Newbie Seeking Advice

[RemydaCat]

This is a two-fold question:
I've been tasked with helping my elderly father, to purchase CB Base Station / Antenna. He's willing to spending up to $1000-ish to start. He lives on a prairie, so there little concern of interference. Based upon my initial research if he gets the right set up, he will be able to reach a decent distance - this is his primary goal. We also know, it would be best to raise his antenna 18+ feet high. What would you reccomend for him?

I am also interested in purchasing. Price range is the same. I live downtown in apartment so yes, there's going to be interference with trees/buildings etc. I would like to be able to have an antenna that I can move outside & place on top of a roof when communicating. (I know my communication distance will not be the same) Is there an antenna that is on a tripod that would allow me to place the antenna outside when in use and inside when not?

Any suggestions, reccomendations of equipment or retailers is greatly appreciated!

People have reccomended Antron-99 Antenna, and Anytone radio.....
Thank you

 

[707ways2Sunday]

A-99 and Anytone are very good recommendations IMO. 555N2 is what I use and prefer. Have owned the Aresll and the Q6 both good radios. My vertical is a Sirio 2016. Would not work for your situation. Apartment up and down. Too many radials.

 

[Backwoods40]

I know a couple of guys that swapped their a99 for the Tram 1498 and were pleased. They said it tunes better and has better ears.
Next step up would be the Maco or Sirio 5/8 wave antennas.

The Anytone/Radioddity are good radios.
I would say 18ft should be minimum height for the mast. I used top rail fence post for mine.
You can get telescoping flag poles from Amazon or Harbor Freight that reach up to 30ft.
I don't have any experience with them, so not sure how well they hold up, but I know others have used them.

 

[niceguy71]

great time to buy a CB radio! the Anytone 5555 N II was always around $259 on Amazon but they came out with a newer smaller version and they still have warehouses full of the older version which was one of the best CB/Ham radio's ever!!!... ( makes a great CB ...not a very good ham radio but a GREAT CB ) so to get rid of the older version they are selling them CHEAP to get rid of them... great time to buy .... you can't go wrong with this model click the link below
Great deal on the Anytone 5555 N II this comes from China with free shipping. I know a lot of people that bought them there... no problems at all.

this is how I did my base station you can watch it here. link > my base station install

with power supply, radio, all the grounding, coax, and coax ends, cutters, crimpers, ground rods, grounding wires, pipes that slide inside other pipes , Rust-oleum paint, Antron 99 with ground plane kit.... it was about $1500...... for everything but it was done right and will last me my lifetime.
I can talk to locals 20 to 30 miles away ( my house sits on the tallest part of town ) and I talk on Side Band all across the country daily... people come over and I just turn it on let it warm up and contact people on the other side of the USA on the first try!!!! it's really amazing and fun... I have also talked to many other countries.

as for your home base set up..... my opinion... I would do this..... I would buy the same power supply and radio...... if you have a parking lot at your apartment, where you can park your car close to your apartment??? I would buy a Sirio Performer 5000 with a magnetic mount... it's a VERY tall mobile CB antenna.... ( I think it's 77 inches tall) I would also buy a 100 feet of RG8X and a Barrel connector and SWR meter...... when you want to play with your base station just stick the antenna to the roof of your car and roll the 100 feet of coax into your apartment .... if you can park your car near one of your windows it could work good for you... it would be very simple... being on a car it's not going to perform like a base..... but my mobile radio and antenna lets me talk to locals 15 to 20 miles away and I can talk all across the country on side band...... again a lot of fun.... it's a lot more challenging with a mobile set up... so when you do get long range contacts, it really puts a smile on your face...... that would be the easiest and cheapest thing to do.

power supply I have had good luck with this.. some guys got some static and back ground noise... but it's been good for me.
side house CB mast mounts
fairly cheap digital SWR meter
LMR 400 ... I would think you need 40 feet
lightning arrestor
rubber tape for Coax seal you wrap this around the coax ends and then use quality electric tape over it to hold it in place.
100 feet of coax to go from apartment to car
barrel connector

hopefully you can get some idea's from my base station install

feel free to ask more questions.
good luck, keep us informed.

 

[RemydaCat]

great time to buy a CB radio! the Anytone 5555 N II was always around $259 on Amazon but they came out with a newer smaller version and they still have warehouses full of the older version which was one of the best CB/Ham radio's ever!!!... ( makes a great CB ...not a very good ham radio but a GREAT CB ) so to get rid of the older version they are selling them CHEAP to get rid of them... great time to buy .... you can't go wrong with this model click the link below
Great deal on the Anytone 5555 N II this comes from China with free shipping. I know a lot of people that bought them there... no problems at all.

