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CB radio

Bent77

Bent77

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Looking for a CB to run in the K10, something console mounted.
Don't need the best and most expensive, don't want junk.

I don't know a bunch about these. I know the older 23 ch units can be good, but modern technology should provide some good quality and power.

Educate me what and where
 
My time to shine. I've got a Uniden Bearcat 880 in the silver Dodge, I absolutely love that radio, It's a relatively small radio, and fits fine mounted low on the dash. I'm able to reach out about 25-30 miles depending on weather conditions, also that truck has a rear bumper mounted 102' (Which I recommend for everything, stay away from fiberglass antennas)

I've got a peaked and tuned chrome digital Cobra 29 in the Cummins, It's a full size radio that I have mounted on the overheard console, However I personally am not a huge fan of th chrome. It does about the same as the Uniden, however, it has a harder time picking up stuff over 20 miles away, That may be partially due to the fact that it has a Wilson 1000 Trucker Center-load mounted on the headache rack.

In the Blazer I've got an early front mic Cobra 29 mounted overhead, It's also been peaked and tuned, and does alright for just about everything withing a 15-20 mile radius, regardless of weather, It's running through a 102' mounted on the bedside.



However, I'd say my best radio is a 1975 Midland 13-157B, It's only a 23 channel radio but It can hold it's own against any radio I've got even with a crappy little antenna.
I'd use it in something but funny enough around here we all hang out on channel 24.
 
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The Griff said:
My time to shine. I've got a Uniden Bearcar 880 in the silver Dodge, I absolutely love that radio, It's a relatively small radio, and fits fine mounted low on the dash. I'm able to reach out about 25-30 miles depending on weather conditions, also that truck has a rear bumper mounted 102' (Which I recommend for everything, stay away from fiberglass antennas)

I've got a peaked and tuned chrome digital Cobra 29 in the Cummins, It's a full size radio that I have mounted on the overheard console, However I personally am not a huge fan of th chrome. It does about the same as the Uniden, however, it has a harder time picking up stuff over 20 miles away, That may be partially due to the fact that it has a Wilson 1000 Trucker Center-load mounted on the headache rack.

In the Blazer I've got an early front mic Cobra 29 mounted overhead, It's also been peaked and tuned, and does alright for just about everything withing a 15-20 mile radius, regardless of weather, It's running through a 102' mounted on the bedside.



However, I'd say my best radio is a 1975 Midland 13-157B, It's only a 23 channel radio but It can hold it's own against any radio I've got even with a crappy little antenna.
I'd use it in something but funny enough around here we all hang out on channel 24.
Click to expand...
The 880 and the 29 were two models I looked at, so any extra details you have on those would be welcome.

For the 102, any brand better?

In the terms of peaking and tuning, did you do that yourself?
 
For antenna's, Hustler is a fairly safe bet, both of of the ones I have are Hustlers. Radioshack sells them for around $30.

I got both the 880 and the Chrome 29 used. The 880 was bought new by a friend of mine, found out it wouldn't fit in the spot he had hoped, and sold it to me before it had ever been turned on. I kind of think the 880 is a little more user friendly than the 29LX, Where with the Cobra you have to go through the settings to set things like the talkback and the weather alarms, the Uniden just has hard buttons for them.

Also, pictures incoming.
 
880 with an external speaker.

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The Chrome 29LX

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The 29LTD in the Blazer

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I've had all the work done on them done by a shop south of me, Also they warranty it, so that's nice.
 
Back in the day,the Cobra 148 GTL was a very good one...single sideband,can be converted to upper & lower channels--the "Ranger" CB's were also popular ,they would go from 27 mghz to nearly 30 mghz.
"President" radios were also high quality...back in the 70's there were tons of good brands--Pace,Midland,Uniden,Realistic,Roberts,to name a few..
I have most of these,some are so old they use crystals,and had only a few channels,others are 23 or 40 channel..some claim the 23 channel ones had slightly higher wattage outputs...

I'm not of much help as far as whats available today...since I still have most of the ones listed above except the Cobra's and Rangers,I haven't had any excuse to buy a newer one..and my only daily driver hasn't got a CB,the cell phone has made it obsolete..(but CB's are actually usefull now,since everyone uses phones--the channels are "dead" ! )..

I did have a Uniden 40 channel I bought new around 2002,it was tiny enough to fit in my ash tray opening,and it also had a weather band...I let it stay in the vehicle when I sold it...I only paid 35 bucks for it from a flea market vendor who always had both new & used radios..

I found the antenna is more important than the radio much of the time--a good one properly matched will transmit and receive best,even a cheap radio does well when the antenna is right...
I liked the "Firestick" whips for cars,but I use the stainless steel 9 footers on my trucks that had CB's..
 
I'd very much like to find a 148GTL, Since they went out of production they have become impossible to find around here.

And yeah, the antenna makes more difference than anything. Almost every radio comes out of the box set up to run with a 102, thats why I say that's really the only antenna I'd ever buy again.
 
Cobra 29 ltd classic in my blazer, 102 off the rear bumper, has been a good radio, bought it new and only really use it while wheeling and riding around convoying with buddies, works good.
 
I have a Midland 75-822 handheld with an external antenna. I can move it from vehicle to vehicle easily.
 
I need a new one also, got a new antenna last year and a external speaker, radio sucks though.
 
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Never seen that one done before, Curious to see how that turns out.


All said and done, basically I'd say go for the 880 and a 102.
That was geared more towards Bent, However I'd think it's a pretty safe setup for anyone, I've done nothing to mine since I've got it and it outperforms both of my peaked and tuned Cobra's.
 
The Griff said:
Never seen that one done before, Curious to see how that turns out.


All said and done, basically I'd say go for the 880 and a 102.
That was geared more towards Bent, However I'd think it's a pretty safe setup for anyone, I've done nothing to mine since I've got it and it outperforms both of my peaked and tuned Cobra's.
Click to expand...
Should work same as an MP3 player
 
Something I just thought about, will the CB have enough power to get more than a mumble out of the factory speakers?
 
The Griff said:
Something I just thought about, will the CB have enough power to get more than a mumble out of the factory speakers?
Click to expand...
Should, essentially you can amplify it twice. Mine has aftermarket speakers (three).
Unfortunately, I'm in research phase. Probably won't buy anything for another couple months. It's 23rd on my to do list BB16
 
I actually did something vaguely similar to this, albeit reversed,

My Blazer never had a radio, Factory radio delete truck. I got an aftermarket late 80's radio, stuck it in the radio hole, and used two external CB speakers mounted under the vent knobs for it. I'm using a modified magnet mount CB antenna for it as well. Basically just the antenna itself and the base.

Not perfect, but It fills my criteria.
 
Might go by there and see what the have.

Does the 510 have the weather band? I actually use that
 
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