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 Post subject: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:16 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:39 pm
Posts: 43
I have a very old CB in my jeep and i believe its finally starting to kick the bucket. its not the kind you can tune and everything like the more modern ones. its a Cobra 67LTD.

So i'm wondering what do you all have in terms of CB's? I have been looking at the kind that are more walkietalkie (sp?) style. With the handheld and the antenna.

Any reccomendations? or any ideas of where to go to get a new cb hooked up for a good price?


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:55 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:13 am
Posts: 517
Location: Henderson, NV
Beerman621 wrote:

So i'm wondering what do you all have in terms of CB's? I have been looking at the kind that are more walkietalkie (sp?) style. With the handheld and the antenna.

As you can guess, there are all kinds of CB's out there. :roll: The walkie-talkies are very popular and some club members use the type that have everything in the microphone. Cobras are a good brand and so is Uniden. I have a couple of Unidens for in the Jeep and a Cherokee walkie-talkie if I'm out on foot.

It would depend on your needs and what you have room for. If you have any questions, just ask. There a lot of club members that can help.

John 8)

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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:00 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:39 pm
Posts: 43
thanks! im gonna try to see if i can get mine to work with the help of a shop here in town, and if not im gonna order the walkie talkie one, at $40 it seems pretty reasonable. says it can reach 4 miles as well.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:03 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:16 pm
Posts: 62
Location: Green Valley/Vegas
I ordered a Cobra 75 WXST All-in-Handset Mobile 40-Channel CB Radio from Amazon, and a Firestik antenna and mount kit from an outfit in Utah (can't remember the name of it, but should be easy to find on the net). I had everything installed in about 3 hours. The hardest parts for me were routing the cable, finding a good place for the extra cable, and not starting a fire under the hood. There are handy tutorials on the net, too!

Good luck, Beerman!

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'06 Rubi- really, really ORANGE!
'02 Tacoma 4x4 TRD
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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:39 pm
Posts: 43
Goat wrote:
I ordered a Cobra 75 WXST All-in-Handset Mobile 40-Channel CB Radio from Amazon, and a Firestik antenna and mount kit from an outfit in Utah (can't remember the name of it, but should be easy to find on the net). I had everything installed in about 3 hours. The hardest parts for me were routing the cable, finding a good place for the extra cable, and not starting a fire under the hood. There are handy tutorials on the net, too!

Good luck, Beerman!



thanks, i have a question though, i already have a 3 ft antenna thats fully wired to the CB, how would the hand held work if you replaced the CB box with it?


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:34 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:03 pm
Posts: 174
Location: Winnemucca, NV
Image

I went cheap and easy. My radio is a Cobra 19 Ultra III, which I bought at WalMart for $34.99. I only use my radio when on outings with friends with CBs in their trucks.

I installed the radio in the simplest way possible. Given the lack of under-dash access, no convenient or non-invasive mounting location, and fear of tapping into wires that might cause electrical problems, I mounted the CB to the top of the dashboard using “industrial strength” Velcro strips that I also purchased at WalMart. I cut a rectangle out of the Dashmat the size and shape of the supplied mounting bracket for this purpose. I also scavenged an old, non-functioning 12v accessory, utilizing its plug and wires to furnish power from my 12v outlet. I ran the wires for power and antenna down the front of the dash – held in place by clips screwed into the dash's plastic face – and plugged the radio into the remote 12v outlet mounted on the side of the center console.

You might notice the door stops under the radio. They're necessary because of the weight bias forward due to the plug in mike. Even with the knobs cranked to the max with a pair of pliars, it tilts forward. The doorstops work fine and seldom fall out.

The radio does jiggle a bit on rough, rocky trails, but it hasn't fallen off yet. I tried hard to yank the radio off the Velcro mount as a test, but as advertised, it is “industrial strength.” I have to yank hard to pull the radio off the dash, so I'm confident that it won't fall. In fact, it's far easier to remove the radio by unscrewing its mounting knobs, leaving the bracket stuck to the dash.

I'm happy with my purchase. I don't use the radio much, so didn't need to get an expensive rig and modify it to talk clearly with the left coast. If you want cheap and easy, I'd say this fits the bill.

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D.A. Wright
~When You Live in Nevada, "just down the road" is anywhere in the line of sight within the curvature of the earth.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:11 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:39 pm
Posts: 43
David A. Wright wrote:
Image

I went cheap and easy. My radio is a Cobra 19 Ultra III, which I bought at WalMart for $34.99. I only use my radio when on outings with friends with CBs in their trucks.

I installed the radio in the simplest way possible. Given the lack of under-dash access, no convenient or non-invasive mounting location, and fear of tapping into wires that might cause electrical problems, I mounted the CB to the top of the dashboard using “industrial strength” Velcro strips that I also purchased at WalMart. I cut a rectangle out of the Dashmat the size and shape of the supplied mounting bracket for this purpose. I also scavenged an old, non-functioning 12v accessory, utilizing its plug and wires to furnish power from my 12v outlet. I ran the wires for power and antenna down the front of the dash – held in place by clips screwed into the dash's plastic face – and plugged the radio into the remote 12v outlet mounted on the side of the center console.

You might notice the door stops under the radio. They're necessary because of the weight bias forward due to the plug in mike. Even with the knobs cranked to the max with a pair of pliars, it tilts forward. The doorstops work fine and seldom fall out.

