Need help putting together CB setup

I've been driving 15 years and CBs are almost as much of a mystery to me today as when I started. Nor have I encountered many truly knowledgeable drivers, on the subject of CBs, and when I did, well, how much can you learn in a half hour or so at some truck stop.

With that said, I thought I could buy the best equipment available based on the various opinions of drivers and make up for my lack of in-depth knowledge. The following is what I have:

1. Ranger-6900F25/150 10-meter Transceiver;
2. Texas Star 500w Linear (Boy, am I gonna hear it on that);
3. Pair of Monkey Made antennas;
4. Astatic 600 SWR/RF Power/Modulation Meters;
5. Road King RK-56 Mic.

What was I after? A radio with good clarity, sending and receiving; with a 5-10 mile range minimum.

What did I get? Not what I wanted. The above equipment ran in excess of $1,400. I spent over $600 on installations, re-installation, and re-re-installation.

Just so we can get past the FCC crap. On January 19th I will be taking the Ham Operator Technician Test so I can get a license.

Am also wondering if I shouldn't just chuck the above and get the ICON-7200 Radio. It's around $1,400 but with a ham license I am interested in exploring what you can do with a radio like that and finding out what ham radio is about (minus the nazis).

 

I believe you're right on all points. Especially the overkill. I've had the radio installed so many time, each shop claiming the last one didn't know what he was doing. Out here on the West Coast, it seems to me, there are just no good CB shops. If anyone can tell me different, I'd sure like to hear it. Thanks for your advice. I love this forum and there's no shortage of good advice.

 

Actually, that is what I plan to do---run two radios. Ham radio operation is something I would like to check out. Also, I am planning to join the ham radio operators club here; it's through the club that I am planning to get my license. It's also my belief that through a ham club I can learn how radios work, and how to do my own setup, rather that paying some guy that SAYS he knows what he's doing $150 or more to do an install. As for the Ranger and other components, well, that's what I happen to have at the moment. CB's are kind of like cars, to some, a car is just a means to get from one place to another; but to others, it's a tool and an area of interest, they enjoy building engines, throwing in a big cam, fuel injection, beef up the suspension. It's still a means to get from point A to point B, but it's a hell of a lot more fun. I belong to the second group.

 

I am certain that all the equipment is operational, because it's only three or four months old (measuring by time where it was actually installed and in use). The antennas are even newer. The door was grounded to the body and body to the frame with braided ground straps. Coax was dual antenna with no T-connectors, and antenna mounts were properly mounted with insulators. SWR was about 1.5:1 and continually monitored by an in-line Astatic unit with three meters, SWR, RF Power, and Modulation. If there is a weak link in this setup I imagine it lies no with the radio but with the operator---me. That's why I really enjoy this forum. It is the the first time I've been able to get solid advice from knowledgable people. I would like to know if anybody knows of any book that I might find helpful on CB operation and troubleshooting. Those that I've found are either hopelessly outdated, or so basic as to be of no use at all.

 

Thanks, bookmarked the site for later. I think the ham club will be a great place to learn. I've spent a lot of time over the last day or so on a couple of ham radio sites and have read post after post about bonding. It was my understanding (passed on by a CB store 'expert' that a groundstrap from door to body and body to frame was a done deal. But, from the many posts on bonding I've found that grounding/bonding is no small job, if done properly. Thanks, again to you and all the others for great advice and direction.