this is how I did my base station you can watch it here. link > my base station install

with power supply, radio, all the grounding, coax, and coax ends, cutters, crimpers, ground rods, grounding wires, pipes that slide inside other pipes , Rust-oleum paint, Antron 99 with ground plane kit.... it was about $1500...... for everything but it was done right and will last me my lifetime.
I can talk to locals 20 to 30 miles away ( my house sits on the tallest part of town ) and I talk on Side Band all across the country daily... people come over and I just turn it on let it warm up and contact people on the other side of the USA on the first try!!!! it's really amazing and fun... I have also talked to many other countries.

as for your home base set up..... my opinion... I would do this..... I would buy the same power supply and radio...... if you have a parking lot at your apartment, where you can park your car close to your apartment??? I would buy a Sirio Performer 5000 with a magnetic mount... it's a VERY tall mobile CB antenna.... ( I think it's 77 inches tall) I would also buy a 100 feet of RG8X and a Barrel connector and SWR meter...... when you want to play with your base station just stick the antenna to the roof of your car and roll the 100 feet of coax into your apartment .... if you can park your car near one of your windows it could work good for you... it would be very simple... being on a car it's not going to perform like a base..... but my mobile radio and antenna lets me talk to locals 15 to 20 miles away and I can talk all across the country on side band...... again a lot of fun.... it's a lot more challenging with a mobile set up... so when you do get long range contacts, it really puts a smile on your face...... that would be the easiest and cheapest thing to do.

power supply I have had good luck with this.. some guys got some static and back ground noise... but it's been good for me.
side house CB mast mounts
fairly cheap digital SWR meter
LMR 400 ... I would think you need 40 feet
lightning arrestor
rubber tape for Coax seal you wrap this around the coax ends and then use quality electric tape over it to hold it in place.
100 feet of coax to go from apartment to car
barrel connector

hopefully you can get some idea's from my base station install

feel free to ask more questions.
good luck, keep us informed.

Thank you very much!

 

[RemydaCat]

I know a couple of guys that swapped their a99 for the Tram 1498 and were pleased. They said it tunes better and has better ears.
Next step up would be the Maco or Sirio 5/8 wave antennas.

The Anytone/Radioddity are good radios.
I would say 18ft should be minimum height for the mast. I used top rail fence post for mine.
You can get telescoping flag poles from Amazon or Harbor Freight that reach up to 30ft.
I don't have any experience with them, so not sure how well they hold up, but I know others have used them.

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[RemydaCat]

A-99 and Anytone are very good recommendations IMO. 555N2 is what I use and prefer. Have owned the Aresll and the Q6 both good radios. My vertical is a Sirio 2016. Would not work for your situation. Apartment up and down. Too many radials.

I'll check it out! Thank you

 

[niceguy71]

Thank you very much!

By the way if you get two of the Anyone 5555 N II they have sideband and you should easily be able to talk to your father at the 15 mile range you were hoping for

 

[robertwbob]

i got an A99 and sirio 2008. the sirio wins hands down. its now survived 4 very harsh windstorms and still gets out far n wide

 

[slowmover]

Base - Sirio 2008 vs 2016

ok peeps. after a time period with my 2008 up at 20 ft to base,it survived severe winds. last weekend i raised it to 35 foot to base of antenna. radio group i talk in ,some members are 50 miles away said i went from being heard to blasting in their radios. my recieve really came up too and noise...

www.worldwidedx.com

 

[robertwbob]

after the weekend storm that ran into monday nite will check vswr in sirio 2008 n bet its still low.lightning galore and harsh gusts to 70 mph at times

 

[707ways2Sunday]

after the weekend storm that ran into monday nite will check vswr in sirio 2008 n bet its still low.lightning galore and harsh gusts to 70 mph at times

I sealed every joint on my 2016 marine shrink tube. Yes including the first section with that big clamp. The same here match never changes no matter the weather.

 

[robertwbob]

I sealed every joint on my 2016 marine shrink tube. Yes including the first section with that big clamp. The same here match never changes no matter the weather.

its the best rugged antenna ive ever seen or owned in my 54 years of radioing. glad to know yours is standing up for you also

 

[slowmover]

Never easy to get a good picture of an installed antenna. But here’s one which meets desire:

SIRIO 2008


Now, on to the next of sixty-three 11M vertical antennas.

.

 

[sloop]

I recommend the President McKinney...its a 'real' CB with AM, FM, and SSB. It is rock solid with very little (If any) SSB drift. A good antenna more than makes up for the difference in power output.

 

[robertwbob]

Never easy to get a good picture of an installed antenna. But here’s one which meets desire:

SIRIO 2008
View attachment 172396

Now, on to the next of sixty-three 11M vertical antennas.

.

only thing ,they offer a hub to hold radials steady.its a must get and install. any breeze at all they will dance

 

[slowmover]

only thing ,they offer a hub to hold radials steady.its a must get and install. any breeze at all they will dance

I thought that was part of the appeal as you country boys sat there on that sack of wildwood seed

.

 

[robertwbob]

I thought that was part of the appeal as you country boys sat there on that sack of wildwood seed

.

i never got on the windmill