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CB Preference-which is the best?

Discussion in 'Audio & Video' started by gryllswannabe, Jul 16, 2011.

Page 4 of 19
  1. Jul 23, 2011 at 4:38 PM
    #61
    Nolawall

    #61
    Nolawall "And there I was just minding my own business"

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    6" Fabtech Suspension Lift. K&N Air Filter Cobra 18 CB with 2 3' firestik II antennas
    Where you antenna is mounted to the truck. Move the paint so you can get better ground or run an other ground wire like someone already mentioned

     
    Nolawall, Jul 23, 2011
    #61
  2. Jul 23, 2011 at 11:52 PM
    #62
    Chickenmunga

    #62
    Chickenmunga Nuggety

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    All the normal TW BS
    Yes the Wilson I have has a tunable tip.
    M3bassman, not sure if there's truth in this, but you may consider moving the antenna to the drivers side. I have been told that you want all the antennas on the same sides of the vehicles for optimum reception. In any case, you are so far the first to be mounting passenger side :eek:
     
    Chickenmunga, Jul 23, 2011
    #62
  3. Jul 24, 2011 at 12:01 AM
    #63
    LilRedYota

    #63
    LilRedYota Well-Known Member

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    If you go with anything go with a Cobra. they are the best in the business always have been. you can get simple ones or ones that have crazy buttons and settings its up to you....as for the antenna id go with a fire stick :) cause thats what i got and it looks sick :)
     
    LilRedYota, Jul 24, 2011
    #63
  4. Jul 24, 2011 at 8:28 AM
    #64
    snoope

    #64
    snoope Well-Known Member

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    m3,:notsure:....You are letting a System beat you :ballchain::frusty:.....

    STOP.......walk away from it,go get happy,laid or whatever to cleanse your mind..............


    Now, retrace your steps..( 1st look at that nylon washer...oops,corrected that already ;) )....

    Try doing this for the ENTIRE set-up....Scrape some paint off that antenna mounting area ( as suggested by TW helpers :thumbsup: ).....

    They make a "check list" for ALL of this at www.firestickantennas.com ....

    and GOOD LUCK.......now STOP whining :rolleyes::wink: and get that system done....
     
    snoope, Jul 24, 2011
    #64
  5. Jul 24, 2011 at 8:38 AM
    #65
    SoftShellTaco

    #65
    SoftShellTaco Well-Known Member

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    When I had my F-150 the best setup I ran was a Superstar 3900 Gold edition with a Polamar 225 linear amp and a 10' whip grounded to the frame. The CB itself had a self contained 100amp booster but it would interfere with other friends radios when I would key and a sharp tone was heard as a background sound so I just went with the external and turned the internal off. It had low, mid and high band so I could listen and talk to all three bands or could also set it to were I could only talk to one band on one channel. My first set up was a bit more mild it was a cobra 19 with 2' fiberglass coated antenna....the brand of that one escapes me. But it was just a mid band radio and I could only hear/talk to other mid band radios which was kind of a pain being most guys at my school had three channel radios and always talked on high band. Dynammic was also something that I loved about the Superstar because on a clear night you could talk to people a long distance away, I talked to a truck driver in Texas one night from my parents house in Raleigh. The Superstar was not cheap at all, if my memory serves me right it was around 600 bucks and the whip was around 40 or so and the amp was 150-200ish. These aren't pictures of the ones I owned but they looked close.

    [​IMG]
    images_eab1c670f2bbcaf49f7eec357acaf7d987c0cc1d.jpg
     
    SoftShellTaco, Jul 24, 2011
    #65
  6. Jul 24, 2011 at 8:43 AM
    #66
    Teniente

    #66
    Teniente Well-Known Member

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    Carson City, NV/Ensenada, Baja California, MX
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    I have the Cobra 75 WX ST

    http://tinyurl.com/3fkzge3

    The actual "radio" stuff is hardly bigger than about half of a Snickers bar.

    Run a "Lilttle Wil" mag mount
     
    Teniente, Jul 24, 2011
    #66
  7. Jul 24, 2011 at 9:41 AM
    #67
    Yoytoda

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    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    ive known 2 people with this radio die. also, it only has a 2w output unlike 4w like the standard base units. so the range kinda blows...
     
    Yoytoda, Jul 24, 2011
    #67
  8. Jul 24, 2011 at 9:48 AM
    #68
    Yoytoda

    #68
    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    Roland
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    oh and fyi, people are looking at "ground" the total wrong way. Running a ground wire from the mount to the frame is not the right frame of thinking. this only adds a electrical ground. With an rf antenna you need a ground plain which is mass. if you mount the antenna to the frame or body you have plenty of ground plain. if you add a wire to the frame you can actually decrease the range because the added ground wire can act as an antenna to pick up rf from other parts of the car or other vehicles or radios and "dirty" your ground plain. You are better off with the mount solid to the chassis with no additional ground.

    Also, since the ground plain looks for mass not electrical ground then mounting to composite bed and adding a wire wont cut it. you need the mass of the vehicle.


