best cb??????

[LadyTrucker99]

Thx---

[thetez]

Originally Posted by LadyTrucker99

Ok--a dumb question from a lady? What matters more--the cb you have or the antenna? What makes the cb reach further i guess is what i am asking? is it the cb itself or the antenna? Is it better to have 2 antennas? Just wondering....

dumb question.... HA HA no.... thats a great question....

what matters more, chances are most people will tell you "The Antenna" and "if your are in a 4 wheeler only 1 antenna" this is for the most part true.

i am in a 4 wheeler so and i commuted in rush hour traffic, and i just do a LOT of driving, and i want to get out that little bit further and hear that little bit further, i looked into amps for a while, but after my set up was done, an amp i tried didnt do too much for me. ...except take up space.

i had a crappy little midland radio from the 70's and a radio shack magnet mount antenna with a GREAT ground plane to my 91 all metal blazer roof.
I eventually upgraded to a better radio, a cobra 29 with a wee bit of work done to it, and it did help me hear better, (this is just the radio change! and it did help) i then got a wilson silverload 4'fgt (antenna) and it helped me a lot... but only infront of me, couldent hear a "gosh darn" thing in back of me more than 10 feet. thats cuz i stuck the antenna on my tire rack, so my ground plane was 100% in front of me. i decided that i wanted to hear in front of me so i upgraded to the dual antetnna system did a lot of research, liked the look, and went for it. EVERYTHING ... just about says dont do it, but holy ####, let me tell you two made all the diffrence in the world. it depends on your vehicle. then i wanted to get out that lititle bit further, did some research bought an amazing radio galaxy dx949 (completely legal) and i could hear even further and i upgraded again not too long ago (because i got into side band and normally talk 60 miles average) and i can hear even further.

so ... well... my advice... a self taught, (i like to think knowledgeable about the subject) CB hobbiest who gets nothing but compliments about my sound would be...

first set up a great antenna system, it makes the biggest difference. and doesn't cost too much, good coax (even radio shack is good) good mount and a good antenna) then if you want that little bit further pay for a good radio, and dont get it worked on by just anyone, make sure you know someone whos got work done by the guy ... if you choose to go this way.

If you choose to go dual make sure you do it right!

i have set up 7 antenna systems on my friends vehicles and i have perfected mine, i can give you some tips on your vehicle if you need it.
types of antennas for different places or types of vehicles. we are here to help.

.. hope that helps.... and this info im gonna go ahead and say it will only work with a 4 wheeler, i know a little bit about trucks but not much... other people could help WAY more than i can.

[LadyTrucker99]

I was definitely referring to a truck--not a 4 wheeler. I remember a few months ago when i was with another company--i could barely hear those right in front of me and kept askin the shop about it and they said it worked fine--liars!! I figured before i go back out on the road i would at least find out what impact the antenna is! I aprreciate any tip you guys give me--i dont use the cb much but its nice to be able to hear what traffic issues is ahead of me! LOL

[thetez]

you have your own truck? you are going to want to replace the coax that comes with it and depending on the type of truck get new mounts. dual antennas work well, you may want wilson 1000's or 5000 or go with some 4' wilson silverloads,

[jlkklj777]

Forget the sound tracker its garbage. The nightwatch face plate kinda glows to make the knobs easier to see which is nice. They have the basic set of knobs for tuning and thats it. Other than that the Cobra 29 classic is a decent radio that should hold up for years to come.

The Galaxies have more dials than the average user knows what to do with. Many of these guys spend several hundred dollars on a big fancy cb radio and haven't got a clue as to how to keep it adjusted correctly.

Don't get me started on all the "noise toys" etc some of these guys have on their radios. In short a waste of money.

[MedicineMan]

The usual culprit in bad range like that is the factory installed coax. It gets moisture damage and it's junk to begin with most of the time.

[Behindthewheel]

My dad is a driver for a company, in their trucks. He replaced the coax running a cophase antenna coax from the radio to the mirror mounts. This alone made a big difference.

He then got a Galaxy and could hear clearer and sounded clearer. So it is a combination of antenna, coax, and radio.

For those running 10m radio's. I'm sure you know but just in case, even to run only on the AM side using the 40 channels of the CB, you have to have an Ameteur radio lisence (I know... spelling).

If you want to be totally safe, you want a Galaxy CB radio, not 10m. If you do plan to get it "tuned", they do tune well.

For reference, my dad was using a cobra before.

[wizard4x4]

I have a Galaxy 88 and have had it for over 8 years. I love it. I also run 2 Wilson 2000's.Yeah its cranked up but thats my choice.I have great reception and get out plenty far for what matters.