Need Help Choosing CB Radio!

Not on the CB band. Maximum power out on CB is 5 watts whether you are a licensed amatuer or not. And, yes I am a Ham. K9RVH

 

I meant the ham side not cb side. Wasn't clear on that. sorry

 

what type of vehicle is this going on?if its a 4wheeler of any sort you best antenna would be the lil'will.mag mount handles up to 500/1000watts.which youll never need,but the quality of it is worth every penny.and easier and cheaper than a 2000 or 5000.if you have the option to get an older cobra 29 or 25(pre 1990),get it.its probably the best thing out there.i wouldnt waste money on a new radio(cobra),they are junk compared to the old ones.if you want new,buy a uniden 76 or66.they are the originators of the old cobra,still made in the phillipines i believe.good quality stuff.

 

have a dumb phone and no GPS. pen and paper for directions from customer work fine.

 

the ONLY radios that Galaxy has ever made that are FCC type accepted (legal) are the 919, 929, 949, 959 and 979 DX series. dont listen to any truckstop CB shop. they are after one thing. your money and that is all. not to mention that 2/3 of them have no idea what they are doing inside of a radio. i am pretty sure you do not want to get ripped off for a peak and tuned and super whatchamacallit hackjob on a radio that wont talk 20 feet down the road. for what you are doing, a plain jane cobra 25 and a simple K40 or wilson antenna will suit you perfectly. to be totally honest, half the drivers out there today are too stupid to operate a complicated HF type export radio. they can hardly control a truck much less talk on the radio.

the one good suggestion i can make to you is unless you want a huge headache, just buy a new radio from a reputable dealer such as CB City http://www.cbcity.com/category/CB-Radios-204
they sell antennas as well. you do not need one of those huge predator 150 dollar antenna unless you plan a huge radio and amp upgrade in the future.

get a good quality coax and antenna. remember, you can have a 400 dollar radio and a 300 dollar amp and a 3 dollar antenna. all you will have is a 3 dollar setup. the antenna and grounding is the most critical of any radio setup. personally, i have used the K40 product line for over 15 years in my mobile setups, and that includes my semi. that is my personal preference. however, the wilson line is just as good.

 

I have run a Uniden PC66XL for close to 20 years using a twin 4-1/2' Francis antenna setup with no problem. Had it tuned down and matched to a Boomer 100 at one time. Took it back and had it peaked and tuned and mounted it in my 4 wheeler and it's still kicking just fine. I just ordered a Cobra 29LTD chrome for use in the truck now that I've gone back to driving. Hopefully it lasts for as many years as the Uniden has. I have used the same old RK 56 that my uncle has had since the early 70's for about the same amount of time.

 

" That most truckers use sidebands, or the ABCDEGH channels shown on some of the Galaxy CB radios "

NOT TRUE .... Few truckers use SSB ....

FIRST ....There are 40 ch's on CB No ABCDEFG ........ MOST CB SSB is on Ch38 .... and it is legal with a certified CB set like a 959 .....

Simple way to tell IF it's a legal CB is to look for the FCC ID number on the radio ID tag ..which is required by law on all radios CB or not.... illegal radios sometimes say " 10 meter HAM radio " but dont have a FCC certification number ....

That's it ......

ALSO If you are a HAM and want a 10 meter radio the radio needs to do SSB the AM/FM ones are almost USELESS for HAM use .....

 

You are correct. Get a Cobra or Uniden radio. The Wilson Little Wil is a decent antenna and comes only in a magnetic mount. I use one when I throw a CB in something that doesn't normally have a CB mounted in it. If I were you, I would invest in a Wilson 1000 mag. mount and put in right smack dab in the middle of the roof. You will be well pleased.