CB

[Hubermr]

What’s a good CB radio to get? I figure the antenna is about the same no matter what but I’d like to invest in a good CB on top of having my Ham license.

 

[Mr. Nobody]

I have a Cobra SW-75 Handheld CB Radio and Firestik 3' Tunable Tip Antenna. It's a good setup with the entire radio contained in the handheld unit. I will say that it has been basically useless and I rarely ever use it. No one I travel with ever really has CB (or it's never tuned right) and I wish I had just spent the money on a good Ham like I'd planned. Some buddies I traveled with pushed the decision to go CB and I was the dissenting voter.

 

[solscooter]

I have a Cobra SW-75 Handheld CB Radio and Firestik 3' Tunable Tip Antenna. It's a good setup with the entire radio contained in the handheld unit. I will say that it has been basically useless and I rarely ever use it. No one I travel with ever really has CB (or it's never tuned right) and I wish I had just spent the money on a good Ham like I'd planned. Some buddies I traveled with pushed the decision to go CB and I was the dissenting voter.

I’m running the same and feel exactly the same. Talked to a few truckers on long hauls and that’s it

 

[New Holland Overland]

I would recommend a handheld, CB's dont have the range other systems will have an typically its only in a small group setting (typically jeep clubs) that use CB. I ripped my mobile CB out of the truck after using it only a handful of times and got a handheld, which is much easier to store, and also theres no tuning of the antenna which can be a pain sometimes as well

 

[Jay]

I have a cb and it hasn’t been turned on in about a year.
I use my ham much more often

 

[Tuglife]

I think CB are a thing of the past. Get a nice dual band radio. Run gmrs and ham.

 

[midnight20pro]

BAOFENG BF-F8HP. I have backup radios too if necessary. Didn't think CB was in much use anymore. I think even the cops are switching to gmrs.

 

[RevN3]

PRO510XL, It does the job well. All the people I go out with have CB too. We can talk to each other well enough. I understand HAM is the better choice but you need a license and I don't have time for that and neither do the people I ride with. CB is a plug and play solution.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VXNF/?tag=tacoma3g-20

 

[midnight20pro]

The HAM is for emergency use only which you're allowed to do without a license. If you need to SOS in a true emergency, no ones going to come hit you with a fine, and most HAM operators live for the day they have to answer to some distress signal. For vehicle to vehicle I have the Midland gxt/gtx GMRS handhelds. They do weather and offer some privacy modes (if the other radios are compatible). They're useful around the house as well in case of big natural disasters that may knock out internet / phone / mobile -- which happens here sometimes. When I went looking for radios / comms everything I was seeing was cb was nearly entirely phased out and the options I went with were what was seemingly being standardized.

Just adding my thoughts, obviously everyone has different needs and preferences as well as past experience to guide them

 

[sdsponger]

Most of the people I go out with and myself have Baofengs and either use gmrs or murs freqs. They've been rock solid...Just be careful of the laws surrounding this.

 

[midnight20pro]

You can use the Baofengs on civilian frequencies (frs ranges) without license.

FRS – Family Radio Service, Operates on 15 channels around 462 Mhz at 2 watts, and 7 channels around 467 Mhz at half a watt, No License required.

 

[Tacomadad18]

+1 on the handhelds. Much easier to use and some places the cb just doesn’t work. At least around us