CB Radio
 

:?:
I am looking for a good, reasonable radio. Is there any place that sells refurbished or wholesale? I am interested in Connex, at least 3300. I don't have pikes of cash to spend. Any suggestions?[/size]

Tried eBay? :?: Pawn shops? :?:

cb shops sell used radios too

Also do a web search for CB radios. There are several shops that sell both new and used CB's.

Re: CB Radio
 

Don't waste your money.

Get a Cobra 25 or 29. Midland and Uniden also make good radios.

also truck stops, truckers always selling goods on the radio, good luck on the connex, I like galaxy myself dx99v....

Re: CB Radio
 

Connex 3300 and the high power model along with the general lee are great radios, some of the best audio you can get, thicker pc boards, connex and general are not a waste of money. The question is do you want to spend the extra money.

you can look here http://www.1stopelectronics.com/

Re: CB Radio
 

I've torn apart and worked on most every brand of CB around today, and I can tell you that I don't see anything in a Connex that makes it worth the highly inflated price.

As for audio quality, that remains a mystery, since most every bozo with a Connex radio tends to crank the echo and reverb up way too high just to sound cool (at least he thinks he sounds cool)!

If drivers were concerned about good audio quality, they'd ditch the idiot echos and such in a heartbeat.

I have a Cobra 29 with no work done to it that works just fine for me with your standard Radio Shack antenna. Can talk crystal clear for at least 8-10 miles with my mobile unit.

Exactly right Highwayman, those with the echos and stuff need to get them off their radios. Can't understand a single thing they say so why have them?

If you are ever in N.C. stop at exit 390, I -40 TC's radio shop he'll hook you up.

As Ford does, I have a stock cobra 29, mine's a Nightwatch, if u have weatherband in your truck, good, otherwise get the radio with weatherband in it for 24/7 weather reports. make sure u have an antenna that supports it! I think u need a dual-band????? dunno
I bought a Striker antenna to go with my stock radio and i talk pretty good on it. my SWR is 1.25!

remember to use ur CB with discipline, ch19 is not for chitchat, esp. what others listening doesnt interest. If u wanna talk to someone specific, ask them to join u on another channel. ch 19 is for INFO such as weather, bears, traffic, directions, etc. do not flood it with BS, potentially blocking someones cry for caution due to a wreck ahead!!!

cb radio
 

The antenna company FIRESTIK has a great amount of information regarding cb installs and how to get the most range and best quality from your cb.
I've been doing alot of reading on the cb install topics and based on what I have read some drivers are wasting their money on getting a good radio and then not doing the rest of the install properly - ie tuning their antennas to the truck - using bad or incorrect coax and not grounding their system from the antenna mount.

As I understand it - SWR is a measurment of the radio signal that is NOT being transmitted but rather coming straight back through the system - so a 2:1 SWR would meant that your 4 watt radio is transmitting 2 watts and then getting 2 watts fed back to it - and the perfect 1:1 ratio is all of the power being used to transmit.

Get a GOOD radio - but don't spend too much. If you get a magnum or connex with 40 watts and do all of the install properly - you can get out FAR. Or just get a standard 29ltd and get a 100 watt linear and you spent less and have more power than the connex.

I just have a Midland powermax and did the install properly - I get out 10 miles on a clear day - that's stock - any radio could do that if set up right.

Geez One, that's all you hear anymore on 19, BS. Nothing but Rambo's and Wah-mbulance's.

I too have the Nightwatch one. My wife was riding with me one Saturday and a weather alert came thru. I had forgot I had it turned on and when the severe weather blast went off, she jumped thru the roof of the truck. All I could do to not wreck from laughing so hard. :D

I have purchased items at 1stopelectronics. I purchased a Delta Force Magnum thru Premier Electronics a few years ago. I'm not sure how Frank at 1stop is running things these days. I go thru radio friends I made sometime ago for peak and tune etc. I don't know who is doing Franks radio work now.

If you read the message board at onestop, you read alot on antennas, setups, radio's etc. I'm a member there, though I don't frequent the board as I did. They also have used radio's for sale. You can get feed back on the sellers thru the board I do believe.

As for radios, people like what they like. I do go with the Cobra' 29's. Mine is on it's way back to me with new and upgraded finals. Mine is an older version. I'd buy a new one, or even a Uniden then listen on the radio to the radio's others run. I get big time flowers (compliments) with my Magnum, as it is clear, crisp, and quality audio. It has enough power to get over the CB Rambo's out there, the annoying guy that run's around the area roger beeping, burping, swearing, etc all day.

I talked with a driver from the board here. Her name is LilSister (sp) she had a Galaxy 33 that was a fine sounding rig. When women key up, often the fools fall out of the idiot tree and start trash talking. Her and I could converse like they were not even there. We went up to another channel to chat, so as not to clog up business on 19. She gave me a fair assessment of driving with her company and other good to know info.

I've talked to guys running Rangers, Galaxies, Cobra's etc Good is good. Good mic, good radio, good antenna, and quality set up. It's like ford, chevy etc. Same thing.

I'd have no problem with a Cobra out of the box, but with the radio's I have, I can wait the time to send one out for the tweaking. It does matter, especially if you LSB.

