Why You Should NEVER Install A CB RADIO!
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- Опубліковано 28 тра 2024
- In this video I show my experience with installing and using a cb radio. The cb radio I used was the Cobra 19 Ultra III which seemed to be a good quality low cost radio.
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Keep your cb, they will be back. It's basically unregulated , uncensored communication and that's becoming rare these days
Cb radio is now home to a bunch of wierd noisy pirate broadcasters. At least thats what I am hearing.
Radio Pushka K9RUSS you are probably hearing skip rolling in
Uncensored communication is rare nowadays, because of the libtards that are controlling social media and platforms that are supposed to have free speech getting censored. Pirate radio is getting popular. In Arizona there are two local FM pirates and one local CB radio station playing the same music as 87.7 FM(also a pirate) on channel 1 CB radio. Its interesting to listen to them.
Radio Pushka K9RUSS oh man those guys are entertaining
@@Kane6676 yeah, they are fun.
I am a "back in the day" trucker. I drove in the 90s spent 20 years in the Army then came back to trucking. I was amazed how few truckers had CBs, but there are still a few of us out there. Don't get rid of your CB, we are out there. We may be few and far between, but we are still out there.
Many truckers have moved to GMRS.
@@PrepperStateofMind I have a GMRS radio in my truck also, but I have never heard any truckers on it. Do you know what channel they run?
I swear there were hundreds of local people on the cb and tons of trucks up until around 1996. Right when people started going on the internet, they slowly but surely abandoned the cb
@@kevincoddington3411 I have seen where GMRS Channel 20 is used as the unofficial road freq., but I've never heard truckers on GMRS period.
Question, do truckers mind if you have a cb in a pickup truck if I’m using it friendly?
As a trucker I can tell you that they are still used by a lot of trucks. Not nearly as much as back in the day because new drivers don't understand the importance of having them. Having a CB in my rig has saved me more than once from coming around a blind curve on a mountain side and slamming into stop traffic that I could not see ahead.
There's also a ton of drivers for mega carriers who may not even be allowed to have one.
It's used for more fun stuff now by locals and base stations :3 screw trucking
Is it helpful when non-truckers have a CB? I drive over mountain passes all the time and have thought about getting one for warning trucks about dead stop traffic and cops and asking for a go ahead to pass since I can't always see around the truck.
channel 19 is the channel truck drivers use .
@@kenrobinson889 Someone told me that has changed in 2024??
Important notice: You should tune your Antenna, the screw that locked the top part of the antenna is used to change the length of it, with a SWR meter you tune the length. Because without it the antenna actually radiates some of the tramitting signals back into your radio and of long periodes break it.
You took the words out of my mouth - a check with a SWR meter is vital to good performance. I would think that anyone working with the installation of a CB would read up a bit prior to using the radio.
Beat me to it. As soon as I saw him drop the whip into the loading coil and lock it in place with the grub-screw, I realised that his SWR is going to be well out and he probably has no idea that he has done anything wrong.
Yep thanks was going to say same but now don't have to
Best place to get a cb is a truck stop..... The one you have is pretty much worthless
Was going to mention SWR meter as well. You will transmit with switch in Forward Position, Then the Reverse Position. Your Goal is to have Maximum needle movement, and Minimum Reverse (Reflected) needle movement. If you Turn Squelch to Noise, you can Hear Weaker Signals.
Bigger Wires for Power would Help as Well.
I once got stuck on a remote high mountain dirt road while doing a K turn. My rear wheels dropped into the ditch and I was stuck for the night. I had a portable CB with antenna, similiar to the one in the video. I called for help, no one answered. I also had a 6 pack of beer, so I drank myself to sleep and someone happened by at dawn and pulled me out. .....Moral of the Story:
Always carry a 6 pack of beer for emergencies
😂😂😂 thanks for the advice !
Get a ham radio
Only if you had a ham radio
I don't drink alcohol , so any other options?
@@kishore9249 80% ethanol 20% watter
Some say hes still out there trying to get a simple radio check...
lmAO RIVVER!!!
😆👌🏽
Legend of 1 Road.....With Ghost Riders in the Sky playing in background.
All he had to do was get a good mag mount antenna and tune the damn thing. Those radios are not bad at all. The issue is they only do about 3 watts and if his SWR was about 2 he was losing 25-30% if his output power. The antenna was the issue here
Might get farther if he'd watched a couple of UA-cam videos before making his. These "hey everyone, come watch me making noob mistakes while trying to film an educational video" videos get tiring. Figure out what the hell you're doing before teaching others!
Every Spokane truck stop:
“You’ll never guess who sells professional-level CBs…”
Exactly...lots of cb equipment at some truck stops.
CORBA/ President/ Petro/ Flying j etc. Money grab.
70 years old have always had one in my rig. Nice to have going over mountain passes to get alerts from truck drivers to other truck drivers about wrecks ahead of you.
Couple times i broke down and no cell service. Called on cb and gave trucker information what i needed, when he got in cell range he made call for me...
Also many moons ago started in CB. As a reference I paid the $5.00 for a CB license [ KMV-8672], then they became free. Went from the east coast to the west coast twice in a matter of 3 years , and many road trips in between. Hardly every talked on it . If I needed road contections, police speed traps ahead I already heard it from the truckers. Have a portable hand held I use for travel, next best thing to mounted. Think CB wil be around for a while.
Been on the radio since I was 9. I'm 48 now. Got 3 base stations and tweaked mobiles in each of my 4 vehicles. It ain't dead, people just don't have as much time or desire anymore. We're still out there.
Makes me want to get back on the air...
Keep on duck pluckin you got the blood hound down in the great sand pile
been a few years years since I've gone on a fox hunt.
yep Still out here 40 years
In the neck of the wood, a CB radio is pretty much mandatory if you spend any time on logging roads... otherwise you will get surprised by a logging truck in a curve... not good.
I would never respond to "Can I get an old fashioned radio check with whipped cream on top please"
Yup. That's just awkward
Lol.
My dad was a truck driver for TNT Holland until he passed away in 96. My dad was a woodworker so he created a wooden box that could be placed in the passenger seat. Inside the wooden held the CB radio, Linear Amplifier, and AM/FM Radio including speakers. The box also had a quick disconnect for the power and normal antenna connector's for the CB radio and AM/FM Radio. My dad sold quite a few of those boxes to fellow TNT Holland truck drivers. At that time it was quite common that truck drivers ran Linear Amplifier with their CB radios.
I remember going with him on the road when I was a teen. At that time a lot of truck drivers used the CB radio it was nearly nonstop talking. When I got older I pickup a old 70's 40 channel CB base and my grandpa gave me an antenna for it. When I owned it I was able to reach another person with a CB base 20 miles away.
I did nearly the same thing when I was on the road, didn’t have all the mentioned accessories, still have the seat desk and CB.
I was doing 60 miles push pull with a linear, with a Cobra GTL with upper and lower... I would get skip and talk with the UK in the middle of a frigid winter night... _20 -30
I was big into CB from 1975-1983 or so. Had a talkin' base, and had tons of fun with my CB friends, some who have become life long friends. I used strictly Robyn radios, a D-104 base mic and a 102" whip on the vehicle. I started with Hustler on the car until I got the whip. My buddy at the CB shop he worked at bumped my rigs from 4 to 5 watts, never used a linear. Talked skip to Florida one day, was cool. I remember when we added the channels up to 40 before everyone got new radios, we could talk to people 30 miles away or more at night and the noise level then was nothing. When you unkeyed, it was silence. One of the best times of my life. You were never alone on the road back then.
