CB Radio Basics: The importance of Location, Antenna, Coax, Amplifier, and Radio. Where to Start

[@johnadams-fn4nd]

Just good basic principle information about radios, antennas, and station accessories in an easy-to-understand narrative. Excellent Video!

[@AAABTonto]

Antenna, coax and nice, tight, civilized connections .... are MORE important than than the radio, excellent

[@Ohm10-8]

My radio buds clowned me about using LMR400 with a Antron99, tip 75' in the air. I went with it anyway. My station blows smoke all over the world even without my amp. Iv'e had no issues with that coax! Thanks Rooster, good video. 73 to all- 160 around The Great Lakes. 📡

[@KandiKlover]

Always a good idea to go as low loss as you can. Keeps noise from getting in the line as well, also less heat from loss as you start amping up the power.

[@markr9895]

I agree with you. I use LMR 400 with a Sirio 827 on top of a 35’ mast. I talk 5000 plus miles with 100 watts peak. Good coax and some antenna height does amazing. I’m in AZ between mountains, my elevation is 2200 feet.

[@HaveGunWillTravel00]

I started with a radio shack 1/2 wave big stick. Upgraded to an antron 99 and then to my 1st metal antenna...an original new starduster. For me, it was a huge difference in receive sensitivity and a transmit range. Then I changed to a v5/8 ground plane to a 3 element. I would take that antron down and just go 50ft with a metal antenna of your choice. You open up that antron and I guarantee you'll be upset! 😂 It's a great starter antenna but it's not the most efficient.

[@gmeister03]

I have a qt-80 with 50ft of lmr 400 to a 20ft an amazing 27mhz base antenna. Glad I didn’t cheap out.

[@gmeister03]

I think I made a context with you a couple weeks ago

[@JPorter1979]

You’re sure telling the truth Rooster! Thanks for the videos, I watch each and every one. I’ve been in the hobby for almost 30 years now .

[@Harleyskeeter21]

THANK YOU for all the you do for the hobby. I have learned a ton of information since I came across your channel. Very well put together video. Looking forward to receiving my most recent purchase for my retirement job. Keep doing what you’re doing you’re killing it😊

[@Davidfetzer-w8i]

I appreciate your videos . I’m an old truck driver setting up a base station. I could always get one to run good in a truck, but the base station is a whole different ball game. . You helped a lot by me watching your videos. . I wish the other radio guys that build the boxes and sell the radios would do more informative videos like you do. It truly helps. Thank you.

[@michaelallen3172]

@@Davidfetzer-w8i I'm a old Teamster freight hauler myself . A little friendly advice brother, focus on the grounding of your base station, grounding is super important not only for protecting your investment from surge and lightning but the equipment will perform the way it was intended .Good luck driver.

[@803indan.w.corner3]

Absolutely 💯 % agree. I started building my station at my new 10-20 in 2018. Started out with a sirio gainmaster. Once I got my 70' tower put up, I started assembling my beam. Started out as a Maco shooting star. Swr was good but performance was ok. Not great. Put an antenna analyzer on there and saw a huge frequency resonance difference. I re configured the elements, got rid of the fiberglass rods and reflector wire. Replaced the backdoor with aluminum rods. And re measured everything out to a Maco M104 on horizontal and vertical ( with the help of Tom @ Maco) and got the driver in resonance. And BOOM! It was rock'n!! Then I started adding gear.

[@jgmopar]

I agree location is key. I drive around my city, and I have found the hot spots and Mudduck zones. My city has more bad areas than good. I was able to get you on Skip one night Rooster with my Cobra 19, RM Italy 503HD ( I got from you) and Antron A99 From the coast of California on channel 24. My home 20 lucky for me is in a hot spot area for CB radio. I bought a TRE top one from you and paired it with my 503HD that thing gets down. I have been able to talk all over the place from Australia to Ireland, Jamaica and all over the States. Great video Rooster. UDX-76 waving from the left coast.

