CB ????

[YJTino]

94 Cherokee won't start

Hi there, I started looking for a CB and could find any info on previous post to help me decide on what to buy. :? What do I have to look for while searching for a CB? Are there any good features to have on it? What price is good? I saw some cheap one and some very expensive too. Other then the CB and the antenna, is there any other things that I need to look for. Where did you install your antenna? I hope this is not too many questions at once. :wink:

Thanks
Tino

 

[88Wrangles]

RE: front spring installation

I don't know all the technical stuff about them, but I will say that I have a "Cobra 19DX III" and I love it. It's got 40 channels, which is definatly something that is helpful. And, it was only something like $50 for it.

On my Jeep, I had the antenna mounted on my rear bumper, which worked well for me.

I'll also say that I got one of those antennas with the magnet on the bottom to make it easy to move around to different locations. But, it would always be getting knocked off by trees and brush and pretty much everything else. And, it broke at the base about a month of use.

 

[prariepunk]

Well I have a Cobra CB and a 1976 CJ-5. I had to make the mount myself, you want it out of the way and somewhere that it won't get caught on brush. My CB is a 40 channel, they come in a lot of different sizes and appeariances but for the most part they do the same job. Just pick one to fit your jeep, I got muine because it fit in the stock radio hole.

 

[graewulf]

Here's my 2 cents worth. If this is only for the trail, any CB and antenna will do. Buy what you can afford, no need to get fancy about it. The only important things you should do are make sure you have a proper ground on the antenna mount (unless it is a mag mount antenna) and have the antenna tuned using a SWR meter. Other than that whatever you buy will do just fine. I'd get the basic Radio Shack whip antenna, spring, and mount as appropriate. Get antenna cable that will not be too long and avoid coiling the slack. Route it so there are no coils needed. Any 40 channel CB is fine, you can get them new for like $40.

 

[jeepin916]

RE: burp your jeep?

I GOT A COBRA AND A HUGE 10'FT ANTENNA MOUNTED ON TEH BACK BUMPER IT SEEMS TO WORK OK

 

[kd5uwg]

ive been in to cbs and amature radios since i was 12, I am 28 now. Basically if your not into talking dx (skip) the little cobra radios walmart sells work well. I currenly have a cobra 148 gtl single side band which for wheeling is over kill but i like to talk skip. iIalso have an HF radio that goes in the jeep when im on the road for fun and a vhf/ uhf I like to stay in touch. As far as a good set up the cobra 29 is a good radio and you can also get it were it has weather channels built in, so if you do some over night wheeling thatll come in handy knowing what the weather may do the next day. As far as antennas one of the best i know of is the wilson 1000 or trucker 2000 but they are both about 80 bucks, a firestik would be a good simple antenna i think you can get those for about 15 dollars at any truck stop. The 102" whip is a good antenn. In all honesty I get better Range out of the wilson antennas even though, One is base loaded and the other is mid loaded.

P.S. sorry bout no punctuation when i Originally posted this, so i corrected it

Sincerely
Calvin
82 cj7
4.2L
31X 10.5 bfg allterain ta

 

[TwistedCU]

A perfectly tuned CB antenna is 102" or (8.5'). This is why shorter antennas have a coil, to compensate for the short antenna. Good advice from Grae about tuning and avoiding coils. Any longer is just for looks and will actually impede performance.

All legal CB's will put out 3 watts of transmit power. Buying an expensive on will do nothing but give you features. The only "options" that I feel are useable are volume, squelch, and possibly a built-in SWR meter. All other features are really not needed.

Cobra and Uniden are made by the same company, both of them and Midland as well are good reliable products. I personally prefer Uniden and Cobra, as I installed over 100 of them and they were very reliable but Midland isn't bad either.

Keep in mind trying to transmit a CB with an extremely poorly tuned antenna, an ungrounded antenna, or a CB not connected to an antenna will either immediately or eventually burn up the transmitter.

Getting the antenna to tune well is directly related to the length of the antenna, it being unobstructed, and having a good ground plane. A steel roof would be the best location. A magnet on the hood would probably be best for a roofless SWB Jeep, but many go with the rear bumper. If using the rear bumper it is more critical to tune it. Most magnet mounts on a roof or hood would probably not be so badly out of tune (right out of the box so to speak) that it would burn up the unit, but tuning it will help it perform alot better.

 

[YJTino]

10-4 :wink:

 

[TwistedCU]

Got CB installed

Never have used one of the handheld 40 channel jobs you see at radio shack and the like. Anybody ever used them? I would think it would have a limited transmit distance but would be great for a trail. I don't really6 feel like installing one in the XJ and the YJ so I was thinking I could just get a handheld...

