CB Radio what setup do you have?

[space]

Cobra Cb Radio 18 WX ST
Uniden PC78LTX 40-channel CB Radio (with SWR Meter)
these are the 2 I have
The uniden seems like the better of the 2
but the cobra has the weather channel

Anyone know where I can get the Mosfet mod installed for the cobra?

[vwlukas]

howdy you nuts,

im trying to figure out a compromise for my friends and i to keep contact in convoys. here's the situation;

i would like a permanent setup in my van. something that can pick up NOAA as well.

but i would also like to pickup a few cheapish hand helds to give to my friends for convoys. we most likely won't be more than a mile or two away from each other at at time.

is there a setup where i could reach the hand helds from a "base station" like i would have in my van.

sorry if this is vague and hard to follow. i'm just starting to read into this and looking for everyone else has found to work for them

[Vanlife Geek]

[Gnarlodious]

Radio is Stryker SR-94HPC hanging under the dash, running CB+10M Amateur.
Antenna mount is Larsen NMOKHFUD with solid copper core coax.
Antenna is Laird CB27S, 25-31 MHz (CB/10M) base loaded NMO mount.

— K5ZN
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[kourt]

If it were me, I would stick with modern CB equipment.

The signal fidelity and strength of CB equipment is pretty good for a caravan of vehicles that are spread out over five or so miles.

Ergonomics are really important, too. You will not use a radio (and your friends will not enjoy using radios) if:

-you cannot hear what comes out of the speaker ("My engine is loud and it's hard to hear you...")
-your transmitted signal cannot be heard by others ("You were over a hill and we didn't receive your notice of exiting...")
-your received signals are not reliable ("We didn't hear you at all! Were you holding the radio vertical to keep the antenna up?")
-you have to fumble with it while driving ("Where's the volume/transmit button on this little radio?")
-the battery dies during a day long drive ("We were two hours into a six hour drive to Denver and one of the radios died.")
-if any one person is left out due to inequity of equipment ("Your radio just doesn't have the power like ours.")

The small handheld VHF/UHF radios all fall prey to the factors listed above.

A modern CB radio, mounted under your dash, with a good speaker, a separate handheld microphone, powered by the vehicle's DC circuit, and connected to a properly mounted external antenna, will solve all of those problems and be a joy to use. Think like a trucker here--someone who spends all day in the seat of a vehicle, driving. Truckers have had this figured out for decades.

The Stryker/Larsen/Laird setup mentioned by Gnarlodious is a perfect example of this type of planning: good audio, good transmit power, good receiver, good antenna, and reliable DC power.

I also think the Midland MicroMobile 15W GMRS radio suggested by Vanlife Geek is pretty great.

I have several ham radios in my van, but I keep some good CB equipment handy for friends when we are in a convoy. Handheld radios (Baofeng) are nice, but they are about as enjoyable to use as a cellphone on speakerphone while driving--hard to understand, and not really suited for intermittent convoy conversation over hours of driving. You'll set the Baofeng down, it will roll over onto its speaker, the antenna will be poorly situated to receive, and you'll not hear parts of every transmission. It will get annoying, and the annoyances will discourage use of radios... unless you nail the ergonomics as I suggest.

kourt
KB5PRZ

[GoEverywhere]

[Corwyn]

Cobra Cb Radio 18 WX ST
Firestik II NGP antenna and coax

_________________
'90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja

"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~

[kourt]

Thanks for your comment--the remote head mounts for those radios are made out of aluminum 2U server shelving.

I had a lot of it lying around. It cuts and bends easily and doesn't corrode, and has a black coating on it. The rack mounting tab is perfect for the metal underside of the dashboard--you can drill a few holes there and use machine screws with nylon insert nuts behind to provide a solid mounting--and those holes in the dash don't show if you change your mind about mounting radios.

Lastly, get a Magnetic Mic setup for your microphones. Cops and truckers use them all the time. Instead of taking my eyes off the road to stow my mic, I just lower my hand in the general area and SNAP the magnets grab the mic and stow it for me.

kourt

[steveo9007]

Been looking at this aswell, but being in the UK i was wondering whether the same rules apply to being not able to use a mobile phone whilst driving to using a handheld cb radio or even the handheld talk button ??
_________________
85 Autosleeper KY Engine, ALD Box

[kourt]

In the US, the "no mobile device use while driving" laws almost always include exceptions for two-way radios. I can't say how those laws are written in the UK.

kourt

[steveo9007]

[RoryGirl]

The only difference appears to be "whilst"

https://www.dcs2way.co.uk/news/is-it-legal-to-use-a-two-way-radio-whilst-driving.htm

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q659.htm
_________________
1991 Double door pop top conversion

[steveo9007]

[Corwyn]

Depends on the state.
_________________
'90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja

"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~

[Energy Concepts]

Hi All,

I just installed a Temporary CB Radio
And, Honestly, after traveling Seattle to Portland
I didn't feel it worked all that well.?

Does Tuning with a SWR Meter make a
Significant Difference?

And Should I Run a Ground Wire
up to the Base of the Antenna?

Thanks !!!
JC...

[steve244]

Isn't GMRS the go to band these days?
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs

Is this your first experience with citizens band? Who are you trying to communicate with? In its heyday (70s), CB radio was annoying.
_________________
82 AC vanagon approx 200K miles (3K are mine).
DD is a 2015 Leaf
Road Trip to Hell (FL 2023)
The Vanagon's drivetrain and chassis restomod thread. Best sung to the tune of I Did It My Way...

[GoEverywhere]

[davlance01]

Where in the hell did you find a radio shack cb???
_________________
Life is short and the road is long so if you want to see it all you have to drive fast!

[RoryGirl]

[do.dah]

@Energy Concepts, what's with your window? The pic of your antenna,, is that your front passenger window? With some knda louvers?

Oooh, just realized it's probably a reflection of building siding...