Whats the best CB to Buy??

[Gunny]

Hey guy's, i'm looking to put a CB in my truck. It has been years sense I owned a CB and have no idea which one to buy. I also could use a few ideas on antenna's, and where to mount them. Now I am aware that there are a few Opinions here on the TDR, so lets here a few of those opinions. Thanks Gunny

 

[Matt S]

I have a Galaxy 33 that I bought from a truck stop. Most radios from a Radio Shack are limited to 4 watts of power. Tuned and overseas radios have more power which means they will have a larger range. A radio shop that tunes CB's would be a good place to look for a good radio.

 

[monkfarm]

cb

I hope this thread isn't too old so i'm not wasting my time. . . Matt S is difinitely on the right track. However you asked for the best cb and the galaxy 33 is not the best. Galaxy however is probably the best brand. The galaxy dx99 is one of the best cbs made although it's $400 or thereabouts. The same manufacturer also makes the Ranger which has the same components but has a computer chip to keep the frequency on track. What matt said about radio shack and 4 watts is very relevent. Legal CBs are 4 watts. You have to get a radio that also functions as a different kind of radio to get any decent power. The galaxy is such a radio. My dx 99 puts out about 43 watts,and i also have a ranger that is similiar. Y ou can see the difference. 4 watts will barely get you over the median. Antenaes are varied and people are very opionated on this. The cheapest good antenae is a Francis (about $20. Good grounding is very important. A good cb shop (not that many of them) will sell you a good new or used galaxy and pull out all the stops (very important). Sell you good coax (connecting wire from antenae to cb and mount it properly (get enough power to your radio to run it right) I could talk about kickers but that's a whole nother ball game. Legal radios are not worth the money. You have to run an illeagal radio for it to be any good (over 4 watts). Just the way it is. . .

 

[The patriot]

If you dont want toe robot voice (personally I cant stand such things) the Galaxy 88 is the same radio, and easier to use.

Wilson 1000 in the middle of the roof is hard to beat. If youre running power, I'd get the Wilson 5000.

Be prepared, were talking $$$.

Eric

 

[bschmidt]

If "how well" the CB works is what you mean by best, then by all means go for an "illegal" radio. But on the other hand, if you think the best CB is one that doesn't take up much room in the truck, check out the Cobra 75WXST, great little unit and it works really well with just 4 lil' watts! Besides, all any of us would need is 4 watt radios if the MEGAWatts radios didn't constantly blow us off the air!!!!

As far as mounting goes, there are some mounts that go under the lip of the hood that are pretty nice...

-Brandon

 

[BHaner]

Galaxy DX99V vs. Magnum Delta Force

I have had a galaxy 99 for about 4 years now... It's a very strong reliable radio, and has more toys than i will ever use. In the last year or so my room mate found a new brand. It's maker is RF Limited and it is called the Magnum delta force. This radio has a few things that my 99v is missing and puts out more power. Check it out at:



http://www.rflimited.com/Amateur Radio/10 Meter/deltaforce.htm

 

[Lil' Dog]

I asked the same question last year and the response was to get a Uniden XL radio, various models have weather band and other goodies. Good solid radio.



J-eh

 

[monkfarm]

4 watts don't pick up anything either, except if you are right next to the person you are talking to. I f you want the smokey reports at 3,4, or 5 miles (sometimes 10) you have to go to a bigger radio. Cobras aren't that good anymore after they started making everything in China. If you want a cheap radio, buy a uniden.

The dx88 (galaxy ) has 1 "final" and the Dx99 has 2 , which will give you more power. You can have a second "final" installed in your "88" but it doesn't come that way. :-{}

 

[Royk]

4 watts don't pick up anything either, except if you are right next to the person you are talking to.

Output wattage has nothing to do with a CB's ability to receive.

Thats like saying more horsepower helps your brakes stop you faster.



And if you're looking for smokey reports, you are generally talking to the guys just across the median who passed the smokeys about 10 minutes earlier (if smokey was 10 miles away).



I would agree to stay away from Cobra these days. I've fixed more of them than all other brands combined.



If your objective is to just gab with whoever you can reach, get a tweaked radio. If you want smokey reports and talk to other vehicles your are traveling with, a 4 Watt radio will do you fine.



The thing you want to pay attention to is a good antenna and coax and that you tune the antenna with an SWR meter. A big wattage radio won't get you anywhere (except the repair shop) if the antenna is out of tune. A good ground plane (generally an expanse of horizontal metal such as hood or roof) also benefits your range. Stay away from mounting near vertical metal surfaces such as mounting the antenna at the front corner of the bed behind the cab's rear pillars. If you do mount there, get a top-loaded antenna that extends above your roofline.



For my purposes, the best option was a two foot top-loaded antenna on a 3 inch HD spring mounted to the right front fender bolt under the hood (special bracket made for Dodge Ram). This allows me to get in and out of the garage and other low clearance situations, yet the top 25% (the working section) of the antenna is still above my roofline. And I don't need to remove it everytime I need to haul hay in my bed.



-Roy

 

[monkfarm]

4 watts

if i'm out on the road, and i see a smokey, I generally give a smokey report. I don't feel like repeating myself for every 4 watter that comes down the road. If I feel energetic, i give out the same report every 5 miles. Otherwise i give out a report, and wait untill someone asks me. Unless I just gave out the report in last minute or (mile) I will give one out again. Sometimes some 4 watter will ask for a report a report was just given out (This is a classic 4 watter) Sometimes i don't bother. If that doesn't answer why a 4 watt is near worthless, (and frustrating)???

Now you can't tell me that a 4 watter receives just as good as my ranger or my DX99, come on get real!

I would agree with you about tuning, and proper mounting, (and grounding) :-{} Oo.