The radio does jiggle a bit on rough, rocky trails, but it hasn't fallen off yet. I tried hard to yank the radio off the Velcro mount as a test, but as advertised, it is “industrial strength.” I have to yank hard to pull the radio off the dash, so I'm confident that it won't fall. In fact, it's far easier to remove the radio by unscrewing its mounting knobs, leaving the bracket stuck to the dash.

I'm happy with my purchase. I don't use the radio much, so didn't need to get an expensive rig and modify it to talk clearly with the left coast. If you want cheap and easy, I'd say this fits the bill.


i have all that installed tho, under the passenger seat is the box wired to power and antenna, with all controls on the handset, but still there is no reception.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:24 am 
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Posts: 791
Location: Las Vegas again
speaking from experiance i suggest repleceing the stud. it's less then $10 to replace. it's the part that the antena screws into the top and the coax screws into the bottom. these go bad and you have trouble sending or recieving or both.

_________________
1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
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Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:43 am 
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Location: Green Valley/Vegas
Brad's right! The thing you have to remember is to NOT cut any more cable than you have to. The antenna cables have to be 18.(something) feet long to perform well.

Also, the walkie-talkie type is a bit of a pain if you use the external antenna, as it is in danger of blowing off or knocked off by limbs and other trail scratchies.

_________________
Adam & Amanda

'06 Rubi- really, really ORANGE!
'02 Tacoma 4x4 TRD
WWJJD?


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 8:11 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:39 pm
Posts: 43
brad/duuuude wrote:
speaking from experiance i suggest repleceing the stud. it's less then $10 to replace. it's the part that the antena screws into the top and the coax screws into the bottom. these go bad and you have trouble sending or recieving or both.



ok! do you know where I can get one? And thanks again!


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:31 am 
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:58 pm
Posts: 74
Try Radio Shack.

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Is a CJ-5 indefinitely confined to jack stands still considered a Jeep? OllllO Scottie.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:43 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:03 pm
Posts: 174
Location: Winnemucca, NV
Beerman621 wrote:
i have all that installed tho, under the passenger seat is the box wired to power and antenna, with all controls on the handset, but still there is no reception.

I don't know if you've installed one, but I'd strongly recommend an external speaker. With the relatively noisy environment of a 4x4 at speed on the highway or off road over the trail, those all-in-one CB units tend to be weak in the volume department.

A friend of mine with a modified JK series Rubicon had the problem of hearing me and another friend on a multi-day trip last summer with his Cobra all-in-one's stock speaker, especially at speed on the highway (tire and wind noise). I recommended an external speaker and he's now quite pleased with being able to hear his radio clearly.

I have a 20-year old Radio Shack 200-channel scanner sitting underneath my passenger seat. It is a base type scanner, no means to mount to a bracket nor meant for vehicle use. But it does have jacks for external antenna and speaker. It's location makes hearing the scanner under the seat difficult, so I bought an un-amplified Radio Shack external speaker for around $15. You can see it in the photo right under the "13" in the date stamp on my image. It works very well and puts out enough volume that I don't have to turn up the scanner's volume knob more than about a third of the way through its range.

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D.A. Wright
~When You Live in Nevada, "just down the road" is anywhere in the line of sight within the curvature of the earth.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:03 pm 
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Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:11 pm
Posts: 72
Location: SW Las Vegas
I just use a RadioShack hand-held unit. I don't have any problems unless it's a huge group and I can't hear or talk to people too far away. I always try to run somewhere towards the middle of the pack.

Considering doing the less expensive Cobra setup also, and getting a magnetic whip for the rear bumper.

_________________
2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (4dr)
2" RE BB
RR 1.25" BL
18" Ultra Thunder Alloys
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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:30 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:03 pm
Posts: 174
Location: Winnemucca, NV
I forgot to mention my antenna, which is a basic Radio Shack magnetic mount, which I bought long before I bought the Cobra (I had a portable CB unit that I used before I bought the Cobra and used the external antenna with it). The coax is run through the rear-quarter flip out window on the driver side, the weatherstripping is thick enough to allow passage without leaking air or water.

The antenna been damaged several times, I replaced the mast, but it's been broken since and trail repaired. Currently, my reception range is about 1 mile, although people say they hear me transmitting at greater distances. The SWR is spot on, even with the damage. I plan to replace it before my next outting. My local WalMart has one antenna model that they sell for $13.

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D.A. Wright
~When You Live in Nevada, "just down the road" is anywhere in the line of sight within the curvature of the earth.


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 Post subject: Re: CB radios
PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:49 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2005 2:20 pm
Posts: 213
Location: Durango & 95
Goat wrote:
Brad's right! The thing you have to remember is to NOT cut any more cable than you have to. The antenna cables have to be 18.(something) feet long to perform well.


I could go into a lot of numbers, velocity factors of RG-58 coax, wavelengths and such but the 18 foot thing is just a myth. You only need enough to reach from your radio to your antenna.

_________________
2002 Wrangler (TJ)-Gone, Sheila got it in the Divorce
2004 Rubi - Street tires and an UGLY bug guard - let the mods begin!
1992 XJ-Sold, Hope to get another when I get back to the States.

NBMC/CC/MP/LD


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