Anybody?

 

[_(OIIIIO)_Jeeper]

Some numbers for you guys.

YUP...Thats what I carried in the console until I read YJtino's post and decided to bite the bullet and mount mine(see other post). The distance on our 40 chl hand-held is about 1-1.5 miles on flat terrain*(sp). They do work great with a group on a trail if you don't get spread out much over a .5 mile or so. I'm gonna keep the HH in the console to use if I happen to need a spotter...or for the Mrs. to carry when she wonders off down the creek "puttering" as she calls it.... :roll:...that way I don't have to hike after her!

 

[GaryMB]

so what exactly does it mean to tune an antenna?

 

[prariepunk]

How do you "tune" an antenna?

 

[southtj]

RE: Some numbers for you guys.

ive been in to cbs and amature radios since i was 12 28 no basically if your not into talking dx (skip) the little cobra radios walmart sells work well i currenly have a cobra 148 gtl single side band which for wheeling is over kill but i like to talk skip also i also have an hf radio that goes in the jeep when im on the road for fun and a vhf uhf but i like to stay in touch heheheh as far as a good set up the cobra 29 is a good radio and you can also get it were it has weather channels built in so if you do some over night wheeling thatll come in handy knowing what the weather may due the next day as far as antennas one of the best i know of is the wilson 1000 or trucker 2000 but they are both about 80 bucks a firestik would be a good simple antenna i think you can get those for about 15 dollars at any truck stop

Calvin, dude, no offense but some punctuation would REALLY help. It took me twice as long to try to read your post.

 

[NiteDog]

so what exactly does it mean to tune an antenna?

How do you "tune" an antenna?

Rather than get into a long explaination here... Here is a link to site that has quite abit of reliable information on this subject.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/cb/cb_install-2.htm



mike

 

[YJTino]

Re: RE: CB ????

I bought my cb and antenna. I found a deal at Wal-Mart on a Cobra 18WX ST II for $48.86 + taxes and shipping ($59.84). It has the same price has the Cobra 19DX III I seen on other sites but with few more features. On other sites, the 18 WX ST II goes between $70 to $80 + tx/shp. I found some good info on the website list below on the FAQ and THECH HELP section. They have antenna with easy tune-up button on top of the antenna. Still need that SWR thing to tune it. I got the firestik antenna kit too (antenna, coax, mounting bracket). I paid the same price has the on at Radioshack even with tx & shipp added, but much better quality.

Thanks for all the inputs and hope this will help few other Jeepz friends.

http://www.firestik.com/

 

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: Vibes

I bought mine at Radio Shack last summer for around $40. I've got a 48" antenna mounted on the tire stop in the rear with a mount I bought from either QuadraTec or 4wd.com.

Here we go again: Max legal transmit power is 6 watts. :twisted:

 

[raptor_pilot]

I know this may sound sorta funny but do CB's ever match up with a hand-held walkie talkie. Like the motorola ones that go 2 miles or so. My friends and I have these walkie all the time and I figured a CB mite be a better idea since i use it alot. I doubt the frequencies match but figured I'd ask.
Mike

 

[88Wrangles]

ya, I think they usually do.

When we go on trail runs, we usually bring along a few of those hand held ones so that guests or people without a CB can still communicate with us. And they do work just fine.

It does depend though. It has to be the kind where you can select the different channels. Is that what you are talking about?

 

[Sparky-Watts]

I know this may sound sorta funny but do CB's ever match up with a hand-held walkie talkie. Like the motorola ones that go 2 miles or so. My friends and I have these walkie all the time and I figured a CB mite be a better idea since i use it alot. I doubt the frequencies match but figured I'd ask.
Mike

Are you talking about CB handheld walkie talkies, or the GMRS walkie talkies? The GMRS function in a different frequency range than the CB radio. Incidentally, not many people know this, but an FCC license is required for the GMRS radios! So, if you've ever got someone you want to get in trouble that has a GMRS radio, sick the FCC on them!!! (Yeah, like the FCC is gonna waste their time tracking them down). There's only been about a kajillion of those little radios sold in the past 5 years......

 

[TwistedCU]

I bought mine at Radio Shack last summer for around $40. I've got a 48" antenna mounted on the tire stop in the rear with a mount I bought from either QuadraTec or 4wd.com.

Here we go again: Max legal transmit power is 6 watts. :twisted:

Oops, that's right! It was the old bag and permanently installed cell phones that were 3 watts... been a while