Best sub $50 magnetic mount antenna setup

[Littlecloud319]

What kind of radio? “Adorable” would want a low DK for sure.

Cobra 18 wx st 2

 

[ForestRunner98]

Cobra 18 wx st 2

I HAD one of those before I ditched it for a McKinley. Had it about 6 months. It DK’s about 3 watts. Worked ok with a KL203 but gets warm kinda fast with 3w in. You would need to go inside and adjust it for a lower DK or add a fan on top of the fan and don’t be too long winded.

It’s a beginner radio. It was ok but lacked a ton of stuff. No Rf, mic or Pwr adjustment knobs. No NB/anl or hi-cut. RX was kinda noisy as well. Picked up a ton of electrical nosie. If it had hi-cut it would be better. But ya you can make it work but it’s not just slap on and go.

 

[slowmover]

RM ITALY KL-203

That and the radio can work from a 15A circuit (as with installed CB enclosure in big trucks). Run fused power + to battery, and - to nearest ground point (inches, ideally). Consider it a 20A circuit to fuse and build for lowest voltage drop. (10-AWG would do a 10-15’ TTL length circuit; 12-AWG on something shorter; battery to radio to DC Ground wire length).

The claim is 100W but it’ll be lower. A deadkey of up to 1.5W is considered about right (higher “might” be a problem. As I’ve gotten away with substantially higher, but won’t recommend that practice).

Package 2 for 1 deals at $125 last I looked.

See review on CB Radio Magazine




Shown with a Uniden 980 AM/SSB (the minimum starter radio per price, IMO).

A President McKinley is a great next step. And past that isn’t any real performance gain
(See reviews).

The sky is the limit on amps. “Quality” starts at about $1,000 for Amateur gear and climbs from there.

On 11-Meter — given mobile antenna difficulties and what other guys are running — the KL-203 almost maximizes the realistic range in most all conditions.

Your Antenna + Mount is what’ll make or break the rig as to being high performance or not.

I’d happily run the above with a CB27, even though some performance is being left on the table.

No reason you can’t carry a longer antenna for those Interstate road trips if you so desire (Sirio 5000 + PL-145 mount).

The “starter” external speaker is a used Motorola or Kenwood Public Service Radio speaker. $15 and up ($65 new).

.

 

[cmdrwill]

On low band a long whip really helps. 62 inch .
Comtelco A1801AH has the longest whip for a commercial mobile "base loaded" antenna.
Another "trick" was to cut a turn off the top of base load coil, inside the base, and use a longer whip.

 

[Littlecloud319]

Is the cobra 29 lx worth it? Has good reviews and seems like a solid radio.

 

[Littlecloud319]

Im looking at these 2 specially on ebay:

COBRA 29 LX 29LX 40 CHANNEL CB RADIO PEAKED,TUNED,BIG FINAL,SWING KIT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for COBRA 29 LX 29LX 40 CHANNEL CB RADIO PEAKED,TUNED,BIG FINAL,SWING KIT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel Mobile CB Radio Professionally Tuned ('Scope, etc) | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel Mobile CB Radio Professionally Tuned ('Scope, etc) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Littlecloud319]

I just found out my radio does in fact have a vr for modulation so ill be adjusting that tomorrow. Hopefully my antenna will be here as well.

 

[slowmover]

Is the cobra 29 lx worth it? Has good reviews and seems like a solid radio.

The classic 29 would be the only C-29 model I’d choose (can be made to walk & talk with nice audio).

But I wouldn’t (any longer) spend on a CB didn’t have SSB.

 

[FPR1981]

The RM Italy KL35 is a only a 6 amp draw, and if driven with a low dead key, I've seen a swing of over 50 watts with this box. Did I mention it's only 39 bucks?

The KL203P is about $100 shipped and will give you up to a 200-watt swing, but it's a 12-amp draw. You wouldn't want to run it off of a lighter jack.

 

[slowmover]

The RM Italy KL35 is a only a 6 amp draw, and if driven with a low dead key, I've seen a swing of over 50 watts with this box. Did I mention it's only 39 bucks?

The KL203P is about $100 shipped and will give you up to a 200-watt swing, but it's a 12-amp draw. You wouldn't want to run it off of a lighter jack.

Good addition to recommended.

The cigar lighter isn’t ideal from any standpoint. Noise + Power Draw. Even a fuse tap would be better (still noise, but better on power).

The “amount” of power isn’t at issue (we ain’t talking 600W, here), but effective radius. RM ITALY overstates actual power (KL-203 = 100W; but more like 75W measured). And an extra-low dead-key ensures true max output won’t be reached (50-75W). Amp draw is related to power used.

The few guys I’ve known who got the KL-35 didn’t long after get the KL-203.

The dual-final radios hit 40W or so after tuning. 30W stock. The KL-35 is about the same. Easier to just get the radio.

After all that said, there are several approaches. I prefer radio + amp as neither is dependent on the other. But the radio alone makes hooking up power easier.

Look at that part (install) before going farther (IMO).

.

 

[FPR1981]

ALL of the RM Italy amps with a preamp have a very effective preamp. They work very well. And for being mosfet amps, they are incredibly clean.

 

[slowmover]

ALL of the RM Italy amps with a preamp have a very effective preamp. They work very well. And for being mosfet amps, they are incredibly clean.

At the low end (KL-203p; three button front panel) it largely only amplifies the incoming signal. Almost the same as turning the radio volume way on up.