Thats an awesome story.
I was 11 years old in 1976 when my family moved cross country in two vehicles. I went with my dad when he bought the CB radios for both cars.
When we got home he told me to install them.
So I did.
We ended up getting help tuning the antennas, a friend of his had a SWR meter.
Although it really wasn’t that complicated, I can’t imagine handing a task like that to an eleven year old kid today.
Still have my old D-104... It's sitting on a bookshelf as decoration though these days... I got started back when we had tube type radios with 3 channel where you had to install crystals for whatever channel you were wanting to use... Back then, we had to have a FCC license to operate a CB and I remember when the price went down to $4...
“Can I get a good old fashion radio check” yeah I probably wouldn’t respond either lol
I always respond to radio checks whenever possible
With whipped cream on top
@@prepcommsuk they must have thought u were gay..
@@ShieldArc200 what people think is up to them sweetie
Don't be an ass.. Go ahead and respond..with a good "old fashioned" SHUT UP STUPID! lol..
I have a black 1980 Trans Am. A CB radio is a must have for my situation, lolz.
You wouldn't happen to be in California would you? My moms friend had one in her black Trans Am when I was young. But I'm sure a lot of T/As had them in 'em back then.
@@chuckinglobal108 yup, I'm in California.
@@paceta80 northern California?
@@chuckinglobal108 yup, from Stockton.
I live under the golden state bridge
Also, get the largest antenna you can install, typically smaller vehicles will have smaller antennas, while larger vehicles will have a larger antenna. Get a firestick, mine being ~24-36 inches long. If you have a garage, get a base spring on the firestick antenna, so the antenna flexes when hitting the top of the garage door. Make sure the antenna is grounded to the metal vehicle/roof, providing an extended ground plane. Then tune the CB/antenna!
If you can get a whip type antenna like a Wilson 1000 in your vehicle, do so.
To find a CB shop, go to truck stops and gibbon with the local truckers.
I GUARANTEE you that there is a CB shop out there that services CBS, as the guys that do the logging, dump trucks, and heavy equipment all have CB radios for communication.
They are more common than you think.
That said…
Ten percent of your radio is in the unit, 90% is in the antenna.
If you can’t get the standing wave below 1, you lose half your range.
Best case?
Match the antenna to the vehicle.
So, I have to tell you this story for how valuable that sort of thing is.
I left a company years back, and I had gifted my prized Wilson 1000 to the owner, along with the radio.
I had the units many years prior, and would never get another sweet set.
I put that radio and antenna on the truck, even after making a custom mount to get the antenna to work.
Had it professionally tuned.
The SWR was absolutely perfect.
It could reach out over ten miles of big city on FOUR WATTS.
While I got really close with that set in other vehicles, nothing could beat this.
That’s what I gifted it.
I could be miles away from a yard or quarry, and get nearly anyone I needed at the push of the key.
if your first antenna doesn’t work, try others, even if the same brand until you get one that performs.
I can’t stress this enough!
Back in the mid-70s, I had a 1/4 wave steel whip on the rear bumper of my car... The car was a '69 Pontiac and we had real steal bumpers back then, not the plastic crap that we have these days... Didn't have a garage, carport, or ever have to go into parking garages, so didn't have to worry about it hitting anything... Haven't seen anyone running one of those antennas in at least 40 years, but a quick web search seems to indicate that they are still being made...
Grumpy OldMan: I see the 1/4 wave whip antennas infrequently. Full 1/4 wave antennas are out there, usually one or two per county/burrough. Seems most avid CB users will use the Firestiks, which are seemingly oddly referred to as top-loaded antennas, even though the extra wire is wrapped around the full length of semi-flexible fiberglass rod. (I'd just call the Firestiks simply loaded antennas, as the load is distributed evenly.) Firestiks also have an abundance of compatible parts; and with Firestik's apparently good performance record reports, a full 1/4 wave antenna has a further reduced need/market.
@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire
I had one of those on my FJ40 and my pickup. Made my own mounts. Radio Shack stainless steel 102" whip with the spring. Cost about $25 bucks back in the 1990s. They get out big time. I talked from northern Nevada to Dutch Harbor Alaska on a cheap 4 watt Radio Shack CB in the FJ40. Amazing.
@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaireI'm still running a 1/4 wave on my 83 dodge pickup that I daily drive.
I had a CB on my Camaro in the mid to late 70's. It was great for travelling on the interstate to find out about speed traps, roving police as well as conversation. This was the time when the speed limit was changed to 55 MPH after being 70vMPH for decades. Going 55 added a lot of time if you were driving between states in the west and using the CB 10 codes there was like playing cat and mouse with the highway patrol. The highway road markers were used to alert where speed traps were. It was fun but by 1980 it started fading in use.
Like others have said, when installing a radio transmitter, the antenna needs to be tuned for lowest SWR (at the frequency/channel you use most). That takes a separate meter connected between the radio and the antenna. You adjust it by incrementally adjusting the length of the antenna's top section by loosening that Allen screw and moving the top section up and down till you get the lowest reading possible. A more here is that magnetic base antennas aren't the greatest to start with because they aren't directly connected to a metal surface to establish a strong ground plane. The "booster coil" is not actually a booster. It's adding length to the antenna by sending your signal thru a coil of copper encased in the plastic. This is because radios work best with antennas that are matched according to their wavelength.
OK,... WHY SHOULD I "NEVER" INSTALL A CB RADIO ??? ...in your case its because you have no idea what you are doing.
Boy got that right.....................
Amen to that, I installed one in my truck, all my friends and I run them, I have great distance and in our area in pa they are still used a lot, I'll park above the highway on occasion just to sit and listen on slow nights for something to do
Yup, completely clueless. The squelch is to mute the background noise when the signal coming is too weak or when no one is talking.
That was click bait, you should always thumbs down click bait, so they'll stop that crap.
100% correct. Its not a slap it in and turn it on. If people don't know what they are doing then yea don't install CB.
I grew up in the 1970's. My Dad always had a CB Radio in all of his vehicles up into the 80's. Back then they were a life saver due to the emergency channel you could monitor. Plus over hear truckers talk about an accident up ahead. They were well needed for communication. I still have one of my Dads CB Radios out in my shed in a bin along with other stuff of his I kept after he passed away. Today you can use your smart phone for traffic updates and your GPS can even monitor traffic today. But I miss hearing the truckers chatter on the highway.
Had a cross-coutry trip last year and CB's saved our hides with absolutely zero cell crevice, so a tuned antenna works absolute wonders when in a convoy.
I was big on the CBs back in the 80s and 90s. Then the cell phones happened, and the CB faded out. After been out in the desert and back country recently, I found how useless the cell is. The CB is now going back into my 4x4, and I know I have a range of 20 miles or more with my setup. That is far better than 3 miles of the main road with a cell. Both do have their places and uses.
3 miles with a cell? I'm obviously missing something.
what equipment did you use to get up to 20 miles, I would like to purchase the same or equivalent ?
