New CB install at work

[thymer]

Hey folks,

I need to install a CB radio at work for our dispatchers to communicate with truckers in our yard. I see that base stations are few and far between so I guess I'll end up buying a mobile plus a 12V power supply. Not very pretty but it will work. My concern is the antenna, don't really want to do a external as it will be a big pain with our facilities group. As the range needed is minimal are there any antenna's I can just screw onto the back of the radio?

thanks!

 

[freqs]

The back of the set Antenna's are not to good but might work if you can find a place that sell's them .The one land fill we go to uses mobile Antenna's on top of the office trailer .Or you could get a mag ,mount and put it on a file cabinet in the office That could work .Base units will cost more than a cheap $30 mobile radio and a power supply .If you wanna go cheap for just use in the yard get a Hand Held CB with a poer cord ive used them in the lanfill they get out a few miles

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

RadioShack does/did have a back-of-radio antenna. (It might have been pulled from the shelves in 2003 or 2004.)

Overall, I concur with the others that a mag-mount or a "thru-glass" antenna might me good options.

 

[PrimeNumber]

Consider a hand-held like the Midland 75-785, which sells in the mid-$30's. It has a rubber ducky antenna, which should be enough for reaching around in the yard. And if that doesn't reach far enough, with a $7 BNC-to-UHF adapter you can hook up a mag-mount antenna inside like freqs suggested.

 

[n9mxq]

When I was driving truck I saw a lot of this.. Most were just a mobile, power supply, and a magnet mount antenna on a file cabinet.. Only the larger distribution centers had dedicated outside antennas..

 

[hhrj]

Hey folks,

I need to install a CB radio at work for our dispatchers to communicate with truckers in our yard. I see that base stations are few and far between so I guess I'll end up buying a mobile plus a 12V power supply. Not very pretty but it will work. My concern is the antenna, don't really want to do a external as it will be a big pain with our facilities group. As the range needed is minimal are there any antenna's I can just screw onto the back of the radio?

thanks!

I agree with the cheap mobile and power supply.
I don't agree with an HT (even with a power supply) as someone will get to using it unplugged until the battery dies. Or it gets dropped a few times. Using the antenna as a handle will also kill it.
I also agree with the file cabinet mag mount (especially near a window towards the yard).

Actually this system has been successfully used for years by an untold number of companies.
Place a sign at the gate for trucks to use CB CH 5 (or other) and TURN OFF AMPLIFIERS!!!

Good Luck,
HHRJ

 

[w4wxp]

Hey folks,

I need to install a CB radio at work for our dispatchers to communicate with truckers in our yard. I see that base stations are few and far between so I guess I'll end up buying a mobile plus a 12V power supply. Not very pretty but it will work. My concern is the antenna, don't really want to do a external as it will be a big pain with our facilities group. As the range needed is minimal are there any antenna's I can just screw onto the back of the radio?

thanks!

Um...no.

If someone down the road tries to key up on you guys, they'll lock you all down. You can have the best radio in the world but if you have a tiny antenna it isnt worth a damn, 90% of the setup is your antenna.