CB radio, Alive or Dead?

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.

Firestik LINK

This setup does a very good job for me. For you beginner CBers out there, have fun!

Mercedes-Benz & Fashion Week

I ran across a pretty cool video on you tube the other day. It features the SLS AMG and some of the lighting setup can be seen. This is a pretty cool video because it features both CARS and CAMERAS.

Check it out...

My Camera Gear Buying Tips

I hear it all the time. People saying how they wished they had a good camera so they can take better pictures. These people need to be slapped upside the head. The camera is not what takes good photos. That's the photographers job. I know a few people who spent thousands of dollars on camera equipment and they actually think they are really good photographers because they have all of this gear. When in reality, their work is far from being good. I know that sounds kind of cruel but it's true. Just because you have professional gear, doesn't mean you are a professional. Sorry about that rant, now on to something that is possibly useful!

What I like to tell people when they first start off in photography is to ease into it. Don't go to the camera store and buy the very best that money can buy. Heck I have seen some very good results from toy cameras. If your not sure if photography is your "thing", think about getting a point and shoot camera. Many times the people will get better results from a point and shoot camera then they would from a digital SLR. Many times when people who are starting off in photography they buy a digital SLR with a bargain-basement deal lens. So the image quality of that lens is very poor. Then people get upset that their camera is less than what they expected. If you the type a person who knows that your not going to get into photography that much, then stay away from the SLRs. Go buy yourself a good point and shoot camera. The image quality is going to be a LOT better than any SLR + El cheapo lens combo. Plus, those point and shoot cameras have come a long way in the feature department. You can do many of the same things on a point and shoot as with a SLR.

OK, what if photography is your "thing"? I still urge you not to go out and buy the latest and greatest camera. Why? You need to invest in glass, that's why! Like I said before if you have a cheap lens on camera, the image quality of your photos will suffer. I'm not saying you can't get stunning photos from cheap lenses or that you shouldn't buy cheap lenses. I am saying don't waste all your money on the best camera body. Invest your money in lenses or other accessories that will help you expand your photography. In all reality a 6MP camera is sufficient for just about anything you'll do. So don't get into to the "more mega pixels are better" sales hype. My opinion is that anything over 10MP is overkill. The entry level SLRs can do most anything a pro SLR can do too. So don't worry about lack of features. As of what brand to buy, any are fine. I am a Canon guy myself but I'll say stick with either Nikon or Canon. Stay with those two only because it is easier to find accessories for them when your traveling. Don't get me wrong, Sony, Olympus, Sigma, etc... they all make good cameras. Shop around, see what one you like the best.

The summary of all of this is don't worry about getting the most expensive camera with the biggest sensor. It's not going to help you any. Spend your money on good quality lenses that will bump your image quality up. Or buy some accessories for your camera that you can use to dabble in other areas of photography. Such as an off camera flash, reflectors, studio gear, etc...

For more great comics like the one featured at the top of this page please visit What the Duck's website

What The Duck: Strip search

I am still alive. Help needed. Attention FORD.

No, I did not get hit by a bus.

Sorry boys and girls for the lack of posts. I have been really bogged down with work and school.

I have some bad news though, I have nobody giving me cars to test. As in no manufactures want me finding what's wrong with their cars. I been wanting to test the new Taurus. (Hint, Hint. Ford) I keep hearing how Ford is stepping up their game and building, do I dare say it? Good cars!

I can be pretty harsh on the big 3, but I do give Ford props. Over the past couple years they keep building better, and better vehicles. So, I am calling you out Ford. You think your new cars will pass my high standards? Send a tester my way and lets find out.

As for the photography portion of my blogg, I have been really slacking off. I promise I will get some new stuff posted up. It might be awhile though. (Finals :( )

The good news is I get a bunch of time off for the holidays. Keep checking in from time to time. I promise I will get new stuff posted up.

2010 Volkswagen Golf & GTI, Impressions.

VW drops the Rabbit nameplate and gives us the new generation Golf and GTI. There has been a slight price increase on these two cars but honestly I could care less. These two cars are worth it. These cars are of very high quality. Just the other day I decided to take a gander at the new GTI. Some say the new GTI/Golf looks uglier than your Grandma's bunions. I think the GTI/Golf looks very mean (Which is a good thing). It seems like VW is stepping away from their happy-go-lucky styling and designing more aggressive looking cars. The new GTI's interior is amazing. Good materials used throughout the car. It has a redesigned big chunky race-like steering wheel, sport seats, new instrument cluster. Lets stop right there. There are only two things I don't like about the GTI. One is that new instrument cluster. They changed the color from blue to white. Horrible!!! That blue cluster was very cool to see lit up at night. Please VW change it back to blue! The second thing about the GTI/Golf I don't like are the crummy cup holders. They are just a hole! Give me those little "fingers" like the Tiguan has to hold my drink in place. The GTI gets a new type of differential lock for improved handling. I'm guessing the suspension has been tweaked to. Tweaked, not to be confused with Tweeted.

Of course you can get the new GTI with VW's DSG transmission. Which apparently can shift faster than the speed of light.

The Golf has the same aggressive looks as the GTI but the big news is what's under the hood. For 2010 the the Golf comes with VW's TDI diesel engine. I think the MPG is around 30/40. Which is better than some hybrids. Unlike a hybrid you can drive a real car, with real power, and real practicality.

Would I buy the new GTI or the Golf? Absolutely not! Why? I tell you why. There is speculation that the R20 will be headed for US shores. The R20 is the replacement for the R30. The R20 will have the same 2.0L Turbocharged engine as the GTI but the power is pumped up to 250HP or so. Even better than that, the R20 comes with AWD for your cornering pleasure.

If the R20 fails to come over here the GTI will be my next vehicle. That is unless Alfa Romeo (Fiat) brings over the 147 hatch back.

Volkswagen of America

Ford Recall

Ford is recalling a bunch of vehicles that have a nasty little habit of catching on fire. This, my friends, is not new. I can remember several years back of this same type of recall. People have had their house burn down because of the Ford that was parked in the garage. This type of "problem" upsets me because it is life threatening. How would you like to be woken up by your significant other in the middle of the night telling you, "I'm sorry to wake you, but the van is on fire."?

If you have one of these recalled vehicles please sell it and get a nice German car. (preferably a VW) In all seriousness this recall is very important, don't delay, get it fixed by your local Ford dealer. It's free.

Recall Information - Ford

Ford Extends Largest-Ever Recall By 4.5 Million Vehicles - Wide Open Throttle - Motor Trend Magazine

Properly Adjusted Mirrors

Believe it or not but you probably have your mirrors adjusted incorrectly (On your car). I'll admit it, I did too. The majority of people have their mirrors angled so that half of their car is showing in the mirror. Or they have their mirrors angled so they can see their pretty face. Well people do need to put on their makeup or shave while driving, right? The correct way is to line up your side mirrors with your re-view mirror. There should be very little over lapping field of view when the sides mirrors are compared to the center mirror. This will help shrink your blind spots down significantly. Motorcyclists will be grateful.

Please check out this link. It even has pictures. Everybody likes pictures!

Linquist.net- How to properly adjust your mirrors