 

[Bigramguy]

Probably one of the reasons the cheap 4 Watt units don't recieve well,is most people who cheaped out on the CB,also cheap out on the antenna,mount,coax,installation and tuning. I have several cheap Radio shack CB's with decent roof mounted antenna's,properly installed and tuned,in all my plow trucks,and they receive just as well as anything else. Transmitting is a different story though (couple miles tops).



It just comes down to what you wish to do with it. If your just listening and chatting with people close by,a cheapie will work just fine. If you want to talk for miles and miles,then a higher quality,higher output unit is neccesary.

 

[SLindblom]

Had a galaxy 66

My Galaxy 66 was a great talking radio. Then I switched trucks and was too lazy to put in good coax and a good antenna. (I moved into a new Pete 387, the fiberglass T2000 lookalike, which came from the factory with a cheap radio, thin coax and cheap antenna). The radio still worked ok, but not up to its full potential. (I did get the SWR set, I'm not that lazy). At any rate, a couple weeks ago, got caught in an ice storm, and either broke an antenna wire or bent the mount. Didn't catch it soon enough, but when I finally figured out my radio wasn't quite right, I had fried it (bad short in the system, the coax was grounded center pin to external shield).



Haven't had time to stop at a good CB shop yet (there are none that I'm aware of in SD). When I do, I will see if they can do anything with the Galaxy. If not, I've heard the DeltaForce Magnum radios and they sound great, and I thought I'd give one a try. Both the Gal 66 and the Magnum are around $300 new, and after frying mine, I would be leary of buying a used one unless you actually got to talk on it and have a trusted friend tell you how it sounds.



As far as good coax and antenna, what the others have said is true. If you are going the cheap route, it is best to buy a cheap radio and quality coax and antenna. YOu can always upgrade your radio if you want to, rather than being in my boat and having to do all three.



Scott

 

[Royk]

if i'm out on the road, and i see a smokey, I generally give a smokey report.

Good for you, I wish everyone did that, but I've been burned assuming some good samariten is gonna voluntarilly give out smokey reports every time they see one. There have been WAY too many times I've gone past bears on I-80 without anybody saying anything and I'm seeing lots of trucks with CBs going the other way. I ask. Generally the responses I get back are good for the next 100 miles of interstate with specific mile markers. Of course, if there are reports, I don't actually go that far before asking again. When I approach a mile marker I was told had bears, I ask again to see if they are still there, or just make sure I'm barely legal.

Otherwise i give out a report, and wait untill someone asks me

Thats what I do.

Sometimes some 4 watter will ask for a report a report was just given out (This is a classic 4 watter)

No, they are either classic idiots or more likely they were stepped on by some guy with a "big" radio.

Now you can't tell me that a 4 watter receives just as good as my ranger or my DX99, come on get real!

Yes I can tell you that. I didn't say that a 4 watt radio receives as well as YOUR radio. I said output power has nothing to do with reception. A quality radio is designed to receive well. A quality high-power radio will beat a cheapo 4 watt radio at reception. Likewise, a quality 4 watt radio will outperform a poorly designed high-power radio at reception. It has nothing to do with the power it puts out. If output power had anything to do with reception, your AM/FM radio would receive absolutely nothing! After all, your AM/FM radio doesn't transmit at all, does it?

 

[NVR FNSH]

I have what is probably a lame question -



Are the thru the glass mounts for antennas available for both cell phone antennas and CB antennas? Can I go thru the glass and put a magnetic base on the cab roof for the best ground plane? I'd rather not have the coax running up the back window if I can avoid it. Are either of them worth the cost? I've got a couple of Cobras that feature wise are fine for me but I'd like to set up the antenna(s) w/o drilling thru the roof or pulling the headliner. That and I really can't stand the front fender mounts.



If I can't get to the roof w/o drilling it appears that my next best solution is a top loaded antenna mounted on a bracket along the front of the bed/behind the cab. Is this correct?



Thanks for the advice,

Brian

 

[TomGolden]

Galaxy DX 959

I have a new Galaxy DX959 that is stock, and works great for me. Granted I don't turn it on everytime I drive the truck, I got it for basically the same reason as my cell phone - so I can talk to other people ocassionally, like when I am Ram-pooling with a bunch of TDR members to some event or other, etc. .



Tom

 

[drwish62]

CB Radio

Gunny, This what I run in my truck and it does the job, Ranger 2960jp w/ Galaxy Freq. counter fc390 Wilson 1000. My radio is starts at 50w and as I keep talking it peaks at 200w. I also have talk back that put in it, i also have an echo board it. I've always gone by this rule of thumb, get the best annt. that you can afford and then get a radio that you keep bump up with some power as money is avail. Find your self a good radio shop or electronic wizard who know radios. A little advice if you can find an old cobra 66 I think it is that was made over seas in the 70's early 80's that's the best, put about 400$ in it and it will talk as clear as day and it is durable. I've got a buddy that has one it's about 20yr. old and been in out of many big rigs and his plow truck and has not had and ounce of problems with it. But this are hard to find. I hope this helps

 

[STRALEY]

links?

Are there any links to learn more about the Galaxy radios? Also, I looked at the Magnum Delta Force, and it is a CB too right?



Jeremy

 

[BHaner]

These radios (Galaxy and Magnum Delta Force) are 10 meter export radios. Almost a HAM radio(2 meter). CB plus upper and lower sideband, FM, and about 300 - 400 channels arround the 40 that is CB. However to talk on any other channels except for regular CB you need a FCC permit.

 

[BHaner]

Link for Galaxy Radios

http://www.galaxyradios.com/

 

[Silver Streak]

C.B.

I was told by a CB tec. that its real important to put the best ant. you can find, the wilson or k40. I went with a wilson 1000 mag. mount and a uniden. Works for me o. k.



SILVER STREAK