Topic: CB Radios?

Does anyone here run a CB radio during the rally? I picked up a Cobra 19 Plus at a flea market this weekend for $5 and plan on installing it in the Escort. I know literally nothing about CB radios, but I plan on picking up a short 3' Fire Stik antenna and hooking everything up.

DD's: 2015 VW Passat TSi Wolfsburg, 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd., 1974 VW Super Beetle
Race Cars: 1996 Ford Escort Wagon

Re: CB Radios?

They're on the unofficial "you might want to have" list.

Not so much for communication uses, but for general hooptyness and shenanigans.

That guy that likes the Oldsmobile Diesel for some reason.

Re: CB Radios?

The Lowballers ran them for the winter rally. Resulted in some interesting conversations with the judges about missing turns due to Danger Zone karaoke.https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16299133_1277441865680181_2484134843662121297_n.jpg?oh=1edf3ad4a8ad230e87dbbcf20987a8d7&oe=59D9840C

Knoxvegas Lowballers - Team Mom: unfortunately that is my circus and those are my monkeys.
www.facebook.com/KnoxvegasLowballers

Re: CB Radios?

The only time I really used our was for BS'ing with the teams we were working with, or letting everyone know I was getting pulled over

That being said, there's already one in my wagon

Hell On Wheels "Totally Not a Rental Car" Chrysler 300
Retreat From Moscow "Traded a Bar Tab for a Wagon" Subaru Legacy
Monterey Car Weeeeak -Dishonorable Mention- "Cocoa Beach A.S.S. Team" Oldsmobile Wagon
Fail Inc Motorsports Intergalactic Headquarters

Re: CB Radios?

I picked one up at the walmart in Minneapolis on the way down. I wasn't really intending to, but I was wandering through the walmart after spending the night in the parking lot there while waiting for Napa to open, and I noticed they had one, but no price tags to be found. After it took three early sunday morning walmart employees twenty minutes just to get the display case open for a price check, it seemed rude not to buy it. Also got an antenna.
I wired it up at the hotel in Scranton around midnight. It picked some stuff up, but we were never sure we were ever sending anything. At some point I realized that the random key-on powered socket I wired it into was actually part of the dash light circuit, meaning reception clarity dramatically improved with the rheostat cranked, but we still weren't ever sure if we were broadcasting.

Re: CB Radios?

radio is more magicker than carburetors, but you can do a great job on just rule of thumb with 'em.

get the biggest damn antenna you can fit on the car. a good radio with a shit antenna won't be half as good as a crap radio with a huge-ass 102" quarter wave whip and ball spring mount bolted on your back bumper. which also provide a source of amusement/destruction when you forget it's there and it whacks into overhangs or takes out a parking structure's overhead flourescent tube. also they just look crazy now.

Re: CB Radios?

tomicdesu wrote:

radio is more magicker than carburetors, but you can do a great job on just rule of thumb with 'em.

get the biggest damn antenna you can fit on the car. a good radio with a shit antenna won't be half as good as a crap radio with a huge-ass 102" quarter wave whip and ball spring mount bolted on your back bumper. which also provide a source of amusement/destruction when you forget it's there and it whacks into overhangs or takes out a parking structure's overhead flourescent tube. also they just look crazy now.


With a flag.  Gotta have a flag.

Re: CB Radios?

Or bungeed to the front bumper....

The Chevette looks like an RC car with the Lil Wil on the roof.    Still no actual CB though..

Re: CB Radios?

I'm about to pull the trigger on:

Uniden 40-Channel CB Radio (PRO505XL)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZLB0E4/

Tram 300 Magnet-Mount CB Antenna Kit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZDBM10/

Never had a CB setup before, so I'm just going on reviews...

Next Rally Car: An abandoned 1972 Opel GT (Plan-B: My late grandparent's 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic)
Previous Rally Cars: 1971 Opel Kadett, 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, 1998 Volvo V90 (5.0L), 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 (turbocharged 351W)

Re: CB Radios?

I thought you were supposed to just buy a few at the thrift store or at yard sales. The concept of buying a new CB from amazon...wow...mind blown

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: CB Radios?

Wait until you see what I've done with the car... Opel GT Source, Summit, and Amazon have taken a lot of my money...

I live in a small town, my thrift store is eBay.

Next Rally Car: An abandoned 1972 Opel GT (Plan-B: My late grandparent's 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic)
Previous Rally Cars: 1971 Opel Kadett, 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, 1998 Volvo V90 (5.0L), 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 (turbocharged 351W)

Re: CB Radios?

Can someone bring an SWR meter to tune my antenna, or do I need to spend $20 of my own money?

Next Rally Car: An abandoned 1972 Opel GT (Plan-B: My late grandparent's 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic)
Previous Rally Cars: 1971 Opel Kadett, 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, 1998 Volvo V90 (5.0L), 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 (turbocharged 351W)