CB Radio reccommendations.

dirty deeds

dirty deeds

Active Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Location
Albemarle, NC
I'm planning on putting a cb in my jeep this week before I head out to URE this weekend. I was wondering if anyone had any input on which ones, if any, are better than others. Also are there any models/brands to avoid. I don't have to have the best of the best,just wanting to get the most for my money. I'd rather spend a few extra bucks on a good unit than end up with junk that doesnt half work. Also any reccommendations on antennas (brands, length, mounting locations). Where is a good place to buy this equipment. I live in albemarle and work everywhere between there and charlotte. Thanks in advance for any help.

Darren
 
I have the Uniden 520XL Pro 40 channel. I bought it on ebay for about $30.00 The real cost comes from, the Antenna Mount,Antenna,coax, and mounting solution. For the mounting, I bought a piece of closetmaid shelfing support, a 4in barrel clamp and 2 zip ties.
I used the piece of shelfing because it has a notch on one end the fits around the footman loop on the windshield. Attached the windshield end with a few zip ties and attached the other end to the roll bar with a 4in barrel clamp I got form the plumbing section of lowes. It has been there in the last two jeeps I have had and never moves.
Go Cheap if you can.
Total Cost
CB Radio $30
Teraflex Mount $60
Firestix mast Mount $20
18ft Coax $20
Custom Mounting Solution $11
$145.00
 
I've had two of them so far. The first was the cobra 75 wx st. I'm mostly disappointed with it. I bought it because it's so small that when I'm not wheeling I can just put the mic in the armrest of the tacoma and practically not have a CB. On the downside, when I wheeled with it I would accidentally adjust the squelch to the point that I wouldn't hear people or I'd screw up the volume. The *tiny* speaker that's inside the mic made it hard to hear everybody. I'm from up north so sometimes I struggle to understand southern accents. I'm at my worst when I can't see the guy talking and that speaker just made it as bad as it gets.

On the other hand, my buggy has a GME GX300. It's actually a marine CB that I had imported from Australia. In Australia they use two bands for marine communication and one matches up perfectly with US land CB use. I choose it because it's waterproof but it's turned out to be great in every way. I like the simple controls, the easy to read display, and the speaker. I bought an aux. speaker because my buggy is pretty loud compared to a normal car. However, it doesn't need it so I haven't connected it to the CB. The downside was the price. IIRC, the CB was about $120 and shipping was about $45 more. If you don't need a waterproof CB you might just go with something else.

As for antennas, I've used a wilson 1000 and a 3' firestik. I'm happy with both of them. The best performance you'll find is from a 102" whip antenna but I hate to see those on the trail because they attack your spotter.
 
My Uniden Pro510XL has been going strong for 6+ years, exposed to all the elements for 2 years straight, and is still clear and strong.

What more do ya want for $40? :D
 
There's nothing wrong with a cheap radio (it's really in the antenna). The Uniden 510/520 is OK, but a little noisy IMO. Sometimes you can eliminate noise by changing the power source /or mounting location. You can mount them on top of the dash, hanging from the soundbar(gives a good place to run wire too), bottom of the dash, on the side of the console.
IMO CB's all roughly the same for whichever price range you're looking for. Some radios usually the higher end ones can be "tweaked" for $10 - $20. I have a Uniden 68 mounted near the GC. The little handheld units suck..... simply because you can't hear shit without an external speaker(and they're pricey for what they are).
The performance of the radio is really in the antenna. A 4 foot fiberglass antenna is OK for the money and performance. The higher you mount it, the better (don't forget this in parking decks/drive thrus/ and garages). Give the antenna a large ground plane to the body, or better the frame. A tall whip mounted on the roof or trunk will really reach out to somebody. Get good Coax, the cheap shit ain't worth a damn.
The make all kinds of brackets to mount them to your taillights, bumpers, mirrors, fenders, etc. You could make your own bracket.
I have a Like New Uniden 510XL Pro for $25 if you want it. I had it in for around a month until I got the 68.
Here's a pic of my CB in a TJ.
 
