Best Fixed-mount CB Radios
Style: BEARCAT980SSB. Wireless Mic Compatible - Compatible with the BC906W Wireless CB Speaker/Mic.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Looks great, nice bright colors/ display."
"Great radio but hard to find wiring diagram for power mics."
"Never could quite get a good clear signal through it but I'm sure that's 100% user error in my own inexperience tuning and nothing to do with the quality of the CB."
"So far So Good... Just got it installed and get about 2-3 miles with a 3' A Firestick antenna."
"Works awesome, great to talk again to the world!"
"Have yet to install it into a vehicle but have talked on one and they are GREAT!!"
"One complaint I have is that the annoying beep sound it makes every time I change the channel."
This model is based on the 29 LTD Classic platform, with added features: The new weather receiver with scan automatically advances to the next clear channel when driving cross-country ensuring the driver is always getting the latest weather alerts and warnings. The 29 LX also includes all 40 channel scan and memory channel programming, Instant channel 9 and 19, audible key tones, channel frequency readout for CB and weather channels, 4 watts AM RF power output, the maximum amount of power allowed by law; Talk Back controls allowing drivers to adjust the desired amount of modulation talk-back. 29 LX Features Selectable 4-Color LCD Display With Dimmer Choose from four easy-to-read display colors for viewing operating channel frequency and other data: red, blue, green and amber. 10 NOAA Weather Channels With Emergency Alert The 29 LX provides instant access to 10 National Weather Channels, 24 hours a day, in all 50 states. Memory Channel With Scan Feature Store up to 10 of your most frequently used channels for quick access, and scan through all of them as needed. Instant Channel 9 and 19 Instant access to emergency channel 9 and information channel 19. 10 NOAA Weather channels with automatic scanning and alerts keep you informed of current conditions and any severe weather situations that exist. Other features include a PA (Public Address) mode, antenna warning indicator, delta tune, RF gain, talk back, channel memory, dynamite, instant channel 9/19 and more. Radio Check Diagnostic Provides information on critical CB aspects such as battery voltage, RF power and antenna condition. Receive signals can also be monitored through PA. Multi-Color display offers information on all radio functions, can be set to one of four colors, and can be dimmed for night driving.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me start out by saying that my knowledge of CB's is extremely limited and Everything I've learned, is from reading as much as I can in these last 3 months. Lastly, I mounted an external speaker above my head and ran a long 3.5mm audio cable through the head liner, down the A-pillar and under the carpet to the radio. Before I even ran all the power wires for the radio. When I gave it to him he couldnt believe I was able to hit him back so clearly because we were about about 20 miles apart (straight shot, not driving distance) I ended up talking with him and a few other guys who were all in the 15-20 mile range all running home base stations with towers and big power and they all complemented how well I sounded. I remembers what my last channel I was on and every other feature that I've custom set...Everythin BUT the clock. It's not a huge deal to me since I have a clock about 1 foot above the radio anyway but just thought it was worth noting."
"This was labeled new but when tuned up I noticed that one resistor had been burnt and been replaced."
"Excellent... radio check feature is superb."
"Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel CB Radio with Instant Access 10 NOAA Weather Stations and Selectable 4 Color Display. Awesome CB great value works great definitely recommend...!!"
"My hubby drives a dump truck."
"I love this radio, but I only wish they put ssb into it."
"I set my radio to alert me of any weather messages just in case I'm driving into something and every Wednesday around noon on multiple channels from 11-12 that damn thing keeps going off and scares the crap oit of me."
"Looks great, works great, and it's really fun."
Other features include 40 channel operation, squelch control, channel display, volume control, mounting hardware, channel select buttons, and a large, easy-to-read display. The Bearcat PRO505XL Compact CB Radio from Uniden uses advanced microelectronics to pack plenty of power and features into a modern, compact design. Full 40 Channel Operation Enjoy the complete range of 40 CB radio channels to communicate with those around you. Dynamic Squelch Control Delivers Quality Sound This CB radio features dynamic squelch control for optimal sound. External PA Jack: Allows connection of a PA speaker.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Only complaint is, for it's compact size, which allows all kinds of places to install it in, I know there's room inside the unit itself to add Weather Channels (NOAA) I'm sticking with this radio because of the price #1...#2 it's always performed as advertised with no problems at all. Transmitting distance, with a CB Radio, ANY CB Radio depends on a multitude of things like, mountains, windy roads, elevation ("skip" is fun when you're on the top of an especially big/tall mountain, especially when it's the flat desert for hundred's+ of miles on the other side...Talked to MANY MANY folks from all over the SE, East, NE and I especially like "conversing" the Louisiana/Georgia area States. Man, those guys have accents that just won't quit and especially unique stories to tell...Like a different world over there and I want to visit it before I'm dead and gone and you just gotta love it! Couldn't use my Verizon Cell so I fired up my Uniden PRO520XL and after a few minutes, I finally picked up a guy who lived in Georgia. I was just outside of Bend, OR, just a couple THOUSAND miles away rom the guy who answered my "May Day" Call...GEORGIA!!!"
