Thanks for the input. It is fairly flat where I would be trying to reach the furthest a few small rollers but other then that nice and easy. My town is in a large bowl though. Mountains the whole way around and I may try to reach into them but the ones I'd try to reach are like 15-20 miles so I'm hoping that works. Thanks for all of the help you guys. I am starting to get a fuller understanding of how it all works
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Newbie looking to get started
- Thread starter Kobbekid
- Start date
Thanks for the input. It is fairly flat where I would be trying to reach the furthest a few small rollers but other then that nice and easy. My town is in a large bowl though. Mountains the whole way around and I may try to reach into them but the ones I'd try to reach are like 15-20 miles so I'm hoping that works. Thanks for all of the help you guys. I am starting to get a fuller understanding of how it all works
You said your budget was $100- $150, nothing more nothing less. I don't need to chill, you just need to figure out if this is a passing fad or something you really want to get into.
A base station radio is really just a mobile radio in a big box with a power supply these days. Unless you are dead set on having a big base station radio, you can do just as well with a mobile and power supply, and save some money while you're at it. The truck antennas probably won't be of much use to you. the "antenna chord" you refer to is known as coaxial cable. Here's a pretty darned good explanation of what it is:
Coaxial cable - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The stuff we use for CB (11 meters) is primarily RG58, RG8, RG8X. Bigger stuff for longer runs, and for more info see the chart on the link.
You said you're on a ranch, so you might have access to some things you will need once you get an antenna. Seriosly, if you have a windmill, you could mount the antenna on it. Or in a tall tree. Or on your fence. If you have any top rail for chain link fence, it will work as a mast. Or if you are in an oil drilling State, there might be some sucker rods available, which are heavy duty pipe sections that can be screwed together for longer length and can be used as a mast. I know a fellow that uses this stuff and has his Moonraker IV mounted at 60 feet.
73,
RT307
i hate being the new guy that comes in and starts to argue with another person. what i was meaning by the $100-$150 was the fact thats what i had now to spend. its not just a fad either i have been messing with the CBs since i was 12 when my friends and i wanted to go play Cb tag but didn't have trucks. i have never had setups like you guys do. i enjoy using them and figuring them out. I may be just a country buy but I'm not going to take no shit from some half whit who feels he knows my life story before he knows my name.
BTW - if you live in a place prone to much lightning; then you will have to take certain measures to ensure your safety . . .
i picked up the new CB today. its just the basics a mobil unit. the kid i bought it from gave me the magnetic antenna with it. he basically gave me all of the stuff he had for it mic, etc. i also picked up a converter so i can run off the wall now. Went to the radio shack and told the guy and he set me up. what am i needing to do from this point? I will get all of my stuff set up this evening. what would you recommend for an antenna set up? Id like not to have to drill holes in the floor or walls of my house to run stuff out. Can i run the antenna inside? what do you guys feel is the best setup for cheap. i have not spent my full allowance yet but am getting a little tighter. i can build i can buy.
i know you guys have all tossed me some ideas about antennas as we went so i will look back at them also
thanks
People are just trying to help. I thought I went low end on my base but 100-150 bucks to talk 30 miles is a tough goal for that amount of money. Your antenna will be the most important part, height is might. Here is an example of what I did.
1) Uniden Madison tuned/aligned x-tra channels...............145.00
2) Used IMAX 2000, 50 feet coax, 20' mast pype............... 60.00
3) Used Astron 35M power supply.................................... 50.00
4) Bullet Proof 175 2 pill class AB amp............................. 75.00
________
$330.00
If you can catch a deal on an antenna & power supply you could save money by running what ever mobile radio you have now.
Well my think is I have time. I don't need it tomorrow so I'm going to take the slow and steady pace and gain all the stuff slowly
Dont stress to much about $$ if you got a radio and a power supply you next need a antenna.
it can be as simple as a dipole, you will find many ideas down in the cb antennas section.
Here is a good thread by homer,
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/162944-simple-antennas-cb-without-confusion.html
another thing is right now you have started playing radio when the solar cycle is active, when the band is open you will hear people from all over the country.
During the day it will make it hard to hear the local people, but when the band dies off at night it will be better.
have a look at this to help you understand what is happening with radio, radio waves, and how it can effect cb and ham radio,
Propagation Primer - Flash Movie by AE4RV
Have fun playing radio
73
Jeff
it can be as simple as a dipole, you will find many ideas down in the cb antennas section.
Here is a good thread by homer,
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/162944-simple-antennas-cb-without-confusion.html
another thing is right now you have started playing radio when the solar cycle is active, when the band is open you will hear people from all over the country.
During the day it will make it hard to hear the local people, but when the band dies off at night it will be better.
have a look at this to help you understand what is happening with radio, radio waves, and how it can effect cb and ham radio,
Propagation Primer - Flash Movie by AE4RV
Have fun playing radio
73
Jeff
Well cool... that certainly is a factor to consider. We're all thinking you've got 150 bucks to burn and wanted to get on the air pronto. I forgot to mention in my previous post... there's a guy on here that made a "tower" out of an extension ladder. Another way to use existing stuff to get your setup going. For now, you can easily put your mag mount on your fridge, freezer, or washer/dryer and be able to talk a little ways out. A dipole is CHEAP to make, and as AudioShockwave mentions, HomerBB has some cool desiigns. You can even make a dipole out of an extension cord, which HomerBB showed me how to do. Poke around some of the threads on antennas, and you'll see some similar stuff to what you're wanting to do. I got into CB when I was 12 also, and my first "base station" was a Browning "Brownie" 23 channel mobile hooked up to one of my Dad's old batteries, and a magnet mount antenna on a pizza pan outside my bedroom. I could only talk about 3 miles, but it worked, and I was hooked!
73,
RT307
I started the same way, just buying a little at a time. got a little cobra 19 ultra III and one of those crappy mag mount antennas from walmart for christmas one year. hooked it up inside on an extra battery I had and a trickle charger. ran the antenna out the window where it was stuck on the AC compressor on top of my roof.
Boom, base station setup. Now I couldn't talk to anyone with this setup... But I could hear skip when it was rolling.
Eventually I installed it all in my truck. I think I can count the number of radio checks I got on one hand. My buddy and I tested the range of the antenna and found out it wouldn't transmit much further than the length of a football field lol. But I could still listen to skip, and I got enjoyment out of that.
Later I upgraded my antenna to the Little Wilson. It made a big difference. I was getting more radio checks from tuckers and it received 100x better than before.
That's when I caught the bug and got obsessed. Upgraded my radio, went for the bigger antenna (wilson 1000), etc.
This is my advice, if you think you are really into the hobby and will be for a long time, don't settle for the middle ground when it comes to the antenna. Spend the extra money, it will make all the difference.
Boom, base station setup. Now I couldn't talk to anyone with this setup... But I could hear skip when it was rolling.
Eventually I installed it all in my truck. I think I can count the number of radio checks I got on one hand. My buddy and I tested the range of the antenna and found out it wouldn't transmit much further than the length of a football field lol. But I could still listen to skip, and I got enjoyment out of that.
Later I upgraded my antenna to the Little Wilson. It made a big difference. I was getting more radio checks from tuckers and it received 100x better than before.
That's when I caught the bug and got obsessed. Upgraded my radio, went for the bigger antenna (wilson 1000), etc.
This is my advice, if you think you are really into the hobby and will be for a long time, don't settle for the middle ground when it comes to the antenna. Spend the extra money, it will make all the difference.