I've got the Cobra 75WXST in my Jeep and Cobra 18WXST in my truck. Both radios have a weather band, which I like because we spend time when we can on the beaches. I like to keep up on the weather and current tidal info, especially at the beach.

As mentioned, the biggest drawback to the 75WXST is the speaker in the handset, but I added a cheap, non-powered, external speaker to address that. I like the 75WXST in my Jeep because when you pull the handset out, you have virtually no install foot print and pretty much nothing to steal.

For antennas, I've used both the Wilson and Firestik fiberglass antennas. I like to add a spring and a quick disconnect at the base. The spring helps keep from snapping the antenna off. The quick disconnect allows the antenna to be removed easily.

I purchased my last radio and most of the rest at the local Pilot truck stop. Their prices are not bad and it gives me a local place to get wire, mounts, etc.

Jeff
 
as mentioned...the radio isn't the big deal...

I'd just make sure I had one with an external speaker (more important to me than a PA output)...

quality antenna (I like Wilson, but Firestik works for most) and quality coax (not some Rat Shack stuff) and a good mount are the secret...and make sure the antenna is tuneable...

on the coax...don't buy into the internet "myth" of using 18'...the proper length is however much you need to get from the antenna to the radio...and don't coil up any extra real tight...

I opted for a very small Cobra 19DXIII...and mounted it here:

cobra_swr1.jpg



Greg
 
I have a Cobra 25. My antenna is a fiberglass 48 incher, not sure of brand. I got a flexible spring in between the antenna and the mount. It'll flex flat if needed. which is good on some trails. Stay away from a magnet mount, or those long whips that will put someones eye out. My mount is a simple weld on tab. Strong and easy. Speaker isn't a problem for me as the cb is mounted up high in my cage.
 
Thanks for all the info everyone. I'm going to stop by the Pilot off I-85 near my parents house and see what they have. I'll post up some pics once the install is done.

Thanks again,

Darren
 
Well I got my cb. Here's a few pics. I didn't get the power hooked up yet, and I bought a coax that was too long. I bought a 12ft, but the way I ended up mouting it I'll only need a 6ft cable. I mounted a 4ft tuneable firestik to a roof mount bulkhead, then added a spring to keep from breaking the antenna, and a quick fold adaptor so I can fold it down when I don't need it or want to pull it in the garage. I have not had it outside yet to raise the antenna, but it looks pretty good so far. It folds down and ties off to my roof rack and is completely out of the way. I also read about getting a good antenna ground, so I removed the paint from the underside of the roof and put a 3x3 1/8 steel plate along with the attachment nut to provide a better ground and also make the mount more stable when the antenna gets bent over. The steel on the roof is pretty thin. Anybody see any problems or things to address? I got the cobra mini 40 channel CB and will add an external speaker, along with a PA horn when I get time. I don't have an SWR meter, so I cant tune my antenna yet. I'll give it a try and see what it does as is. Thanks for all the help and let me know if you see anything that looks like it might give trouble. Here's some pics.

Thanks again,

Darren

cbmounted.jpg



antennainside.jpg



antennahinge.jpg



antennarack.jpg
 
The antenna on the roof is the way to go. The body should be a wide ground plane and the whole antenna is above the ground plane. Good deal!! If it is noisy when you hook is up, unscrew the radio from the mount and move it away from the dash while holding it in your hand. It may give you an idea of a better place to mount it. But if it's ok there leave it alone.

bigwaylon, that is slick........
 
dirty deeds said:
Thanks for all the help and let me know if you see anything that looks like it might give trouble. Here's some pics.
Thanks again,
Darren
Click to expand...

looks good...

only feedback I'll pass on is you might want to get a different spring...

I had one of those for a bit, and it beat the crap out of my rig...

try to find one that's a "reverse hourglass" shape...like this:

DSCN2535.JPG



it'll be much more stiff/stable, but will still have the "give" you're looking for...mine was damaged in a rollover when it was mounted in a different location...

also...do you have an SWR meter to tune the setup before you start using the radio? that is a must item before you transmit...


rbo1577186 said:
bigwaylon, that is slick........
Click to expand...

thanks...it's kind of a "you can't go back" modification, but I'm very pleased...

