CB & Handheld Radios

[BC4277]

Do any of you use (or just listen to) a CB radio when travelling? If so, what kind do you use? I'm thinking of using a magnetic antennae to mount on the roof of my pickup. Any suggestions on brands and features I should be looking for?

Does your spotter use a handheld when you are backing up? Again, what kind works?

Thanks, Bryan

[Airstreamer67]

I always bring a CB radio along with me on a trip. I've collected several compact CBs through the years which cost around 50 bucks each. I like the little ones for ease of placement in the cabin. The ones I have and use are the Cobra 19, Uniden 520, and Midland 1001Z. All of them operate at the maximum legal 4-watts of power and work as well for me as larger, more expensive units.

The antenna I use on my F250 tow vehicle is a Wilson 1000, which has a magnet-mount that I place on the center of the roof. This antenna has a 62.5-inch "whip" which is tall enough to get good communications several miles up-and-down the road. I've never had any hint that this antenna's mount has ever moved even one millimeter on my roof while traveling at any legal highway speed and in any drive-able wind event.

I've found that although there are miles and hours of silence when driving with a CB, that when there's an accident or other traffic hazard or hold-up, many truckers who don't do a lot of talking on the CB anymore suddenly begin giving and receiving information about the wreck or other hazards involved, and give information on alternate routes that will allow drivers to get around the problem.

It's true that the CB is not used as much for idle conversation as it was a few decades ago, since there are so many other gadgets for truckers to entertain themselves with. But it's also true that many truckers still have a CB and use them when the chips are down. Take a look sometime when on the road and notice how many big trucks have CB antennas holding onto the side mirrors.

I keep my CB tuned to Channel 19, which is the trucker's channel for most of the nation. I understand that on the west coast, Channel 17 is often used by truckers as their preferred frequency, for whatever reason.

[clayway]

I semi full time & yes I do have a CB, I also have a smart phone, lap top & iPad.
I carry the CB the same reason most over the road truckers do, real world up to date info when u need it

[kevden]

I use a handheld cb for use on long trips. On a trip last year I heard someone warn of fire trucks in the breakdown lane ahead after a blind curve. I was able to slow down and move over a lane ahead of time. Also a trucker warned of a major accident ahead with road closed we were able to detour around it. Niether of these incidents showed up on Waze.

[mountainkowboy]

My wife and I are Ham operators and use handhelds mostly

[mobeewan]

I haven't used a CB in years, but plan on getting one before I do a cross country trip late this year or early next year. It could be handy for traffic or where there's no cell coverage. When convoying I use an FRS/GRMS radio for vehicle to vehicle communication. I also use them on my canoe trips when our canoes get spread out too much to check on the stragglers in our group who like to play around or fish too much.

[wnjj]

I have one of those HH Roadtrips and it worked well but with 2 complaints:

1. The stupid power cord plugs in at bottom of the side so you can’t simply stick the radio into a cup holder without running on batteries. Duh!

2. The internal speaker quit after little use. I spent quite some time trying to pry and look for hidden screws to take it apart to fix it but gave up. It still works if you plug in an external speaker, which is kind of pointless on a handheld.

I have a 30 year old Uniden under dash that’s still going strong. We frequently use it when traveling with family that also has a CB. Much better audio quality than an FRS or cell phone and mounted means it’s always right where you expect it to be when you need it. Still legal for the driver to use too in Oregon. I’ve often warned those behind me of oncoming traffic on narrow roads or large bumps/potholes. No time to make a phone call or tell your passenger to tell them.

[rockhillmanor]

Respectively disagree that CB's are of no use. The old CB's did NOT have all the functions the new handheld ones have.

I bought this hand held CB to add to my arsenal of being safe while Full-Timing. It sits on the dash, squelch turn down. I can't say enough about this CB.

Here are a few functions included in this handheld CB which is why it is 'always' in my MH.

1. Another form of communication if no cell towers in case of emergency.

2. Traffic. Traffic backup/accidents in REAL TIME from drivers right there AND you can get info from them on where to get off to avoid, etc when RV traveling in unfamiliar areas. Can't get that from your GPS and you don't have to update maps all the time! :W

3. NOAA All Weather Emergency Radio. This CB comes with NOAA emergency alerts IN REAL TIME. For weather. This saved my hiney twice. Once when unknowingly I was driving right into the path of a tornado, the ER weather radio alarm went off on the CB. This feature alone IMHO is a reason for all RV'ers to have it on board. Especially when you don't always know what county you are driving thru which is how the weather alerts are given on the TV/MH radio.

