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06-05-2010, 04:45 PM
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Learning to use the forums
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Cb radios ?
ok i have a question is it better to have two cb atennas of just one and is there any possible way to make two work better than one im new to the whole cb radio deal adnm im looking for a little advice before i start buying parts for nothing
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06-05-2010, 04:47 PM
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I'm kind of a big deal
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Re: Cb radios ?
rangers are not wide enough to run duals with any benefit. A single antenna will get the better signal
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06-05-2010, 05:31 PM
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Learning to use the forums
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Re: Cb radios ?
whats the normal range for one antenna andf id liek to put two just i guess make one a dumby one just for looks
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06-05-2010, 10:03 PM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,197
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Re: Cb radios ?
asking the range of one antenna is a moot point.....it's how all your stuff works together. Just remember, the antenna is the most important part. You can have a bad ass 100w radio and a crappy antenna and grounding and it won't perform as well as a stock dinky 19dxiv with a good antenna setup.
Btw....having one hooked up and one as a dummy still interferes with the usable antenna. I ran that setup after I found out how shitty duals hooked up properly were on these tiny ass trucks.
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'01 XLT disguised as a '03 Fx4 Level II.
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06-06-2010, 03:15 AM
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Tank Diver
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,129
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Re: Cb radios ?
Like stated above, the antenna is everything. You can have a cheap ass radio and out perform a top of the line radio with a crappy antenna set up.
If you are doing a set up for road trips on the high way, the best placement is on the the rear right side of the vehicle, it focuses the reception and transmissions to the left front that way.
Check out Radio Shack's fiberglass whip and stainless steel whip antennas, they get very good reviews. You might be able to find something similar for less elsewhere like ebay. If you can find a K40, they are a very good antenna as well but were more popular with cars where they could be mounted on the trunk lid.
The comments about the dual antenna thing are true. They must be a certain width apart from each other to be effective. If they are too close, even a dummy, they will actually hurt your performance.
Found a site for you. http://www.das-roadpro.com/k40/
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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap
Last edited by sgtsandman; 06-06-2010 at 03:18 AM.
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06-06-2010, 04:16 AM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
With the unlocked uniden (~25w) and a fiberglass whip, or sometimes a trucker k40 antenna, i could chat with my cousin who was about 45kms away as if he was local.
There's one primordial thing about cbs; elevation. I would climb this 30-40 feet hill and reach much farther that way. Buildings, un-even land and powerlines cut down your radius of signal.
My antenna socket was in the back, smack in the middle.
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06-06-2010, 06:41 AM
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Learning to use the forums
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Re: Cb radios ?
thanks for all your help i cant wait to get it all together and see how it will work it will mostly for show but i mostly want it for short range when im out with my friends
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06-06-2010, 09:07 AM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
Well if its just short range, you could either buy a portable cb, or those small walkie talkies.
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06-06-2010, 05:58 PM
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Tank Diver
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
That was a missing piece of info. That opens up a whole bunch of different options. You can get away with what Ranger Sport said then. The previous stuff will still work for that as well and give you more range but at a higher cost.
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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap
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06-06-2010, 08:32 PM
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Learning to use the forums
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Re: Cb radios ?
ok its startying to make a little since. i want something thats good but not top dollar its just for when im out in the woods with my buddies or just driving on the highway really im just having a hard time finding a good pairing between an antenna and a cb anhy one know any decent cbs that dont cost an arm or a leg
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06-06-2010, 08:43 PM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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Re: Cb radios ?
Check craigslist in the electronics section. I see $150 new radios for about half almost all the time in great almost new condition. Or since you don't need anything big or alot of features, a $50 Cobra 19dx IV would work just fine. With that, coax, antenna mount, antenna, you're looking at about a $100 total setup w/ SWR meter for that setup. The cb I suggested is a PA equipped radio too....those can be fun, but be smart with it! $10-20 for a speaker.
And for what it's worth, I wouldn't just settle for a dinky handheld!
Best thing I suggest to you is read read read learn learn learn. TONs of info out there for beginners. Get to googling!
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'01 XLT disguised as a '03 Fx4 Level II.
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06-06-2010, 11:49 PM
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Tank Diver
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
Cobra and Uniden are good brands. You can go cheap to expensive with either.
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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap
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06-07-2010, 05:29 AM
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Learning to use the forums
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
ok thank you and i was thinking the same i wasnt really into getting a handset and the pa systems woul;d be alot of fun lol
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06-07-2010, 06:29 AM
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Rocket Scientist
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Re: Cb radios ?
bobby --
everything that folks have mentioned here is true... a second antenna, even if not connected, will affect the radiation pattern of the connected antenna (it will create a null in the reception pattern); your best bet is to stick with just one antenna for the radio, and do some other mod on your truck for "coolness points".
when you're shopping, don't skimp on the quality of coax cable for connecting the antenna to the radio. you'll want a good-quality 50-ohm coax cable with decent shielding and good connectors -- if you go with the cheap stuff, you'll have problems getting the antenna system tuned to the radio (adjusting SWR) and (consequently) low transmitting (and to some lesser extent, receiving) performance. Belden RG58X is a good choice. you'll see loads of nonsense about cable lengths, and so on -- you can ignore them; the only time you need 18' of cable for a CB installation is when your radio is 18' from your antenna. use enough good quality cable (with good quality connectors, properly attached) to reach from where you installed your radio to where you installed your antenna.
if you buy a 1/4- or 1/2-wavelength fiberglass or steel "whip" antenna, there is likely to be no tuning required to achieve minimum SWR. if you buy some other type of antenna, you'll likely need to do some (slight) adjusting to attain an acceptable SWR (ideally, you'll want it to be at or below 1.5:1; the antennas on my transmitters, both at home and in my truck, are all tuned to give an SWR reading of 1.1:1 or less ).
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2001 Ranger XLT 4.0L SOHC
Silver Frost w/ Dark Graphite interior
Modifications
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31x10.50 A/T tires
Explorer overhead console
Explorer auto-dim mirror
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Aux1 & Aux2 inputs on factory AM/FM/CD/Cassette
Door-dinger silencer button
Seamless retractable roof and passenger-side ejection seat with steering wheel mounted controls and safety interlock
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06-08-2010, 12:14 PM
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Learning to use the forums
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Re: Cb radios ?
ok thanks for all your help ill keep that in mind and is it hard to tune them ?
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