@@cactusladysouth1000 tall antennas can carry a frequency for hundreds of miles
I still have nine 😂
My cobra 138xlr will do that 😂
There's a Flying J and a Pilot in Spokane, they sell all the CB accessories you need.
Yes he didn't look very hard at finding a place 🤔🤦
Here in Ferndale too...they have a whole wall of cb radios and parts! Basically any larger truck stop will have CB's
Also if you guys have a coastal farm supply or tractor supply there they will have at least a better selection than walmart
We still got 2 raido shacks in Wisconsin and a bunch of strictly cb and ham raido stores
damn you guys still have radio shack?! SOB.. lucky. They closed all the west coast ones.
I had one of those Walmart antennas. They were not worth bringing home. I got the Wilson "Little Will" and done a fine tune job on it with a good SWR meter and it works great. You may have damaged the radio by not setting the SWR before trying to talk with it. Also a radio that scans channels would have been a better choice. Lots of people don't use channel 19 .
Yes back in a day the local CB club channel I belonged to was 14 as the call frequency then you shifted to a quieter channel for rag chews
My dad had a cb radio on his chevy blazer in the 80s found his antenna stuffed back in my grandpas shop. Radio was long gone. So I hopped on marketplace and found a hy-range cb radio. Works great. Best setup I could want. I put it in my 1997 chevy Tahoe 1500. If you’ve got an old antenna and an old truck, you’ve gotta have an old radio
You spent $38 on the whole set up guy, what did you expect??🤦🏻♂️
T_Slayer Vlogs thats only 38 for the cb its another 17 for the antenna come on 😂
@@tyc7448 🤣🤣🤣
I spent more then 38 just on my cable lol but I pulling all mine out I wana talk roughly 100 miles and the cb world is still alive I'm a a group with 15k people just in the USA and some lives on the west coast and talks to people on the east coast
rednecksniper no way cb reaches coast to coast. That’s Ham radio
@@2bituser569 I'm a trucker and have about $1k set up. Even then I can hear the east coast but cannot reply. Look up skip propagation. It can be done. Btw c.b. is a form of ham. Its considered the 11m band
About 30 years ago we had a big group of CBers out there in our area... used to love cruisin and talkin up the air waves... and just a couple days ago I had a customer come in that had a radio on her dash... I asked her about it and it turns out I knew her back then and she never turned her radio off... small world...
I still have my original 23 channel cb i had in 1976 i won it in a contest from the denver post i (delivered papers) that radio gave way to a cobra 19 40 channel and i have a uniden radio in my ford pickup and im about to install a cobra 25 ltd in my 73 dodge 4x4 playtoy lol gotta know when those logging trucks are coming downhill at you👍
Yup, we did that too! 1993 or so.
Why you should never install a cb radio ...cuz I could start a fire in your soul
Alot of us never shut it off..in 30 years I took 4-5 yrs off of radio, but it's in our blood!
@@bradcollins1762 for sure for sure…
I had a CB radio in my cars in the mid and late '70s. Had a lot of fun talking to other drivers and truckers not to mention my older brother who had one. We had a base station at home.
Just stumbled across this. Good job on the video. If you want to get an answer almost every time (according to radio traffic) just ask for a 10:36 (Correct time) and they’ll key up on one another to tell you what time it is! Lol. Don’t give up on it. As a 30 year long haul veteran the CB has literally saved my life and the lives of others more times than I care to count. Happy motoring!✌️😎
It's not as popular as back in the day, but still a useful tool. May need the antenna tuned for poor best performance. Good luck with traveling.
I'm a trucker. You should go to a truck stop at night (when they're full) and check in.
Yep! And the deals you can get with CD's and DVD's are endless - as is with our local truck stop.
I'd check in lol
Tell them you "ain't got no panties on" . . . Just sayin' . . .
Easy easy! You guys are ruthless! Yes the guy doesn't know what he's talking about but you shouldn't set him up for that kind of abuse. Ouch!
You work gloryholes don’t you
I want one of those CB's like they have on "The Dukes Of Hazzard". The kind that you can call anybody on any time and they answer immediately with a clear signal.
From 50 miles away.
C.B. & Daisy Duke
It's possible only in Hazzard; Bo and Luke have no job and Daisy listens to Boss's CB at her workplace and they are always within a few miles, so within range, with the CB on at all times. This way it works, no problem whatsoever :)
@bwtv147 I want one of those old fashioned BJs Daisey used to give BO And Luke down by the river
bwtv147 they all use to be that way. I could receive or transmit up to 24 miles pretty easy and up to 12 miles any time.
I think the government screwed up the CB world. There were CB clubs everywhere then it got nasty and mean. Then; it died. Just like the Hindenburg; and ocean liners the government did all that to bring about the next generation of bs.
You just made a great argument for me to get one. I don't want to be "looking" constantly for an open channel. If CBs aren't being used anymore that's exactly the open frequency I'd like to go. Thanks!
The last time I had and used a CB in my vehicles was 1992. It had saved me a few times while on the side of the road. I got my first cell phone in 1994 and ditched CBs in my cars. With that said, I have my ham radio license and still believe radios are still useful.
You had a bad experience because you bought cheap gear that can't even talk 1 mile on a good day.
davidbrennan5 it's not the radio, that radio even though it's cheap is actually a decent radio. I have the same one, and mine gets out at least 20 miles.
It's the antenna, it has to be tuned properly. That goes for any cb radio, it's only as good as your antenna
@@benjaminjackson2310 Yeah, the Antenna needs to be decent quality and must be tuned to the radio.
@@davidbrennan5 tuning the antenna is key
I get me a 4 mile range... lookin for a bigger antenna
I had a Cobra sideband radio back in the late ‘70’s, 3X more power and crystal clear reception.
Well, I know this has already been said but I think it's an important point to make. You should really get an SWR meter and check the SWR on your installation. If you're out of spec, you risk doing serious damage to your radio.
Also, not that this was done in the video, but also you should never key up your mic. until you have an antenna attached for the same reason. You can damage your radio.
You should also ideally wire the power wires straight into your battery, I know from experience that wiring a CB up to the cigarette lighter port can cause awful interference and an annoying whine from your alternator when you accelerate.
Just my $0.02
1000%!!
I have a cheap CB radio on my UTV/Side by Side. Wired up just like you did here. It works great. I used to use it when I went to town to the feed store on my UTV to see where the cops were and how traffic was. I love the portability of this set up. Road trip? I just grab the CB from the UTV and put it in the car or truck and away we go.
Channel 9 is THE emergency channel. Channel 19 is what almost all truckers hang on. I love listening to the drivers and what all they have to say.
