Best CB radio for the money?

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by JunkHauler, May 5, 2012.

  1. BJnobear

    BJnobear Heavy Load Member

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    Will the 959 burn out that stock Cascadia Evo antenna out of the box? IF I do go with an external mounted antenna, should I use a single or duals? Also what headaches is that plastic body gonna cause? My old 29 has about had it. 14 years, cant complain.

    Dang I really have to look at the last post date in these things!!!
    :biggrin_2551:
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2014
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  3. BigBearNY

    BigBearNY Light Load Member

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    I agreed with the 29. You can do a lot with them for little money. Want to go SSB? Get the big Brother 148....
     
  4. mike5511

    mike5511 Road Train Member

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    If that old 29 was made in the right country and isn't too rough, it is still a very desirable radio to have. No matter what you run with the cascadia, it won't talk very far. Be sure and check your SWR before transmitting. If you go with your own antenna and coax, one antenna set up right will do you a good job.
     
  5. BTShepp

    BTShepp Blue Demon

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    Eh.... not exactly. All stock CB radios output 3-4 watts on AM mode. If you modify it, it's no longer a stock CB radio. If it comes from the factory with 100 watt output, it isn't a CB radio--it's an export radio that will need to be converted to work on CB channels. As for your "stock" Cobra, I bet it's more likely that the meter was inaccurate. Cobra probably doesn't want to risk problems with the FCC for over-powered radios. We end-users can get away with illegal CBs, but not large manufacturers.
    As for coax quality, short runs used on mobile can permit almost any decent coax type, provided it is not damaged and you're running modest power, say, less than 100 watts. Loss is negligible for runs under 50 feet. For base installations, it can be a whole different game.
    Lastly, low quality, "lossy" coax can potentially make the SWR measuremt seem better than it really is. It will weaken the reflected power, not just the forward power. Therefore, the meter and the radio will "see" a better SWR, even though the power is being wated as heat in the lossy coax and not transmitted from the antenna.
    You seemed pretty harsh on the previous poster who had it quite right, actually. This is an older thread, and like they teach the kids, nothing ever leaves the internet.

    Source regarding SWR and coax:
    https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/q1106037.pdf
     
  6. BTShepp

    BTShepp Blue Demon

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    Check that happy power meter…
    Are you measuring dead key? Many meters don't really do peak power accurately...
    aka cue the oscilloscope, and if you're really feeling confident, the spectrum analyzer, too. (Right, @rabbiporkchop ?)
     
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  7. BTShepp

    BTShepp Blue Demon

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    General observation on this forum:
    The quality of writing and adherence to grammar rules is directly proportional to the quality of what posters have to say.
    So when a poster writes paragraphs about big radios and amps without using a single period, I know they're the ones broadcasting on 6 channels at once.
     
    rabbiporkchop Thanks this.
  8. kc0iv

    kc0iv Light Load Member

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    Grammar has nothing to do with what a person knows about electronics. If I wanted a grammar lesson I'd look up a grammar website.

    leon
    kc0iv
     
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  9. rabbiporkchop

    rabbiporkchop Road Train Member

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    Although we should note that your grammar was perfect
     
  10. bored silly

    bored silly Road Train Member

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    Unless it's a magnum or Stryker radio. It is a ranger radio. Bada-Bing
     
  11. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Sorry there bt but when a tech puts a radio on the bench and has a scope and a SA, he better know what he is doing, I've been to a few shops with the tech sitting there with both and was clueless to what they actually do, most don't have any training or understanding what they are used for, let alone how to make a radio work right using one.
     
    rabbiporkchop and wolverine11 Thank this.
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