ok i have 2 questions. reguarding CB radio's?

Question

i wanted to get whips on my pickup. but then thought i may as well get a Radio to. my dad said i should get a handheld CB Radio. but i duno which would be better. my dad said i could then take it where ever, rather then just the car. but he also said that CB Radios are dieing. i've been seeing them more and more lately. well at least antenna's on pickups. i know that truckers use them. but what about the general public. are they still in such use as from the 70's and 80's? i thought it would be fun to have one in my truck. What do you guys think is better between handheld and a mobile vehile radio? and are CB Radios a dieing fad? are they not really used anymore?

Answer 1

I have one in my off road truck and its great in that use. if you have some friends with them I would say go for it they don't cost much and you will always have a way to contact someone (cell battery's do die) as far as a hand held or Mobil stick with the Mobil way better range and more power with a good antenna you can expect 2-6 miles out of a stock radio com paired to 1-2 with a hand held, they also have power amplifiers for Mobil radios that can increase the range 2 to 3 times.

Answer 2

CB radio isn't as popular as it was in the 70's. It was a classic boom-bust cycle, as they passed through faddishness.

If you want to communicate with long distance truckers, then CB may be the way to go. If, however, you want to have general radio communication, I would suggest you look into ham radio.

Ham radio gives licensed operators the ability to use a broad range of frequencies, which have very different characteristics. Hams can not only use frequencies which permit world-wide communications, but they also are permitted much more power and control over their equipment.

Until recently, many people didn't get involved in ham radio because of Morse code. The FCC changed the regulations recently so that a person can obtain an license to operate on any amateur frequency without any Morse code at all. No code is required to be able to have a 1500 watt transmitter beaming your signal to Australia.

Many hams once were CBers, but came to ham radio for the greater freedom to legally build their stations and operate both down the road and around the world.

Check out www.arrl.org for basic information. There are practice tests on line, as well as easy to follow study guides.

You can't become a ham without a test, but the payoff is tremendous freedom, and becoming part of a diverse and friendly community.

Answer 3

A regular CB is better than a hand held as their antenna systems are more efficient, the radio has more transmit power, can be tuned for maximum power (peaked up).
They are not as popular as thirty or forty years ago, but are still in wide use, especially with truckers.
If you have a family of young children, you might want to avoid the use of channel 19 because of the filthy language used by the over the road truckers.

Answer 4

CBs were a fad back in the day, and I still have mine in the garage. But they faded after awhile, about when talk was building that cell phones were coming. Now there are not only cell phones, but the nextel phones can be used by walkie-talkies. Plus, the FRS (family radio service) units work that way, too, but are much cheaper. Add to that that CBs have a normal range of maybe 5 miles in good conditions, and you can see why they faded away.

And before someone says it, yes, you could "talk skip" with a CB, but not consistently. This is when the signal bounces off the ionisphere and comes back to the ground maybe hundreds or thousands of miles away. I once had a conversation between California and Michigan this way, until conditions changed and I lost contact.

Answer 5

You can get CB's at cheap prices nowadays, I would say buy
a small mobile radio for the truck and keep it in there.

The CB craze is over especially with all the cell phones around.
But truckers still use them on Ch 19... so go fo rit.

Stay away from the portable.. the batteries don't last that long.

I see some around here also lately.. maybe they are making a comeback..

Answer 6

The police have them well maybe not all of them But I don,t the CB craze will be back but they may get popular any time just think If everyone had a CB instead of a cell phone look at the money we would save , WoW That is something to think about, Whats over your donkey good buddy. LOL

Answer 7

I wouldn't. I know 11 years old is old enough to understand everything with proper explanation but I would rather do the explaining outside the birthing room. When you think about it, she probably hasn't even had her first period yet and I remember very well even now how scared I was when it happened to me for the first time, in spite of all the explanations that I got before that. She can easily wait outside with a relative and get in the minute you have the baby so she can take part in the happy occasion.

Answer 8

your right up my alley,when your talking about cbs.i been in the business since 1977.i think they are not as plentyful as they were in the 70s,but i think eventually they will be coming back.there are several here where i live in pa.,but i think there are more down south.your dad is right,a hand held would be more handy.myself,i have a uniden 40 channel mobile in my car,with a k-40 antenna and i can talk about where i want to.its sure is nice to hear someone on here that likes cbs besides me.good luck and 10-4.

Answer 9

They aren't dying first of all, I talk skip all the time, when the conditions are right.

The answer depends on your needs:

You talking local or you talk in skip(people in other states)

If your talking local a 4 watt handheld would do as long as you are on a quiet channel.

if your talking skip you want a radio definitely.

Answer 10

Probably the difference will be power, the moblie unit will put out more power in watts than the handheld unit.