As others have said, tune the antenna. Another thing is the power port connection. Using those lighter plugs can cause engine noise. Always straight wire the radio to the battery. When it comes to CB radio, one radio is pretty much as good as another. Sure the Cobra 29 has more features, but using the stock 4 watts, there won't be a huge difference in audio quality or signal strength. For what you are doing, I would suggest going to a truck stop somewhere, pick up a Lil Wil and a cheap SWR meter and learn how to tune your radio. It's not hard but it does take a few minutes. Don't fall for the power trap. I've noticed that a lot of freebanders are all about running power but not only is it illegal, it's pointless for the most part. Most of the SB'ers I listen to have modded their radios to the point of making them not worth listening to. Too much echo (what the hell is that all about anyway), too much splatter causing them to bleed over onto other channels, modulation sucks, etc. Don't over do it. Keep it simple. Leave the mods to the mic holders. I run mine stock, I do have it tuned so that modulation is optimal but other than that I leave it alone. I can find out everything I need to within a 3 or 4 mile range that I can can reliably get out of my rig. That said, do what you do and enjoy the radio time you get. They are super fun and there are plenty of people on even these days. One last thing, if you want to increase your chances of getting a radio check, go to a truck stop and try it. start calling about 5 miles before you get there and pay attention to how far away you are when you start hearing traffic. Good luck and have fun
Jason... You make lotsa good points. I hope that people listen to you. I'm a former CB Technician, and I'm 83 now; I have an idea of what we're talking about here. Pay attention to Jason, folks! He's the real thing...
@@martyham10 Thanks for the kind words. I've noticed a lot of people that run CB like to think they know what they're doing but they could learn a lot. I've been into radio for more years than I care to count and I've made a lot of the same mistakes in my early days. These days, I realize that it doesn't matter how far you can reach if you don't sound good. Besides, screaming across people's televisions, phones or other speakers doesn't make you popular. Please tune your radios properly and for Pete's sake, turn off the echo!
Yes, a truck stop store has all the CB equipment and accessories..... I don't think this guy really did any research, which should tell you something about this video.
Can straight wire to battery .esp.if decide to go with amateur radio .or more power .2mor cb..going thru a power port could be asking for trouble . Check rubber boot around steering wheel ot firewall for place to run wire to battery..use two inline fuses .neg.and positive .
Loading coul doesnt boost anything !🥲lol.
A full wave 108 inch whip for cb is a pain .so use loading coil ..
You are 100% correct, the antenna is probably most important part of your system. All the power in the world isn't going to help you if you cannot send or receive so tuning a high quality antenna is essential. Second I would not use the power ports to run the radio, or anything long term. They are not designed to run long term through them and running to the battery, as you say is the best safest method.
People need to read your post like a tutorial.
I'm not trying to put you down, but your types of videos are the types I can't stand to watch to a certain degree. I've been using cb's and ham/amateur radios for a long time. I started out with cb's in the 1980's and then got into ham radio in 1994. Your first cb video, that antenna is junk, sorry to be blunt. Nobody answered you and I'll tell you why --- they couldn't hear you because of that antenna. Only people a very short distance away would be able to hear you using that antenna. Before you make videos knocking the hobby, please learn about the equipment, how it works, tuning swr's and how to talk on it! In one of your videos you say, "With whip creme on top"....really? You will not get answered by most people on the cb making comments like that and other people will make perverted comments or jokes thinking you are what cb'ers call a, "good buddy". I know you started your videos to help show people how to install everything, which I think is great, but you were too quick to say you took a long trip and nobody would talk to you on the radio. With that antenna, again, nobody could hear you so of course nobody will answer. I'm glad to see in the other video you got a better antenna! Anyone getting into cb...the antenna definitely makes a difference!! Anyway, I hope you are figuring out how cb works. CB can be fun and sometimes you can talk a very long ways on it using ssb/"skip". I'm one of the rare ham radio operators that admits I still have a cb and I always will. I listen to/talk to truck drivers on road trips all the time with it. Maybe when you get good at cb you can get friends with cb's over and play a "fox hunt" game using the signal meters to track down a transmitter, sort of like hide-n-seek. If you get into ham radio it'll be neat when you can hear someone in Alaska talking to someone in Florida or even greater distances than that. Have fun with the hobby, but please don't discourage the hobby. Radios and what they do are amazing! They're even used in emergencies to communicate when emergency services cannot, weather spotters, weather nets, contacts contests. They even use ham radio to talk on satellites and to the International Space Station to talk with astronauts who talk to elementary schools, boy/girl scout troops on Earth. Have fun!!
I'm thinking of getting into ham radio, I started on CB too. Still have a few units running. Any tips? I live in an apartment complex that won't allow a permanent antenna. So I was thinking of maybe getting something like the military uses. You stick the bracket part in the ground, mount the antenna to it, attach the coax, and off you go. There's a really good video on here about it. What are your thoughts? 73!
@@jeffmitchell841 Hi, Jeff! Ham is a great hobby if you do get into it. There's a lot ham radio operators do (and can do) that most people don't realize. Are you looking to use local ham repeaters or are you looking at stuff like HF bands which let you talk long distances? Are you in a city with a few ham repeaters?
@@jeffmitchell841 I do have some ideas for radios, antennas and things...just waiting to hear back from you. I hope you're well.
@@douglasbollinger3626 I'm thinking of starting local, but I would eventually like to talk to places like Japan and Australia. That would be really cool. I've talked quite a bit of skip on my Cobra 25 with no amp, and my radio on low power.
Using Amateur Radio for local(ish) comms is good and requires at least a Technician license which is not all that complex. To use voice for long haul you will need either a General or Extra license. A huge amount of your questions will be answered if you can get into a clubs license class. There are a couple online as well. As one of my college professors used to say "learn the material, do not study just to pass the exam". Also, unlike the 'fellow' who made the video. Do not use a cigarette lighter or the like for a power supply. Wire communication equipment directly to the battery. 73 de K7KIT
I just retired from 20 years as a trucker. I rarely had my cb on...except in icey conditions and during accidents/road construction backups to find out what lane I needed to be in, in which case CBs are extremely helpful. Any other times I had my cb off as I prefer to listen to music.
I bought a Midland 75-822 and the Midland magnetic antenna for it, several years back. All of the electronics, the display and the controls are included in the hand-held control unit, so no installation is needed to have a fully functional cb. Just plug it in to a 12v. power jack, screw on the antenna connector and you’re up and running. It’s no powerhouse but with the external antenna I’m good for a consistent 3-4 mile radius - enough for local traffic and weather info. Having all the controls in one hand is nice, once you get used to it, and I really like having the local national weather service broadcast available too. My ham radio enthusiast neighbor set the SWR for me; it was almost perfect out of the box. On long road-trips I feel naked without it.
"Why you should never install a CB Radio".. more like.. "Why you should never take advice from someone who knows nothing about the topic.".. CB isn't dead, I have one in every vehicle, along with Ham Radio's, There really is not "emergency" frequency / channel. There is more traffic on some other channels, if you're serious look into Sideband.. Antenna is everything, and getting it properly tuned can keep you from blowing up the radio..
Pretty much hit it on the head!
yup
73's from K4AZW
@@lowangproductions4235 73's KM4CNY
emergency is channel 9 as local law enforcement listen to it. 19 is typically truckers
Wow, a Cobra 19. The most cheepass CB out there. It's so bad that I once called for a radio check on one and when someone answered me they said to get rid of that Cobra 19 and get a real radio!
OK he told you he didn't want to spend a lot of money on his first radio which makes complete since seeing as how he could've shorted the whole thing by soldering that plug on wrong
@@campcooking1690 What is your point? Only a fool would have reversed the polarity on that connection.
