CB Radios
Choosing The Right CB Radio.
The Weakest Link
Manufactures (Names & Links)
Export or Normal Channels
Modifications
What are your co-workers using?
How much power do I need?
Exports in General (Good and Bad)
Linear Amps (Foot warmers, Amps, Boxes)
FCC Still Alive
Nothing Runs Like A Deer (Quality Runs Deep)
If It Ani’t Broke Don’t Fix
Save That Radio (Information about our Box Saver)
Antennas
SWR
Our Boxes and CB Radios
Summary
Manufactures (Names & Links)
Export or Normal Channels
Modifications
What are your co-workers using?
How much power do I need?
Exports in General (Good and Bad)
Linear Amps (Foot warmers, Amps, Boxes)
FCC Still Alive
Nothing Runs Like A Deer (Quality Runs Deep)
If It Ani’t Broke Don’t Fix
Save That Radio (Information about our Box Saver)
Antennas
SWR
Our Boxes and CB Radios
Summary
The Weakest Link: This refers to Truckers you run with. The Good Old Boys with the Loud CB’S, the tricked out ones, the ones that seem to have problems with their equipment. As a general rule your radio strengths and weakness are judged by your fellow drivers, (Truckers). Comments you might hear, you sound bad, you're squealing, there is a lot of noise in you mike, why don't you get a good radio? Word for the wise here. Never take the opinion of someone you don’t know and always get a second opinion. This might save you a trip to the CB Doctor. An intermediate problem is very hard to find on the bench if it shows to be working fine by your Repair Technician when he tests it. Your Radio is no better than the party you are talking to. There4 they could be the problem. They are the weakest link. When it comes time to be concerned about a problem with your CB Radio always get more than one opinion. Or better yet get someone to talk on it for you and you listen at it yourself if you have been tagged with a transmit problem. This will allow you to better explain the problem if any to the Snake Doctor.
Manufactures: On the left is a list of CB Radio Manufactures. Mouse click on the Brand and visit their web site. The Aluminum Box Company carries these Brands. They can be purchased through our sister site at Big Rig CB Radio featuring the BEST DEAL in CB Radios
Manufactures: On the left is a list of CB Radio Manufactures. Mouse click on the Brand and visit their web site. The Aluminum Box Company carries these Brands. They can be purchased through our sister site at Big Rig CB Radio featuring the BEST DEAL in CB Radios
Cobra
(Home to the Truckers Favorite The 29LTD)
Uniden
(Largest Manufacture for CB Radio
Magnum
(Strong Trick Export CB Manufacture)
Galaxy
(Oldest of the Export Manufactures)
Stryker
(New Kid on the Block, Hard To Get)
Connex
( Most Powerful CB Out the CX 4300-300)Check out what is new and detail specs from the Manufactures Own Web Site!
(Home to the Truckers Favorite The 29LTD)
Uniden
(Largest Manufacture for CB Radio
Magnum
(Strong Trick Export CB Manufacture)
Galaxy
(Oldest of the Export Manufactures)
Stryker
(New Kid on the Block, Hard To Get)
Connex
( Most Powerful CB Out the CX 4300-300)Check out what is new and detail specs from the Manufactures Own Web Site!