Greg
 
Well I fired up the CB tonight. I think I did the SWR correctly. I hooked it up, keyed the mic, and the needle didn't move. So to make sure it was working, I turned the dial on the SWR meter and the needle moved. So is it the lower the better, or closer to 1.1 the best (being better than below 1.1). Just wanted to make sure I was clear on that, since the instructions were not that detailed. Anyways, what kind of range should I expect from this thing? I've never had a CB before. I tried to talk to some one, but I guess not many people were on the radio tonight. I did talk to some one in a nearby town about 10 miles away and was told I was coming in clear. Is that good, bad, average? Thanks again for all the help and tips. Let me know if I'm on the right track or if I need to make any changes.

Later,

Darren
 
The lower the better. Try this on channels 1, 20, and 40. You may find that if you get channel 1 a low reading, it may give channel 40 a higher reading. Usually when you get channel 20 its lowest reading, the other 2 are OK, but check to be sure. As long as all channels are under 2 on the SWR meter, you're in good shape, but the closer to 1 - the better.

With no amp (they are illegal) you should get a range of 2 - 5 miles. When the conditions are right you can sometimes talk to someone several miles away, but not normally. You may be able to hear someone else (someone with a strong setup) from a distance, but your radio isn't strong enough to send out a signal to them. Being close to power lines and stoplights will temporarily interfere with your signal. Weather and location will effect your signal. Listen in on the Radio and there will be some guys that really know what they're doing that could help you out.

Sounds like everything went OK.
 
not trying to take over the thread or anything but were can i get all the stuff I need (cb, antenna, and mounting stuff) and were and how is the best way to mount it on a 1998 TJ. Also wondering were I can get a external PA for messing with peope on the trails. :)
thanks, Jake
 
snakester14 said:
not trying to take over the thread or anything but were can i get all the stuff I need (cb, antenna, and mounting stuff) and were and how is the best way to mount it on a 1998 TJ. Also wondering were I can get a external PA for messing with peope on the trails. :)
thanks, Jake
Click to expand...


truck stops...several places online like www.buyreliant.com

specifically for a TJ...there are a couple good "packages" here:

http://jeepersandcreepers.com/client/Category.php?catPath=85

they have the Uniden 510 and 520...plus the Cobra 75WXST (a very popular CB with all the controls in the handset)...

for the PA speaker...I bought mine from the buyreliant.com site (back when it was valcoelectronics.com)...

Greg
 
Do you know how the external speaker for the 510 sounds. (is it loud enough)
Thanks,
Jake
 
snakester14 said:
Do you know how the external speaker for the 510 sounds. (is it loud enough)
Thanks,
Jake
Click to expand...

I don't know...I have a Cobra 19DXIII in mine...

actually, I don't think the 510 has a PA output...the 520 does, and you can see the PA/CB switch on it, but I don't see one on the 510...

510:

253.jpg



520:

254.jpg



Greg
 
I have my antenna mounted behind the passenger tail light with a bracket I bought from Quadratrac. It was easy to follow the factory wiring when mounting from the tail light. They have some nice stuff, it I think they're a littly pricey on their cb stuff.

This place has an awesome selection..

http://www.premiere-electronics.net/index.shtml

You can mount the antenna about anywhere you want, but the higher the better.

I am very fortunate to have 2 decent radio shops here in Winston Salem.
 
I got my Midland CB (23 channel) hooked up in my '90 this afternoon along with the $10 WalMart magnetic base antenna. It's got some noise in it when the engine is running, so maybe I can move the ground or something. I hope it works well enough at least for this weekend. I'm a bit strapped for cash, so it'll HAVE to do until I can get a Wilson 1000 like I really want.
 
that my friend is the rolls royce of CB radios! Looks like 5 or 6 different bands and every option I can think of. As for NEED, well I NEED a Lamborghini...
 
Back
Top