comments on a cb radio

[markv]

Hey what do you guys think about a cb radio.......are they worth the money......

I mean i know you can get on the clock weather all the time, listen to cops, and such.....

but are they worth it for anything else....?

[Wiscon_Mark]

cool factor? Talk to truckers?

I've considered one.

[rougeben83]

Some say it's even better than a radar detector as truckers have a habit of calling out cops they see and what direction they're on, etc.

[markv]

cuz i mean, i can get some cb radios from my store for 10% above cost..... that can be close to 50 percent off or more in some cases....on some nice ones too.....

[markv]

by the way.... whats the cool factor?

[d1giPhux]

cuz i mean, i can get some cb radios from my store for 10% above cost..... that can be close to 50 percent off or more in some cases....on some nice ones too.....


No sheeeeiiiit. How much they run you? CB's are always a good time!

[Wiscon_Mark]

by the way.... whats the cool factor?

No reason for it, other than it being cool.

Consider it "pimping your ride"

[markv]

i can get them ( cobra, uniden, etc for like 50-75 bucks)

[markv]

on problem im thinking of is installing one inot my subaru

then if a cop pulls me over and catches me with it.....dont they bust your huevos for that

[Wiscon_Mark]

You're thinking of a radar detector...I don't think there's anything wrong with a CB radio.

Specifically a "police scanner" is probably a no-no if you start using it and following crimes all over the area or something :lol:

[markv]

hahahaha, nah im not a crime stopper, ive been stopped by cops for doing stupid things with my car too many times to stop others....

ooo, i guess then the cb's are cool......cuz the radars are cool with the cops too...( im in new york)

[ivwarrior]

CB's are fine, but you'll rarely if ever, hear the police on a CB. They have their own radio frequencies.

A scanner, which may or may not pick up police frequencies depending on where you live and how high tech the police radios are, is illegal for anyone without a permit to possess in New York state. And getting a permit for one is probably only slightly easier than getting a concealed carry permit for a handgun in NY.....

[Reason]

Some say it's even better than a radar detector as truckers have a habit of calling out cops they see and what direction they're on, etc.

That's what we did the times we drove to Florida. My father was a truck driver and him and my buddy would take turns talking to guys and bull shitting with them. Cool guys from RI to about NC. There and back up was just rednecks and pretty much all were assholes.

[d1giPhux]

CB's are fine, but you'll rarely if ever, hear the police on a CB. They have their own radio frequencies.

A scanner, which may or may not pick up police frequencies depending on where you live and how high tech the police radios are, is illegal for anyone without a permit to possess in New York state. And getting a permit for one is probably only slightly easier than getting a concealed carry permit for a handgun in NY.....


Thats waaaack, you cant have a scanner? Scanners kick ass man, and most of them dont transmit.. so wtf!?!? Thank god i hate NY. :lol:

[d1giPhux]

Some say it's even better than a radar detector as truckers have a habit of calling out cops they see and what direction they're on, etc.

That's what we did the times we drove to Florida. My father was a truck driver and him and my buddy would take turns talking to guys and bull shitting with them. Cool guys from RI to about NC. There and back up was just rednecks and pretty much all were assholes.

HAHAHA, sounds about right. LOL. :lol:

[markv]

well then its settled ima get one.

question though....are they hard to install???

[d1giPhux]

well then its settled ima get one.

question though....are they hard to install???

Shouldnt be much to install at all. Depends on what kind you get.. you should just be able to basically plug it in and go.. or mount it somewhere.. plug it in, and go. Really depends on what kind you get though. Check this out for an idea of what it MIGHT be like.. depending on what kind you get..

http://www.alpharubicon.com/elect/howtocbradio.htm

http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/electr ... cbradio01/ (http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/electrical/xj_cbradio01/)


Does your work sell scanners?

[markv]

because right now i have a midland, 40 channel cb, and a cobra 40 channel cb

[ivwarrior]

well then its settled ima get one.

question though....are they hard to install???

Depends on what you get, and where you want to install it. Mounting the radio itself can (probably will) be the worst part. I've been thinking about getting a small bodied CB that I could mount in the extra DIN spot in my Outback, but haven't gotten around to it.

Wiring is simple, just a power and a ground. Make sure the power line is fused, normally there is an inline fuse in the power wire that comes with it.

Of course you need an antenna. There are 4 basic options, 3 of which would work on a Subaru.

1) Mirror/tube mount. Designed to clamp onto a mirror tube. Works fine on a tractor trailer, not really an option for the Subaru.

2) Hard mount. Basically requires drilling through the sheet metal and bolting it in place. My least favorite option, but it could work.

3) Glass mount. The antenna sticks to the outside of the glass and the wiring to the inside. Signal has to pass through the glass to get from antenna to coax to go to radio. This tends to cut down on effective range of the radio. Also, since it's just held on with foam tape, the antenna needs to be installed when the glass is warm, so it gets a good bond and doesn't fall off the first time you hit 65 (trust me on this one). An OK option if range isn't a concern and you just want to be able to talk to the truck driver you see heading the opposite direction down the highway. It's probably the stealthiest option as the antenna is small and could pass for a glass mount cell antenna.

4) Magnet mount. My preferred option, just sit it down on a large flat steel surface like the trunk or roof. The magnets are strong enough to hold at speed (at least up to the highest I've been) and since it's just a magnet, you can easily remove it when you want to be stealthy. Range is excellent with a decent one as the antenna is directly connected to the coax.


The other thing you'll want to do is make sure after hooking up everything that it's tuned for SWR. Some radios have a built in meter, most don't. A local CB shop (if you can still find such a thing) should have one and be able to help you out.

Am I forgetting anything?

[markv]

WOW!!!! no man, i think you got just about everything i needed to know.....damn......so many easy options..i think ima go with the magnet antenna though....don't wanna drill any hole inot the car that might end up showing later....

thanks a lot though.....

if any body wants i ended up buying one midland from my job for like 20 bucks, and a cobra from a trucker off ebay....if you want one just hit me up.....(thats if i dont use one or the other)

or both...haha

[The Deej]

Does anyone know if they make a cb radio that fits in a single DIN?

[ivwarrior]

I called Radio Shack and they said THIS RADIO (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2572006&cp) will fit a DIN slot. I don't know, but they said it will. It does have a front input for the mic, which is a definate plus.