What is a good Starter cb for a new trucker?

Way stupid question for the professionals, but I am not afraid — what exactly is “Peaked & Tuned” I have run a number of other guy’s trucks and have noticed quite a difference and have wondered why that is. And I am not a Techy so speak slow and use small words please and thank you.

 

My definition of a peak and tune is nothing more than making sure channels are in alignment and modulation set to 100%.
I run a Cobra 29 Taiwan model with a 4 watt carrier, 100% modulation and swing 15..in a cascadia antenna mount over passenger door spot mirror, 5.5 Francis, 18 ft coax.. swr 1.4..

 

The FCC limits how much power a cb can have when it’s manufactued and sold. Peak and tuning it brings it up to the maximum limits.

 

CB radio magazine has good info on the peak and tune of a CB radio.

Should you get a peak and tune

What you really want is a clean sounding radio. Ask the CB shop to do a factory alignment , otherwise you could be splattering over several channels, if they try to get too much power out of the radio which isn’t good.

 

That is a interesting question and a lot of that depends on you as a person and where you want to go with a CB. Men say women like to talk but there is a lot of guys out there as bad as women. LOL! I don't really care about talking a lot but when I do I want my radio to perform well. I bought a cheap Uniden Pro 520XL with a Tram 300 antenna for $44.00 out of walmart and talked 10 air miles with good reports all out of my chevy cobalt daily driver. I have a Galaxy 979 SSB I bought for my travel van for $189.00 out of walmart and that is one banging radio. People think I'm on a base station when I talk on that. I also bought a Uniden 980 SSB and found I didn't care for it. CBs are just another tool in your tool box of life. The CB world has changed from back in the day. It's ok to start cheap to see if you like it and that little Uniden Pro 520 XL they say is rugged, but if you find you like CB then the next one I would recommend going Top shelf because people don't want to talk to you if your radio sounds like crap. Spend money on a Good antenna and a Power Mic. to start. And defiantly sort thru the info in these forums because there is a lot of experience in here!

 

Factory stock untouched radios are fairly equal to each other there limited to 4 watts output with a max of 100 percent mod. Most ruck stop techs should be kept along way away from your radio, the antenna may very well be more important than the radio itself, a good noise cancelling mic astatic or road king, external speaker helps clarity for you. antenna cable is generally sold at truck stops in 3, 9, or 18 foot lengths quality is adequate at best. If 9 foot will work don't buy the 18 footer, shorter is actually better.

Personally I like Cobra's and have run them for years with no complaints, my Car has a Galaxy 95T 10 meter radio (yes I have a general class license). I use fire sticks or Francis antennas on the Cascadia, the longer the better, coils on antennas electrically make up for length, but the longer antenna will perform better.

 

To most shop it simply means tuning up to legal output, 4 watts @ 100 percent. To the wheel polisher behind the truck stop turn stuff till the smoke comes out. Then poof its dead.

 

I bought a homeowner grade Watt meter to test my 5 mobile CB radios and 3 Base station radios just to see how may watts they were putting out. They are all factory stock radios. 4 of the mobile radios were putting out 3 watts or less and the galaxy was putting out 4 watts. My 2 Washington bases were putting out 4 watts and my Courier Conqueror 40 D base was putting out almost 4 watts. Stock radios don't always put out what they should that is why some take their radios to a reputable CB shop and they are out there. And for all you Cobra fans out there My old 1999 Cobra 29 NW ST is still working and I don't want to get rid of it but it is putting out 3 Watts and a Astatic Road Devil power Mic makes it a talker !

 

There is actually no measurable difference as far as sound, strength and quality between 3 or 4 watts, just won't make a difference.
Having a great antenna system with very low or no SWR will make a bigger difference on how you transmit and receive. If you have a stock ready it is just mot worth the money to pay to have it brought from 3 watts to 4. One of my loudest radios dead keys at 1.25 watts swing to about 7 or so cleanly.