What is a good CB radio? Are they still popular?

Is there a general channel that most truckers use to communicate with each other? Is there anything good to listen to out there?

 

Channel 19. 17 tends to be popular out in California, and I've noticed that 10 tends to be used quite a bit in Ontario, but only among the Pakistani drivers.

If you're just looking for something to be there if you need it, any Cobra will suffice... just avoid the ones with the noise cancellation systems, because they really kill your reception.

It's really a matter of how involved you want to get with it. You can get a basic radio and antenna, so that you can ask oncoming vehicles what's ahead, or you can dish out a lot of cash to get something like a Connex, high dollar antenna, and all that good stuff. But if you get a basic Cobra (I like the Classic Cobra 25, personally), and a decent antenna, you'll do just fine. You can even have that Cobra tuned to crank out a little more power, and you'll still avoid breaking the bank on radio equipment.

Oh, yeah.. if you do go with the Cobra, avoid the auto squelch, noise cancellation, and 'Nightwatch' crap. It sure seems cool at first, but you'll soon realise how utterly useless it really is.

And, if you are going to go to a CB shop to have your radio peaked and tuned, ask around before you go to any of them, because a lot of these shops aren't worth a damn, and will only deprive you of your money, for some modification which will end up blowing out your radio as soon as you key up to speak on it. If they're telling you they can get you 60 watts out of any Cobra, Uniden, etc., avoid them like the plague, because these people are full of [manure].

 

I strongly recommend getting a model with SWR calibration. (Most Cobras and more expensive brands have it.) You can tune your radio as needed according to weather and whatever else effects your transmission.

My first radio burned itself out because I couldn't sync the transmitter with the antenna.

 

If you trully know nothing about CBs, I would buy a simple modal such as a cobra 29 or 25, or if you really want a few extra features a galaxy 949 or something, but really if you don't know much it's just going to confuse you with all those extra features the bigger radios have.

Now once you get a radio you like, find a reputable CB shop to install it for you, and ask them for a descent antenna to go with it, and have them setup the SWR and all that for you.

Or you could save a few bucks and find a fellow driver to help you out with installing it and getting it setup correctly.

 

Channel 19 is the "public" channel for the US. In California, if you head north out of LA on I 5, you'll switch to channel 15 round abouts the Castaic scales (I think the actual switch is south of there) and run 15 up to Lost Hills (I forgot the exit number- where the Loves is- route 46). North of route 46, you'll run channel 17. If you run north out of LA on the 101, you'll skip 15 and just use 17. California, Oregon and Washington state use channel 17 for north-south and 19 for east-west. Weird but true.

On I 10 in California, a lot of local drivers switch channels from place to place, too. I don't know what channel or where. I used to know but they never give bear reports and most of the otr guys are up on 19 so I quit bothering.

I second the Cobra 25 or 29. Beware cb shops- unless you find someone you trust who suggests a good cb shop. A bad one can screw up your radio. We've gone to I 75 exit 99 Ohio- Anna- and they seem to do good work. Had good luck in Eloy/Casa Grande, too, at the cb shop near the Circle K- they have a dirt lot that can have some pretty bad pot holes in it. Don't know the exit number- there's a Carl's Jr or something right next to them.

 

i run a cobra 25. simple and reliable. i usually just stay on 19 unless im in the central vallwy, CA i switch to 17

 

It's pretty much summed up here from a previous post I found except we use 17 on a lot of east/west routes in Oregon too, such as hwys 140 and 58.

 

I got a Cobra 29 off a friend of mine for free and it has a roger beep and talk back. It has the soundtracker and thats it no nightwatch or weather. I got it tied to a Wilson 2000 antenna with an astatic mic and it gets out about 10-20 miles but I don't mind since I don't want that big of a radio. Whats the point in pushing out 600 watts to hear 100 plus miles ahead when they wouldn't be able to hear you? :roll:

 

You got that backwards, if you are pushing 600 watts they will hear you, you won't hear them.

 

You know what I meant. :lol: