[shotlady]

Id like to get a hand held radio CB. what questions should i be asking. what should i be looking for? Id like one that would do well with an antenae for my car too... but can walk off with out the antenae. my budget is about 150.00. are there tips for cb safety?

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

I can't offer too much info on currently available CB's but I do have the simplest of simple OpSec suggestion. If you have others who will be your primary contacts in a SHTF scenario remember you will have very limited range in an urban setting. Get several copies of a good map of your local rea and divide them into grids. Randomly assign numbers/letters to identify the grids, and use those grid markings in an intersecting mode to discuss locations.

My Sainted Mother in Law sent me a really nice Presidents base station unit some time ago thinking it was a HAM unit. Turns out it was a CB unit, but one to the better ones in it's day. I much prefer HAM, but a CB can be a great asset as well. No licensing reqs for a CB either.

 

[shotlady]

I have to bug out in my current situation right now. so hand held for me is the way to go and i dont want something permanent in the car to get ripped off.

 

[Ripon]

I'm no expert here. I stop at Flying J travel places for gas once in a while and they always seem to stock some. Amazon and eBay might give you solid leads to look at items to see if there are reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Handheld-CB-Radios/zgbs/electronics/5811987011

More choices then Carter's liver pills

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Good point on the truck stops. They don't usually carry a lot of hand helds, but there always seems to be a couple.

 

[hayden]

Hey Shotlady. A friend of mine brought over a handheld CB recently and wondered what it was worth. I looked it up on ebay and there where several going for about 40 bucks plus shipping. You should look into getting your ham ticket. You seem smart to me so you would have no problem passing the multiple choice test, only about 30 questions I think. Then you can buy a much better radio for much less. I bought a Baofeng ham radio that also does family radio service(the little radios you buy for camping)for 43 dollars off ebay. They are a little tricky to program but the cd and cable make it much easier (another 10 bucks). Good luck.

 

[PaulS]

The questions you need to ask are the power - the output is around 5 watts - good for about ten miles over open areas but down to under a mile in the city. Over the water you can get further. You need an external magnetic mount antenna for the car and an external antenna jack on the hand held unit. You need to make sure it has 40 channels - the older units only had 23 and the designation for those channels has changed.
Most of the 5 watt units operate on 12 volts so you need lots of "D" cell batteries or two 6v lantern batteries in series for portable use. In the car use the external power jack - get a way to connect that jack to your large lantern batteries. The best case would be to get a Li 12 volt battery and solar charger for it You will need about 3/4 amp hour for every hour of use so if you expect the battery to last 48 hours you will need about a 36 amp hour battery. (18 for one day, 9 for 12 hours).
Good luck.

 

[justdano]

Id like to get a hand held radio CB. what questions should i be asking. what should i be looking for? Id like one that would do well with an antenae for my car too... but can walk off with out the antenae. my budget is about 150.00. are there tips for cb safety?

Shot lady,

CB main limit is the wattage of transmission. If you go to a non-radio Shack type of place that works on CB, you can ask if they have any for sale (used) that if needed can be "tuned" ?

In WROL, tweaking the output of a CB will not be a problem and many CB's can be "tuned" but how varys from model to model but just going from 5 to 10 may get you what you need. Be aware that this will decrease your battery time between charges.

On buying a handheld, be sure to get a set (you'll need at least two) of extra batteries and check the expiration date before buying. If Lithium is a option for the batteries spend the extra money for them. You want the lithium in both sets and both spares.

Antenna question was already answered for in the car or if on the side of the road.

I still have to get myself a set as well but this is a slow process of due to money it takes to do things properly. I chose to think of buying things as my last chance to get quality product so don't skimp.

Have you already considered solor powered rechargers for the CB's as well as other needed and if still working electrical devices? (GPS, Cell, MP3 (music is for the soul and we will all need some)).

Good luck

DanO.

 

[inceptor]

Ebay would probably be your best bet.

You should consider getting a ham license. Once you get your tech license (basically your entry level) there are other options available that will get you a much greater range. Ham radio utilizes repeaters that extend your range. You can get a BaoFeng UV-5R handheld for about $35. I bought one of these and they aren't a bad radio.

 

[Fuzzee]

Every company I worked for used Motorola's because they lasted longer.

These might work for ya.

Amazon.com: Motorola MT352TPR Giant FRS Weatherproof Two-Way - 35 Mile Radio Triple Pack - Silver: Car Electronics

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

I cant remember a time when I last saw a hand held for sale. I just got back from a recent road trip from Texas to California and stopped several times to buy a hand held at truck stops and found only base sets available. I even went around to several electronic stores such as Radio Shack and they didn't have any either! I was like really? I guess I will be springing for a base model and having it installed under the drivers seat to minimize theft potential. It just makes changing stations a pain.

 

[pastornator]

Cobra, Midland, and Uniden all have decent hand held CB radios. Cost is around $75. Check amazon.com.