Export or Normal Channels: Time to decide on what you want your radio to do for you. Shop for price allowed, shop for features, shop for Export or Normal. All of the top manufactures offer both versions. Normal 40 channels is the most widely used consumer CB Radio. Makers like Cobra, Midland, and Uniden make up this category. Export CB Radio offers a stronger, louder, tricked out version plus the advantage of the EXTRA CHANNELS. “Hey lets drop down 40 or go up 40”, is a phrase used everyday on the Citizen Band Radio. Now you can have a less crowed conversation (PRIVATE, YEA). Truckers use these channels to increase their range of communications. Talk greater distances is very possible with these rigs. Sometime twice or 3 times farther than Normal CB’S. Now which one to choose, Normal or Export? Most truckers like the advantages of export with the extra channels and the power and the tricks but, they don’t use a lot of the features that they are paying for with these units. The commit I get is “I just leave it on Channel 19”. So why pay for the extra features when you probably want use it? Range, they talk farther because of the finals (power transistors) they are using. The modulation (Speech) carries farther and this allows you to communicate easier and not have to repeat yourself over and over again. These are advantages for sure. Read down a bit for the disadvantages associated with this type of CB Radio and you decide on what version to buy.Both kind of versions are offered from Cobra CB, Uniden CB as well as Galaxy CB
Modifications: Extra channels, more power, talkback, Connex Boards, these are just a few of the most popular mods that are done regularly to CB Radio. MY RULE: If you want these extra features buy” EXPORT”. They are designed with these features in mind. This will save you money and down time in the shop. Taking a Normal CB Radio and adding one or more of these mods will in the long run cost you. The design of a normal cb has to be altered a lot to support a lot of these features. Extra channel kits are for the most part a joke. You will get lost without a display telling you where you are. The kits we have seen and installed generally have to be repaired before they are installed. If you add extra channels to a normal CB Radio the radio in general has not been designed to accept these channels. Your power loss is significant when you transmit on any of the Below 40 or Above 40 channels. If any of the above mods to do with the least effect on your CB life span it would be Talk Back. Some truckers rely on this feature (Maybe ego for the most part) to judge the sound that is heard when they transmit. Originally designed for you that have Echo on your CB so you can adjust the amount of Echo and the number of times it repeats. ADVICE: If you are adding Talk Back to your radio make sure the Tech adds it on a toggle switch. This will allow you to turn it off when you get feedback and you will. The only other recourse is to turn down the mike gain some to relieve this annoying occurrence. By doing some you just shortened to transmitting distance a bit. Summary for this topic. Add Talk back, and if you need additional features buy Export. The exception here would be to use external equipment to use these features.
If your buddy is running Export and using the extra channels you will also need Export CB to talk to them. If they stay on channel 19 for the most part then Normal CB will do fine
How much power do I need? As much as you can get. Although you are limited to the supplied hookups on the dash (binding post) unless you want to hook some where else you are limited to 20amps. Most trucks are fused at 20amps at these connectors. This limits your potent ional to around 100 watts. Yes 100 watts. May not much but enough to get the job done. The Normal 40 channel CB’s draw around 2-3 amps with 7-18 watt swing if tuned. The Exports are unlimited on power if they are modified. Power up to and over 200 watts can now be obtained with these radios. Using this amount of power would require you to find additional hook-ups on the rig. Below the fuse box around the battery feed relays is the most common area to look. Check with your Boss to see if they mind you hooking here. FOOTNOTE: Power in excess of 100watts can and will interfere with some of the communicating equipment if installed on the truck. This will not set well with the truck owner. Keep this in mind. My thoughts: If you can not talk to each other with a 100watts or less then get the Export Radio with the extra channels. You can talk farther on less crowded channels with less power. Don’t forget to use a Broadband Antenna.
Summary: Power is necessary for communicating on those bad days. You know, the days when skip is coming in from California, Florida, Arkansas, etc. During this period when skip is prevalent, extra power is a must for even short communications. Summertime with the weather fronts moving across the US you might find it hard to talk to the guy in front or behind you. Extra power will help. Let’s not forget Modulation. This is the key to longer distance communications more so than power. A CB radio without 100% mod is not good. The FCC has put in limiters to choke down a bid the potent ional for this reason, so you want bleed. Back in the early and late 70’s when Truckers talked on channel 10 instead of 19 now they strong stations would bleed channel 9. Channel 9 was and is still the emergency channel. So the FCC made the manufactures limit the modulation to less than 100%. You can recognize this limiter by the swing on you CB Radio. When you first key up you will notice a good swing with the first word and then with additional speech it is choked a bid. The swing is limited by a component just for this purpose. This can be adjusted by a professional for sure and needs to be if you want to talk any distance.
Summary: Power is necessary for communicating on those bad days. You know, the days when skip is coming in from California, Florida, Arkansas, etc. During this period when skip is prevalent, extra power is a must for even short communications. Summertime with the weather fronts moving across the US you might find it hard to talk to the guy in front or behind you. Extra power will help. Let’s not forget Modulation. This is the key to longer distance communications more so than power. A CB radio without 100% mod is not good. The FCC has put in limiters to choke down a bid the potent ional for this reason, so you want bleed. Back in the early and late 70’s when Truckers talked on channel 10 instead of 19 now they strong stations would bleed channel 9. Channel 9 was and is still the emergency channel. So the FCC made the manufactures limit the modulation to less than 100%. You can recognize this limiter by the swing on you CB Radio. When you first key up you will notice a good swing with the first word and then with additional speech it is choked a bid. The swing is limited by a component just for this purpose. This can be adjusted by a professional for sure and needs to be if you want to talk any distance.
