School me on Compact CB Radios

[Hilldweller]

I almost suggested the same thing, till I remembered how many Ham snobs there are who'll only say "Get a ham, its way cooler/better/stronger/sexier/more expensive." I think the OP will get more honest answers here.

HAM will work better but isn't as ubiquitous as a CB.


That little Cobra will overheat when you use it. I had a couple and they all do it; I couldn't figure out why.
That's why they die. The more you transmit, the faster it will die. You'll feel it get warm in your hand. Even with low swr.

A cheap little traditional Cobra/Midland/Uniden will work better. A big box will work even better but will take up space.
And do get a decent antenna, match it to your box. I like the Wilson Silverload Flex for offroading; it bends 180* without breaking.

 

[highdesertranger]

inyo man that's a geart radio. uniden pro 538w. I have 2, however I don't believe they make it anymore. highdesertranger

 

[Martinjmpr]

I know several people that use the Cobra & were happy w/ it. I went w/ the Midland version as it gives the you the option of being portable, which has come in handy for spotting a few times. I've had it since 2009 w/ no problems.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=electronics&field-keywords=Midland® 75-822

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+1 on the Midland 75-822. I've been running that radio with a center-roof mag-mount antenna since 2007 and it's worked great. Best thing about it is there is no permanent "installation." You can install it in 5 minutes as long as you have an available 12v power outlet and it "uninstalls" just as quickly.
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Like the Cobra 75, the Midland has the NOAA weather radio, too, which is nice when you are on a highway and can get a signal.

 

[tgreening]

I almost suggested the same thing, till I remembered how many Ham snobs there are who'll only say "Get a ham, its way cooler/better/stronger/sexier/more expensive." I think the OP will get more honest answers here.

Honest answer is a ham unit will work better, is not necessarily more expensive, most likely is stronger in both output and construction, probaly runs a bit hotter and not cooler, but isnt really sexy one way or the other since its mostly just a metal box.

Honest answer is cb is easier because you dont have to invest any time or effort, and there's likely to be way more of them on the trail.

The other honest answer is over in the ham/cb/whatecer forum any attitude displayed is almost always preceded by some troll coming in and looking to stir up crap.

You'll notice not one ham in this thread had anything negative to say, yet if we jump over to that other forum we might just be "snobs".

I've run the compact Cobra units in a couple different rigs and for whatever reason could never get the performance out of them I could get from something like the Cobra 148. Great radio that. But for shear unobtrusiveness the little ones are hard to beat. I used them specifically for that reason and for on the trail use they sufficed. On the highway not so good. Audio tends to be kind of poor and at distance it becomes a factor. At least in my area nobody wants to mess with them as far as tuning. I dont know if its because you really cant, or they just dont want to because of the construction, but in either case thats a drawback. Just about any box style radio can be and generally benefits from a good once over from a decent tech.

 

[4x4junkie]

For the sake of others you intend to communicate with, please don't buy a Cobra 75... :snorkel:
Of all the radios I have difficulty in trying to understand the person behind the other mic on, the Cobra 75 is about the worst when it comes to transmitted audio quality (exceptionally muffled-sounding, something Cobra seems to have no interest in fixing either). I also cannot tell you how many times we've lost contact with someone using a 75 because they accidentally bumped one or more of the many controls that are crammed onto the mic without realizing it.

So I also would say to stick with a traditional-chassis radio.
One exceptionally good (and time-proven) unit I've found is the Uniden PRO-520XL. This is about the only sub-$80 radio I've seen in recent time that can rival the transmitter output quality of bigger radios such as a Cobra 148 (and it's actually sub-$50 to boot!). Obviously it lacks most of the features a bigger radio has (no SSB, noise blanker, built-in SWR, etc. etc. blah blah), but it is infact a very solidly built unit with good sound that will serve exceptionally well on the trail or highway.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-PRO520XL-40-Channel-CB-Radio/dp/B00004VXNI

Uniden also has a 510XL that deletes the RF Gain control and PA function for a few bucks less, but is otherwise is the same great quality radio (the 505XL seems much cheaper-made).

Agreed about antennas mounted up high on the roof. Transmitting antennas invariably work better when not partially blocked by the vehicle body.
It should also go without saying... the longer the antenna, the better. Right about 5 feet seems to be a performance tipping point, so you don't want an antenna shorter than this if range is important. As was mentioned above, a 102" quarter-wave whip does give the best range by far, however certainly there are situations where such a long antenna may be impractical. For these I like the 5.5' Francis CB-26 Hot Rod whips. They seem to have the best balance of performance with size and lighter weight.

