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f1berman
01-21-2018, 08:29 AM
Hello,
I used to have good working knowledge radio and antenna set up and tuning. After years away. I am ready to.purchase my first CB radio in about 20 years.
I have a 500 mile trip coming up and really want a Radio installed before I go.
So please, what everyone's top pic under 300 dollars, again this will be for a Ford F-250, Crew Cab, with a 8 foot bed.
Thank you for time and input.

222DBFL
01-22-2018, 10:23 AM
A cobra 29, or a uniden 980. Either radio will do the job. You also want a good antenna setup. Sirio makes a pretty good antenna called the performer 5000. If not that one then a 102” whip with a spring. If you only want a magnet mount antenna the sirio performer 5000 and the sirio PL145 magnet mount work rather well. If you are looking for a new radio that just works, the uniden 880 or 980 work well. They make a wireless mic that plugs into them that works quite well too.

f1berman
01-23-2018, 04:23 PM
Thank you so much for taking the time to help this old Vet out. Head injuries are the worst, even when they are not the worst of my injuries. Memory loss is no fun. I will follow your advise. The Cobra 29 series and the Unidan 980, seem to keep showing up as the top two. But the Antenna is so important too. Thank you again.

222DBFL
01-24-2018, 02:46 AM
No worries. Hopefully I helped a bit. If you need any further help don’t be afraid to ask. We will help as much as possible. Have a Blessed day.

Old Sailor
01-24-2018, 08:18 AM
Hey, I have a Uniden 980 SSB as my second base station with a SS Whip 35 feet up. When DX is in I can talk where I want. No extra power needed. I agree with the previous reply about the Uniden and whip since that is what I returned to radio with about a year ago. As a Vet also, I note that for the money, you get what you pay for. Keep your head down.

222DBFL
01-24-2018, 12:16 PM
The uniden radios are great fr the price!! Yes there are better, but you have to spend 3-4 times as much. If you are looking for better radios, look into the Kenwood TS480. They have both a 100 watt and 200 watt version of these radios and they work good on AM and rock on SSB. For a HAM radio they do okay on AM versus most radios of the same kind I have heard. SSB is another story! You can get one of these Kenwood for just about the price of some of the higher end 10 meter radios, or glorified CB radios LOL. For a stock radio the good old cobra 29, the old ones, that is and the old President and RCI radios both do well. But like I said , for the money it’s hard to beat the uniden 980 with a good mic like the 2018 extreme. Anyhow, enough babbling.
73 and God Bless
222 Daytona Bch., FL

Old Sailor
01-24-2018, 04:12 PM
Hey bub: I seldom use the Uniden any more, even though I do like the radio and have always gotten good reports on it. I have a "modified" ICOM IC-718 that I use for all HF frequencies. As you said of "doing OK on AM" the 718 is good on AM but does not have the "hammer" some others do. It does its best on SSB. I am nearly finished with a home brew two element Yagi for 11 meters. Waiting for 50 ft of coax and a connector with the ground screw on it and I should be ready to go. I have dragged all the 980's stuff out there with an extension and tried the beam. So far so good. Usual locals like the sound and gave it good marks. Cant wait to hit it with the 718 in DX. Anyway, local is usually Ch 33 and DX is 38/39L. Take care and holler at me if you hear me. (402-Don)

f1berman
01-25-2018, 03:46 AM
Thank you.

f1berman
01-25-2018, 03:58 AM
222DBFL,
Thank you. You have my attention. I am interested in a next level radio, or radio combo, I am looking the best dependable, longest Tx Rx possible.
Within reason. Nut this vehicle will be out in very, very real, or put back areas.
I love to speak with you if possible

Thanks again.

f1berman
01-26-2018, 05:07 PM
So my Son has schooled me a little bit on Fourms.

So I should be asking everyone is they have thoughts about spending money above 150 to 200 dollars, for the Cobra 29 series or.the Units 980

A couple questions can you increase your range by double, by spending 3 or 4 hundred dollars?

And could someone please explain to me what a 10 meter radio is?

222DBFL
01-27-2018, 06:56 AM
It all depends on what you want to accomplish. The first thing I would do is to get the best antenna setup I can. Best antenna that you can afford and also good coax and connectors as well. As far as radios go the only thing I will say is that no radio will work well without a good antenna system. As far as radios go, if you are strictly using it for AM use only, the cobra 29 or the undien 880/980 would work well. If you want a radio for more SSB use, get the uniden 980. Stay away from the so called 10 meter radios. If you want t spend upwards of $300 or more, there are lots of radios to choose from. And depending on what mode of operation you talk on most, a ham radio may suit your needs at some point. Cost being one of the main factors as well as performance on AM mode isn’t the best. They shine much better on SSB. Some can be made to sound good on AM, but most are setup for SSB operation as far as the transmit goes. The one most important thing to remember here is that without a proper antenna setup, I don’t care what radio you have and how much power it puts out, you will be a stick in the mud if you skimp out on the antenna setup. JMHO. I would think most would agree. Spend most of your money on a proper antenna setup, including the coax, connectors, and all associated grounding and such. Then look at what radio you truly want. There are a lot of radios to choose from, both new and used, so it pays to look around like on your local CL, and such. And as far as doubling range, the best advice I’ll give you is to get your antenna setup right and you won’t have to worry about doubling your power. But if you want to double range per say, your antenna and conditions will more than likely be the determining factors as to how far you can talk. Yes you can get more range out of a system with an amp, but a good antenna setup to start with will go much farther!! Again, JMHO’s. Hope some of the text wall helps. Also read up on antenna installation and do some research on radios, CB, 10 meter, and ham radios will all do what you want. But for GP, the cobra 29, an older model if possible that hasn’t been hacked up, for AM would be a great start, or something like the uniden 980 with a decent microphone. Again, hope this helps and have a good day.

f1berman
01-28-2018, 01:52 AM
Again thank you. Learning about radios again is overwhelming at times. So much information and videos out there.
I will go with the Cobra 29 or Uniden 880. And spend money on the antenna set up.
I been trying to reach a Ham Operator that tunes radios / antennae, but no reply from him as of yet.