Can anyone point me in the direction of a good CB radio? I haven't messed with CB since I was an early teenager prior to discovering ham radio however I am trying to find a good one to put in my work truck. I am in the road construction business and it is a very commonly used item in everything including our heavy equipment. I am hoping to buy a good one once and be done with it "And NMO mount the roof while I am at it". I don't need anything fancy as I have a VHF Mobile and a Scanner in the truck as well. Any input would be very greatly appreciated!
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CB Suggestions
- Thread starter W3AWF
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jhooten
Member
A good basic CB with a TINY footprint is the Uniden PRO 510XL. Can be found new on various websites for under $40.
Mocat40.
DaveJacobsen
Member
Do you want to go 'custom' radio, 10meter(opened to 11), or off-the-shelf?
do you need SSB?
For the antenna, I would go with any of the mid-loaded whips. Easy to tune & easy on an NMO mount.
do you need SSB?
For the antenna, I would go with any of the mid-loaded whips. Easy to tune & easy on an NMO mount.
I am thinking off the shelf just due to the timeframe that I need it, which was last week for our first snow storm. No need for SSB. What would you recommend for a "Custom" radio? Just out of curiosity
prcguy
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For AM only I love the various Motorola CBs from the late 70s and early 80s. I still have a couple.
iMONITOR
Silent Key
I had a Motorola and didn't think it was special in anyway. Even if you had a like-new one today it probably would be inferior to what's available now.
For AM only I'd recommend Uniden's 880 for under $100. For about $30 more he might as well go with the 980SSB even if he's not going to use SSB.
Dude111
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The first radio I ever had was a REALISTIC TRC 422a and that thing got so hot it wasnt funny but it stayed ON FREQ regardless of how hot it was.......
Every radio I have had since does not so if you want a basic AM unit,a realistic TRC 422a is worth looking for. (Thats a mobile unit so you'll need a power supply inside of course)
Every radio I have had since does not so if you want a basic AM unit,a realistic TRC 422a is worth looking for. (Thats a mobile unit so you'll need a power supply inside of course)
w8red
Member
You can pickup a Uniden 980 on amazon for $120.
As for a NMO Antenna:
Laird Technologies CB27S or Larsen NMO27BS
Checkout the AntennaFarm for either antenna.
As for a NMO Antenna:
Laird Technologies CB27S or Larsen NMO27BS
Checkout the AntennaFarm for either antenna.
A lot of people seem to like the Uniden 880/980 for stock current models. Better quality than Cobra. Instead of NMO you might look at the Wilson 1000 hole mount, it's one of the best out there right now. They have a magnet and trunk lip version too.
russbrill
Member
jhooten
Member
Good luck finding one that works. Folks that have them don't turn loose of them very often. eBay examples are risky at best.
jhooten
Member
Oh, and the NMO-27 is one of the best values out there.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
For construction use, you don't need much or anything fancy. I guarantee you that if you go as far as a permanent NMO mount and wire the radio properly, you'll outperform all the crappy installs that most of those guys will be running.
Back when I used CB (a looooong time ago), I did very well with a Larsen NMO-27 mounted dead center on the roof of the truck and a bone stock Uniden radio.
I must be one of the lucky ones then. My eBay special works great.
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From what I've been reading, most of the Uniden CB's get good marks, especially the 880/980 family.
Cobra and Uniden are both good brands--I've had good luck with both, and I've heard good things said about President (haven't owned one yet, though). Stay away from the unknown name-brands; I've had bad luck with those. A few good resources: CB Radio Shop with Accessories & Radios for Sale: Walcott Radio, Copper Electronics, Inc. | Copper Electronics
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
Cobra 29 LX MAX with a Firestik on a mirror mount, all you need. Peaked and Tuned, of course. My old Galaxys from my rig have been retired to that invisible box in the barn attic labeled 'RV Stuff'. I took a recommendation from a trucker in Nevada who showed me his Cobra 29 LX MAX in his rig. Awesome radio. I have the Galaxy D-2547 base station in my shack hooked up to an Astron 99 vertical about 20 ft up. Around here, CB radio can get somewhat busy at night. Not your typical CB radio stereotypes. Whatever that may be...
prcguy
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I was in the CB business about 6yrs in the late 70s into the 80s and have used just about every radio out there. In my opinion the Uniden 980 is a very good radio and a lot more stable on SSB than most with a great receiver. Out of the box its very useable and with a few minor adjustments it will sound better on transmit and an aftermarket preamp mic will make it sound fantastic.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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Avoid anything "Peaked or Tweaked". I am kicking myself for selling my old Realistic TRC-465 SSB radio.
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