I used the Cobra 19 in my old Ranger. It worked great because of the size. I tore out the ash tray and mounted this in its place. It was the only one I could find that was small enough to work. I had a nice dual antenna setup that was tuned professionally. I had terrific range and with an external speaker I never had any complaints about how it was receiving
@@joshuazufelt1448 that was his problem. He had no way to test that antenna after he put it together. you have to make sure the you adjust the antenna, not just drop in the radiator and screw in the set screw. That could burn up the final transistors.
@@campcooking1690 if ya really want to...make a whole new connection for it
When I went back to driving part time a few years ago after a fairly long period away from it I was surprised at how few trucks still have CB's. I do run into some cases where certain warehouses use CB's to log you in and assign you a dock, but that's only maybe 5% or so at best. Back in the 90's CB was still going fairly strong, but cell phones slowly became more popular, and once Nextel came around with push to talk, that was the end of CB for most guys, and now with blue tooth headsets and smart phones, its rare to even hear anyone on the CB these days. 25 years ago the channels were jammed and it was hard to find a clear channel, but now most are devoid of users.
Only a few of our trucks still have CB's now, and other than the few stops that use them to get an assigned dock, the future looks dim for the format. Years ago there were plenty of folks listening and they were an important means of communication but without anyone using them, their usefulness is all but gone I suppose.
CB Radios are still a great companion. If you are doing convoy trips with another car they are useful, but with today's technology UHF radios are more compact, more powerful, and less power consuming. I would like to see CB radios make a comeback. In my home town, as kids, we ran around with them in our cars. Lots of fun nights as playing CB Hide and Seek in our cars. There was also a few armature radio guys in our home town that always had their ears on. I remember the one guy that would read the news paper over CB channel 22 and on his Ham radio. The good old days.
I can tell you cb is definately still alive but no one responds to radio checks. Secondly transmitting without checking the swr can destroy the radio and significantly limit output range.
I was thinking that too. I call it.... "Rule number one"
If he didn't sound like a joke when "calling for a radio check" I feel like he would have had a few checks in the mail.
Just did a radio check on channel 19 2 days ago in Boulder, CO and got an instant response.
Maybe because you didn’t know but before broadcasting, you should have checked the S.W.R. ( Standing-wave ratio (SWR) is a mathematical expression of the non-uniformity of an electromagnetic field (EM field) on a transmission line such as coaxial cable. Usually, SWR is defined as the ratio of the maximum radio-frequency (RF) voltage to the minimum RF voltage along the line. ) This is very important because it can effect your transmission and if the rating is poor, it really can destroy your radio. Also, placement is better under the dashboard because the unit does heat up and your dash gets extra hot from direct sunlight.
Going back to the SWR, a 1.1 on Channel 20( which is center of the 11 meter band or C.B. band) and maybe 1.5 to 1.8 on either channel 1 or 40 is ok. The higher the SWR the worse things can get, the lower the better. Looking at just what you have in the video, the antenna can be tuned above the load with the alen key and the upper antenna portion. Start at the bottom and slowly work up. Also should invest in a semi decent Meter that can read the SWR for you.
I have to agree. High SWR leads to a high percentage of transmitted power (since you have an AM CB vs a SSB CB is 4 watts). If you have more power coming back to the radio, it's not going up the antenna! Not only that, the excessive heat build-up will DESTROY your Power Amplifier Transistors.
Secondly, the smaller an antenna is relative to 1/4 of a wavelength (Ch 19, center frequency, is 27.185 MHz, or 11.028 meters, or 434.17 inches wavelength), the less efficient it is & the more power it turns into heat rather than signal. If you had the traditional long whip style, you wouldn't need that loading coil that you have that tries to match the antenna to the band.
Thirdly, mag-mounts are not good for HF, you need to have the other side grounded (like to vehicle chassis). That being said, DO NOT mount it to your luggage rack, this will cause excessive capacitive reactance.
If you want to get your rig tuned up to be as good as it can be, stop by a local CB shop or as your local Amateur Radio operator. A lot of us Ham Radio Operators love to help.
According to ARRL records, there are 4 ham radio clubs in Spokane, WA:
sdxa.org/
www.ewarg.org/
www.kbara.org/
www.vhfclub.org/The first 2 are bound to be the most helpful, as EWARG & KBARA focus on VHF/UHF.
-73 de KF5TQN
Well hey, let me thank you for putting up this video and getting flamed mercilessly for it here in the comments. I've learned a TON them! LOL
Dr Snooz the most underrated comment on here.
Umm...with a video named "Why you should never install a CB radio" I expected to see some secret health hazards these radios have, or some law violated.
Instead, I see a guy who's beginning his CB career, not being very successful at it, and not knowing much about CB radios either, other than installing.
This video seems more like a personal opinion more than anything. Given enough time, he would have learned to properly choose and set up his equipment, along with the understanding of the radio/antenna's functioning and effective range. Nobody, in his right mind, expects you to know everything about this right off the bat.
Some criticism is appropriate, but many indeed seem to be stuck up buttholes.
I had the FCC (1976) ie. Uncle Charlie & Independence Va. REAC. Tell me leave the freq. My Hy Gain 2 had an inbuilt Amplifier not visable like a foot Warmer so get good stuff except for a amusement park communicator
Used one for many years driving across three states weekly. Very limited success even back then. They were really good back during the oil crisis because of the lowered speed limits, there were cops everywhere. Just like alcohol prohibition didn't work, neither did reducing the speed limits. but they were good before cell phones when you were convoying with a group of others.
I must’ve missed the portion of the video where you installed an antenna so that you can get a signal and communicate with people. Or is that in part 2? What were you using for your antenna? My antenna for my little uniden is a massive mast of an antenna that I mount with a giant magnet. 😳
Looks like your creepiness comes over on radio as well, "with whipped cream on top" I wouldn't answer to that either.
When asking for a bear report isn't what you expected.
Why should I not install a cb in my vehicle ?? That was never answered !!
It was answered at the end of the video... Read the final text.
Marie Loveless why? Because he didn’t have the correct channel? He had a tiny ass Ariel which wouldn’t be more than 3db. A good UHF with 80 Channels instead of 40 would have been even better. Where I live, the national open road radio channel is UHF 40. Bolted onto my bullbar I have an 8 and a 6 decibel antenna. On flat terrain, I can get around 100km (60 miles) coverage, and yes, it is very busy on that channel, even when the next town is 1000km away. This guy is just useless.
Also doesn't help he bought the cheapest garbage radio, no SSB, no clarifier... I've run a few different radios lately, most guys are on SSB around here. seems like the only ones on full AM are just kids that bought toy radios like this piece of trash here. You don't have to spend a ton to get a decent radio, get a used on on ebay or at a flea market, you can get ones that are only a few years old that are good enough. Also, I assume this dude lives in the US... There is no UHF CB here. The closest thing would be GMRS, which technically requires a license, or FRS which is super limited in output power and thus limits range (off the top of my head, I wanna say its like 1/2 watt max on some channels 2w on others). IE the typically "bubblepack" shit radio "walkie talkie" you get at Walmart or whatever bigbox store. I do have my GMRS license, and with the license the limit for me is now 50w, I've made contacts a good 30 miles away simplex, but terrain is limiting, so I usually use a repeater. Most guys aren't using GMRS with high outputs and licenses though, most are using either 70cm or 2m HAM bands (illegally or not), or like I said CB on SSB.
