Anyone have a small-body CB radio in their vehicle? I've got a full size in my truck, but I'm looking for a small one for my Probe (my daily driver). What make/model do you guys recommend? I've seen a couple of Cobras and Unidens (I'm a big Uniden fan...) but was curious what experiences you may have had. Please let me know. Thanks.
-Joe-

By the way... I'm not looking to be able to order a the drive thru from the street, just to be able to get out a couple of miles to find the cops. That's all....


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98 Explorer (Lemon Law Case in Progress)

'00 F-150, X-cab, 4x4, Lariat, Off-road, Trailer Tow, Holandia Sunroof, built 11/99 picked up 10/00!Clear Corners, Manik Stainless Steel 1-piece brush guard, Custom CB wiring, Uniden PC76-XLW CB radio with K-40 Magna-Mount antenna (for now), 1 set of 165 watt KC Daylighters (for now... more on the way) Custom switch mounting plate and overhead console.
List of planned mods: Clear tails, color matched trailer hitch with stainless steel ball, torsion bar tweak, bug deflector, spray in liner, and a tonneau of some sort...

93 Probe GT teal, OE rims painted to match, bone stock drivetrain.

 

Ihave a cobra 25stnhwx, or something like that, its not a full size, but not a mini, kinda a half size, but it got the sound tracker, the backlight, 9 weather channels and a PA. I love it, add a power mic get it tuned and peaked, and for $150 dolars total you can fool the big trucks into thinking you got a big radio. Plus the back light is wonderful, you can actually adjust it at night with out cutting the dome light on. The reason I choseit was because it was the only radio I could find with Both weather band and a PA.
I would stay away from the cobra 18, you get what you pay for, and at $29 you don't get much. A buddy of mine had one well actually 3 that he fried, he has firestik II's tuned to a SWR of about 1.3 and out of the box he was barely getting out a mile. ne had it peaked, and it fried the cicuits 2 weeks later. To make a long story short, its cheap, it came from the factory, set at about 1watt tx, and the board wouldn't even last at 5 watts tx.

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BigBunnell

98 F150 4X4 XLT flareside V6 5sp K&N Flowmaster and some other goodies

 

That's the story I've been getting... the small Cobras are junk, can't handle the power, etc. I'm not looking for major output... maybe 3-4 miles. The Uniden and K-40 combo is peaked to 4 watts, and a SWR of 1 on the nose, and I can get out about 6-7 miles in the country. I had a noise problem in my Explorer, so I could only pull it in from 3 miles out or so... working on that problem for the truck, though.

By the way... I forgot to mention before... this radio will be running through a Wilson Lil'Wil antenna... Nothing fancy, but it seemed to work well on the Uniden.
-Joe-


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98 Explorer (Lemon Law Case in Progress)

'00 F-150, X-cab, 4x4, Lariat, Off-road, Trailer Tow, Holandia Sunroof, built 11/99 picked up 10/00!Clear Corners, Manik Stainless Steel 1-piece brush guard, Custom CB wiring, Uniden PC76-XLW CB radio with K-40 Magna-Mount antenna (for now), 1 set of 165 watt KC Daylighters (for now... more on the way) Custom switch mounting plate and overhead console.
List of planned mods: Clear tails, color matched trailer hitch with stainless steel ball, torsion bar tweak, bug deflector, spray in liner, and a tonneau of some sort...

93 Probe GT teal, OE rims painted to match, bone stock drivetrain.

 

I just bought a CB and magnet mount antenna from radio shack. I think i'm going to take it back and get one with weather stations ( I didn't know you could do that). Do I have to get the antenna tuned? How and where do I get something like that done?



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2000 F-150 XLT Supercab 4x4 ORP styleside, 5.4L, 3.55LS, Towing, 17" wheels and 265 tires.
Mods:
K&N Filtercharger, JVC 50W x4 cd player w/remote, Manik brush guard, 2KC daylighters 150watt, Retrax bed cover, Procomp 33 12.5 x17 All Terrains, K&N catback,
Future mods:
Herculiner, WMS velocity tube, SuperChip, 4-5" suspension lift

 

lamoose1,
Magnetic mount antennas can be hard to tune because of the poor ground plane they provide, but you can get as close as possible.
Some antennas have adjustment provisions built in. Is there a set screw at the base or the wire whip? If so, you would use a SWR meter. Some CBs have them built in and they are adequate, altho not perfect. If yours doesn't have one built in, you need to borrow one. The optimum tuning for an antenna is <1.5:1. Tune the radio to channel 40 and read the SWR. Then tune to channel 1 and read the SWR. If the SWR is lower on channel 1 than on 40, then you have to shorten the antenna. If higher on Ch1 than Ch40, lengthen it(you only have to change the length by 1/4 at a time).
If you try and just can't get it right I would suggest going to the nearest truck stop that has a radio shop. They'll tune your antenna on your truck for 15.00

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1997 F-150 4X4
5.4L
Automatic
LeBra Tonneau
K&N Filter
Gibson Exhaust
Xeonblue Lightbulbs
Torsion bar level
B&M Shiftplus
Foglights without Headlights




jopamu@yahoo.com

[This message has been edited by Hywaystar (edited 01-09-2001).]

 

OK, right up my alley here. As a truck driver this is my experience talking here. Here is what you need to get a good setup.Go with the 25 NH recomended by BigBunnell. Good radio, middle of the road, good working mans radio. For antennas, the best I have ever used are what I have now, they are Wilson 2000 truckers. This combination, tuned correctly will get you about a 20 mile range. On the open road you could get probably 25 or more. Now, I know this is illegal but everyone does it so I will suggest it: get it juiced up so you get more output. Costs about 1 dollar per watt extra but well worth it since everyone on the road does it.

 

I'm guilty of being an X truckdriver (tankeryanker). I like big radios. Cobra 148 GTL with a TNT 600 and either an Avanti Mobile Moonraker or Wilson 1000 antenna. This setup will reach out and touch someone. I also ran, and still have my Lestek 190 amp dual output alternator. I run a small Midland 40 channel in my '46 ****** that works real good for shorter ranges.

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Rick
'01 Red Lightning Ordered 11/30/00
Build week of 2/19/01

 

good call!