Exports in General ( Good and Bad): Cost more, get out farther, break down more often, are larger, heavier, and have a lot more buttons to confuse to average operator. Yes, you can get them out of adjustment. Twist the wrong knob and be on a channel that would usually operate a “garage door HA HA”. Not really, but consideration of these features being advantage or disadvantage should be looked at. When Exports first arrived in the US they were for the whole JUNK. Yes JUNK. They spent more time in the repair shop than on the road. This was a radio shops dream because they had a continuous run of repairs. Now they are better, stronger, and cost less than when first introduced. When someone tells me the CB Market is dead I like to mention the Stryker CB. Why would any company come out with any related CB Product if there wasn’t a market for it? That was a good sentence.
Makes sense to me. CB is not dead but alive at The Aluminum Box Company. Truckers Rock! Sorry I was just venting a little. Return to subject. Exports offer features above the Normal CB. These radios are designed for 10meters. Yes, 10 meters not 11meters (27MHZ) CB so you will have to get yours adjusted. Converted for you not so hip truckers. If not you will not have access to the normal 40 channels. WORD HERE FOR FCC: This is illegal. To do, to talk, to own, to operate one of these radios or to sell. Now with that said. Once altered you have the strongest build in CB Radio you would ever want. “Breaker, Breaker one nine, how is the east bound side look, an look and look and look”. (Echo Here). The bucket effect that is achievable from this unit is great; add a little effect so it sound like you are 3 feet down in a well, not 40 feet, and you will get out farther. This clears up your mod somewhat with this effect used just right. Listen through the talk back to get it perfect. Then turn it off so you want get attached to its sound. Make sure you have turned off the Rodger Beep. I want go into detail with this because my fingers are cramping a bit but do it. These radios will for the most part stand a little more abuse when it comes to Antenna issues (SWR). Although you still need to keep it below a 2. Hook it up to a Broadband antenna and you will be “TOP SHELF”, for sure. But what you can afford. Buy what you have heard based on sounding good, and buy from The Aluminum Box Company. Summary: Better now than before and loaded with features. Learn or mark which buttons to use and where they are positioned. FM is not for your local radio station.
Makes sense to me. CB is not dead but alive at The Aluminum Box Company. Truckers Rock! Sorry I was just venting a little. Return to subject. Exports offer features above the Normal CB. These radios are designed for 10meters. Yes, 10 meters not 11meters (27MHZ) CB so you will have to get yours adjusted. Converted for you not so hip truckers. If not you will not have access to the normal 40 channels. WORD HERE FOR FCC: This is illegal. To do, to talk, to own, to operate one of these radios or to sell. Now with that said. Once altered you have the strongest build in CB Radio you would ever want. “Breaker, Breaker one nine, how is the east bound side look, an look and look and look”. (Echo Here). The bucket effect that is achievable from this unit is great; add a little effect so it sound like you are 3 feet down in a well, not 40 feet, and you will get out farther. This clears up your mod somewhat with this effect used just right. Listen through the talk back to get it perfect. Then turn it off so you want get attached to its sound. Make sure you have turned off the Rodger Beep. I want go into detail with this because my fingers are cramping a bit but do it. These radios will for the most part stand a little more abuse when it comes to Antenna issues (SWR). Although you still need to keep it below a 2. Hook it up to a Broadband antenna and you will be “TOP SHELF”, for sure. But what you can afford. Buy what you have heard based on sounding good, and buy from The Aluminum Box Company. Summary: Better now than before and loaded with features. Learn or mark which buttons to use and where they are positioned. FM is not for your local radio station.
Linear Amps (Foot warmers, Amps, Boxes): Not legal, but still around. Can’t buy them on Ebay any more. Call me if interested in details.