Tasman McMillan umm wgaf that your running a 500 to 1000 dollar system. From the start this fella states that he is new to the game. Maybe he doesn’t want to slap down the kind of money or time that you have invested in your rig. For the casual user what he has will get him started. In a few months/ years who knows. Maybe he’ll be a C. B. God like you are. Hanging around all the truck stops wishing you could afford the attention of the new latino lot lizard. Getting in your 1977 Ford F-150 with Rusted craiger mag tires. Or are you one of those guys who has his HAM radio call digits as their personalized license plate? With an 80 foot tower in your back yard? Funny thing is. I don’t ever recall this guy once saying his dick was bigger than yours. You just proved it was by bashing a newbie for no reason.
sniperdoug1969 the beginners pack is a cheap $60radio and $50 antenna. Here there isn’t anything cheaper, but to have quality you need to spend a bit of money. With that 3decibel he’d need a
The transmitter to be within 1-2km.
And no, I have a $2000 comms set up.
Antenna is the key ! You MUST adjust for SWR. SWR is standing wave ratio. The length of the coax and antenna must be matched to the frequency range. 27 Mhz for CB (Citizen's band) radio. This is done by simple adjustment of the aerial in the mast with an allen wrench usually, BUT, I've had to cut the aerial in some cased and sometimes cut the coax length a few centimeters in some case's. If the length does not match, then part of the signal gets reflected back, which can cause damage to the transmitting transistors. Correct standing wave ratio (SWR) will also give you the best reception. You want ALL the signal to pass through antenna and coax, NOT bouncing back and fourth reducing the desired signal strength. You can boost transmission by having your radio altered by a radio technician at a CB shop found in some truck stops, or by use of a Linear Amplifier. BUT, this does not boost your reception, it just boost's your transmission. Antenna is also the key to reception. Properly tuned SWR, using an SWR meter will match the antenna to the radio. K40 antennas are good, Wilson antenna's are good. And obviously antenna placement is important. Avoid metal objects in close proximity to the aerial that would also cause external reflections back. Roof top is the best place, trunk is ok if using a taller (longer) antenna. So, for instance, the bed of a truck would be a bad idea. Your vehicle metal is the "ground plane". Therefore, the longest section of metal will allow for the best signal transmit/receive. For example, an antenna on the towards the back of the vehicle will get better signals miles up the road towards the front, but less towards the back. Rooftop center gives the best all around. Typically, 20 miles is a good range. So, buy a CB, put your money into the antenna, have it tuned for SWR, or tune it yourself with an SWR meter and enjoy.
A cheap radio and a good antenna usually works out pretty well. An expensive radio and a cheap antenna not so much.
Both of my parents had CB radio in their vehicles. I remembered that my father was talking to this guy on a CB when we were on spring break when I was 8 years old.
When I was a kid, I was into CB pretty heavy. A lot of my friends had them and we used to all meet up and talk at night. It was a blast. Met a lot of girls from the radio. Nowadays it is pretty quiet, all it takes is a small group to start using them, it will attract more people.
CBs still live. But truckers know who the "noobs" are just from their voice and dont respond lol
I thought I was gonna have to say it.
That’s true as hell. Never got a response when I was brand new on CB, but then after I was talking to some local guys getting used to it and learning the lingo, I get more responses from random trucks while cruising down the I
Come on now! (in annoying hick voice)
"10-4 This is rubber ducky please respond big bird"
"10-4 rubber ducky go ahead"
"10-4 big bird I'm going to kill myself
"10-4 rubber ducky I'm going to kill myself too"
It takes a few years but its easy to master with a bit of practice. You just gotta be out there every day speaking it as if that's the only language you know.
@TUFF10-4 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Hey @kevincoddington3411, thank you for your service in the Army. I have a question for you, I'm going to install my CB that was in my 1975 Trans Am it's an old CB but it has been stored well in a safe place all this time, do you see any problems with the CB that old???
Nice video. You have to check your SWR, like most people are commenting. I would suggest the next CB radio you get make sure it has automatic noise limiter noise blanker switch/ capable. That will cut out a lot of engine noise and static on the band. That's all I got. 73 Big Buddy!
Usually any large truck stop will have a garage a truck wash and a CB shop. Always check with the local truck stop.
There's a Flying J at Spokane.
It's getting more and more rare! Sad it would be smart for drivers even in cars to still use cbs
@@anotherhole Every Flying J will have a CB shop.
I know the Loves near me has a large selection of cbs
@@TexanUSMC8089 yeah some do.
I had a CB in my old van but I think having a good antenna is key. I also used them about 18 years ago when I worked as a motorbike courier. The set up for the motor bike was a hand held one hooked up to a palm pilot that there could send data to via the radio. That thing covered a big city in range.
I was thinking about getting one again but I think the best thing is if you can get a group of friends (who often go camping or traveling together) to all get them in their cars (or hand held). This way you can communicate with each other even when there isn't phone signal.
Is there an adapter that would allow you to have two microphones for both the passenger and the driver?
Hey Jimmy-----does that Cobra 19 ultra lll have a Jack on the back for a external speaker?? Thank you.
He dident even tune the antenna
Benjamin Koll how do you tune antenna
U use a SWR meter thats the only name for it i know.
@@benjaminkoll9179 saw this right after I said the same thing lol
most mobile antennas are already pre-tuned and work also out of the box
This is a cheap 4watt Walmart CB. Tuning the antenna isn't necessary. If he buys a real antenna, like a Wilson 2000, then he needs to get it tuned.
Tune in next week, when we explain why you should never buy Crack....
Richard Delacruz. ....then the following week with "why you shouldn't say.... can you give me a good old fashioned _____ with whipped cream on top," to his cell mate. 😁😱
@@JK-dh9sz put that cream on this
thanks Dick!
Majority of it is in the proper tuning of the antenna. I have talked on some cheap junk radios with a good antenna. And just the opposite as well. I like a Wilson 1000 in a mobile properly tuned. For base station I was running an IMAX 2000. Awesome antennas when properly tuned.
Love the 148 GTL.
I love how he couldn’t get anyone to talk to him or heard anything, I wonder if he knows about channel 19. I travel very long distances for work and my CB is very active
Actually, that cheapo cb works great with a nice mic upgrade, and a good antenna. I purchased this cb for my hubby's truck a few years ago. Works very well.
A K40 fiber whip, a "Sweet 16" under the seat and a Echo Power Mic.... ahhh the good ole days!
@@kcst0rm
I've got 2 1980's era K40 steel whips with the quick disconnect base sitting in my attic along with a Firestik fiberglass whip.
This guys qualifications... “I’ve seen plenty of videos on UA-cam”.
An all too common occurrence these days I am afraid.
Sounds like one of those people who tell you the election was stolen. Don't ask them how they know. They don't.
Yep. Then goes on here & tells everyone 'not to buy one'
I'm a ham radio operator but I started on the CB and go back and check from time to time. While there's nowhere near the amount of people who used to be on, there's still plenty of people out there. A few variables to consider: time of day, location, antenna and radio. Also there's DX aka skip which is when you can talk long distances due to solar activity, atmospheric conditions and time of day. The big boy skip stations yap their nonsense on ch 6 and in most cases, unless you're transmitting a kilowatt or more using an antenna with some decent gain, they're not going to hear you. Otherwise if you want to talk some DX, get a SSB capable radio and half decent antenna and you can talk all over the place on ch 36 thru 40. But if you're really interested in radio, get your ham license and you can talk all over the world.
