(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best fixed-mount cb radio

Here are helpful links direct to the products I own.

About antennas: The antenna is important... as important (or more so) than the radio. My antenna choice (dipole) may not be the best choice for your needs. So, the ANTENNA link below goes to an AMAZON search for CB antennas for apartments, balcony, patio, etc. which may be a better fit to your needs.

Hope these are helpful! Big Bux, Bucks County PA 19047

UNIDEN 980SSB Radio & Mic https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BEARCAT-Sideband-WeatherBand-980SSB/dp/B007B5ZAES/ref=sr_1_3

MegaWatt S-400-12 36 Amp Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/MegaWatt%C2%AE-S-400-12x-Adjustable-Supply-MegaWatt/dp/B00LIBRKQM

Driver's Product DPSWR2 External SWR Meter; https://www.amazon.com/Drivers-Product-Antennas-SO-239-Output/dp/B06VW7N5Q5/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1

Midland 21-406 External Speaker https://www.amazon.com/Midland-21-406-Amateur-Extension-Speaker/dp/B000246VPM/ref=sr_1_2

CB Antenna for Apartment, Patio, Balcony, or Indoors https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=cb+antenna+apartment&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Acb+antenna+apartment

Thanks for the reply, a ton of great info and I appreciate it! So with some of the antennas I'm looking at they need a ground plane, I know it's talking about RF ground vs DC ground, but with the ram hood mount like you have and I'll end up doing, does the antenna have enough metal around it or do I need one that doesn't require a ground plane?

I'm looking at this antenna Larsen Mobile antenna, 2m/70cm, NMO, 37.25" and Ham Guides TM Pocket Reference Card Bundle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WOLQ9G2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BnXMBbRYRENAY


Sorry for the weird link, posting from phone

Okay, Thanks! I was thinking this.. http://www.amazon.ca/Antenna-Tuner-Amateur-Radio-Tranceivers/dp/B004EK7EG0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1427331497&sr=8-15&keywords=HF+radio

Worth the money?

I found this. Some places call a PL-259 a "UHF male" connector:

https://smile.amazon.com/Comet-Antennas-AD-35M-Antenna-Connector/dp/B07D3ZHM5C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541185910&sr=8-2&keywords=uhf+to+3%2F8+adapter

I'd be leery of trusting a PL-259 to support the wind load of a Firestick on a moving vehicle. Sitting stationary it should be fine though.

TH-D74A uses an SMA connector. In my car, I use an SMA-to-UHF dongle I pulled out of this kit: https://www.nooelec.com/store/customer/account/create/

Any ol' mobile antenna will work. I like to use ones that have NMO bases myself. Here's a magnetic NMO base with a prewired UHF connector: https://www.amazon.com/Larsen-Magnetic-Antenna-Connector-Installed/dp/B007JSELBK

The TH-D74A is a triband radio, with 144/220/440. All triband antennas will be a serious compromise on at least one band, so if you have strongly preferred bands, maybe choose a good antenna for those bands. That said, here's one choice that does in fact exist: https://www.amazon.com/ANLI-DC-124H-TriBand-2M-222-440Mhz-Antenna/dp/B0042G1SRM

President Johnson II, $129 on amazon right now and its been a great radio.

President Electronics Johnson II USA Ham AM Transceiver CB Radio, 40 Channels AM, 12/24V, Up/Down Channel Selector, Volume Adjustment and ON/OFF, Manual Squelch and ASC, Multi-functions LCD Display https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ITR33FE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AErKDb03P0G8Z

Your post was flagged by reddit because it has unclean amazon links. Please edit your links to look more like:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PPH6V3V/

Forgot to mention...

A good SWR meter is always advisable. Never trust the radios built in SWR meter.

SWR is short for, Standing Wave Ratio. It's basically a measurement of resistance from your radio thru the cable and thru the antenna. You adjust your antenna by either lengthening it, or "trimming" it down. The Solarcon A-99 antenna has tuning rings to make this process easier.

Here is a good link that explains more on this;

https://www.rightchannelradios.com/blogs/installation-guides/18428275-understanding-swr

Also here is my meter and jumper cable;

Astatic PDC1 100 Watt SWR Meter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ULN610/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dvYqDbTM72D6M

RG58A/U COAX CABLE 3 foot Jumper for CB / Ham Radio - Workman CX-3-PL-PL -Made in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IDVKR6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uvYqDb81KE2D4

I live in Rutherford, Nj, and I have a bf-f9. On UHF, with the stock antenna and 1 watt, I can reach the NY4Z repeater, almost 10 mikes away.
With the full 8 watts, I can reach almost 20 miles.

Your range depends on the terrain and elevation of your antenna. If you are surrounded by hills, vhf and uhf signals won't go as far.


You might also have a defective radio. If you have a power meter, you should test it, If not this will work, or you can borrow one from a friend, but make sure it works on VHF and UHF, otherwise the reading will be inaccurate.


Edit: find some repeaters, if you reach them, you will hear static, a callsign, a beep, or morse code on the output after your transmission.

http://www.amazon.com/Yaesu-FT-7900R-Dual-Band-Amateur-Transceiver/dp/B004HGIAQ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1416215833&sr=1-1&keywords=ft-7900r&pebp=1416215835828

~$100 more, much more reputable brand, overall much better transceiver. It isn't quad-band, but it is 2m/70cm.

Of if you can afford it, for $500, http://www.amazon.com/Yaesu-FT-8900R-Power-Amateur-Transceiver/dp/B00I4115JM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416215973&sr=8-1&keywords=YAESU+FT-8900R&pebp=1416215975294 -- quad-band version

You can probably find these used for a lot less, too

I don't do all that much with HF right now as I don't have an antenna up (moved recently). You can make an antenna easy enuff, and if you make it, you won't need a tuner, you can tune it to any band you want.

You can spend a lot of money on a mike or very little, it just depends on what you want, what you can find, and your budget.

This is the one I have but it was given to me so....

https://www.amazon.com/Kennwood-Desktop-microphone-deluxe-Reference/dp/B00WLB280Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1526680327&sr=8-7&keywords=ham+radio+desk+microphone

I think the connector you want is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Pin-Radio-Microphone-Female-Plug/dp/B0043ZD35C

The power supply might be trickier to find - I did some searching and didn't come up with a small adapter like that that will do +/- 12V.

quad band mobiles are pretty tough to come by
but they are made https://www.amazon.com/Comet-UHV-4-Mobile-Antenna-Warranty/dp/B00QIZ4SBS
remember this is a FM radio and only General or higher class license may operate FM on 10M

http://www.amazon.com/Heil-Sound-SB-2-Small-Microphone/dp/B00E4XDHDG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426629960&sr=8-3&keywords=heil+mic+stand

Rugged Ridge 11503.95 CB Radio Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJ4T7DK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DdcAzbMS60K2Y

Or in the center console

Stryker has some $130-$160 "10 meter" rigs, and I think there is an AnyTone that's ~$60.

edit: That AnyTone, $58.50 and prime shipping https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0140QP3VU/

the duck is alive

Tinkering makes me happy!

What do you think of this one? SpiroNET v2 5.8GHz RHCP Diversity Bundle (2-Ant) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753DF78G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eu-hDbSBX42QC

How about the President Andy. Has scan and weather.

G1M is $239.20 for Prime members too (down from $299): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PPH6V3V

I have this one but no Amazon prime for it. Arrow Dual Band J-Pole 146/440MHz OSJ 146/440 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TGE6CT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wbEcBbZ1Z14D7