Hand Held CB Radio

[wood714]

I hate getting stuck in a massive traffic jam on the expressway and not know which lane is closed ahead.

I know the portable CB's don't have much range, but there's always a bunch of semi's around pretty close. Would be nice to listen in and hear what's going on.

Anyone use them, and could suggest a good brand/model?

I don't want to put a magnet antenna mount on my truck.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Haven’t used one in years but I had good luck with Midland.

 

[Rustyt1953]

In the eighties I knew big rig drivers that hauled concert sound and lighting gear. They spoke a language that I could never replicate.

They sure did look out for one another.

 

[vonn]

Speeding down dark highways makes you talk a little differently than most.

 

[kraynky]

Speeding down dark highways makes you talk a little differently than most.

LOL! Hadn't thought of it that way, but I remember doin' it! . "This here's Bad Habit coming back at'cha! What's it look'in like out yer back door?" Had a big ole 8' whip antenna on the back of my '74 Ranchero, running a Cobra radio. Circa 1981, running my wife back & forth to Ky to see her folks while living & working in Houston Tx. Seems like I made a dozen trips in 2 years!

Now I keep one of those Midland portable cb's behind my tuck seat, haven't had it out in years. Of course I don't run the roads like I used to. However it works pretty good when everyone's clustered together in a traffic jam. The magnet antenna is there if you need more range.

I think there are phone apps that you can use to get traffic updates now days, but it's just not as fun.

 

[Onomea]

I don‘t drive much, but I think an app called Waze is supposed to provide realtime user input on traffic conditions. Very popular from what I hear.

(Ya know, even if ya got a handheld CB radio, I’m not sure you’d pick up much nowadays other than radio silence.)

 

[wood714]

In the eighties I knew big rig drivers that hauled concert sound and lighting gear. They spoke a language that I could never replicate.

They sure did look out for one another.

My dad drove a truck over 30 years. He just drove from Cincinnati to Valley Grove WV. everyday. Met a guy at a truck stop and they would switch trucks, and be on their way.

He had a box with a CB, and a 8 track player and a couple speakers built into it. Had his CB antennas welded to vice grips for quick change out.

Me best friends dad was an over the road driver. He had a killer base station set up at their house. Huge tower in the back yard, and a honest to God 1 kilowatt/1000 watt linear amp hooked up to it. FCC busted him pretty quick thou, I think 4 watts was the limit back then. If I remember right when he fired that thing up it would come thru our TV.

 

[Rustyt1953]

wood714, back when I worked at the old Midwest Music in Norwood there was a guy that lived a block away that had a setup so powerful that it would come through systems in the keyboard and P.A. rooms. It was a nightmare until the feds shut him down.

He had a potty mouth, too.

 

[D Brown]

I've never seen a handheld that was much good beyond line of sight.

Hate to say it, but if you want decent range, you're going to have to go to a solid mount radio.

I've had good luck in the past with the Uniden Pro 510 XL. It's very small, so it will fit just about anywhere. Just as important as the radio is the antenna. I've had the best luck with the Radio Shack 1/2 Wave, No Ground Antenna. Great SWR's, and as it says, no ground required. The only problem is finding one, you may have to search some of the stores, assuming you're interested.

Best of luck.

 

[PlaytheAces]

I've got a Midland hand held I keep in the Jeep for club runs out in the desert. I hook it up to a 48" antennae I mount on back of the Jeep and it works pretty well. It doesn't have the range of a mounted CB but I can hit at least a mile with it on the trails. On the open highway it would probably have better range but I only use it off road.

 

[CH4]

Not handheld, but I've had good luck with my Cobra 29LX. Worked great with a 4' magnetic roof mount antenna...until I went through a carwash last January.
IMHO stock CBs don't have much range without modification, handhelds aren't worth the coin unless you're in the backyard playing Army with your buddy.

 

[STCM(SW)]

10-4 back door..
There's a chicken coop at 145 E bound....
County Mounty just over the hill east bound..
Hay, bobtail, your right signal is still on...