FCC Still Alive: For the most part no worry for the trucker. Although the DOT, as I have read a few articles in some areas of the country trying to pass on this jurisdiction. I will do a bit more research on this topic. If you know more on this subject please leave information on our Blog or excuse me Your Blog,
The Slip Seater.
With the above commit I left for FCC I will not go any farther. Uncle Charlie is still alive. Warning to all CB Shops.
Nothing runs Like a Deer (Quality Runs deep): Here I am referring to the Old Standby the Cobra 29LTD. Cobra Electronics several years back released the 29LTD with SS (Sound Tracker) circuit. Among these were also 25LTD and the 148LTD with this advanced circuit. Bad move. When these radios first hit most of use were doing modifications to the limiters for modulation increase like always. Not so with the Sound Tracker Version. If removed or adjusted this radio would muffle the mod. The only way to make this mod and maintain any decent adjustment it had to be back up with a whole new mike. Yes we had to sell the customer a new mike replacing the brand new one that it came with. Something appeared to be wrong here. Cobras’ intent here was to sell everyone this new breed of radio because it worked better if used in conjunction with another SS radio. I personally never found more than one customer at a time with these radios. I made a call the Cobra Tech to find out what was wrong with their mikes. I was told that this was going to be the Latest, and Greatest, CB radio on the Market today. The Sound Tracker circuit would bring back CB as we know it. I like most cases ignored there reasoning here and would not sell these radios. I told Cobra you have a problem here. They blew me off of course and not until a few months later I received a call form Cobra asking,” What did you say was wrong with these radios”? Cobra stated that they were hoping the radios would be accepted by the consumers as well as the Dealers and everything would be better in the long run. Well a few months later we got the word that Cobra was bring back the Cobra 29LTD Classic and the Cobra 25LTD Classic. If It Ani’t Broke Don’t Fix
The Slip Seater.
With the above commit I left for FCC I will not go any farther. Uncle Charlie is still alive. Warning to all CB Shops.
Nothing runs Like a Deer (Quality Runs deep): Here I am referring to the Old Standby the Cobra 29LTD. Cobra Electronics several years back released the 29LTD with SS (Sound Tracker) circuit. Among these were also 25LTD and the 148LTD with this advanced circuit. Bad move. When these radios first hit most of use were doing modifications to the limiters for modulation increase like always. Not so with the Sound Tracker Version. If removed or adjusted this radio would muffle the mod. The only way to make this mod and maintain any decent adjustment it had to be back up with a whole new mike. Yes we had to sell the customer a new mike replacing the brand new one that it came with. Something appeared to be wrong here. Cobras’ intent here was to sell everyone this new breed of radio because it worked better if used in conjunction with another SS radio. I personally never found more than one customer at a time with these radios. I made a call the Cobra Tech to find out what was wrong with their mikes. I was told that this was going to be the Latest, and Greatest, CB radio on the Market today. The Sound Tracker circuit would bring back CB as we know it. I like most cases ignored there reasoning here and would not sell these radios. I told Cobra you have a problem here. They blew me off of course and not until a few months later I received a call form Cobra asking,” What did you say was wrong with these radios”? Cobra stated that they were hoping the radios would be accepted by the consumers as well as the Dealers and everything would be better in the long run. Well a few months later we got the word that Cobra was bring back the Cobra 29LTD Classic and the Cobra 25LTD Classic. If It Ani’t Broke Don’t Fix
Save That Radio (Information about our Box Saver): Time to Plug the Company Product line a bit. “PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER “. God I love to say that to a customer when he tells me he has hooked you his CB Radio from truck to truck thousands of times without a problem.
The Aluminum Box Company in house makes a little product that its installs in its TSS & RTT series box that might save you a trip to the Snake Doctor. We call it a BOX SAVER. Cute Name What it does is fix the one time mistake you are going to make in hooking up you equipment in the next truck. Two quotes that we here from users (CB Radio Operators) “Someone has apparently with the binding post on the Damn Truck. I hooked it up just like always and it would not turn on. I need my radio and check to fuse. It was blown so I replaced it with another. As soon as I put it in it flashed. Then I found between the seats a pack of fuses someone left there and replace it with the biggest one I could find. The radio started to smoke and I know I hooked it up right. Can you fix it like yesterday”? $$$$$ That what I see. Blown diode, burnt circuit board, easy 35 plus. Or how about this one. “I loaned my radio to my brother-in-law last week and he told me he never got it to work in his truck. Do you think he hooked it up wrong”?
