CB for trail rides (2 Viewers)

[Tigerstripe40]

I have a Cobra 75 unit that I have setup on a 12v cigarette lighter plug and external mag mount antenna. It gets put in the truck for Cruise Moab, then taken out of the truck as soon as I get home and forgotten about until the next Cruise Moab.

 

[woytovich]

Just get both. For under $100 you can have a CB and a 2m handheld.

 

[4Beast]

Another vote for the 75-822. I find it good for what it is, but much prefer GMRS that most people seem to be running nowadays (in fact I carry two handheld GMRSs in my truck for when others don't have it, and just use my 75W in the truck).

 

[flintknapper]

And sometimes I wish 4x4 had gone to GMRS instead of 2m.

Agreed. So easy to gear up using GMRS.

I would expect over time....it will render 'CB' all but obsolete.

2M seems to be more popular now than in the past.

 

[MoJ]

A correctly installed cheapo $40 uniden with a cheapo 12” rubber duckie antenna is great for trail rides.

 

[Ravenkeeper]

I know that people have been running with the cheapest CB that they can find, and spend a little bit more on their antenna. I've been running a Uniden PC122XL (U/LSB) since that particular radio came out around 1991. When I have my setup up/kicking, I'm on the SBs often. But when the guys and I hit the trails, or go looking for aircraft crash sites, we stick to a predetermined channel, often 22, otherwise we roll Ch19, especially on the highways heading to/from the dirt roads/trails to/from the sites.

When I moved from Mountain Home AFB to San Diego (spend the weekend with my family), and back up to Edwards AFB (to start in-processing), in our Neon, I was running with my Realistic handheld/walkie CB and a "rubber ducky" antenna, worked great for that 1,000 mile run to home. In our Grand Cherokee, I had my Uniden PC122XL and was running another FireStik antenna.

 

[rolliges]

The good thing about CB when wheeling IS the limited range.




Good to have CB and ham.

 

[Ravenkeeper]

The good thing about CB when wheeling IS the limited range.




Good to have CB and ham.

The "good thing about CB" is "limited range?" Sounds more like a flaw than it does a benefit.

 

[rolliges]

Imagine you need to communicate with a spotter or someone at the front/end of a convoy, but instead you have the range of a ham and are picking up a long detailed conversation of a few people a great distance from you.

Have both. One is limited in range, the other reaches greater distances. Everyone wins.

 

[1911]

Imagine you need to communicate with a spotter or someone at the front/end of a convoy, but instead you have the range of a ham and are picking up a long detailed conversation of a few people a great distance from you.

With the nearly infinite number of frequencies available on even just a 2 Meters ham radio, it's not going to be a problem to find one that is not already in use.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Imagine you need to communicate with a spotter or someone at the front/end of a convoy, but instead you have the range of a ham and are picking up a long detailed conversation of a few people a great distance from you.

Have both. One is limited in range, the other reaches greater distances. Everyone wins.

With the number of frequencies available with 2M, it's not an issue.

CBs extremely poor sound quality, on the other hand, makes it worse than useless to me. I can't understand what people are saying, and yes, my CB is tuned properly.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

well, it appears that I may be able to get everything (CB, Antenna w/cable and SWR meter) for right at $100 bucks. The Uniden 520 or 510 look small and reasonable to get "CB" in the LX. Thank you all!

What antenna did you go with, are you happy with the range and performance?