My family is thinking about getting me a CB for Christmas, any brands better than others? I haven't had one in 35 years, but they can help kill time when in traffic etc. I tow a fiver, so would a roof top antenna work on the truck?
Any brands better than others? Of course! But that sorta depends on what the definition of 'better' is.
If you want to stay in a reasonable price range, then I'd say the old standby Cobra 29 is the way to go. Just find a CB shop, usually around truck stops, that will peak/tune it, and maybe put in a better final amp. After that, a Wilson magnet mount stainless steel antennae is a great antennae without getting to pricey.
And to quote Bob Barker: All this can be yours, if the price is right! Should be well under $300 with installation.
It doesn't matter to me if you don't own a Mac.
It should matter to YOU that you're still tethered to Microsoft.
2004 Ford F350 PSD 6L 4x4 Crew Cab.
2007 Jayco Eagle 322 FKS.
Camping with DW Terry,
Bobi-Sue and Billy-Joe,
Westhighland White Terriers
I bought a Uniden Elite 68 for about $75 new in box. Supposedly peaked and tuned. Wilson antenna for about $35 on line. Very pleased with this set up. Range can vary from 5 to 15 miles, depending on the terrain.
Don't really use it that much. But do switch it on when coming into traffic or metropolitan areas. Or when I want to listen to the NOAA or need information to find a restaurant or services I may need. Especially handy for finding gas station that my rig will fit into.
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
Super Duty, Super Cab, SuperGlide
Though today things may have changed several.. years, in fact a few decades ago, one of the Radio and Electronics magazines got a whole bunch of them and brought them into the lab for testing, This was an independent test, No vendor contributed save perhaps free radios for testing.
The two best were Cobra and Johnson, Their "Top of the line" units were basically tied (A few features are unique to one or the other) but could not be beat.
Now when you drop to the #2 slot, Radio Shack's top unit completed with the big boys... in everything but price.. Radio Shack's #1 unit (Which compared to Johnson and Cobra #2) was priced about the same as the big boys #3
This continued all the way to the bottom of the line, where all 3 radios were about the same but RS was cheaper... I had one of those by the way
I now have a pair of Cobras, One top, one bottom AND a middle range Radio Shack
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
My challenge is the DW doesn't appreciate some of the language on the CB...so I needed to get a CB with an earplug. I ended up getting a Cobra handheld (like a walki-talki) with a mag mount antenna for a temporary installation. I listen to it, with the earplug, and all is fine and dandy as long as I don't laugh out loud at some horrible trucker joke (DW wants to know what was said on the CB). Range with this setup is poor - maybe a mile. Talk power is not very good either. However, it is enough for me to find out why there is a slow-down on the highway. I've had Cobra SSB CB's with a good antenna in a stick-house before and those are Great radios. If I was going to have a permanent installation, I'd sure look closely at another Cobra and a Wilson antenna.
Alfred
2005 Sightseer with Workhorse
Map below shows states where we actually camped.....
FWIW, with some if not all the states requiring that cell phone use be hands free as Calif has done, Cobra has a new unit out that has Bluetooth capability.
http://www.cobra.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=419&category_ID=30
Might be something to consider.
BTW, Im trying how to put a cb in our MH.
I know what unit I ll use. Just havent figured the antenna without having to drill a hole in the side, which I dont want to do.
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