I found that noone has the radio to USB/LSB anymore :sad: so my dream radio of a Cobra 148GTL Nighwatch was out the window for a good quality 29LTD Classic "Rebel" with Confederate Flag faceplate......

Radio's are a matter of preference, but as previously pointed out, it is not just the radio that makes the airwaves, but quality antennas/coax... if you have a top of the line radio and the cheapest antennas you will get out less distance/quality than if you have the top of the line coax/antennas(properly matched) and the cheapest of radios.......

Totally Agreed! My mobile has had an older Royec radio that puts out two whole watts. I can get out 30-40 miles with it. But of course, it's a 10k world. Kale Kavel puts out a fine antenna for mobiles.

I have a USB/LSB radio. There are folks out there, and I hear drivers go LSB to get away from the local riff raff when the rambo's are harrassing channel 19. (they don't like drivers, women or Veterans)

As a base station I hear drivers using 19 for business, helping each other when doors are open, lights go out, other problems etc. I hear the local riff raff harrassing, I hear local garbage haulers and County workers b!tiching about their miserable underpaid jobs. Having a radio that gets out, gets above the trash talking is something I'll have.

73's
Twystd

H&Y Electronics.com. Connex 3300 hp $195.00.

i just ordered a galaxy 95 off of ebay..i assume galaxy is a good radio?!?!?!

Way to do your homework before you buy there guy!

LMAO..

Galaxy is a good radio. Lots of bells and whistles.

Just remember all 10 meter export radios are illegal.!!! If it doesn't have an fcc sticker or plate on the back it's illegal.

Okay, question for all the CB-knowledgeable guys on this thread........
I've seen small, inexpensive Midland and Cobra radios on sale at TA
for around 29 or 30 dollars. Are those sufficient for your average ch. 19
2-way communication? And are they good quality? Or should I get something more expensive?
Also how much should I expect to spend for a radio that gets NOAA
weather reports? Thanks in advance 8)

for all c.b. info go to www.cbradiotalk.com

this is just my opinion, but if you are going to buy a radio..think big. yeah some people say that you do not need but think of this. you are lost somewhere needing help, but the little POS radio you bought to save money is not getting out over all of the garbage. now what, someguy is trying to help you but you cannot hear him, or he cannot hear you. remember, your radio that is built big to transmit is usually built big to recieve as well. just my opinion. I run a general lee doing about 60, and when i need some help a 250 watt kicker...but sometimes i can just aggravate if the mood strikes me.

go to www.cbradiotalk.com for all c.b. questions. they have a for sale c.b. too by individuals too.

i have a gen lee & a ts 350 kicker. & one day while trying to get around a 10 mile backup some one 7 miles away lead me every step of the way around it. i never saw the driver. without my big radio i never could have made it. i would have had to sit thru back up. my pred 10-k also helped.

amen brother

I run a general lee that runs at about 100w transmit with no kicker and I get ouot 15+ miles all the time. You don't need a kicker if you let someone who knows what they are doing tune your radio and antenna.

I dont see how a gen lee can get out 100 w bare foot. no matter what you do because of the limit on the transisiters. unless using a kicker...

It cant, its another trucker story!!!

I don't know the specifics but my friend who "built" my radio designs and builds circut boards for a living. As far as I know the board inside may not even be the original connex board.

I'm not try to tell trucker stories here but I'm just stating how my radio works. I don't use a kicker and I talk to the "big radio's" in the north east all the time. I've already had other drivers tell me that I was walking all over their buddy's radio that was running 150w's. Believe me or not that's fine, but I love my general lee.

That connex board is the echo control board most likely! And that radio will not do 150 watts. Not trying to start anything but someone told you a story…lol Remember when someone tells you are walking on another radio don’t take that as a sign of a big radio, you may just be closer to the other person than the guy you think you are walking over!!
I have a galaxy 88 and at times I can talk all over the country, but never on 19 with all the BS going on. Skip is a wonderful thing, learn about it!!

SSOutlaw I respect what you are saying, and as I am getting into CB's as more of a hobby now when I get my own meter's and such I will test it out and see what it really does. All I know is I get compliment all the time about how loud and clear my radio is even on 19 when the "big dogs" are on the radio stirring up trouble.

The radio you have is a very good radio, and sounds like it has been set up right. Just keep accepting the flowers about how good your radio sounds! Nothing better than a good sounding radio! 8)

Thanks Outlaw, everyone loves getting flowers when it comes to their radio's!

570 is backing on out for now, wavin' a big ol' hand from the keystone!

"i have a gen lee & a ts 350 kicker. & one day while trying to get around a 10 mile backup some one 7 miles away lead me every step of the way around it. i never saw the driver. without my big radio i never could have made it. i would have had to sit thru back up. my pred 10-k also helped."

Having a big radio is only good if the guy on the other end has a big radio. otherwise someone 10 miles away is hearing you, but they might only have 4 miles of broadcast range. Unless you can increase your reception to compensate.

Oh.

My old cobra 25 started squaking and smoking. I got it 2 years ago, and it was made in like 91, i think.

Is it worth fixing, or should i just replace it? It's not modded, and I'm not attached to it. I paid like $35 for it. I think the problem is that the internal speaker caused a short, cuz I was up until recently only using an external speaker. I'm wondering if I could bypass the problem by buying a speaker and plugging it in, or if I should just put that money towards a replacement.