Advice Needed For A Reasonable Home Base Setup

[NYRAVEN]

Hello everyone, I am new here and my name is Chris. Nice to meet you !
It seems as though there is a wealth of knowledge here, and I'm hoping it can help me out. I haven't touched a CB in almost 40 years but am thinking of getting back in to it. I am not sure what I need in terms of equipment other than a radio and antenna to be honest. The mobile CB's I have looked at are reasonably priced but I'm not sure if they can be used in a home ? Probably a stupid question. I am in a wheelchair and have been for 27 years so money is kind of tight so the cheaper the better without buying total junk or maybe buying a decent used set up from someone here would be a fine option. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing your opinions and making some new friends along the way !

[mattsowders1989]

Hi Chris. My name is Matt. I’ve only been in it for about a year and a half but I have been learning very much, mainly from this forum. A good affordable setup would be a mobile radio IMHO. Here is what I would do if I wanted something good but in my budget:

Cobra 29LTD Classic - $85
HYS TC-300 Linear Amplifier (about 150 watts on AM) - $130
Solarcon A-99 Antenna - $85
Pyramid PSV300 Power Supply - $64

These items and prices are from Amazon. This would be the starter setup that will get you going that I would recommend. I would also recommend getting the radios output power turned down to at least 1.5 watt dead key. I use a tc-300 as a driver and that’s what I’ve seen its best performance at. That would be a good yet affordable start IMHO. Let me know if you have any questions!!!

[mattsowders1989]

I would also get a SWR meter as well because the SWR meters in radios suck! You can find them on Amazon cheap as well.

[NYRAVEN]

Hello Matt nice to meet you ! Thank you for the info. A question, since I am in a wheelchair can I tune the antenna on the ground before I have someone put it up higher ? Thank you !

[mattsowders1989]

I would tune the antenna on the ground and check the SWR when it is up, But you may have to bring it down again if the SWR is different. I forgot to tell you the different pieces of coax you'll need. you will need a long one for the antenna and 2 jumpers for your amp, SWR meter, and radio

[NYRAVEN]

Good food for thought. Thank you Matt !

[mattsowders1989]

No problem. Hopefully sometime when the DX is rolling, we can make contact! I'll be here if you need any other advice!!
677 and this super modulated FL Studio injected Cobra station, got down and gone!

[222DBFL]

Normally the A99 comes pre tuned for the CB band and most likely won't need much if any adjustment as far as tuning goes.
There are other options for a power supply as well.
MegaWatt power supplies are small and work very well and offer a good amount of amperage as well for the price. I believe their 30 amp model is only $50 plus $8 shipping. As for a radio if you plan on using AM only, can't go wrong with a cobra 29. If you plan on getting into SSB, the uniden 980 is a great Radio for a starter.
Also look at the IMAX 2000 antenna as well. They are much longer than the A99. Also if you get the A99 don't forget the ground plane kit or GPK. This will help with CMC issues or RFI/TVI issues. Don't forget to get a couple ground rods as well. 5/8" x 8ft ones can be purchased at Home Depot, as well as the wire needed to ground your antenna mast and your equipment. A surge arrester is a good idea as well. There is a lot to think about and to get when installing a base station setup versus a mobile one. A push up pole at least 30ft. would be a good choice as well. These are just some of the things you will need for a proper install of a base station. You will most likely need help with the antenna install. I wouldn't do this by yourself. Just some food for thought. Have a good one and enjoy the forum.

[mattsowders1989]

Hey Sean, good advice. He is in a wheelchair so he will have to have someone else install the antenna. I figured that setup would be a good starter.


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[JesseJamesDallas]

I said it before, and I'll say it again...

CB = "Constantly Buying"...