CB to Ponder.

[L33TJ33P]

I am trying to make a decision on a CB.

I have never had one that I could mount easily and TJs don't have many flat areas for mounting.

I have never been good at supplying power to them, usually, just bare pushed in under a fuse.

So I have been checking out the Cobra HH 38 WX ST Mini Hand Held CB Radio with Weather Stations.

complete access to 10 National Weather Channels (7 NOAA and 3 International) for the latest weather information. And there are no license or service fees!
Cobra's HH 38 WX ST incorporates SoundTracker®, a patent-pending technology that dramatically improves the sound quality of the transmission and reception of CB radio signals.


Additional Features:
SoundTracker® System
40 CB Channels
10 Weather Channels
Dual Watch & Full Channel Scan
Compact design for maximum portability
4 Watts Power Output
High/Low Power Control
Instant Channel 19
Backlit Display
Charging Jack
Low Battery Indicator
Battery or DC Operation
Built-In Microphone





What do you all think, before I put 90 bucks into it?

I see the uses of having it in hand with the ability to take it OUT of the Jeep and use it to be a GREAT "Pro"
But the short Ant as a "Con"

 

[Greywolf]

Downside to any hand held unit (ya'll get out of the gutters) is they have a very limited range. When the ad says up to 5 miles they're talking optimum weather and conditions and all that sorta thing. Pretty much a line of sight transmission to get that kind of performance.

Best suggestion would be to get a Cobra or other CB of similar quality and mount it permanantly in your Jeep. You can have one "tweeked" a bit as well and get some additional performance out of it pretty cheaply.

However, if ya wanna REALLY have one "tuned" to the max, you want something that was produced prior to 1985 (this from a guy I get all my CB gear from) as they were, for lack of a better term, built heavier than the newer ones and could withstand a whole lot more being done to them to get that extra power.

As far as hooking up the power source... either go to the battery itself or if you go by Radio Shack or some such place they make a nifty little attachment that you can slip over the fuse and then push the fuse back in leaving you a "spade" to actually attach a wire connector to. I've used these on my stereo and CB hookups in a bunch of different vehicles with a lot of luck. Of course having an in-line fuse goes without saying just in case something goes kablooey...

Good luck, hope this helps a little,

-Greywolf

 

[LauraBoston]

I got a Cobra 29

I mounted it above the rearview. I got the brackets from Turbo City, for both the antenna and CB. It required some drilling. I had to take out the windshield tie down.

Currently for power, I use the accessory. Some time this winter I plan on hard wiring it..just got another project going on right now.

I don't know anything about the unit you are looking at, just tellin you what I got.

I should also add, it works good. The SWR tuner built right in is handy. Reception is great, I hear from at least 10 miles (clearly), I don't even know if that is normal, but at lunch I sit in a parking lot near the highway, I can hear people from all over (a little static). My SWR is also at about 2.

 

[L33TJ33P]

I bet I could run an External Ant to it. just put a B-n-C connector on it. I think I still have my 25Watt booster also . Don't you remember my TJ. there isn't a good place to mount one permenantly, and the only time I would really need to use it, would be on the trails. Not like I need it to go fast anymore.

 

[X_Factor]

I'm in the process of hooking up my CB this weekend. I'm not good at electric wiring either, but it is turning out nicely for doing it by myself. Ran the power wires from battery, along the firewall, down the driver side and through the rubber hole near the drivers feet. Then ran the wires behind the dash panel, up the window frame bar and under the windshield header. I purchased a CB rack from www.cbrack.com. It's a guy I used to know in Houston who makes and excellent product for mounting anything from CB radios, to flashlights, to ham radios, to video screens. And it's about half of the cost of a Tuffy security overhead console. The CB radio I purchased is the Uniden PC68LTW. 70 channel, backlit display, 7 weather channels, all that jazz. Cost around $90. The only negative thing I've heard about the Cobra mini hand held all-in-one unit is that the speaker is very weak. You will probably need to buy an external speaker to hear it clearly. Since I have the top down alot, I bought an amplified external speaker that I'm going to mount to the back of the CB rack facing down. Just remember that the CB is only as good as the antenna. And buying an inferior antenna will make the quality of the CB radio seem much lower than it really is. Make sure you tune your antenna to the radio as well, so you're using all of its potential.

 

[88WRANGRED]

that's the one that i've got, and a 48" antenna good for use on the trails and i only have the connector permanently mounted under my dash. i usually take it out of the jeep for security purposes. but it work well on highway and trial. my dad drives a triaxle and i can get him on the highway at pretty good distance. if your looking for a trail radio it is a great compact unit, but if you want a CB to reach the west coast than by all means go ahaed. think Purpose first, than make your choice.

 

[88WRANGRED]

cobra 75 wxst

that's the one that i've got, and a 48" antenna good for use on the trails and i only have the connector permanently mounted under my dash. i usually take it out of the jeep for security purposes. but it work well on highway and trial. my dad drives a triaxle and i can get him on the highway at pretty good distance. if your looking for a trail radio it is a great compact unit, but if you want a CB to reach the west coast than by all means go ahaed. think Purpose first, than make your choice.

 

[dick_wilderness]

They have a cool lil adapter at pep boys (local automotive chain store) that you plug into your lighter, and it allows you to plug in a CB and any 2 other alike items. As for mounting I don't have much use for a CB unless offroading. So I got a big piece of velcro put one piece on the CB and the other on the back side of that lil tray on the dash (on tj's.) So when I need the cb I whip it out, turn over the tray and bamm! stick dat shhhhh....stuff right to the back of the tray! It holds well no complaints so far.

DW

 

[BostonJeep]

get one that has PA capability. cause, its alot of fun.

 

[Craig]

I used to have a potable cb in my truck. Just mount your external antenna and plug it into antenna input on your cb. Mine worked just as good as my friends cb's and it was portable too. Good for camping, winching or spotting other vehicles.