CB, ugg I don't want to but need to

[Josh00333]

Thank you! This is exactly what I was after. I've been thinking of getting my Tech any way and this will open that door as well as deal with this sudo short term item on the CB side.

The Uniden 980 is a pretty good legal CB with SSB but If your going to go SSB and want to talk really long distances but keep it compatible with typical CBs used off road you might consider one of the newer 10m amateur radios that will also do CB at upwards of 60w output with AM, FM and SSB. You can turn the power down to almost nothing when running on the trail with other Jeeps or turn it up to 60w and talk across the country or to other countries on SSB. Not legal to use on CB but this is what most serious CB guys and girls are getting these days. Some also have very effective DSP noise reduction usually found on much more expensive amateur radios.

Here is one of the better ones on the market today and this is a really high performing radio for the price. It runs circles around a Uniden 980 and does things the Uniden can never do. I have one and wish something like this was available in the early 1970s when I first started playing with CBs. The link below is the newest version that is shorter and has a VHF receiver for weather channels, 2m amateur and other stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126661138955?_skw=anytone+at-5555n+ii&itmmeta=01JCYX24Z10D82ZNK1GA4ZQ7JY&hash=item1d7d979a0b:g:B0wAAOSwbA1m2rjk&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA0HoV3kP08IDx+KZ9MfhVJKkd5WE1lETEB6dorteTMeP9zz3gEV6KBBCdu4CcH5xovh8Y1ezL242XLWeWfSwU1d7UiB36P2eam+TCMQSheEM5diDQQUX8i+dD2AMfymHSvgh0/q/0bAdk5hxl4fHfa6smp+3AGAoTZwgOr4mYN3yN456DuJss+EmJiN6ZgNf5e1DSRhvhDrI67Rzl7lr5S900uD+6eX2O3kqhaJj+RnVgKc9XQqLIH2ikPg2WNTLWXc70cQcz0crtaU0OM8yv0xk=|tkp:Bk9SR8zPiN3nZA

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[Radio Guy]

Thank you! This is exactly what I was after. I've been thinking of getting my Tech any way and this will open that door as well as deal with this sudo short term item on the CB side.

When using my AT5555NII on 10m with a base antenna there isn't anyone I can hear that I cant get back to on this radio from So Cal. All over the US, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico and much more. Transmit audio is good and punchy and receive quality is far and above any typical CB out there.

Just make sure you get the latest version which has a much shorter and easier to mount, plus it will have VHF receive capability.

 

[Josh00333]

Agree 100% that's why I did GMRS for my install.

But....

The Red Rock Jeep club that runs Easter Jeep Safari still uses CB's, as such I need one. I used a hand held to get by but as I noted I'm going to volunteer so I need a better set up. RadioGuy's solution I think will work best, rather invest a little and be able to use it for 10m as well.

All in all, GMRS would be the better option here, so much better it is to the point that I wonder why people still use CB for this kind of thing...

The DB

 

[Sweetums]

The best radio in the world is useless unless there's someone on the other end of the conversation. The best radio is the one that's used most in your area; I don't like CB and frankly, I'd rather use GMRS than ham, but the friends I wheel with use 2m ham - so that's what I carry.

 

[Radio Guy]

That wide band Anytone radio will need an equally wide band antenna. There are few options, one being a discontinued Laird CW27 NMO that covers 26.8 to 29.7MHz with no tuning and a new President Colorado 800 WB that supposedly covers 21-30MHz. I have the CW27 and it works well, been meaning to try the President but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

[Camaroboi13]

My advice is always buy the cheapest radio and the most expensive antenna in your budget. Nothing else matters outside of the antenna.

 

[Radio Guy]

My advice is always buy the cheapest radio and the most expensive antenna in your budget. Nothing else matters outside of the antenna.

I don't think that is good advise. Yes a great radio connected to an 18" long back of set antenna makes for a sh*t station but everything is proportional to quality and cost with more emphasis on antennas.

Take an average good antenna on a JT, maybe a 4ft Firestick mounted to the upper bed rail or Larsen NMO27 on the hood and connect that to a low budget Cobra 19 CB. If you have any radio experience you will be frustrated and sad. Replace the Cobra 19 with a Uniden 980 and life is better, you have a much better performing receiver, an RF gain to help quiet down the annoying skip when caravanning and SSB when you want to play some DX. Replace the 980 with an Anytone 5555NII and everything is proportionally better, transmit audio is bigger and better, the receiver gets less bleedover from nearby truckers on other channels, the DSP noise reduction will keep your hair from falling out, etc.

Now upgrade the antenna to a 9ft whip on the upper bed rail and your distance increases noticeably on both transmit and receive. Or on SSB or 10m people across the country or in other countries will hear you better via skip. All this depends on what you want to do and how much $$ you want to spend.