[@dankoenig5938]

Great info! Couldn't be anymore forward and true. I've loved the cb hobby for over 30 yrs. Sad in my area nobody's really on anymore. But, with that said, I started out along time ago with a cobra 29 and a Texas star 250. And at that time still new to the hobby, had it set as a base, and used a mag mount radio shack antenna on top of a metal garbage can lid tossed on the roof of the garage. Talked great around town cause lots of people where on back then. Had no problem talking a few blocks away or a few miles for that matter. As time passed turned into using a Stryker 655 with an solorcon A99, with RG8 cable. Did really good in a ok location. Switched to lmr 400, 50ft, changed everything! Talked and received way better just swapping coax. Then after about 6 years of that solarcon, it craped out. My buddy has the antron A99 for over 15yrs, no problem. Solarcon version to me, is built poorly since they build em in my opinion. I got an 8 pill and power supply from you and use that with now, a 99n1 with a Maco antenna and love it. But as far as your point on location, I also feel the time of day plays apart in it also. In the day I can hardly hear this guy 30 miles away, and he don't hear me at all with 1700 watts hitting him. But, at night, we can talk all evening. But anyways just thought I'd share a bit. Thanks rooster!

[@michaelallen3172]

I like your attitude more than most radio guys, not trying to steal your thunder but you failed to mention the most critical aspect of setting radio equipment up properly. Grounding. Grounding is the heartbeat of any setup. Electronic communications equipment will not perform at its capability if it is not grounded properly.

[@michaelltnv6741]

Brother, you are teaching again, and I love it. I wish others would teach this. Yes, I was lucky to have someone like you, brother teaching me when I was a teenager. My mother taught me there's no stupid question if you're learning! Thank you. 73s, and God bless everyone.

[@Slugg-O]

Great lesson and video! Any chance you could do one on a mobile setup? Best antenna location for cars, pickups, Trucks, Jeeps, type of mounts and the like? I 100% agree with you on the Little Willie. I tried one several years ago and ended up giving that turd to a stranger.

[@SCDHL4-f2l]

Good to hear that you haven't been effected by the hurricane, i bought the used Northstar from your website and im really happy with it. And its great for skip, and my local's aren't happy either, ive toned it down a bit, because I don't want to piss them off, if I ever need assistance here in Southern California. I run a Stryker antenna on my car and a stock mic. Im also going to be setting up a base station using the same radio but i hear you on the co-ax, also I might be interested in a amp to work with that particular radio. Thank You Sir.

[@peteratc1]

Thanks for the great info. I will definitely be buying my radio and whatever I need from you. I’m in the market for a homebase, and mobile radio.some accessories.

[@KN4YEM]

He knows what hes talking about. Thank You. Plus hes honest about what he sells.

[@Rooster_Radio]

@@KN4YEM thank you

[@justinrayguitars6024]

I love my old radios! The Colossal sitting on a 60ft tower helps a lot.👍

[@michaelallen3172]

@@justinrayguitars6024 gotta love those old Johnson rigs

[@benwille6680]

Great (and thoughtful) video Rooster. 50 years ago my brother (an electronics wizard) told me me 'it's all about the antenna'. Back then I was running a Motorola radio with a K40 octapole magnamount (mobile). They had a great deal - if you couldn't talk farther and receive farther with their antenna they would refund your $ no questions asked. I still have the antenna although with technology I'm sure there are much better antennas out there. Here in the NW it's rare to hear anyone talking on the road. 😞

[@tedneitzel]

Your a good man Mr. Rooster! Not everyone will share knowledge you know good knowledge! I've got my pc122 old uniden paired up with the 667 and sra10 magnet mount! Does great I talk skip or to Spokane 75 miles away every time I get in it! I've got the 5555plus now in my truck paired with TS250 and 102in whip! Guess what I can talk just as good or better with the truck with 400 Lee's watts skip local whatever! My house well I talked to you the other day just on my 125 watt driver and a old Courier gladiator that uses crystals! I've done it 40 years though so that helps! All my stuff is old except the 5555plus and thanks for the help there because I'm learning the newer stuff! Good info sir much appreciated!

[@thomaswarmouth2551]

By the way that heavy power cord for the striker 955 definitely made a difference with Amherst draw❤❤

[@tractorman1990]

Great video! You outa do one talking more about skip too!

