Hearkening back to the days of yore...

[Truckman]

I suddenly got the itch for another CB radio...It's been at least 40 years since I was "on the air" but I thought I'd see if anyone still uses them...Any recommendations on brands?...What features to look for, and what I don't need?...Any input helps......Ben

[Honda]

Uniden, Cobra and Midland are all good brands. Most come full featured and they are very inexpensive these days. I live near a major interstate and occasionally listen to the chatter with my old Radio Shack base station that I have had since I was 17.......

[Truckman]

Uniden, Cobra and Midland are all good brands.

Those are the three I was looking at on Amazon...I'll probably get a PA speaker in case I need to annoy anyone...Maybe an extra speaker to mount high in the cab instead of the little tinny-sounding one that I remember coming with the radios...My last one had twin antennas mounted on the outside edges of the truck bed...They seemed to work fine......Ben

[Honda]

Back in my CBing days only the rich kids had cobra's. As far as antenna's as I recall it is really import to get your SWR reading perfect or it diminishes your transmission power.

[Truckman]

This one seems to have decent features, including the SWR meter you mentioned...I'll need to remember to get spring mounts for the fiberglass antennas......Ben

[Honda]

That looks like a nice unit. You might want to consider getting one that will also work as a base in the event you wanted to have it inside.

[Blue74]

Why? I have one in the pick up and have driven to Nebraska and back and heard nothing. I also have one in the tractor and again rarely hear anything except in traffic jams but it doesn't take long before the profanity starts. Some of the larger fleets have picked a channel to use. Channel 19 is still the one but you might need to work on your languages because you will hear english, spanish and I'm not sure the russian. the ones I do hear have the "foot warmers" and the power cranked up.

My first pick up I had a Cobra with Twin Hustlers mounted the the rain gutter. Remember send in our $5.00 for your license?

I have two Cobra 29 LTD. Last year buying some furniture from a friend he had a Radio Shack CB that was still in the box and I thought about mounting it on the boat. But after reading about them being used on a boat I gave it to a friend.

[Truckman]

Why?

It's just another "wannahave," Paul...I was probably one of the few who actually sent the money in, and got the license...But it's probably expired after 40 years...From what I read, they're no longer issued or required...I hadn't thought about all the different languages on the air; last time I used one it was all English......Ben

[rvassar]

No Morse code requirement any more... Go get your Amateur (Ham) Radio license and talk to the whole world.

[Truckman]

No Morse code requirement any more... Go get your Amateur (Ham) Radio license and talk to the whole world.

I didn't know that...Maybe I'll look into SSB...I'll probably only listen anyway......Ben

[Honda]

Have you thought about Ham radio. I understand that it is still quite active. I know you would have to get a license but that should not be a big deal.

[Truckman]

Have you thought about Ham radio. I understand that it is still quite active. I know you would have to get a license but that should not be a big deal.

That's what Rob suggested above......Ben

[Truckman]

I notice there are combination CB/SSB radios...Would I lose anything in performance by being capable of receiving all those channels?...Would this be compatible with twin antennas?...I'm unfamiliar with SSB brands; is Guardian a good brand?......Ben

[Honda]

That's what Rob suggested above......Ben

Oh yeah did not see that. As far as Guardian I am not familiar. Uniden and Cobra have been around forever.

[wacojoe]

Have you thought about Ham radio. I understand that it is still quite active. I know you would have to get a license but that should not be a big deal.

Reminded me that Nellie Ohr applied for and then received her ham radio license on 4/23/2016 precisely when she was hired by Fusion GPS to obtain Russian dope on Trump. Ham radio is a perfect way to bypass surveillance and records if you want to deal with the evil Rooskies.

Not much to do with this thread, but an interesting fact.