CB on a budget

I usually recommend the uniden pc78xl.

PC78XL - Uniden CB Radio

It's basically the same as the popular cobra 29 ltd, but it's quality is much better than the cobra radio. The new cobra radios today are basically junk due to skimping on cost to build them. If your wife won't let you spend more money, I would sell the cobra and buy the uniden pc78xl radio.
Also on a side note, it's not necessarily the radio that makes a good radio system, it's the antenna and coax that can get your contacts out farther.

 

Okay outlaw_kingz you want a budget setup to keep the wife happy. While the PC78XL is a fine radio it cost just a couple dollars less than the also fine Cobra 29.
,There are a lot of alternate solutions. All current CB radios are 40 channel and are legally limited to 4 watts output. The difference in price is all the extras. Throw a blanket over all of them and you would be hard pressed tell one from another since they all sound pretty much all alike. As an example I suggest you look at the Uniden XL 520 Pro. It is about half the cost of the Cobra 29 and Uniden PC78 series. The wife will like that. There are a lot of other radios to check out. Mid sized radios like Cobra 25, Uniden 68, Midland 5001z. Plus compact radios like the Cobra 19, Midland 1001z and Uniden radios. Stick to brand new radios that come with a warranty. No used CB equipment.
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. NOTE: Before you fire up that radio, make sure you have the SWR checked with an external meter by someone who really knows what they are doing. This is the best cheap insurance. You want to be sure, that you can use your new radio with out damaging anything.
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. IF the SWR is below 3, the current setup that comes with the truck is okay maybe just a little tuning the antennas. What comes with the truck is usually a dual antenna setup.
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. If you need one or more antennas, for a novice, my first choice would be a 5 foot antenna that has a tuneable tip. Second choice a 4 1/2 foot Francis CB 25 antenna. Third choice would be a 4 foot antenna that has a tuneable tip. I do not recommend any antenna shorter than 4 feet in length.

 

You have the radio. One single 5-foot Skipshooter and good quality coax and you're G2G

 

I use a Uniden Bearcat PC787. Bought it when I was OTR..... only Werner driver that heard every complaint you made!... That was almost 7 years ago.

Running it in my current rig with stock antenna I can hear for over 4 miles (randomly get base station feeds from the deep south - I'm in Maine) and transmit for almost 3 with a relatively clear sight-line.

It's got a built in SWR / CAL adjuster. Only CB I've ever owned.



Uniden Bearcat PC787 CB Radio

 

I agree, with the exception of the cobra 19. I own one and surprisingly the transmit sounds pretty good, after a slight adjustment, but the receive is awful. Of course you can't expect miracles out of a $34 radio.

 

That's another good looking radio from uniden. I love the big s/rf meter it has. It reminds me of the Hy-gain V SSB mobile radio back in the 70's, it was an awesome radio too. I mainly recommend the uniden PC78LTX to new users, because it's has the same features and layout of the cobra 29 that most people love.

 

Thank God the thing has a dimmer. That blue can be real obnoxious when you're leaving out at 0200. Truly a great unit tho - functionally & aesthetically.

Was passed by another company driver a few days ago.

Him: "You need a haircut!"
Me: "And you need to be able to grow yours out."

*silence*

I know he heard me. Lol.
(And it's true. I do need a haircut.)

 

What model truck?

It depends on the model of truck.

 

Yes a dimmer is a must with blue lights. I personally liked the uniden pc687 myself. It still has the big meter, but the lights were yellow. Both radios have the weather feature. I believe the pc687 is around $50 cheaper than the pc787. I see CB world still sells these radios.