CB Radio first timer parts questions

Alright guys… looking for some help with the correct parts for a CB radio setup in my first gen. I just need a basic CB. Nothing crazy. Just want to feel a tad bit more insured while out on the trail or snow. I really like this basic Cobra … curious if I have the correct antenna and Aux cable picked out though? I’ve never messed with CBs before and I’ve done a lot of my own research, but would love some verification from some of you’s. Thanks in advance! Hope everyone had a merry Christmas!

$60 Cobra 19 DX IV Professional CB Radio - 40 Channels, Instant Channel 9 and 19, LCD Display, RF Gain Control, Compact Design, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KH31KEE

https://a.co/d/fXLGrkI

$20 MOOKEERF CB Coax Cable,RG8x Coaxial Cable 15ft,UHF PL259 Male to Male Low Loss CB Antenna Cable PL259 Cable UHF Cable for CB Radio,HAM Radio,VHF Radio, SWR Meter,Antenna Analyzer

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NKC7NFT

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-vhf-cb-radio-installs.415584/

Check this out. Might be helpful

 

Thank you!!

 

okay next important question why CB? most people are making the shift over to GMRS radios. I keep in my beater toy a GMRS and a CB because i never know what the group will be using if I'm with new people, and sometimes I'm relaying info once off of one radio to the next.

Next important question is if you're using the CB, you need someone to be able to tune that thing, do you have friend with an SWR meter? or a local radio shop. think I once got the same radio you have there at a shop for like $40 and paid like $10 for a 6 foot antenna and cable for if I remember correctly $120 the installed and tuned for me. alternatively you do also need some tuning on a GMRS, but slightly different. either way good luck in the project!

 

Thanks for the reply, @BigCountry762x39 ! I figured CB was a safe route cuz it’s the most common …? I don’t know a ton about this topic, I am just now diving in. But I know a lot of the loggers in the woods I ride bikes in use CB, and figured it would be a decent option in case of emergency. I primarily want it for emergency situations. I go out by myself most times.

I am aware of needing to tune the antenna … I do have a buddy who has one, and I been watching videos on it. Thanks for the info! I just wanna make sure the antenna is gonna work with the CB. That’s my main concern. Thank god for Amazon .. easy to return if not! Cheers.

 

not a problem at all. a CB is always nice. where i am at there are lots of logging trucks, and it is nice to be able to monitor when they have markers up for the channels they are using. what you have looks decent enough just remember you will need some kind of mount to attach your antenna, and loop any additional CB cable in big loops up behind your dash, no hard bends that's how you break the wire and you would have a hell of a time getting them to work right or wonder why your radio is getting bad reception.

 

@BigCountry762x39 man that is also good advice about the big loops and not bending it. Thank you.

Do CBs them selves usually have a somewhat OK speaker to hear the transmissions through? I seen some posts where folks talk about adding a small speaker to hook the actual CB up to. Curious your thoughts on this @BigCountry762x39 .

I plan to mount the face below my stereo, so was considering just connecting a aux cable from the back of the CB out to a aux port on my stereo .. has anyone else done this that’s viewing this thread ?

 

so my beater is pretty loud inside so ive a speaker, but see how it does without one. they are a 3.5mm jack like a pair of headphones so they are pretty easy to run

 

Check out right channel radio, the owner Pat is a wealth of knowledge .

 

Wife bought me a Cobra 29 classic this year so I'm in the same boat, I know ZERO about CB usage, I mean not even CB etiquette LOL. Here's a few notes you may consider from my 3 day research so far.

She originally bought it as a home base station, mine is a bit big but can be fitted for a truck (yours is small and dash-sized, but can consider the following.) I'm considering mounting it to the inner roof rails and route the wires safely inside, no drilling holes in the outer roof skin. My thought is if I devise a quick-release in the truck I can use it for both.

The really big deal is the antenna. Most of the good ones cost more than the radio. I hear firesticks are okay, but for maximum range you'll hear this number a lot: 102". As I understand it this length tunes the antenna to talk to other CB's better, 102" is the quarter wavelength and is going to give you the best range. In a truck that presents obvious challenges, if you use a 102" whip on the truck you'll want a spring base so you can pull the tip down and fasten it to get into garages, ATM kiosks, etc. Most of them are flexible enough to withstand a little banging around but a blow low in the mast it may permanently bend, or in the case of Fiberglas, break it.

Dual antennas are great if you tow, having one on each side circumnavigates the issue of your trailer blocking the signal. Otherwise the other options I've read all sacrifice range for ease of use/compactness.

Home antennas are easy to build. A dipole antenna is basically this __|__ but the horizontal lines are vertical. 102" of 12ga stranded wire on either side and the coax in the middle (the vertical line.) The real trick is getting it high enough with no blocking objects around. I'm thinking a boom mast on the garage, don't know yet.

I'm not going to spend a dime more until I have a full plan and suggest you do the same. That's a good radio, it's the antenna that's really going to make the difference.

This is a great reference site.

https://www.rightchannelradios.com

 

Thank you for this, will look into GMRS

 

this is what I'm running! and looks like a $10 coupon at least for the radio only. the radio and the little antenna are $129 which the radio is usually $120 give or take, no idea on the quality of that antenna its not what I use.

$125 Retevis RT95 Mobile Ham Radio, Dual Band Mobile Radio, Chirp, Dual Speaker, Rotatable LCD Display, 2m 70cm Ham Radio Base Station, Mobile Transceiver with Cable

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075M9QV8P?ie=UTF8

 

How is this working out for you? You posted this on the 26th of December, I have been researching all this time since then and finally pulled the trigger. :-D

I looked at a Cobra 19 yesterday, they will fit really well in the space by the ashtray and almost told the wife to return the 29, but the 29 has a few more features so I'm going with it. The small radios are what most Taco owners use.

I also finally went with a 4' FireStik FS but there's more to it - you also need the cable, mount, and a spring is recommended. The mount stud is very important, some terminate in a barrel type PL-239, others use the ring type at the antenna (called a "FireRing" for 'sticks.) Make sure you have that worked out.

In the best of all worlds a 102" whip is the way to go, but it's not until you really look close at what a pain in the ass that would be. These things are tall, mounted on the truck it would be around 11-14 above the truck in most cases.

You'd have to have it bent over and strapped down or outside, it won't go into the garage, and there's all the overhead obstacles you need to deal with, being "that guy" when you pull into drive-through's, etc. That is why I went with the FS for now until I see how bad it really is. Anything less than 102" is not optimum (unless you go rebel and get an amplifier, which I won't)

The 4' FS at best will give a range of 4-6 miles, depending, while a 102" whip will give you 7-10 miles (neither of which accounts for environment conditions and signals bouncing off the ionosphere.) So it's barely half the distance, that is the compromise, but the hassle of having to deal with it was why I'm starting off with a 4' FS.

I also have an interesting idea for how to mount this large unit in the truck without hacking it up, stay tuned on that one. :-D

 

FYI my experience so far with the the new Cobra 19 Ultra 6.