"Absolute kickass fun scaring dogs, deer, cats, kids, or broadcasting something funny with a horn speaker. - Microphone. Go get you a small high quality CB ext speaker at a truck stop...and plug it in. - Old school LED display is hard to see in the daylight...excellent at night tho. - Speaker power out could be a bit better with some type of tone control. - Wx function would have been nice. OVERALL. - Tuned VSR to 1:1 with my Firestik antenna on my pickup."
"This radio is great."
"No issues with range but then again it's all pretty close range."
"Video "Installing a Rugged Ridge JK CB Mount Jeep Wrangler" can be found with a full install and test."
"Got the unit set up this afternoon, & reached out about 11 miles with first contact."
"Cheap no frills radio but be careful if installing an external speaker because the plug for it on this radio is fragile."
"So far seems well made."
Best Portable CB Radios
This model is based on the 29 LTD Classic platform, with added features: The new weather receiver with scan automatically advances to the next clear channel when driving cross-country ensuring the driver is always getting the latest weather alerts and warnings. The 29 LX also includes all 40 channel scan and memory channel programming, Instant channel 9 and 19, audible key tones, channel frequency readout for CB and weather channels, 4 watts AM RF power output, the maximum amount of power allowed by law; Talk Back controls allowing drivers to adjust the desired amount of modulation talk-back. 29 LX Features Selectable 4-Color LCD Display With Dimmer Choose from four easy-to-read display colors for viewing operating channel frequency and other data: red, blue, green and amber. 10 NOAA Weather Channels With Emergency Alert The 29 LX provides instant access to 10 National Weather Channels, 24 hours a day, in all 50 states. Memory Channel With Scan Feature Store up to 10 of your most frequently used channels for quick access, and scan through all of them as needed. Instant Channel 9 and 19 Instant access to emergency channel 9 and information channel 19. 10 NOAA Weather channels with automatic scanning and alerts keep you informed of current conditions and any severe weather situations that exist. Other features include a PA (Public Address) mode, antenna warning indicator, delta tune, RF gain, talk back, channel memory, dynamite, instant channel 9/19 and more. Radio Check Diagnostic Provides information on critical CB aspects such as battery voltage, RF power and antenna condition. Receive signals can also be monitored through PA. Multi-Color display offers information on all radio functions, can be set to one of four colors, and can be dimmed for night driving.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me start out by saying that my knowledge of CB's is extremely limited and Everything I've learned, is from reading as much as I can in these last 3 months. Lastly, I mounted an external speaker above my head and ran a long 3.5mm audio cable through the head liner, down the A-pillar and under the carpet to the radio. Before I even ran all the power wires for the radio. When I gave it to him he couldnt believe I was able to hit him back so clearly because we were about about 20 miles apart (straight shot, not driving distance) I ended up talking with him and a few other guys who were all in the 15-20 mile range all running home base stations with towers and big power and they all complemented how well I sounded. I remembers what my last channel I was on and every other feature that I've custom set...Everythin BUT the clock. It's not a huge deal to me since I have a clock about 1 foot above the radio anyway but just thought it was worth noting."
"This was labeled new but when tuned up I noticed that one resistor had been burnt and been replaced."
"Excellent... radio check feature is superb."
"Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel CB Radio with Instant Access 10 NOAA Weather Stations and Selectable 4 Color Display. Awesome CB great value works great definitely recommend...!!"
"My hubby drives a dump truck."
"I love this radio!"
"I love this radio, but I only wish they put ssb into it."
"I set my radio to alert me of any weather messages just in case I'm driving into something and every Wednesday around noon on multiple channels from 11-12 that damn thing keeps going off and scares the crap oit of me."
Best Portable CB Radios
This model is based on the 29 LTD Classic platform, with added features: The new weather receiver with scan automatically advances to the next clear channel when driving cross-country ensuring the driver is always getting the latest weather alerts and warnings. The 29 LX also includes all 40 channel scan and memory channel programming, Instant channel 9 and 19, audible key tones, channel frequency readout for CB and weather channels, 4 watts AM RF power output, the maximum amount of power allowed by law; Talk Back controls allowing drivers to adjust the desired amount of modulation talk-back. 29 LX Features Selectable 4-Color LCD Display With Dimmer Choose from four easy-to-read display colors for viewing operating channel frequency and other data: red, blue, green and amber. 10 NOAA Weather Channels With Emergency Alert The 29 LX provides instant access to 10 National Weather Channels, 24 hours a day, in all 50 states. Memory Channel With Scan Feature Store up to 10 of your most frequently used channels for quick access, and scan through all of them as needed. Instant Channel 9 and 19 Instant access to emergency channel 9 and information channel 19. 10 NOAA Weather channels with automatic scanning and alerts keep you informed of current conditions and any severe weather situations that exist. Other features include a PA (Public Address) mode, antenna warning indicator, delta tune, RF gain, talk back, channel memory, dynamite, instant channel 9/19 and more. Radio Check Diagnostic Provides information on critical CB aspects such as battery voltage, RF power and antenna condition. Receive signals can also be monitored through PA. Multi-Color display offers information on all radio functions, can be set to one of four colors, and can be dimmed for night driving.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me start out by saying that my knowledge of CB's is extremely limited and Everything I've learned, is from reading as much as I can in these last 3 months. Lastly, I mounted an external speaker above my head and ran a long 3.5mm audio cable through the head liner, down the A-pillar and under the carpet to the radio. Before I even ran all the power wires for the radio. When I gave it to him he couldnt believe I was able to hit him back so clearly because we were about about 20 miles apart (straight shot, not driving distance) I ended up talking with him and a few other guys who were all in the 15-20 mile range all running home base stations with towers and big power and they all complemented how well I sounded. I remembers what my last channel I was on and every other feature that I've custom set...Everythin BUT the clock. It's not a huge deal to me since I have a clock about 1 foot above the radio anyway but just thought it was worth noting."