 

[gwittman]

I got the Uniden PRO 520XL and use it with a Wilson 1000 mag mount on the roof. The radio is fairly compact and I have no complaints about it. I get good reception and no one has complained about the transmission. I have only had it for about a year so I can't say how good it is long term. Very happy with it so far.
It has an external speaker jack but the internal speaker has been good enough so far.

 

[Inyo_man]

inyo man that's a geart radio. uniden pro 538w. I have 2, however I don't believe they make it anymore. highdesertranger

I was able to find one on e-bay a number of years ago.
Perhaps there are still some out there?
No complaints with this radio at all.

 

[Inyo_man]

For the sake of others you intend to communicate with, please don't buy a Cobra 75... :snorkel:
Of all the radios I have difficulty in trying to understand the person behind the other mic on, the Cobra 75 is about the worst when it comes to transmitted audio quality (exceptionally muffled-sounding, something Cobra seems to have no interest in fixing either). I also cannot tell you how many times we've lost contact with someone using a 75 because they accidentally bumped one or more of the many controls that are crammed onto the mic without realizing it.

I couldn't agree more!
A buddy of mine has one of these units as a back-up, or a loaner for rigs with no CB coms. It's a better than nothing set-up IMHO.

 

[Wasatch]

For the sake of others you intend to communicate with, please don't buy a Cobra 75... :snorkel:
Of all the radios I have difficulty in trying to understand the person behind the other mic on, the Cobra 75 is about the worst when it comes to transmitted audio quality (exceptionally muffled-sounding, something Cobra seems to have no interest in fixing either). I also cannot tell you how many times we've lost contact with someone using a 75 because they accidentally bumped one or more of the many controls that are crammed onto the mic without realizing it.

So I also would say to stick with a traditional-chassis radio.
One exceptionally good (and time-proven) unit I've found is the Uniden PRO-520XL. This is about the only sub-$80 radio I've seen in recent time that can rival the transmitter output quality of bigger radios such as a Cobra 148 (and it's actually sub-$50 to boot!). Obviously it lacks most of the features a bigger radio has (no SSB, noise blanker, built-in SWR, etc. etc. blah blah), but it is infact a very solidly built unit with good sound that will serve exceptionally well on the trail or highway.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-PRO520XL-40-Channel-CB-Radio/dp/B00004VXNI

Uniden also has a 510XL that deletes the RF Gain control and PA function for a few bucks less, but is otherwise is the same great quality radio (the 505XL seems much cheaper-made).

Agreed about antennas mounted up high on the roof. Transmitting antennas invariably work better when not partially blocked by the vehicle body.
It should also go without saying... the longer the antenna, the better. Right about 5 feet seems to be a performance tipping point, so you don't want an antenna shorter than this if range is important. As was mentioned above, a 102" quarter-wave whip does give the best range by far, however certainly there are situations where such a long antenna may be impractical. For these I like the 5.5' Francis CB-26 Hot Rod whips. They seem to have the best balance of performance with size and lighter weight.

Great advice. Thank you!

 

[RubiconGeoff]

Oftentimes the problem in modern vehicles is finding somewhere to mount a CB. The traditional "black box" CB radio - even the small ones - can be difficult and ugly to mount in a modern rig. There are only a few other options available. The Cobra 75 WXST seems to be the most popular of these, and like many others I have had this unit in one of my previous vehicles. Although pictures of it only show the handheld portion of it, be forewarned that it does also require a small metal box be mounted somewhere. My preference, and my current setup (in addition to a much-better Yaesu FT-60R handheld ham transceiver) is the Midland 75-822 which contains everything in the one handheld transceiver. It also has the very useful additional benefit of being quickly and easily removed from your vehicle (with an included snap-on battery pack and quick-mount "rubber duck" antenna) to assist in spotting or to keep with you at the campfire while awaiting your group's stragglers' arrival. I've found that its speaker is plenty loud, although you can add an external speaker or mic if desired.