There has not been much CB activity for decades. In most areas of the country only handful of operators per city use it. In Seattle for example you may only hear several stations on the band, and that is being realistic. Cb was still pretty active about 99-2000, but tapered off quickly i think afterwards. You might want to reinvest in 2022 or so, since the FCC grant their R&O to allowFM communication - it might spark things up again - Lastly an Amateur radio license is the best bet if you want to talk to people round the clock.
CB radio traffic has gone down in recent decades, and many of those who do need a radio have opted for the low cost handheld FRS/GMRS radios which run in FM mode (quiet/less static), rather than the CB, which runs AM mode (or SSB) and is much more "noisy".
About 15 years ago, I purchased an antenna very similar to the one you showed for a long haul road trip (the only thing available in Walmart at the time). The when adjusting, the best SWR I could get on any one channel was 1.6:1 (the goal SWR is 1.0:1, with higher being increasingly bad for the radio transmitter and about 3.0:1 giving smoke). This antenna gave me a range of about 1.5~2 miles. I later bought the Lil Wil antenna (the economy magnetic model by Wilson) and though the SWR and bandwidth were somewhat better, it's range was an unremarkable 2 miles. If you want to "stick with" a magnetic base antenna (a pun?), I'd go with the Wilson 1000 (or better, the Wilson 5000 if you want the best range, and aren't worried about a height of about 6.5 ft). I've seen a Wilson 5000 work a range of 15 miles in good conditions, and much further when skip conditions are right (Wilson 5000 is a 5/8 wave antenna, and doesn't waste as much signal going up to the sky).
Is it worth getting a CB? CB can be fun, and they're still pretty active in some parts of the country. Some higher end CB's include not only AM, but also SSB (single sibeband) which has more range - but can only talk in this mode with others who have SSB. I can't recommend relying on CB for an emergency, but on a long drive and for occasional contacts and conversations, a CB can help keep a person more alert, and as you said, it can be fun.
Get you a good antenna.
In the service truck I had the little Cobra 19. With Wilson. 4 foot. The SWR was set ( 1.1 ) It got out good.
Good antenna And setting the SWR. Is a must
Back in my radio shack days, CB radios were one of the highest selling items in my area. Every truck, every pickup had one (early 90s). Add in a frequency scanner and the much more technical and licensed Ham radio, some of these vehicles looked like a driving antenna.
One of the biggest reasons you dont see CB's as often is the internet, and cell phones. They have taken the place of most of this tech for the average american driver. 18 wheelers still use em, easy way to let others know of speed traps but its non guarded, which means anyone can hear it hah.
I sort of miss the old days, but the tech we have now, for an average person...dude..so much better. Short of the ham radio. I dont think we are bouncing a cell phone signal off the moon haha.
Our original cell phones
I had a Cobra 148GTL in my car in 1999. Lots of people talking back then. Now a friend of mine wants to install one so i have to do it also. I hope there's still people talking for hours like in early 2000's, at least a few. As a side note, in case of an emergency, if cellular network and internet fails, CB will be our best communication option out there.
Go to a TA truck stop have a Pro install a good one Now you have to set the radio to the antenna. And CBs will work when the cell networks is dead. Truck driver if they are on the CB they are on 19. And 9 is emergency only.
you have to set the radio to the antenna. LMAO never heard of such and I have been tuning antennas for over 30yrs you DON'T set a radio.
They probably don’t respond to ur radio checks Bc they’re too busy cringing
The biggest problem was probably your antenna and the placement of it. Someone would have to be right beside you to communicate with you. In my semi, I can hear others within an 8 miles radius, it's not the best out there but I hear quite a bit of chatter, especially when the road is backed up. Don't get rid of it, try to upgrade a bit.
I’m in a 21 Volvo, the antennas are crap, set up a fire stick still no beuno I’m guessing no metal equals no groundplane and that equals SWR above 5 it’s really frustrating.
I got my first cb for xmas in 1974, just before the cb craze hit. Its was a JP penny base station. Had a great vertical antenna on the roof and was able to talk to other cbers 40 miles away which wasa very large city but no one local seem to be on, . Fast forward a few years and everyone and their uncle and dog had a cb radio, it was the internet of the 70's but by then I had my ham license and was talking all over the world.
I used to be a CB'er in the '70's and there used to be many people on the air. Since cell phones didn't exist, you could help anytime day or night. It was one big social club too. Truckers used to be on channel 10, but voluntarily moved to 19 because of interference to channel 9, the emergency channel.
The best place to get a radio is either online or at a truck stop. Other than Walmart, virtually no one else stocks them any longer, and it's hard to find an electronics store now that might have them.
The antenna is not a good one. It will not receive very well nor transmit very far. A cheap radio with a good antenna will outperform an expensive radio with a cheap antenna every time. I've seen it many times. A permanently mounted antenna is the best since a good ground is important, but there are good magnet mounts out there since you're only going to use it for trips. The antenna also needs to be tuned with an SWR (standing wave ratio) meter. If the SWR is too high, it will cut your transmit range. A radio shop can tune it for you.
There may be more than one reason you didn't get a response for your radio check. The antenna might be one. You may not have been transmitting very far. CB radios are limited to four watts output. Their output is normally around three and a half watts, some as low as three. If your SWR was on the high side, it would cut your range further. CB'ers have always frowned upon radio checks. There may have been others in range that heard, but didn't reply. There are also far fewer people on CB than their used to be. Truckers are about it and you don't see anywhere near the number of CB antennas on trucks as you used to. Cell phones, radar detectors, and GPS units have taken their place.
I had a decent CB and antenna in my Ranger in the mid-90's. It worked out well a few times. That was before cell phones were a thing a lot of people had, so it was nice to know I could call for help if I had a problem. I used it some to chat with truckers on road trips, but mostly it was about the security of knowing I could call for assistance.
there is still a lot of land in the western states with no cell coverage, so ham or cb or satphone is it. cb is the cheapest and easiest option due to no license requirement.
videos like this kill the best emergency communication
Welcome brother, I began my CB adventure in 1976 by installing my very first C.B. in my 1966 Chevy Impala..... I was 18 and getting ready to heading off to the United States Air Force, my handle was Idaho eagle and it turns out we were neighbors as I was from the St Maries Idaho area..... Have fun there and have a little bit of more FUN by trying out Skip conditions are right.... On the side and monitoring, Idaho Eagle
Im sure there are still good amount of CB radios in use however as mentioned it is definitely heavily dependent on where you are located. Also some people keep these radios but mainly for listening purposes as they do not actually communicate with them just listen for broadcasts.
I wouldn't answer with that language either
We are now brain dead from watching this and I would like to get my 10 minutes back
Just bought a Cobra Mini 19 AM/FM for my 2022 Acadia Denali... It will fit in the center console just below the electronic Trans selector buttons. Thinking of adding a small boot.