    Oh and im an Electrical engineer working on RF systems on MRI systems
     
    Yoytoda, Jul 24, 2011
    #68
  9. Jul 24, 2011 at 4:42 PM
    #69
    Nolawall

    #69
    Nolawall "And there I was just minding my own business"

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    6" Fabtech Suspension Lift. K&N Air Filter Cobra 18 CB with 2 3' firestik II antennas
    They must remove the paint as well. The grounded portion of the antenna will do not good through paint. I learned this the hard way. If you are not grounded correctly you can burn your radio up. CB radios are not plug and play by any means. When i first got mine on my jeep years ago i took it to this old man that owned a radio shop and he shared his wisdom with me and that was something he told me.


     
    Nolawall, Jul 24, 2011
    #69
  10. Jul 24, 2011 at 5:26 PM
    #70
    Catcrazed

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    Catcrazed Love is Dogs and Toyotas

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    Well I just put my cb in but I went to a big time. Cb shop of my friends uncle Rod LOL he was very specific on how to run the coax and where to mount the ant so drivers side as close to the cab as possible run your coax thru drivers side of the firewall and run the excess up and down the length of your fender. He also told me you never want your ant behind the radio when I mentioned putting it in the box. I'm running a cobra 25 and he set me up with a tiger ant looks like a fire stic but he did spec 4ft only. The only reason I'm running the 25 is I already had it. BTW this is a pro cb shop. If your not looking to talk more than a couple miles on trails and convoys is run the 75 prob just because of the size. Sorry no pics I'm out of town working. BTW Uncle Rod set my bud up with a secret squirrel radio that gets 50-60 miles clear as day. Lol BTW there will be no disclosing of that setup so don't ask.
     
    Catcrazed, Jul 24, 2011
    #70
  11. Jul 24, 2011 at 9:57 PM
    #71
    Yoytoda

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    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    he just set you up with a box (snow shoes) aka linear amplifier. real easy but super illegal. the reason for running excess wire back and forth is because if you coil it you will get impedance in the wire and it will reduce clarity and distance. keeping the antenna in front of the radio is an ole myth. the radio doesnt care if the antenna is in front or behind it. dont believe me? turn the radio around... it will have no effect. ;)
     
    Yoytoda, Jul 24, 2011
    #71
  12. Jul 24, 2011 at 11:19 PM
    #72
    Catcrazed

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    Catcrazed Love is Dogs and Toyotas

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    Channel 17 should be what them highway hack big truckers are running you could jaw jack with them.
     
    Catcrazed, Jul 24, 2011
    #72
  13. Jul 25, 2011 at 3:37 AM
    #73
    TacoSupreem

    #73
    TacoSupreem Dirty Trucker

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    Us big truck drivers use channel 19.
    Breaker breaker one nine! :D
     
    TacoSupreem, Jul 25, 2011
    #73
  14. Jul 25, 2011 at 3:40 AM
    #74
    TacoSupreem

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    TacoSupreem Dirty Trucker

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    To test your radio: get on channel 19 and ask for a radio check. If someone says "the bank is closed" then you know it's Workin! ;)
     
    TacoSupreem, Jul 25, 2011
    #74
  15. Jul 25, 2011 at 9:44 AM
    #75
    Chickenmunga

    #75
    Chickenmunga Nuggety

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    All the normal TW BS
    :confused: Gobias and my examples were on drivers side. All FJCs will be on driver side (bandi mount), and all semis I see have the antenna mounted to the driver's side mirror.

    Good to know, thanks
     
    Chickenmunga, Jul 25, 2011
    #75
  16. Jul 25, 2011 at 11:50 AM
    #76
    gryllswannabe

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    gryllswannabe [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Like you said Catcrazed, I am leaning toward the 75 simply due to the fact that I don't really need to have crazy range and it has all the features I could ever see myself needing.
     
    gryllswannabe, Jul 25, 2011
    #76
  17. Jul 25, 2011 at 6:05 PM
    #77
    Nolawall

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    Nolawall "And there I was just minding my own business"

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    6" Fabtech Suspension Lift. K&N Air Filter Cobra 18 CB with 2 3' firestik II antennas
    The biggest thing i found with mine was that you have to make sure that your power wire is on the complete oposite side of the coax or you will get buzz like crazy. If you have your radio on and give you truck gas you will here buzz. It should be very little of this buzz.
     
    Nolawall, Jul 25, 2011
    #77
  18. Oct 24, 2011 at 5:46 PM
    #78
    TROKITA

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    TROKITA Well-Known Member

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    Any brands i should watch out on CB radios ??? im going to buy one for the Tacoma meet in may and i really want one. Something cheap im only going to use it when i go out to meetings, so what brands are good for the buck ????
     
    TROKITA, Oct 24, 2011
    #78
  19. Oct 24, 2011 at 6:21 PM
    #79
    SCFirefighter

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    SCFirefighter on idiot patrol ;)

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    Ordered the Midland handheld and a 2' Firestik. Antenna should come in Thursday. Will post pics when done.

    ETA: Bought it to get ready for my first trail run next month. Still have to find an SWR meter or a local shop. Both are hard to find apparently lol
     
    SCFirefighter, Oct 24, 2011
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  20. Oct 24, 2011 at 6:41 PM
    #80
    TROKITA

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    TROKITA Well-Known Member

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    crap i barely know what you guys are talking about but ill look in to it with time thanks :)
     
    TROKITA, Oct 24, 2011
    #80
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