CB radios are pretty ubiquitous in the off-road world, which is why it's very handy to have one. Unfortunately, even with a great antenna setup, all legal CB radios suck. 4 watts of amplitude modulated 11-meter radio is rarely reliable for anything more than about a mile radius in real-world conditions. A 300-watt linear amp is nice to have for emergency use when you need to punch out of a valley or through trees to summon help, but even then you won't be able to pick up a response from others unless they too have an illegal amp. This is why offroaders are moving to ham radio en masse. Radio communication by ham is so much better than CB. If radio communication is important to you, you really owe it to yourself to get an amateur radio license and a real radio or two for your vehicle. Studying for the exam is not hard - The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual has everything you need to learn. If you can't attend one of John & Barb's Rubicon Trail Foundation courses, then a local amateur radio club should be able to set you up with a license exam.

 

[Hilldweller]

But if you have the room...
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-148GTL-Channel-Watt-Radio/dp/B0002D6KAE
CB and SSB. I found mine for $115 at Fry's.

 

[4x4junkie]

Unfortunately, even with a great antenna setup, all legal CB radios suck. 4 watts of amplitude modulated 11-meter radio is rarely reliable for anything more than about a mile radius in real-world conditions.

Ugh... (here we go)

That statement is completely false.
A 4-watt radio with the Francis whip I mentioned easily has a range of 5-10 miles to another station that is similarly-equipped in (yes) real-world conditions (add about 10-15% more to that if 102" whips are used). I know, because I do it with mine all the time (50 or more miles is possible under ideal conditions). Certainly there can be times in a populated area where you might get only a mile or so (interference from extreme amounts of power line static being the usual cause, which is avoidable for the most part by relocating away from them), but these are exceptions, not the rule.

Improper installation/use of low-quality gear (a Cobra 75 with a 2-foot Firestik on a taillight bracket being a prime example) is by far & wide the reason why CB rigs don't work as well as they could. The fact it's AM and/or the frequency band it uses are secondary to that.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Ugh... (here we go)

That statement is completely false.
A 4-watt radio with the Francis whip I mentioned easily has a range of 5-10 miles to another station that is similarly-equipped in (yes) real-world conditions (add about 10-15% more to that if 102" whips are used). I know, because I do it with mine all the time (50 or more miles is possible under ideal conditions). Certainly there can be times in a populated area where you might get only a mile or so (interference from extreme amounts of power line static being the usual cause, which is avoidable for the most part by relocating away from them), but these are exceptions, not the rule.

Improper installation/use of low-quality gear (a Cobra 75 with a 2-foot Firestik on a taillight bracket being a prime example) is by far & wide the reason why CB rigs don't work as well as they could. The fact it's AM and/or the frequency band it uses are secondary to that.

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I have to 2nd this. I've been running the Midland 75-822 for 8 years now and with a mag-mount 33" (or so) whip antenna, dead center on my roof I get great RX and TX.
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Pretty, it's not (with the mag mount having an ugly wire running across the roof) but it works and works fine for off road communication.
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I think too many people focus on putting the antenna someplace where it will fit in a garage (like the taillight mount you mentioned) or will look "salty" (like mounting it to the hood or the front bumper) but putting it dead center on the roof and as high as you can get it will be the best way to reach out.

 

[Wasatch]

This has been a very helpful discussion. Thank you.

As of now, I am set on a Uniden PRO520XL
5.5' Francis CB-26 Hot Rod whips

and a magnetic whip antenna on the roof of my cab (Access cab) or a permanent mount on my fiberglass cap. As I plan to only use this radio on extended roadtrips and mostly in the desert, I plan to get one in a length of 60''-100'', so a removable antenna is preferred.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

. . . but putting it dead center on the roof and as high as you can get it will be the best way to reach out.

Unfortunately, for a vehicle like a Jeep this isn't possible. Fabric or fiberglass roofs don't work as a ground plane, and my Jeep runs topless half the year. Even the best possible legal CB setup has dismal range. Conversely, a handheld ham transceiver with a little rubber-duck antenna easily has 10 times the range of the best legal Jeep-mounted CB setup I've ever personally seen.

Can a dedicated radio installer get a CB to perform better than the average amateur could? Of course. But to get adequate CB communication, you also have to make sure everyone else with whom you're communicating has a similarly optimized setup, which just doesn't exist in the real world. But anyone with a ham radio license can simply pick up a handheld ham transceiver and talk to other hams from 20 miles away, on the other side of the world, or on the moon.