CB for a Rookie

I have a Cobra, gets the job done

 

Cobra 29 lx or bearcat 880. More importantly make sure the attennae system is effecient on your truck because that will make or break the overall performance of the radio. Do some internet searches and learn how to properly check and adjust attennae swr or find good cb shop and let them set it, hope this helps.

 

Most of them will do swr checks for free, if they need to make adjustments to the attenae they may charge a minimal fee, 5.00 to 10.00 dollars, im not sure because i have always done it myself, but if the swr is off ,if they are reputable, they should be able to pinpoint the reason and make recomendations like new coax or different attenae or a grounding issue so try and find a shop you will trust so you are not being told something just so they can sell product. If you scroll through some of the previous posts on this forum you will find white list shops and those to avoid.

 

Also if you want read some good articles about cb radios, swr, peak and tune etc go to cb radio magazine .com and look under articles. He also has alot of good radio reviews, that might help you decide what radio you may want to buy. After educating your self go to some online cb shop websites just to get a feel for the various prices.

 

Cobra 29 Ltd classic is about as cheap basic and reliable as it gets

 

The Cobra 29 Ltd Classic is on sale at Pilot truckstops during the month of March 2016 for $99.99. There is also a $25 mail in rebate in addition.
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.I suggest the original poster look on the internet for used book stores and used CB radio books in general. Something like "Dummies Guide to CB Radio". Hate the titles but the information is good although a little out dated. Personally, I use Powells.com for ordering used books online. They take credit cards or a check. If you pay by check they will pull the books and hold them until your check clears and then send your order out to you.
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.First, when you get to your first company, ask around and find out who are the other drivers that are the best at setting up and troubleshooting CB radio problems and pick their brains.
.As a general starting point, get a stock out of the box radio and setup a simple, inexpensive single antenna setup using a 5 foot antenna and RG8x or RG58 coax. Now before you start using this setup or anyother setup GET YOUR SWR CHECKED USING AN EXTERNAL SWR METER.
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.Here is a simple life lesson. The most expensive thing on earth is ignorance. Education can save you time, money and a whole lot of headaches.

 

Thats an awesome quote...and so true

 

Cobra 29 lx is on sale at loves for like $99.00