CB Radio

[dkarge87]

I was looking to buy a cb for wheelin in my TJ and wondering what some people had and thought about them and what you might suggest. Thanks for your help and input in advance.

[fasteddie]

i got a cobra ultra 19 from wally world for 35 and it works very well cheap ant. and all have a good ant. to install yet

[ExplorHer4x4]

My dad gave me some old junker that was lying around,  seems to work fine.  It worked great for 101 last month.  I ziptied my antennae together b/c the magnetic base wont hold dirty.

Communication was easy and beneficial (and fun).  sped up breakdowns, breakups ,stuck recovery, and would be invaluable in an emergency.  I\'m glad I installed one.

Mines a General Electric 30ch. C1988.89

[JerMan75]

$35 cobra from wal mart and a $10 antenna from wal mart worked great at the 101. have since replaced tha antenna with a $30 4\' antenna mounted at the tail light on my XJ.  havent tuned it yet or used it with the new antenna.

[fedrusion]

Buy a cheap radio, cobra 19 from wally world is pretty good. Get a good antenna and make sure to tune it or have someone tune it for you. You can get a firestik antenna online for 20-30 that should do the trick.

I think most setups will fall around $100 all said and done after radio, cable, antenna and mounts.

[smichaelR22]

i just picked up a cable, mount and antenna from radio shack for 25$ for my Dodge.  i swap a CB back and fourth between the tow rig and CJ with two connections.

[XJ-Knight]

This is what I use. A little pricey but I love it..

http://www.offroaders.com/reviewbox/showproduct.php?product=389


Of course based on some opinions in some places CB Radios are just not that important. Needless to say I disagree..

[gCracker]

XJ-Knight wrote:
Of course based on some opinions in some places CB Radios are just not that important. Needless to say I disagree..

CB Radios are about the most important upgrade needed in a wheeling vehicle as far as I am concerned.

[mudnut]

If this is mainly for your trail rig avoid the bells and whistles (SSB, WX channel, auto dimming lights etc...) just more things to go wrong besides you\'ll be busy wheeling to worry about those things. Cheap ChinaMart radio or a used rig from a yard sale as long as it\'s on freq and nobody\'s messed with it (or wired it up backward).

Antenna... I like the 102 inch steel whip, easy to set up, not prone to breaking, clip the tip to your windshield frame when not in use and to clear parking garages (I drive my rig to work sometimes). Firestick antennas are good too but they do break occasionally, not often but it does happen and even if you don\'t break the stick you can damage the wire that is the actual antenna. They are still a great choice though. Either way run a spring at the bottom so you have additional shock absorption and so the antenna will bend when driving under the trees. Also consider mounting it to the back of your rig, that way when you scrape the side of your rig along a tree you don\'t rip off the antenna mount.

Try to stay away from \"loaded\" antennas, if it has a base or center coil it\'s not the best choice. Coils allow the antenna to be physically short while being electrically long, a purist would say that they are a compromise. For wheeling reasons I would avoid them as they are susceptible to moisture and vibration (not that you would EVER see that off road). Simple is better here. The exception to this is the Firestick type of antenna, the antenna is coiled around the fiberglass stick but they don\'t have any capacitors that most loaded antennas have so they are a better choice if you do need or want something shorter than the steel whip. Mag mount antennas tend to get knocked off during wheeling, I\'ve seen some held down with zip ties, a workable solution I guess but why chance losing your antenna and your comms?

Either invest in a good SWR meter or find a buddy with one and have your antenna tuned, you can ruin a new radio rather quickly if you don\'t check your standing waves and tune your antenna to the lowest possible SWR.

Seal your coax, whether you use a standard PL259 connector or a lug connector at the antenna you have to seal it from moisture. Not a bad idea to wrap the connector at the radio too unless you take it out of your rig. I like the paint on electrical tape, it\'s a flexible rubber much like what you find of the handles of pliers. Use the black tape and paint on the rubber stuff over the top of it. Remember the outer braid in your coax will act like a sponge and it doesn\'t take much water to corrode the shield inside the outer jacket, then you end up running new cable or frying your final transistors.

So much for being a man of few words LOL.

Happy wheeling!

[MassiveAttack]

sweet. There are a few of us who have really taken it to \"the next level\" and become amateur radio operators. It\'s pretty cheap and easy and now I can talk any distance great or small, do voice and digital \"messaging\", track positions and even link to the internet.
As far as just mounting a CB, a cheap radio and a good antenna is the way to go if money is a problem. I mounted a 102\" whip from radio shack to a windshield pillar mounted light tab, then pulled it down and tied the top to the rear with some string. It\'s flexible, and relatively low profile. The \"firesticks\"are good for truckers, but too rigid for off-roading.
I have all the tools to tune and seal a good setup if anyone ever needs it.

[ExplorHer4x4]

I like the idea of tying down a longer whip, using the length of the vehicle.  Cool share!

[gCracker]

One thing to be aware of with a huge whip is that they can be dangerous to bystanders if not tied down.  So much so that a lot of organizers had banned them from events. (I have heard of this in the past but nothing recently)

I personally have a firestik on a spring that I love.

[dkarge87]

I ended up going with a Cobra 19 ultra 3 from Wal-Mart with a Fire stick 4\" antenna and a spring that i will be installing soon after i realised that i need one on the trails. Now I need to tune my antennta or else i might burn up my radio i heard. How do i go about doing this or might somebody be able to help me do this? Thanks,Darren (dkarge87@yahoo.com)

[MassiveAttack]

Yea good point, untied whips can be a real party ender to anyone unlucky enough to be too close. I like them tied down because then they don\'t whip around and hit people or your body and if your into radio, there\'s this principle called NVIS. It\'s like aiming the garden hose almost straight up instead of way out, only with radio waves. It\'s better for close range coverage in hilly areas. Firesticks are good too as long as their on a spring and maybe tied with a small string to keep them from beating on the body.

[fedrusion]

If you have an swr meter I could help you out with tuning it(dont have one myself). I work in clifton and could help you out after work sometime.