where did you mount your cb?
#31
07-28-2010, 08:15 PM
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this might have been a freak accident, but the very best radio under $200 i ever saw was a buddy bought the $34 cobra at walmart, and mounted it on the edge of the truck bed using an old 3-4' antenna that i gave him. he out-talked, and out-listened, with less static than all the stock $100 cobra 29's that everyone else has.
I was thinking about mounting my antenna on the driverside right behind the cab on the bed rail of the truck. I am still not really finding a place to where I want to mount a big cb. If I get a smaller cb and have it tuned and peaked would you think I could get at least a 10-20 mile reach out of it? I dont know if those numbers are high or low. Not really sure on the average reach of a good cb.
man I got a lot to take in before I buy lol
#32
07-28-2010, 09:24 PM
i mounted mine on the bed rail so it would not interfere with the tool box, using a homemade bracket. its a 2 foot firestick that just barely fits into the garage.
you have to ground the antenna base, so if you mount it on a tool box, you have to ground that.
average range is 1-2-3 miles. max is 4-5-6.
it depends on terrain, weather, electrical wires, etc.
the AM band is crap.
you have to ground the antenna base, so if you mount it on a tool box, you have to ground that.
average range is 1-2-3 miles. max is 4-5-6.
it depends on terrain, weather, electrical wires, etc.
the AM band is crap.
#34
07-28-2010, 09:36 PM
Grand Champion
10-20 miles? Nope. On level ground without an amplifier you're not going to reliably get that out of a base station on a (legal height) dipole antenna, let alone a mobile. About the best you can reliably hope for out of a previously-legal mobile without an amplifier is about four miles unless you increase your effective antenna height by going up a mountain.
If you need more than that, well... there are illegal amplifiers that can be had on the black market. I'd never recommend that you buy such a thing, but if you were of a mind to ignore the law a little 50W amp will transmit as far as your receiver can hear. Anything more than that is just silliness unless you've got the receiver to match, and I can tell you from experience that most peak 'n' tweak geeks don't even have the equipment necessary to properly tune a receiver, let alone the knowledge of how to increase receiver sensitivity and cross-channel rejection without making the poor little thing squeal like a pig.
When they build el-cheapo radios most of the cost cutting takes place in the receiver. If you have friends with CBs, see if you can set up an experiment with both of them parked side-by-side. On the cheapie, find some guy far away who's just barely getting in over the noise, then go listen on a high-end Uniden. That'll tell you what you need to know, right there. Of course, this requires that they both run equivalent antennas and have them both mounted equivalently, too, or the test is meaningless.
BTW: Cobra and Uniden are the same radios except for the face plates and are both made by Uniden. Radio Shack is almost the same once you get past their really cheesy crap, but keep in mind that Radio Shack's top of the line is based on Uniden's second from top, and is custom manufactured to be a bit cheaper for Tandy to purchase. It is NOT the same as Uniden's second from top radio, just based on it. Don't be fooled.
Another point about peaking transmit power: The cheaper radios won't make the same power the more expensive radios can. They might get close if you're willing to sacrifice bandwidth, but once you leave channel 19 the power falls off the further you get from it. A higher dollar radio will not fall off so hard, and a really good radio can be pushed way out of band before the power falls off appreciably. Not that I'd ever run a CB out of band. There aren't any extra toggle switches hanging out of the side of my radio, no sir there aren't
If you need more than that, well... there are illegal amplifiers that can be had on the black market. I'd never recommend that you buy such a thing, but if you were of a mind to ignore the law a little 50W amp will transmit as far as your receiver can hear. Anything more than that is just silliness unless you've got the receiver to match, and I can tell you from experience that most peak 'n' tweak geeks don't even have the equipment necessary to properly tune a receiver, let alone the knowledge of how to increase receiver sensitivity and cross-channel rejection without making the poor little thing squeal like a pig.