Cobra HHROADTRIP 40-Channel CB Radio
Road Trip Hand Held CB


It comes with a mag mount additional antenna with a very long cord to run out your window. BUT, in the ten years I have had it I have never had the need to use it. The antenna on the CB, and the CB on the dash brought in all I needed.

[Gdetrailer]

CB?



That critter has been dead since the 1970s and should have been buried a long time ago..

Last vehicle I had one in was a 1997 and in 2003 pulled it out when I bought a new vehicle..

Never bothered putting back in because I only turned it on only a couple of times in the 97 and each time greeted with bleed over from too many folks with linears and potty mouths..

If you have one, do yourself a favor, toss in the trash and don;t look back.

If you don't have one, don't waste your money, you won't get much of any info since most truckers use business band radios and cellphones now days..

[BB_TX]

We used to use handheld radios for backing. But it is easier to just use our phones. You can put your phone on speaker, set it on the dash, and listen and talk without any thing in your hands. Or Bluetooth your phone thru your radio if you have that feature. And no worry about keying over each other.

Haven’t had a CB in many years.

[rbpru]

I have used CB from time to but as pointed out it is mostly dead these days. Handy when there is trouble, annoying when some good old boy starts preaching about anything.

I finally mounted my ham rig in the car. I use it to monitor CB channel 19.

Backing up into the campsite is simple. My wife knows to stand where she can see me in the mirror. Also, I am not afraid to get out and look.

I have an iron clad guaranty; I can park it within the first 12 or 15 tries. It has worked every time. 🙂

[MarkTwain]

With regard to cussing on the CB radios, In 35 years, I had heard worse language on any High School Campus, breaker breaker!!!

[MarkTwain]

BC4277 wrote:
Do any of you use (or just listen to) a CB radio when travelling? If so, what kind do you use? I'm thinking of using a magnetic antennae to mount on the roof of my pickup. Any suggestions on brands and features I should be looking for?

Does your spotter use a handheld when you are backing up? Again, what kind works?

Thanks, Bryan

1. yes, i use when traveling and backing 5th wheel into RV sites and in my yard at home
2. Cobra
3. Buy a magnetic Wilson antenna, the taller the better. Don't buy one of those little cute short antennas or your range will be limited for clear cb contacts.
4 .Cobra or Uniden are about the same quality. Make sure they have the National Weather Service feature that will automatically alert you to a pending disaster, even when the CB is not turned on.
5. Yes , I bought a hand held Cobra CB. we turn both CB's to channel 16 or any channel that does not have a lot of traffic going on.
6. Channel 17 and 19 are used primarily by truckers who can give you current road conditions, detours or accidents in your area.
7. And last but real important, ask the truckers " Break break on 17, what did you leave behind you?" Translated " where are the Bears or Calif. Hwy. partrol cars? the truckers will also give the milage marker where they last saw a Bear.

[BC4277]

Thanks for everyone's input.
Bryan

[n0arp]

GordonThree wrote:
Traffic jam? I just use Waze or Twitter. They'll have the info just as fast as any truckers.

I've had at least two incidents where I learned of accidents in front of me on the highway *as they happened* via CB. Waze/Twitter aren't that fast. For one of them I had time to exit and was able to avoid the jam on the access road. It was just out of sight - maybe a mile and a half from where I heard it. The other one was maybe a quarter mile up the road, without room or a place to exit. Incidentally, for people on here asking about cursing on the air, one of those was the few times I've heard it. A trucker said, "Oh SH**, look at that idiot!" as some guy illegally passing ran off the road and into the guard rail to avoid oncoming traffic. Similarly, I've heard more or less the same profanity a couple times in complaint of traffic being stopped. I've never heard anything you wouldn't hear on cable TV, on the air, and think it's blown out of proportion. Arguably, I think limiting children's exposure to profanity is a lost and pointless cause most of the time anyway.

I'm not sure if you're suggesting to use Waze for navigation while towing or driving a large rig, but that's the absolutely last app I'd ever use. It likes to choose some really poor routes for taking a large trailer through.

[old_guy]

I took mine off in 2000 and so far haven't missed it. On my 99 truck I took it into the garage and told them the truck had a noise I could not identify. turns out it was my magnet antenna on the roof. so I took it off and the radio out and like I said I don't miss it