New driver does'nt know the first thing abt CBs

As far as radios go, even the most basic unit you find will do the job just fine. I picked up mine 4+ years ago at a store for under 100 dollars, with a weather band radio included. I picked up a 20 dollar 4 foot long mirror mount antenna, and when I had a chance, I stopped in at a CB shop and had them check out the radio, which means that the "peak and tweak" it, which is the process of adjusting it internally for best performance. Net cost, about 165 dollars for the unit I have in the truck. Right now, I am not using the antenna, since the new trucks the company bought came with antennas. Mainly I use mine at customers, where I need to contact them to let them know I am on a scale or something like that. I don't yak on it much on the road.

If you are not yet into your own truck, you don't need one yet. Your trainer will probably have one and you'll be in his truck for a while.

 

how much is not too much? cuz, Heres my input

i found my dads old cb radio, and i bought a radio shack magnet mount antenna, it was alright , it worked. got out maybe a mile heard the same.... $30 [antenna]

then i bought an older cobra radio, it helped my signal i could talk further, and hear further, with the radio shack magnet mount antenna, [15 used radio +30 same antenna]

Then i decided to upgrade my antenna system, i got a wilson silverload fgt 4' and still used the old cobra radio, it worked even better, at times i could get out around 10+ miles, very rarely. and randomly, [20 antenna, 10 coax, + 15 for the radio]

i then bought a cobra 29, its the classic trucker cb... so they say. Its pretty great, but it was also "peaked and tuned" which pretty much improves the radio in a few different ways. along with my wilson antenna, it worked great, i heard pretty far. and could talk even further, so i was told, i went to tune the CB and it died.... my swr was pretty high, but i was still getting out far... i just couldn't hear to well, the audio out broke. and that was before i ever really got too find out the distance... [70 + antenna]

The other day i bought a galaxy radio, with an even better "tuning" job, i should get out even further, [220 + antenna] oh and the new mic

its pretty much the more you spend the better the stuff youll get, i was happy originally with what i had, but i wanted to get out that little bit further, and well now i spent a lot, and have done it...

 

uniden is a very reliable radio the 68 model you can get for about $78.00 in most truck stops however you need a good quality antenna that is the heart of your radio it wont matter what you pay for you radio with out a good antenna you wont be happy. just my 2 cents.

 

it also depends on what you want to use it for.... If your going to use it for just when your in the dock, or scales or what ever, midland makes one for 20 bucks, and it works a mile or two down the road, even through thick forest. and thats with a magnet mount, a few people i know got that, if you wanna drive and keep convos going, its even good for night drives, but your only gonna talk to people around you.

 

here are a few tips that i learned here.

1. get a decent antenna ie wilson ect. get the swr checked and tuned
2. dont key up the radio without the antenna hooked up!!!
3.4watts is the max allowed from fcc. failure to do this could cost you 10,000 and your radio
4. dont get them extra channels on there (ham or ssb channels) also illegal

 

that's pretty much true for anything you buy. in my opinion.. don't cheap out too much.. nothing worse then being able to hear someone.. just barely.. and they aren't getting your replies. especially if you are needing to talk to a reciever or loader to get your dock number.

 

pretty true... except for 4.... the ham is illegal for a cb operator to have. But the side band is not illegal, it is mentioned in the fcc rules for cb radio, it says that cb can have 4 watts output power and 12 watts sideband

 

antenna antenna antenna! 90% of the equation. i have a 4 foot francis on a peaked and tuned cobra 29 i am happy with the performance.
the good thing about the francis anrenna is it is pre-tuned (my SWR is .5 or less) and it only costs 20 bucks!