The Aluminum Box Company in house makes a little product that its installs in its TSS & RTT series box that might save you a trip to the Snake Doctor. We call it a BOX SAVER. Cute Name What it does is fix the one time mistake you are going to make in hooking up you equipment in the next truck. Two quotes that we here from users (CB Radio Operators) “Someone has apparently with the binding post on the Damn Truck. I hooked it up just like always and it would not turn on. I need my radio and check to fuse. It was blown so I replaced it with another. As soon as I put it in it flashed. Then I found between the seats a pack of fuses someone left there and replace it with the biggest one I could find. The radio started to smoke and I know I hooked it up right. Can you fix it like yesterday”? $$$$$ That what I see. Blown diode, burnt circuit board, easy 35 plus. Or how about this one. “I loaned my radio to my brother-in-law last week and he told me he never got it to work in his truck. Do you think he hooked it up wrong”?
Antennas: See our page on this subject for additional details on SWR. One word though. Export requires Broadband antennas to operate the Extra Channels. Here is the link
SWR: To high will hurt CB. Be satisfied with anything under a 2 on the meter. Additional adjusting below this will only take time and would not be practical for the Slip Seat Trucker. Here are a few tips on adjusting. Don’t rely on the one build in the CB Radio. If you are concerned about SWR buy a good small one from us (ABC) of course and keep it in your box. Bring it out and hook it up if you notice something isn’t quite right when you hook up. This will tell you a lot about the truck and any issues surrounding the antenna in general. That little light on the CB that says “ANTENNA WARNING”, this might not be accurate. If the CB has been tuned and this feature has not been recalibrated it does not show accurate readings. The Meter reflects factory default power and will not read correctly if the power has been increased.
Our Boxes and CB Radios: Don’t know why I put this here but, Buy our boxes and CB Radios. Without doubt we make the Best Ones Out there. The Aluminum Box Company updates and tries to supply you with the best of tools on the market with these boxes, and besides ours are made in the “GOOD OLD USA”.
Summary: Buy what you need and buy what you like and buy it form us. No really do enough research to satisfy your need. A good CB will last for years and just tell the little woman you are buying a new tool for you job. She will understand. Tools make the man and a Trucker without a good set of tools is like a woman without makeup. Sometimes a little goes a long way to cover up ugly. You figure it out. Thanks for reading
Our Boxes and CB Radios: Don’t know why I put this here but, Buy our boxes and CB Radios. Without doubt we make the Best Ones Out there. The Aluminum Box Company updates and tries to supply you with the best of tools on the market with these boxes, and besides ours are made in the “GOOD OLD USA”.
Summary: Buy what you need and buy what you like and buy it form us. No really do enough research to satisfy your need. A good CB will last for years and just tell the little woman you are buying a new tool for you job. She will understand. Tools make the man and a Trucker without a good set of tools is like a woman without makeup. Sometimes a little goes a long way to cover up ugly. You figure it out. Thanks for reading
20 Amp Box Saver
1.866.424.0575
MADE IN USA
Home to The Best Slip Seat Radio Box TRUCKERS CHOICE
PROFESSIONAL TOOLS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER
Manufacturing Portable Transporting Solutions for the Slip Seat Trucker
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UPDATE NEW WEB SITE
NEW STYLE BOX
AM/FM/SAT RADIO AUX Input No CB
AM/FM/SAT RADIO AUX Input No CB
What ever the excuse, it’s not if you hook it up backwards but when you hook it up backwards. A trucker without his CB is like a carpenter without his hammer. They both will show up for work but little gets done. Maybe bad metaphor but you get the point. Going to cost you some and could have been prevented with our Box Saver. Go ahead and hook it up wrong, you will blow the 2 fuses in it and just replace them with same value and you are back in business. 2 minutes at best. Instead of 2 trips without your radio! We even supply you with what I call your first mistake. Taped on top of the little box is a set of fuses to get you up and going without digging around the truck for replacements. Now go to the auto parts store and purchase a new set of 20 or 30 amp fuses regular glass common ones, which ever version is in your box and you’re ready for the next “BO BOO”.
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