Anybody got a CB Radio? I'm kinda confused

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

I'm about to get my first CB and I'm confused about what accessories? Components? I need. I read you should spend more on your antenna than your radio, so I'm saving up for a basic Uniden Pro 505XL and a 4' Firefly antenna that I'm planning to install next to my rear brake light on my Chevy Suburban. Later this year I plan to get a Chevy Silverado and a truck camper, in case that's pertinent in any way.

Is this the right size of antenna or should I go for 5ft? I plan on boondocking in the woods mostly so clearance is an issue.

Do I need a cigarette lighter power source or is that what the coaxial cable is for? Or do I need both? Does the cigarette lighter plug power the radio and the coaxial cable running to my battery power the antenna?

Fuck, I feel super stupid. Here's my beginning list. I can't afford much, but I could come up with another $50 if I need to. http://a.co/1f8mVOF

 

[Haystack]

Well first of all what do you intend to use it for? Short distance, long distance, and how clear do you want to be?

 

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

Well first of all what do you intend to use it for? Short distance, long distance, and how clear do you want to be?

Oh I just need it in case I'm stuck in traffic, or if I need to contact a ranger if I'm ever out in the boonies in a snowstorm and I need medical help. Stuff like that. 4 mile? 5 mile range? Should be more than sufficient don't you think?

 

[Grubblin]

You can get a personal emergency satellite beacon, I forget the name, for like two hundred. Then you get their 'rescue insurance' for like twelve dollars a year. Then if you get stuck in the back country they come and get you and the insurance pays. I would imagine that's much cheaper than a CB setup and it's satellite based. I bought one as a gift once but I don't have one myself out of personal preference. It's just my philosophy but if I can't hike to help then maybe it's my time, my fate. Every time I've fucked with what appeared to be my fate I've come up on the losing side of the equation but that's just me. I can't help you with how to talk to people via CB, I don't believe much in those either (and I've had one or three) they seem more like gadgets than useful unless you listen to the truckers call out the radar traps. All the fed agencies have repeaters in the mountains, mostly to coordinate wildfire suppression efforts so a CB would be better than a cell but just barely BC something's always wrong with a repeater or five. With that in mind, personal locator beacon or no, go deep back country and stay long - it's the only way to escape the populous horde!!

 

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

Word.

This really hit home for me last week when I was stuck in a traffic jam, idling on empty, 250 yards from the exit and the gas station. (There was a bank robbery and the police were using the emergency lane.)

 

[Haystack]

Oh I just need it in case I'm stuck in traffic, or if I need to contact a ranger if I'm ever out in the boonies in a snowstorm and I need medical help. Stuff like that. 4 mile? 5 mile range? Should be more than sufficient don't you think?

I'm more familiar with cb radios in big rigs, but I'll do some research on what you posted. Tbh if I was you I would look into a magnetic antenna that way you can take it off if you have clearance issues and it would save you money since you won't have to buy a mount and all of that. The cigarette lighter is what gives the radio power and the coaxial cable is what connects the antenna to the radio. If you look on the Amazon page for that cb it shows a package deal with the power sources and a magnet antenna for like $55 looks like a decent deal and it includes everything you need, but let me do some research and check the range and stuff on that setup. I'll get back to you.

 

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

Oh fuck, thank you so much! Even that little bit of info helps so much. The reason I haven't looked into a magnet mount antenna is because I'll be in a truck camper.

 

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

Your cat is awesome. I'm actually headed your way. In a couple of months

 

[todd]

the coax is for the antenna and the pigtail/cigarette lighter adapter is for the power to the radio.
If at all possible its best to mount the antenna in the center of the largest metal mass you have, for instance the center of the roof. That way the large metal mass acts as a ground plane for the antenna and increases the gain (performance) of the antenna. If you cant do the center of the roof then the bumper is fine like you said but it wont be ideal. I've had a few CB radios with external amplifiers and easily talk from here in Memphis down into Florida and Alabama if the "skip" is right. that's the activity of solar flaring and it swings on a 10 year cycle. For most instances you can expect about a 6-10 mile range in hilly areas and 10-15 miles in flat lands. CB antennas operate on a "line of sight" principle so if your down in a valley they may not work great. Obviously if your on a mountain top they will work the best and reach the farthest.
Even if you decide to do the personal locator thingie a CB is a great tool to have when your boondocking or travelling in a vehicle.

 

[Llewellyn Gatliff]

Oh hey if anybody's still watching this thread, what's up with an SWR meter? Is that something I absolutely need?

 

[Honky Lips]

If you really want a CB and are willing to spend a few dollars the rinky little CB shops you occasionally see along the interstate are priceless. If all you want is traffic reports & emergency radio contact on the highway a cheap handheld unit and a decent antenna is all you need.
Since cell phones came out the CB culture has declined big time. Truckers are also snobs so you have to sound like a trucker else they'll completely ignore you if you chose to reach out to anyone. If you listen long enough you can figure out when they tell each other where speed traps are... but even that is rare anymore. When you see a trucker on the road just assume they are looking at porn or texting... or both.

 

[Eyegor]

To the OP question. No, you don't NEED a meter. Good radios will come with one. If not, not the end of the world. If you end up with a meter, the lower the number the better. 1:1 is ideal. 1.5:1 is really good. Anything over 2:1 is seriously degrading performance.
An old trick is a less than ideal mounting can be partially be made up with a LONG whip antenna which you then tie down to increase clearance until you need it.
One more thing. If you can, ditch the 12v plug and wire the radio into your fuse panel or ideally, the battery. This will greatly increase performance.
As you can see; radio is an intense hobby that you can go as shallow or as deep as you want.
We'll catch ya on the flip. Eyegor 10-10 on the side.

 

[NBDDreamer]

I'm about to get my first CB and I'm confused about what accessories? Components? I need. I read you should spend more on your antenna than your radio, so I'm saving up for a basic Uniden Pro 505XL and a 4' Firefly antenna that I'm planning to install next to my rear brake light on my Chevy Suburban. Later this year I plan to get a Chevy Silverado and a truck camper, in case that's pertinent in any way.

Is this the right size of antenna or should I go for 5ft? I plan on boondocking in the woods mostly so clearance is an issue.

Do I need a cigarette lighter power source or is that what the coaxial cable is for? Or do I need both? Does the cigarette lighter plug power the radio and the coaxial cable running to my battery power the antenna?

Fuck, I feel super stupid. Here's my beginning list. I can't afford much, but I could come up with another $50 if I need to. http://a.co/1f8mVOF

I'm kind of a CB nut. Every truck/van I've had in the last few years has had one.

Don't get a firestick. The fiberglass core breaks with any sort of impact. They also degrade in the sun. If you have the room, the 102" stainless steel whip antennas will give you the most range. They're also fairly inexpensive. I have a Wilson 2000 that works pretty well, but Wilson's are kind of spendy.

The big thing is to mount the antenna as high as you can on your vehicle. Also, if your vehicle has a fiberglass roof, you either need to mount the antenna on the hood (where metal is) or get a zero ground plane antenna. Basically, the antenna has be on a big flat piece of metal or the signal isn't going to transmit.

Wire your radios power cables directly to the battery. This cuts down on alternator whine/interference in your CBs reception.

Once you've run your power to the battery and run your coax from the radio to the antenna, you'll need to either purchase a coax jumper lead and an SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) meter to tune the antenna; otherwise you risk burning out your CB's transmitter. Youtube has a great tutorial about tuning your antenna. If you go with a 102" whip, chances are you won't need to tune (shorten/lengthen) the antenna. Higher end CBs have an SWR meter built in. I've found most of the built in ones less than accurate though.

Neatness counts!