 

[soFlaNative]

Good Luck keepin' yer ears on and catch you on the flip flop.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I've had a (brand unknown) walkie-talkie type for 30 years and a regular vehicle unit, so two cars or what ever can talk to each other on trips. If you stay off the 18 Wheeler and the Dump truck channels you will get 3 to 5 miles range. In my area, during 80's, these were channels 10 & 6, Channel 9 was for emergencies.

Some of the problems: 1) poor quality speakers (if it points at your face, that the best it will get) 2) understanding English spoken in local dialects and accents 3) most non CB people never learn the 10-Code. [they think "10-4" is the solution to everything!] 4) some people use you as bait for police in known speed traps!

In some communities the locals decide who is allowed to be on some channels and will do all nature to make you get off "their" channel. One area in eastern Ohio every farm was on a different channel, so they could conduct business. Nothing wrong with this but, they don't take kindly to being interrupted!

On the interstate, for convoys use cell phones, for traffic reports: just follow the truckers!

Ivan

 

[Faulkner]

I hate getting stuck in a massive traffic jam on the expressway and not know which lane is closed ahead.

I know the portable CB's don't have much range, but there's always a bunch of semi's around pretty close. Would be nice to listen in and hear what's going on.

Anyone use them, and could suggest a good brand/model?

I don't want to put a magnet antenna mount on my truck.

There are iPhone apps that help with this. I use the Google maps app when I travel and it usually helps me with alternate routes so I don't get stuck in the massive traffic jam in the first place.

I suspect you'll be disappointed in the handheld CB idea.

 

[Salty RI]

I had a 5 watt Midland, used it mostly for hunting had good range.

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[Nevada Ed]

A good antenna was a must and maybe a little "Soup"
added to a stock radio was nice.
Not enough to melt another unit down as I went by......

Of course you needed a handle, I very seldom gave out my numbers.
I remember on one trip going West on 80 past Truckee a 18 wheeler
asked if I had my ears on.
It was snowing and he just wanted to let me know that I was pushing snow with my front bumper
with my little K-15 Blazer, as I went by him.

Ah yes, the good old days.
40 years later, I do not carry such hardware.

These new phones and Apps can keep you pretty well posted,
as my grand kids have proven......... but
it was fun.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

CB provided a means for you to talk people who you normally wouldn’t talk to and hear
them say things that you really didn’t want to hear.
That is so 1970!
Now we have the internet!
Hold on a second.
It does exactly the same thing as the CB!
But forget that old 10 Mile Range limit, Worldwide Baby!
And I’m still using the same Callsign.
I was The Pilgrim back in the CB days.

 

[Skeet 028]

Do truckers still use CBs? I thought they made 'em kinda illegal or something. I used to sell th radios and antennas for quite a while. While Midland was a good brand I used other more expensive radios and amny with SSB. 23 channels had 5 watts of power(when tweaked) and the 40s had 4 and not easily tweaked. I too had some linears(still do) including a 1000 watt tube type. You could talk clear across the country with it..maybe farther. I only fired up the Kilowatt linear late at night like 1 or 2 in the morning. Had a 100 watt in the pickup for when I wanted to get through on the road...Still have it and a 250 watt mobile down in the vault I've never used. Separate speakers and power mics helped Most handhelds weren't worth the money they cost. Presidents were pretty well made radios. Good antennas were a real boost also

 

[GaryS]

I use Waze even when I know where I'm going. It not only gives real time updates to route, traffic jams, accidents, and even where the police might be.

It's user driven, so it's dependent on drivers putting data in. Which means it's not 100%, but it's better than listening to traffic reports on broadcast radio. Those are usually 20 or so minutes behind what's actually going on.

If you have a Smart Phone you can download it.

If you don't have a Smart Phone, there are still a couple of stand alone GPS units out there. Look for one with Lifetime Map Updates and built in traffic reports. Not as good as Waze, but better than you are going to get from a CB.

I don‘t drive much, but I think an app called Waze is supposed to provide realtime user input on traffic conditions. Very popular from what I hear.

(Ya know, even if ya got a handheld CB radio, I’m not sure you’d pick up much nowadays other than radio silence.)