The Real CB Radio subreddit
for cb radios and everything that goes with it in the 11 meter cb radio band
Subreddit rules
no discrediting the cb radio to promote ham radio
Don't accuse others of running illegal radios and radio equipment.
no raging blue haired sjw's, despite reddits pro sjw policies, we will not enforce them. if you go around threatening to report people for cause you didnt like something they said.
CB radio 101
- Where to get your first radio and what radio should you choose?
ultimately, the best place to get your first cb radio, is ebay. there is just over 6,000 cb radios listed on ebay. other places are amazon, and and maybe your local garage sale.
There is a decent range of choices for a good starter radio in both base radios and mobiles. for base cb's, a good choice is the realistic navaho trc-431 or the Royce 621.
The best choice in mobiles is the original cobra 29 ltd or the cobra 25 ltd. if you plan to use a mobile as your first base cb, you will want a 12 volt 5A power supply.
SWR readings
1:1 - this is the perfect match, it is rare to get this outside real usage.
1:1.5-1:1.5 - This is the swr match you will most likely see, this is an acceptable match
1:1.6-1:2 - this could be either cause by an untuned antenna, or weather conditions such as snow or ice. this is ok, but not preferred, you'll either want to tune or antenna, or wait for the weather to pass thats causing the reading.
1:2.1-1:3 - your antenna either needs to be tuned or replaced especially if its a 1:3 match, most decent to good quality antennas are tunable. if you are unable to tune the antenna, limited use is suggested until you can get a better antenna.
Checking your SWR
some radios have an swr meter, but for those that dont, you will need an inline power/swr meter between your radio and the antenna. power/swr meters can be found on ebay.
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[–]hennaojichan 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun - (1 child)