I have an old midland 23 channel that a t I keep on while driving on I 80 in Ohio and Pennsylvania, usually when you start getting a lot chatter, either something is going on or I'm getting close to a truckstop . I've done a lot of detours over the years to avoid being stopped for hours. I also have coworkers keeping me informed on conditions ahead . Following to close causes most of the problems along with speed.
I would run one on road trips in the early 2000's and just listen to the truckers on 19. Lot of garbage talk, but was handy for accident reports as well as speed traps.
Also, there was no cell service in the mountains of WV so it was a possible solution to communications if I needed one.
Today, I just run Waze but if I went somewhere really rural I'd probably bring a radio.
CB is limited range and sensitive to electrical interference in areas with a lot of power lines and buildings. Best to use in rural areas and for trail riding which is what I use it for. I usually always install a CB in my trucks and it does indeed get used. Some folks have unrealistic expectations about distance and such. Always helps if you got a friend that has one too.
CB tag was fun to do with a friend out in the country while working in the fields or going between fields.
The limited range can be a good thing. Typically, it is about 4 miles. If you are traveling that is enough and you don't get conversations that don't apply to you.
Did you tune it in with a SWR gauge and set your frequency ?
Did you tune it with an SWR meter? That is required for optimal operation and function. I have used cb radios since 1975 to this day.
An important step missed is tuning the antenna using a SWR meter. Very important with transistorized CBs as too high a SWR can fry the back end of the transmit circuit. Also cuts down the transmission range.
Nobody is going to respond to “a good ole radio check”
Its really amazing just how little people know about cb's giving out info with no clue what the hell they are talking about....
Danny Allen its not a shocker to me, ever been a a cb/ham forum?? XD XD XD
Exactly.As a driver at one time you could get info,now its just quite or jerks being tools.But having a radio has saved my ass.many a time
LOL. Don't get me started....'Gotta get them ess double U arrrrrs up around 2 or more, that means you're putting out 2x the power'..uhh. ...no.. that's not how any of that works.... 'You can extend your coax with speaker wire, just twist one wire to the outside'.... (Head explodes)....
Welcome to UA-cam. Where everyone is experts in everything.
Joyride....and that didn't end well lol
With any radio transmitter it's all about the antenna. That antenna you got there is probably about 15 percent efficient, which means you are actually radiating about a half watt. That won't get you too far. A full size antenna is always best and for CB that would be a 8.5 foot whip, which is a full quarter wave.
Just got back to Idaho from Wisconsin. The only chatter I heard on my (crappy) handheld was during traffic backups. It was handy to get an idea what was going on up ahead and how long the backup was. I spent the rest of the time wishing truck drivers safe travels. More people should have them. They're good fun on a long road trip. Wanting to build a high quality dash mounted setup now...with a monster whip! 😄
Remember 19 at the truck stops will get you info on lot lizards lol if they offer a knob polish go for it lol
my grandpa told me about lot lizards
They also grease fifth wheels.
Throw that antenna out. Get a wilson little wil for 40 bucks. I run that on my f150 and can reach out very nicely.
Tuning his normal antenna will help... I have a lil will and a Wilson 1000... They really are needed when pushing some power...
yes i have a wilson in my car
Despite the magnet mount used he will find it difficult or impossible to achieve a required RF ground through the factory paint so tuning would not likely produce results below 1:8-2:0. From years of watching people attempt to use these rust sticks called antennas its often reported that the stinger element is to short to reach 11 meters properly. The antenna is just a rebadged Chinese design sold also buy other names/brands.
Omg.... You did sooooooo many worng things but I'm just going to say good try being new to the hobby... I've been on the radio for a very very very.. Long time.. And I can point out ton of stuff.. But please.. Oooo. Please if your ever in the Tacoma Seattle area plzzzzzzzzzzzz let me tune, that radio... OMG... You don't know what your missing out on.. But if I need to nint pick...... 1st problem..... Antenna is everything... Get a good antenna and tune it..... And no Walmart antennas will not work good.. Go to a truck stop.. And being I'm in WA.. I know you have a shit ton in Spokane WA... 2.. The radio out of the box will sound like crap.. Thoes truckers you talk about in your video.. They have tuned radio or most of them do.. Look at bells cb if you can't do it yourself... 3.... The mic sucks out of the box.. And modulation is everything on the 11 meter band.. (cb radio).. Get a good mic.. And for that one I recommend the Red Devil by ascetic.. 4... You will never ever get to max power using a cigarette lighter plug in.. Ever!!!!!... 4.. When. Talking on the radio.. Don't sound like that bro... Im a old school military trucker and I would never come back to that lol... Just saying.. Not trying to. Be mean, and enjoy your videos here and there.. But. On cb radio there are up times and down times..... Shoot I've talked fome here in Tacoma wa to Australia Greenland Texas Connecticut just to name a few on a daily basis.. Only using like 30 watts of power.. And that radio out of the box is like maybe if your lucky 3 watts. And with that antenna.. Your lucky to talk 3 miles. Lol.. There is a science behind it that's all I'm trying to say if anything check out some of my videos on my UA-cam channel just type in twitch radio you'll find me good luck in your Ventures have a good day
Johnathan Dewitt lol. Still working on that incorrect capacitance vs paint theory?
You gotta get an SWR meter and match the antenna to the radio. It's a little bit of a process but the antenna is too low or too high for the match. You won't get any kind of output signals. You'll get plenty of input because everybody else is matched but you won't get any output
You can adjust your CB by changing and tuning the antenna, and finding a better hand mic. Also talk to some truckers that still use a CB. They can tell you how to get the most out of your CB. Also you can talk to experienced ham radio operators and they can tell you how to adjust and modify it as well.
Ch4 and 14 are used for off-roadin I believe. I would suggest “upgrading” to a cobra 29. It’s a nice cheap radio for a beginner. Plus having WX (weather) is nice. There is a lot that goes into a CB, I took mine to Bells CB shop and had it peaked, tuned, and antenna calibrated. Bells CB has a UA-cam channel and you can find some info there if his channel is still up.
Also look up skipping
Question why didnt you go to a truck stop to purchase your cb radio
You're crazy, that would be like going to a liquor store to buy liquor 😏
Yea
I thought that's we're I could eat and shower?
Someone just said truck stops are were you go to buy trucks..lmao🤣 I hope he knows you buy semi trucks at a truck dealer and for truckstop prices on CB's isn't that bad on pricing etc. I'm a trucker fyi. You should go to pilot and pick you up a cobra 29 for 99$ and you antenna kit should cost about 30-35$
And a few lot lizards
Well, we use UHF CB a lot down here in Australia. Everyone who tours has one and there is a lot of chatter on the channels. This is super handy in areas where there is no cell reception, or on the open road when someone needs to pass you, or you need to pass a road train.
If I ask for a radio check, I can get one just about anywhere.
Suppose it depends where you are eh.
I had a CB when I was 15 back in 1969. There were about ten people (at the most) in the whole city of 35,000 that had one, but we had a lot of fun with it. Had to have a licence in those days, XM452612, (no test required) and only 26 channels were available. Then the Smokie and the Bandit movies came out. Wow did it take off! I installed one last year my Jeep and I occasionally heard people (Hamilton Ontario) but the reception was really local. Sometimes "skip" comes in but sure not like it did in the early 70s. Don't think I would buy another one, but I will keep the one I have.