What comes to mind when you think of CB (Citizens Band) radio? The 70s, or maybe movies such as "Smokey and the Bandit"? Most people proabably think CB's are ancient technology that cell phones have replaced. Well, there are a lot less people who use CBs today then in their hayday. Nevertheless, there still is a LOT of CBers out there. Now what's the point of a CB in a car if everybody has a cell phone? Unlike cell phones, the general public can hear everybodies conversations. So, a CB equiped car can get real-time road condition updates. Some CBs even have a weather band feature, which is pretty handy. Because CBs don't require a "network" like cell phones they will always work when your in the middle of nowhere. There tends to be a bit of trash talk on the CB nowadays, but CBs are still a lot fun. A lot of the CBers are fun to listen too. Some will even mention where the "smokeys" are hiding. If your lost and your trusty GPS is on the fritz, ask for help over the CB. Other CBers will love to help you out.
If you do a lot driving, there should be a CB installed in your car. They can be a very helpful tool.
Ok, I talked you into buying a CB. "Which one should I get and how much will it cost me?", you may ask. Well, the good news is that buying a "setup" doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. There are many routes you can go. You can buy used or new. Personally, I'd buy all new, but that's just me. You can buy a cheap Radioshack CB radio for $40 and a cheap $30 magnetic mount antenna. The setup will work just fine too. The reason why other radios cost a lot more is they have more features. All radios are limited to 4 watts by law, so the expensive radios will not give you anymore range then a cheap radio. There are some people who buy illegal linear amplifiers to up their wattage. Sometimes, these people can be heard from hundreds of miles away. With a legal 4 watt setup, the range is probably not too much more than 10 miles on a good day.
Next, you'll need an antenna. Again if you want to do a cheap setup, just go to Radioshack and buy a cheap magnet mount antenna. There are all sorts of antenna out there. Metal "whips", fiberglass antennas, cell phone look-a-likes, etc... There are many ways to mount antennas too. The easiest way to do it, without drilling holes, is a magnet mount. Just run the wire out the door and your in business. The most important thing to do is calibrate your radio and antennas SWR. Failure to do so can result in a damaged radio. Also, if your SWR is off, you might not be transmitting at full capacity. You can buy an SWR meter, or try and borrow one from a CB shop or friend.
I recently bought a new CB system for my car. I bought a Midland handheld CB radio (Pictured above). Midland LINK
This is a great little radio. It has many features and it's really compact when it's in its "car mode." Meaning, its the size a microphone when the battery compartments are off if it.
I bought a fiberglass antenna to go with it. The antenna is a Firestik II adjustable tip antenna. Normally the longer the antenna the better, but for looks I got a two foot antenna. For only being two foot long, the antenna does a pretty darn good job. I mounted it with Firestik's magnet mount, also attached a medium duty spring with quick disconnect.
This setup does a very good job for me. For you beginner CBers out there, have fun!
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