I dont know I have to much invested in both my 148GTL and 29 LTD to find out if it will hurt it or not. The 29 LTD is peaked and tuned and gets run with a single 4ft K40 fiberglass antenna.

 

WELL since we're on the subject of tuning. How do you do it. And How much is it gonna cost?

 

It shoudlnt cost much. I bought my own SWR meter from Radio Shack and I think that it was about 30 bucks. Its very easy to do you use about a one foot jumper to connect the meter to the radio and then connect the meter to the antenna and set the meter to measure SWR. Then you key the radio using the mich on channels 1 and 40 to try and get the SWR's to under two. The antenna is moved up or down in the mount to tune the SWR reading on the meter. The trick is to get channels 1 and 40 to be as equal as you can get them ideally you want them to read exactly the same the lower the SWR and the closer you get channels 1 and 40 to being equal the better your radio will perform as far as distance, recieving, and clarity when you talk. If you have someone do this I am guessing the it might cost you about 20 bucks or so. Hope this helps if you have anymore questions let me know and I will try and answer them.

 

it takes a good antenna and good radio to make amping it even worth it. if you are puttin out enough power it will interefere with other radio signals in the air. may screw with ppls tvs who have antennas still. yes it is illegal but unless you are constantly causing disturbances in the same area no one will ever bother you. theres no way to track a cb signal. i wouldnt run an amp with a simple fiberglass whip or anything though. i dont have an amp but id like to get one someday and run it through my wilson. itll handle something like 2000 watts peak i think. but ive got mine peaked and tuned with an astatic road devil power mike and the wilson antenna. it talks real good

oh btw. its a uniden PC78LTW and even a peak and tune is illegal technically lol. 4 watts is the FCC limit

 

Thanks man. I'll have to go down to the local radio shack and check out that meter

 

depending on how much you pay for the radio some higher end models have SWR meters built in mine did, lots of cobras do too

 

How much you think all that would run me? Good radio, amp, antenna?

 

Define good. I have a Cobra 148GTL that was about 250$ and a Cobra 29 LTD thats peaked and tuned and that ran me about 145$. You can get a good radio starting at 75$ and go up to about 600$. It all depends on what you want as far as bells and whistles on your radio. If you are going to get one and want it peaked and tuned go to a respected shop and buy the radio from them and have them tune it. Also look to spend about 50$ to 125$ on your coax and antenna combo as this is key to getting all the performance out of your radio.

 

my radio i think was around 140 new and 25 for a peak and tune, antenna was around 90?? i think, and my mic was i think like 50, idk for sure got it as a gift. my radios pretty decent but you can spend alot more if you really wanna talk.

 

Wow!!! You all are talkin 200 or more for CB's. I got mine for 40 at wally world. My ball mount was like 18 and My whip was 25. Oh well works for me.

 

And there is nothing wrong with what you bought. It all depends on what you want to do with your radio and what bells and whistels you want on them. Both my radios have the SWR meter built into them. My 148GTL has upper and lower side band on it which gets me a little more distance. I was also running duel 4ft K40 fiberglass antennas on my old truck. But on a good day my max range of talk with that radio was about 25 miles on a bad day it was about 18. Now my 29 LTD is my fun radio that can get me out much further because of what I had done it. I can aslo walk on most radios in my area except a few that are running linnear amps. The 29LTD is considered illeagal because it puts out more than 4 watts . I also I have a Midland radio that I use to jump from truck to truck when I am not driving my own vehicle.

 

so what CB should i get if all i want to do with it is talk through a PA speaker??

 

Get someting under 50 bucks
I got the 40 dollar one from Wally World. Its a Cobra. I know they also have a cheap one at Radio Shack.

 

either of your boxes amped? my next radio will have side bands for sure. and then i gotta find a place to put that already sweet uniden. ahhh the choices we have to make in life. such a burden...

 

No I want to get a linear but knowing my luck I would get caught. The Cobra 29LTD was peaked and tuned by Walcott CB. I love the side band on my 148GTL and it is going to get the same treatment as my 29LTD did when I get the chance to send it to them. I know what you mean about the choices. I have to order the coax, stake pocket mount, and the QD for the antenna yet and get it installed into the truck sometime.