The cost between an 18" long mag mount antenna and a 9ft whip with ball mount with all the trimmings is not substantial but the difference in performance really is. The difference between a Uniden 980 CB and an Anytone 5555NII is a little over 2X the cost and the end result in receive range is better (not counting the DSP in the Anytone) but less than going from the 18" mag mount to the 9ft whip. The difference in power between the radios and the better transmit audio on the Anytone will be obvious to anyone listening to you.

So my advise is first decide what your goal is and don't skimp too much on the lower end or the higher end. A sh*t setup will always be sh*t but a low cost system doesn't have to smell like doo doo and can perform just fine for caravanning and other basic tasks. Go high end all the way and your done, you won't ever have to say I should have got this or that because you already have it.

 

[Camaroboi13]

Take an average good antenna on a JT, maybe a 4ft Firestick mounted to the upper bed rail or Larsen NMO27 on the hood and connect that to a low budget Cobra 19 CB. If you have any radio experience you will be frustrated and sad.

I guess I have no radio experience because this setup works more than well enough for me, and I could care less about better quality from a handful of watts. To each their own.

 

[Radio Guy]

I guess I have no radio experience because this setup works more than well enough for me, and I could care less about better quality from a handful of watts. To each their own.

With that said I guess you would be perfectly happy with a stripped down 2WD JT sport model, right? Why would anyone need more? Do they even make a 2WD?

 

[Sweetums]

With that said I guess you would be perfectly happy with a stripped down 2WD JT sport model, right? Why would anyone need more? Do they even make a 2WD?

Do you also buy the Snap-On hammer instead of Harbor Freight at a fraction the cost? Does the $135 hammer hit things $90 better than the $45 hammer?

Sometimes "gets the job done" is good enough.

 

[Camaroboi13]

With that said I guess you would be perfectly happy with a stripped down 2WD JT sport model, right? Why would anyone need more? Do they even make a 2WD?

That’s way too much effort. It’s easier to buy a fully loaded Rubicon and remove the front driveshaft!

 

[Camaroboi13]

Sometimes "gets the job done" is good enough.

This guy gets it

also, I just go by whatever Project Farm says for hammers

 

[The DB]

With that said I guess you would be perfectly happy with a stripped down 2WD JT sport model, right? Why would anyone need more? Do they even make a 2WD?

So, the OP's radio needs, he needs to talk to his group, which will pretty much always be close, very likely not more than 1/4 mile away at any given time. There is no 2wd JT sport model, however, if there were, when it comes to his needs with said CB radio, that is the equivalent that he needs, nothing more. Hes not trying to talk to the next county, much less the world. He doesn't need any more than the basics. And it is possible that he will only need said basics once.

If you were talking to someone getting into the hobby, then sure, your recommendations would be good, but the OP isn't. He has shown no interest in the CB hobby itself. All he needs is something that is adequate for 1/4 miles of range mobile to mobile, which pretty much anythign with an external antenna will do easily. Hell, even saying he needs that much is a need is likely a stretch.

If you really think that he needs super high end radios (from his perspective) and big massive antennas, then you completely missed the point of his question.


The DB

 

[Radio Guy]

So, the OP's radio needs, he needs to talk to his group, which will pretty much always be close, very likely not more than 1/4 mile away at any given time. There is no 2wd JT sport model, however, if there were, when it comes to his needs with said CB radio, that is the equivalent that he needs, nothing more. Hes not trying to talk to the next county, much less the world. He doesn't need any more than the basics. And it is possible that he will only need said basics once.

If you were talking to someone getting into the hobby, then sure, your recommendations would be good, but the OP isn't. He has shown no interest in the CB hobby itself. All he needs is something that is adequate for 1/4 miles of range mobile to mobile, which pretty much anythign with an external antenna will do easily. Hell, even saying he needs that much is a need is likely a stretch.

If you really think that he needs super high end radios (from his perspective) and big massive antennas, then you completely missed the point of his question.


The DB

Maybe you didn’t read all the OPs posts like this these where he likes the idea of operating 10m amateur with the same setup. I like to recommend solutions that will take you into the future and not require a complete do over. That seems to disagree with your 1/4 mile only recommendation. Maybe you missed a point somewhere.


Post #17 by Josh 00333:
”RadioGuy's solution I think will work best, rather invest a little and be able to use it for 10m as well.”

Post #19 by Jos00333:
Thank you! This is exactly what I was after. I've been thinking of getting my Tech any way and this will open that door as well as deal with this sudo short term item on the CB side.

 

[The DB]

Ok. Although I would consider those an afterthought after someone pushes something above and beyond anything they previously said they wanted or needed. You should get a position in sales, you would make a killing...


The DB

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