new to cb!

For the CB, get the one that you like the look of, with the features you want, at the price you are willing to pay. Most of them have the same basic circuitry inside.

As for the antenna, a 102" whip mounted high and in the middle of the most metal will get you the most distance. However, that scheme is not feasible.

The more metal in the air (longer antenna), the better. The higher, the better. The more vehicle metal under the antenna, the better.

 

All three are good choices. And rated at 4 watts. i like my 29 alot
The antenna is what will help you the most with range. They need to be tuned to work best

 

The Cobra 25 or the Uniden PC 68's are good starter radios and have virtually everything a newcomer needs.

Antennas...if you're not trucking, a 102 is the best hands down. How feasible it is depends on where you mount it. I have mine mounted on my pick up truck's tool box. It's tall but it's not too tall. The only thing it ever hits are low hanging tree branches, and even then it still takes a licking but keeps on ticking. Range wise, I have excellent range.

But if a 102 is too tall for you, look into a Wilson 1000. They're not as good as a 102 but they'll do a good job of getting your signal out.

The other thing is ensuring your SWR's are low below 2.0:1 (1.5:1 is better) by tuning the antenna using an external SWR meter.

 

Get a Wilson 1000. (or 5000 if you have extra funds) The nice thing about the Wilsons 1k/5k is that the antenna/coil unscrews from the magnetic base so if you need to go in parking garages etc, just unscrew the antenna/coil.
Watch with the PA speaker you can get yourself in trouble. If you know what I mean.

 

I am very happy with my K30. $20 off ebay delivered. 1.1 SWR, great receive and transmit. Take it off the car and put in the trunk when parking away from home. I had to trim about 3-4 inches off whip and checked with antenna tester/tuner to achieve such results.

 

from what i have learned buy what you want dont ##### foot around!!!! you will allways want bigger and better. save your money. do the research. find out what will work for your situation. but then again learning is half the fun!