"This was labeled new but when tuned up I noticed that one resistor had been burnt and been replaced."
"Excellent... radio check feature is superb."
"Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel CB Radio with Instant Access 10 NOAA Weather Stations and Selectable 4 Color Display. Awesome CB great value works great definitely recommend...!!"
"My hubby drives a dump truck."
"I love this radio, but I only wish they put ssb into it."
"I set my radio to alert me of any weather messages just in case I'm driving into something and every Wednesday around noon on multiple channels from 11-12 that damn thing keeps going off and scares the crap oit of me."
"Great quality, many great features to include the SWR meter built right in so you can tune your radio to your antenna without requiring any additional equipment."
Best Handheld CB Radios
It comes with everything you need to get started in a hurry, including a battery pack for times you want to run the unit on six AA batteries and a cigarette lighter adapter for battery-free operation in your car. While communicating, a built in ANL (automatic noise limiter) improves reception for weak signals, and squelch control further eliminates background noise. The flexible antenna with BNC connector is easily removed for transport, and an external headset jack is provided for hands-free use. Display Size (W x H): 1.375 x .5 Inches. Power Requirement: 6AAA. Operating Temperature Range: -30 ~ +50° C What's in the Box Midland 75-822 Radio, AC Wall Adapter, Alkaline Battery Compartment, Rechargeable Battery Compartment, Mobile Adapter, Antenna, Documentation. Portable CB radio with 40 CB channels, 10 NOAA channels, and 4 Watts of output power.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The mobile adapter has two connectors. This way I could use the external power and the included antenna."
"Also the NOAA reports come in Loud & Clear with the Rubber Antenna."
"It does not really seem to have a hanger useful for hanging from a vertical surface, such as my dashboard, but was more than acceptable for me as I prefer to keep it in my center console when not in use."
"Installed it in my new SUV and didn't want to drill holes or cut things."
"Also comes with two battery packs and a charger for the pack that uses 8 AA rechargeable batteries. The other battery pack holds 6 regular AA batteries."
"Good little radio!"
"really is the best radio I have bought really receives great even in a metal roof mobile home /."
"I wish it had worked because the size and shape of it was a perfect fit in my hand and I had thought being able to slide the battery pack on and use the weatherband in the house would have been nice."
Best Radio Scanners
Favorites List, System, Department/Site Quick Keys and temporary avoid.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The reason to buy the Uniden unit is A) As you travel, the GPS feeds your location into the scanner and the scanner updates the frequencies it is scanning to those near you and B) because it is also plug & play. Mine arrived with the necessary cords to plug directly into the scanner, and it worked from that moment. You can connect the scanner to your PC to update the firmware and the frequency database from Uniden. I purchased a magnetic mount antenna on Amazon for about $30 (ASIN B004HM9RHE) and it works great. I have been told by the Ontario Provincial Police it is legal to have a scanner in a vehicle in Canada but have not been able to find the law on the books. For a busy dad, the simplicity is welcome and the Plug & Play No Fuss Ready-to-Use attributes actually let me enjoy the thing without brushing off my kids to learn how to make it work. It reminds me of the original Apple MacIntosh computer: A product so smart you can turn it on and use it without devoting hours of study to get it to function :-)."
"Nothing I could do would make it work. ***. When you read these reviews make sure it’s for the scanner you’re looking at. I’ve heard complete conversations on my other scanner (set for only two frequencies) that were missed on the BCD436HP because of the amount of time to scan through all the frequencies within 20 miles. The Sentinel software (latest version and USB drivers [...]) is used to really customize the scanner. When you plug the scanner into a USB port on your PC the scanner will ask if it’s a mass media device or serial. The BCD436HP comes with three (3) AA rechargeable batteries that are charged using the USB mini cable. I plugged mine in overnight when I received the scanner and it was pretty warm in the morning. The scanner also has to be turned off before the batteries will charge. While the scanner is plugged in and on it doesn’t use the batteries. You will hate this thing if you don’t understand that. I’ve read over many of the reviews and most of the one stars are people who expected to turn it on and listen to whatever they expected. It gives you step-by-step instructions and explains things the included manual doesn’t."
"Build quality of the radio appears to be good, but it is a lightweight plastic case. The ability to use this out of the box with a zip code or GPS is great but you can also program it like the earlier Uniden DMA scanners."
"It's an okay radio."