The times I am able to use it is in an area FAR from major metros at night where DSP filtration is in use.

Largely, I would use it check against a signal deep in background noise: Imaginary, or not?

The larger amps I haven’t tried the pre-amp switch much. It’s more interesting when on Sideband at any rate.

“Spectral Purity” and RM ITALY don’t normally go in the same sentence. The quality is adequate to the purpose is what to understand.

RM ITALY = reasonable value for the small amount paid versus real-world output. Point is to get just loud enough the typical poor gear + poor install on the other guys radio rig that the two of us can talk. (DSP at external speaker the other part of the equation).

On the road these bandaids are a real help. Experience without adequate power shows a need to get up to 50W or so to be heard.

A car with a roof antenna — and where other good practice of gear & installation is followed — gives one what he might have expected with never having previously used Citizens Band. Meeting his expectations of speaking with others a mile to three miles away (radius circle, not directional) somewhat predictably (not always automatically).

A tool he’ll be likely to use. Ask for help and to offer it. A citizen, IOW.

Those pilot car radios I’ve mentioned: some are the best-sounding radios one will hear for days on end (big trucks are poor; mainly).

Others respond well to a nice sounding radio. It’s a little uncanny that others will key up just to speak with an operator on a nice rig (we all get a little lonely). I’ve settled back to just listen some days when two guys (maybe more) are having a little pickup ball game on-air.

That one can join in or not is a very big deal. No one hearyou, pretty soon you turn it off. Then there comes a day you never turn it on.

It’s energizing to be part of something larger.

The better operators out on the road understand — and encourage— this human attribute.

This moral lesson is at the heart of responsible operation. It’s not in always being mannerly or polite, but IT IS in not stepping on everyone for miles (too much power) in a fit of anger. You won’t be shutting down AM-19 with one of these baby amps. It’s not a weapon, in that sense.

The roomful of men around you ought to be able to hear you speak. A whisper won’t cut it.

It’s that simple.

.

 

[FPR1981]

n is at the heart of responsible operation. It’s not in always being mannerly or polite, but IT IS in not stepping on everyone for miles (too much power) in a fit of anger. You won’t be shutting down AM-19 with one of these baby amps. It’s not a weapon, in that sense.

I find that opponents of amplifier use greatly overstate the splatter potential and have no concept of how enforcement works. They also have unrealistic ideas of the penalties.

Enforcement action almost never occurs without serious complaint volume, harmful interference to public service frequencies, and an investigation done by another agency or two, and then handed to the FCC on a silver platter. Cease and desist letters almost always precede formal penalties, and the odds of incarceration for such an offense are next to impossible in this day and age.

A mobile unit at four watts simply cannot keep up with the power line RFI that the utility companies freely emit. Amplifier use is best suited for a mobile. And I have yet to encounter one single 200-watt mobile station that was causing splatter or harmful interference, even within the 11-meter band itself.

That being said, one must be aware of the legal output power levels. What they choose to do from that point forward is an individual decision.

I am not in favor of the guy using hundreds of watts in a residential area and causing disruptions to neighbors, but in general the 4-watt limit is quite antiquated and does not take into account all the harmful interference that is encroaching upon the 11-meter band by the utilities.

 

[slowmover]

I find that opponents of amplifier use greatly overstate the splatter potential and have no concept of how enforcement works. They also have unrealistic ideas of the penalties.

Enforcement action almost never occurs without serious complaint volume, harmful interference to public service frequencies, and an investigation done by another agency or two, and then handed to the FCC on a silver platter. Cease and desist letters almost always precede formal penalties, and the odds of incarceration for such an offense are next to impossible in this day and age.

A mobile unit at four watts simply cannot keep up with the power line RFI that the utility companies freely emit. Amplifier use is best suited for a mobile. And I have yet to encounter one single 200-watt mobile station that was causing splatter or harmful interference, even within the 11-meter band itself.

That being said, one must be aware of the legal output power levels. What they choose to do from that point forward is an individual decision.

I am not in favor of the guy using hundreds of watts in a residential area and causing disruptions to neighbors, but in general the 4-watt limit is quite antiquated and does not take into account all the harmful interference that is encroaching upon the 11-meter band by the utilities.

Very well said. Thx

 

[Littlecloud319]

Well, i just picked up a used cobta 148gtl st with ssb and my receive and transmit range is much better. SSB reception is hard to dial in. Ill get it close but the following transmission received is back to being garbled/robotic. Im hoping its just a combination of my sh*t antenna and distance from the other person. My new antenna was guaranteed to arrive by tomorrow by ebay but the tracking hasn't updated in several days so im not getting my hopes up yet. Once it comes i should hve much better swr and paired with this radio i think ill be satisfied.

 

[FPR1981]

Depending on the age of the 148, the sideband could have drifted to the point that it is not compatible with a newer SSB radio. This happens at times. My Cobra 135 XLR and my 139 both have issues with their sideband currently, but my HR2510 that is 25 or more years old works great.

 

[Littlecloud319]

This is the tag on the back if anyone can identify when it was made.

 

[FPR1981]

This is the 148 GTL Soundtracker. It's a newer version.

 

[Littlecloud319]

This is the 148 GTL Soundtracker. It's a newer version.

Is it still possible the sideband is messed up though? I know its the soundtracker version. Im one of the few who like the ST feature. It actually helps cut noise from my alternator.