When they build el-cheapo radios most of the cost cutting takes place in the receiver. If you have friends with CBs, see if you can set up an experiment with both of them parked side-by-side. On the cheapie, find some guy far away who's just barely getting in over the noise, then go listen on a high-end Uniden. That'll tell you what you need to know, right there. Of course, this requires that they both run equivalent antennas and have them both mounted equivalently, too, or the test is meaningless.
BTW: Cobra and Uniden are the same radios except for the face plates and are both made by Uniden. Radio Shack is almost the same once you get past their really cheesy crap, but keep in mind that Radio Shack's top of the line is based on Uniden's second from top, and is custom manufactured to be a bit cheaper for Tandy to purchase. It is NOT the same as Uniden's second from top radio, just based on it. Don't be fooled.
Another point about peaking transmit power: The cheaper radios won't make the same power the more expensive radios can. They might get close if you're willing to sacrifice bandwidth, but once you leave channel 19 the power falls off the further you get from it. A higher dollar radio will not fall off so hard, and a really good radio can be pushed way out of band before the power falls off appreciably. Not that I'd ever run a CB out of band. There aren't any extra toggle switches hanging out of the side of my radio, no sir there aren't
Last edited by UnregisteredUser; 07-28-2010 at 09:39 PM.
#35
07-28-2010, 09:48 PM
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10-20 miles? Nope. On level ground without an amplifier you're not going to reliably get that out of a base station on a (legal height) dipole antenna, let alone a mobile. About the best you can reliably hope for out of a previously-legal mobile without an amplifier is about four miles unless you increase your effective antenna height by going up a mountain.
If you need more than that, well... there are illegal amplifiers that can be had on the black market. I'd never recommend that you buy such a thing, but if you were of a mind to ignore the law a little 50W amp will transmit as far as your receiver can hear. Anything more than that is just silliness unless you've got the receiver to match, and I can tell you from experience that most peak 'n' tweak geeks don't even have the equipment necessary to properly tune a receiver, let alone the knowledge of how to increase receiver sensitivity and cross-channel rejection without making the poor little thing squeal like a pig.
When they build el-cheapo radios most of the cost cutting takes place in the receiver. If you have friends with CBs, see if you can set up an experiment with both of them parked side-by-side. On the cheapie, find some guy far away who's just barely getting in over the noise, then go listen on a high-end Uniden. That'll tell you what you need to know, right there. Of course, this requires that they both run equivalent antennas and have them both mounted equivalently, too, or the test is meaningless.
BTW: Cobra and Uniden are the same radios except for the face plates and are both made by Uniden. Radio Shack is almost the same once you get past their really cheesy crap, but keep in mind that Radio Shack's top of the line is based on Uniden's second from top, and is custom manufactured to be a bit cheaper for Tandy to purchase. It is NOT the same as Uniden's second from top radio, just based on it. Don't be fooled.
Another point about peaking transmit power: The cheaper radios won't make the same power the more expensive radios can. They might get close if you're willing to sacrifice bandwidth, but once you leave channel 19 the power falls off the further you get from it. A higher dollar radio will not fall off so hard, and a really good radio can be pushed way out of band before the power falls off appreciably. Not that I'd ever run a CB out of band. There aren't any extra toggle switches hanging out of the side of my radio, no sir there aren't
If you need more than that, well... there are illegal amplifiers that can be had on the black market. I'd never recommend that you buy such a thing, but if you were of a mind to ignore the law a little 50W amp will transmit as far as your receiver can hear. Anything more than that is just silliness unless you've got the receiver to match, and I can tell you from experience that most peak 'n' tweak geeks don't even have the equipment necessary to properly tune a receiver, let alone the knowledge of how to increase receiver sensitivity and cross-channel rejection without making the poor little thing squeal like a pig.
When they build el-cheapo radios most of the cost cutting takes place in the receiver. If you have friends with CBs, see if you can set up an experiment with both of them parked side-by-side. On the cheapie, find some guy far away who's just barely getting in over the noise, then go listen on a high-end Uniden. That'll tell you what you need to know, right there. Of course, this requires that they both run equivalent antennas and have them both mounted equivalently, too, or the test is meaningless.
