Handheld CB

[RookieRooster]

Whats the absolute biggest handheld CB on the market? Doesn't matter how big the antenna is or if I have to get it used on Ebay. I was just wondering because, at the end of the movie Convoy, the sheriff had what looked to be at least a 3-4 foot CB antenna for his handheld.

 

[oldradioguy2010]

You can get any size CB or antenna you want.
B

 

[oldradioguy2010]

You can get any size CB or antenna you want.
But why don't you buy a antenna cut for the CB band.
That will work the best. Then buy a radio. As usual, size will not make a difference.
For get what you saw in the movie.
That was a prop. I have seen a 2 meter whip and a cb radio in movies and TV.
It's all make believe.


DW
So. Cal

 

[RookieRooster]

I already have a mobile station, I just wanted something to communicate out of my truck.

You can get any size CB or antenna you want.
But why don't you buy a antenna cut for the CB band.
That will work the best. Then buy a radio. As usual, size will not make a difference.
For get what you saw in the movie.
That was a prop. I have seen a 2 meter whip and a cb radio in movies and TV.
It's all make believe.


DW
So. Cal

 

[KevinC]

Whats the absolute biggest handheld CB on the market? Doesn't matter how big the antenna is or if I have to get it used on Ebay. I was just wondering because, at the end of the movie Convoy, the sheriff had what looked to be at least a 3-4 foot CB antenna for his handheld.

So performance doesn't matter, only size?

 

[oldradioguy2010]

I guess Rookie.
At my age size is of minor concern.
Hi hi

 

[bearcatrp]

This is the latest and greatest....

RANDY III - AM/FM transceivers - CB Radio / Ham Radio - President Electronics

CB Radio - AM FM transceivers - RANDY III

president-electronics.com

 

[RookieRooster]

So performance doesn't matter, only size?

Well, I got a Uniden 401, its small but really crappy.

 

[slowmover]

The PRESIDENT Randy is a fine piece of gear.

 

[bharvey2]

As I recall, the movie "Convoy" came out in the late '70s. About that time I acquired a Realistic, 3 channel handheld CB radio. It was about 10" long or so and had a telescoping antenna. The antenna was pretty long when extended and it may have been 3ft long or so. I'm not into CB radios anymore but the ones I've seen are much smaller that this one.
Here is a photo of one below:

 

[PACNWDude]

I still use a couple of Radio shack TRC-216's for testing mobile CB radios for work. The Teamsters have in their contract that they must have a functional CB radio in their semi tractor rigs. My old school handheld works well for testing, and is huge. These are 1980's models, so not what Dirty Lyle would have had in "Convoy", but about the same size. As a previous poster has shown, TRC-2XX model handhelds are quite large, as they were made to hold enough AA batteries to transmit 4-5 Watts.

 

[Hit_Factor]

The PRESIDENT Randy is a fine piece of gear.

I have one, sent it back to manufacturer because it rarely receives any traffic. Manufacturer says its in spec.

It's got a really poor receiver, probably gets overloaded with the antenna I have it on. My Icom r30 receiver works great on the same antenna.

 

[bharvey2]

I have one, sent it back to manufacturer because it rarely receives any traffic. Manufacturer says its in spec.

It's got a really poor receiver, probably gets overloaded with the antenna I have it on. My Icom r30 receiver works great on the same antenna.

I've seen a few YT videos on those and they look like a decent radio. However, there just isn't enough activity around me to merit buying one. I have a number of old CBs and break one out every few years to listen. Never any luck - a few truckers heading to the shipyards or maybe a freebander here or there. I don't even hear the CB headbangers with amps taking up several channels at once.

 

[bearcatrp]

I have one, sent it back to manufacturer because it rarely receives any traffic. Manufacturer says its in spec.

It's got a really poor receiver, probably gets overloaded with the antenna I have it on. My Icom r30 receiver works great on the same antenna.

There isn't much traffic on CB band anymore. BUT, find an older cb antenna from the 80's to put on it. I had an older radio shack antenna in my collection and tried it on a trip over multiple states. It picked up allot more than the antenna that comes with it.

 

[Hit_Factor]

There isn't much traffic on CB band anymore. BUT, find an older cb antenna from the 80's to put on it. I had an older radio shack antenna in my collection and tried it on a trip over multiple states. It picked up allot more than the antenna that comes with it.

Guys, I have a good antenna on it. The Randy is a poor receiver, the Icom R30 proves it. I have thousands of road miles on the Randy - almost nothing. When I switch to the R30 I receive lots of CB traffic. I live less than a half mile from I-94, the lack of signals to receive is not the problem.

 

[bearcatrp]

Someone mentioned in another thread about turning off the auto squelch. Been meaning to do the adjustment to test it.

 

[RookieRooster]

I've seen a few YT videos on those and they look like a decent radio. However, there just isn't enough activity around me to merit buying one. I have a number of old CBs and break one out every few years to listen. Never any luck - a few truckers heading to the shipyards or maybe a freebander here or there. I don't even hear the CB headbangers with amps taking up several channels at once.

Honestly, CB isn't dead. In my area, Tampa, Florida there's a lot of people with them.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Someone mentioned in another thread about turning off the auto squelch. Been meaning to do the adjustment to test it.

He has a problem with reading comprehension.

Autosquelch is not in use. I have operated with ASC. Other than hearing less static, the results were similar. The Randy FCC has a poor receiver.

My antenna is fine, the r30 and my VNA prove that.

 

[PACNWDude]

Good to know about the Randy handheld radios, as me an co-workers have been eying them for use at work. We have to troubleshoot a fleet of Cobra 29 LTD Classics and Cobra 75 WX ST's, and having a handheld CB is useful. We all have been using Realistic/Radio Shack versions from the 1980's-90's, and were hoping for something better.

CB is not dead around major highways, used it this past Labor Day weekend for traffic reports. The joke with me and others in our own convoy, was that the term "driver" is now used to denote any truck driver / CB operator as it is expected that only semi-tractor drivers are still using them in 2021. I may dust off my old Cobra 2000 GTL base station after hearing the traffic. There was even some of the usual (1970's era) banter between "drivers".

 

[bearcatrp]

Had a 2000 GTL tweaked with upper frequencies. Sweat radio. Those were the days.