you put into you CB. A really high-powered CB will fry the circuits in nearby recievers!

My Jeep is just a leaky submarine in disquise
 
G
#15 ·
Tim, I've got to go with keeping it simple. I have had great results with Unidens for years. They've held up well and for $100 or less you get a well equipped radio. Cobra and Uniden are not the same company, but Uniden did supply the chassis and build radios for Cobra for some time. Uniden quit making them for Cobra sometime in the mid 90s I believe. As for Galaxys they seem to have a quality control problem. Some people have trouble with them, others work fine. They seem to hold up fine as a base station but I've yet to see one hold up to the constant pounding in a big truck. Some of the radio techs claim there's a problem with the cold solder joints they use. Another problem is that since they're not really a legal cb not all radio techs will work on them and it's a real pain to have to ship it back to the seller to get it fixed. For your intended use a Uniden or Cobra will work just fine.
Bob

 
G
#16 ·
How about a nice cell phone? Don't get excited I'm just kidding ... see this is what I like about this I've been off-roading for years hunting and fishing usually and I never even though about a cd until now . Of course I still have no friends to call... Thanks Jim

If at first you don't succeed.....
Skydiving is not for you.
 
G
#17 ·
it does really depend on what you want to spend. personally i run a uniden HR2510, one of the best you can get but expensive. the pro 510/520 are very good radios without breaking the bank. the secret is to spend the money on a really good antenna. the best radio in the world is worthless if you hook it to a crappy antenna. for a jeep, one of the best antennas to run is the Wilson trucker 2000 or 5000 (depending on if you run a heater or not). try not to run fiberglass antenna, as they are not as effecient. and dont skimp on the coax or the power leads either, as that will cost you as well.

now a few other things to consider if you are getting a little more serious about your radio is to invest in a power mic (i run Astatic), have the radio tuned (peaked and tweaked) and matched to the antenna. antenna location is also important and worth experimenting with to gain full potential from your system.

dan
Good things come to those who do research!!
 
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