BTW: Cobra and Uniden are the same radios except for the face plates and are both made by Uniden. Radio Shack is almost the same once you get past their really cheesy crap, but keep in mind that Radio Shack's top of the line is based on Uniden's second from top, and is custom manufactured to be a bit cheaper for Tandy to purchase. It is NOT the same as Uniden's second from top radio, just based on it. Don't be fooled.
Another point about peaking transmit power: The cheaper radios won't make the same power the more expensive radios can. They might get close if you're willing to sacrifice bandwidth, but once you leave channel 19 the power falls off the further you get from it. A higher dollar radio will not fall off so hard, and a really good radio can be pushed way out of band before the power falls off appreciably. Not that I'd ever run a CB out of band. There aren't any extra toggle switches hanging out of the side of my radio, no sir there aren't
the 10-20 was just a top of the head guestimate. I really dont need to reach that far but I would like a set up that won't break the bank but still reach a large radius.
I never knew uniden made cobra. I bought a uniden for my jeep because it was cheaper than the cobra equal. Maybe because it came in a kit that included cb, mic, antenna, mounting bracket, and all hardware.
So, from the info I have gathered a cobra 29ltd for the radio. A firestick tunable antenna around 4 to 5 foot. (i know a whip was preferred but I really really hate whips lol) Mounting the firestick on drivers side right behind cab. still not sure on radio placement. still considering roof mount but I wanna do a little more research on how mounting the radio above the antenna could be harmful. Then again with a 5ft firestick mounted to the bed on a spring the radio would still be below the antenna.
any thoughts or suggestions on this set up? Any other specific req radios?
#36
07-28-2010, 11:21 PM
Grand Champion
Unidens are usually cheaper than Cobra because they spend less on marketing. They get a chunk of every Cobra sold, and every Radio Shack radio they make, too. I don't know if they've still got them, but they used to have a few off-brands they custom manufactured, too.
If you don't install an amplifier, the radio should be fine overhead. If you get feedback without an amplifier or a really, really cheesy power mic installed, you've almost certainly got bad coax or a very flaky antenna ground.
The Firestick is a good enough antenna. The best (but still not great) mounting location is, unfortunately, smack in the middle of the roof. And if you're going to do that, the K-40 is a better antenna that's also much easier to weather seal and more easily tuned. And because of the bayonet connector, a lot easier to steal too -- every other antenna on the market requires a wrench or at least a pair of pliers to unscrew it.
Have fun with it!
If you don't install an amplifier, the radio should be fine overhead. If you get feedback without an amplifier or a really, really cheesy power mic installed, you've almost certainly got bad coax or a very flaky antenna ground.
The Firestick is a good enough antenna. The best (but still not great) mounting location is, unfortunately, smack in the middle of the roof. And if you're going to do that, the K-40 is a better antenna that's also much easier to weather seal and more easily tuned. And because of the bayonet connector, a lot easier to steal too -- every other antenna on the market requires a wrench or at least a pair of pliers to unscrew it.
Have fun with it!
#37
07-29-2010, 01:44 AM
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Just took that outside, so it's kind of dark. Tried to lighten it up a bit, but gives you the general idea. Too dark to take a pic of the antenna, but it's a 4ft whip mounted drivers side, up by the front strap hole on the side of the bed. Try to get some better pictures tomorrow.
#38
07-29-2010, 01:50 AM
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#39
07-29-2010, 06:02 AM
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to understand a CB you just really have to get one and go through the trial and error with it. i live just outside chicago so i went with a K40 whip mounted half way down on the edge of my passanger side bed. that way when i go in a parking garage it just bends and doesnt break off.
i am still getting interference from my engine, even though i have a nice set of MSD wires. what else could be causing it?
i am still getting interference from my engine, even though i have a nice set of MSD wires. what else could be causing it?
#40
07-29-2010, 07:07 AM
try running your cb 12v and ground all the way to the battery. sometimes that helps.
if not, then put in a noise reducer in the 12v hot.
i'm fighting this same battle. i had a cheapo noise reducer that worked real good for a few days, then something happened to it and the whine returned.