[@bobbynewton4555]

You are correct. I have a president Andy with a 203 p with 18 feet of RG8X and a Striker A-10 mag mount antenna located in the center of the roof of my truck and I got a rig expert AA-35 and got the SWR down to 1.04

[@Rooster_Radio]

@@bobbynewton4555 good combination throughout

[@robertgarland1921]

Great video. I’m running an Antron 99 with LMR400 but still having some strange SWR issues and new to all of this stuff so also getting frustrated

[@lonnielucas7719]

Thanks for the informative video rooster.

[@warrenksanbornjr.6643]

Love that Cobra 19 GTL I've got one and it's great

[@franciscolopez3229]

I' m working mostly Europe, Africa and Sourh America with just my good old HR2510 barefoot and either my Station Master halfwave vertical from the mid 80's at 30 feet or my homebrewed horizontal rotary dipole at 25 feet just using a Belden RG-58. Having said that, if you've got a perfectly set up antenna and radio with a thousand watt amp but propagation is bad, you're still gonna have a hard time being heard or be heard.

[@sm9798]

All I use is times microwave LMR240uf, LMR400, or LDF4-50a coax. Connectors are always amphenol or Andrew/Commscope. Get your antenna, coax, connections, and a proper single point ground system. And don’t forget to get a good polyphaser surge arrester/suppressor for the freqs you will use. And last, get a good radio, and leave it be. Clean in equals clean out!!!

[@The2Time4792]

Great video

[@tyleshampton4766]

Good info Rooster, Thanks,

[@Johnny747CB]

Good video Rooster

[@JimMarshallUK]

What is the most you can squeeze from 120 before upgrading to 240v? I’m getting ready to move to a property where I can put up a beam that covers all the bands. A software defined radio and huge amp. Ham radios swing backwards, bad modulation, so a cheap $100 Cobra into a big amp And antenna will sound better than my $6500 Flex Radio on 11 meters

[@Rooster_Radio]

I'd say 1600-2k peak

[@agoquintal]

My wife loves my antenna..

[@richardlevari9470]

Must be a vertical

[@ITSHAA-yn5zc]

Big Stick

[@RidingDirtyAdventures]

this should be a good one as it's not like things were back in the hey day of the 70's and 80's when help was just a shout out away....

[@rickyn420]

howzit .thanks 73s from 420 honolulu

[@Mike-bk8zl]

Great video !

[@petemcconn2524]

Don't downplay your knowledge sir 😊

[@warrenksanbornjr.6643]

The Antenna and Coax is the main Blood for the radio

[@808tennessee]

Exactly! This is the reason fireball gets out so well. Location. He's not running big watts.

[@Rooster_Radio]

He's running "big watts",but definitely not big relative to some of his competition out there. And he's the example of taking a 4 element OWA antenna and beating people with 60 footers

[@jeffhunter6089]

Great info, rooster.

[@rodneysnead8375]

102 in stainless steel whip , 350 texas star and Stryker 955 work perfect for me

[@Rooster_Radio]

Hitting that 350 pretty hard if you're using a 955 to drive it, unless you have the 955 choked back

[@petemcconn2524]

Good early evening Rooster 🐓

[@jojojeep1]

Rooster I live on Long Island. I bought a quad 5+ and a little amplifier 203 I bought off for you. I speak to every state and every country I am in such a great location, I sold my home and I moved down to South Carolina. I live in Clemson right by the Clemson College and my reception sucks, I am so depressed. all I can talk to is South America and Europe and my local is very good. I go 60 miles no problem locally I didn’t build my home yet so I’m working off my Wilson 1000 so I thought maybe it’s the location so I took my car and I drove to Mount Sassafras, which is 3500 feet up, yes I spoke 160 miles away, not Skip. When the skip rolled in, I heard everybody from every corner of the Earth, but nobody heard me still don’t know what it is down here but if it don’t change, I’m not gonna be into the hobby much longer.

[@Rooster_Radio]

@@jojojeep1 location can definitely make or break you!

[@jojojeep1]

@@Rooster_Radio well it’s time for a beam antenna and 1000 W. That’s amazing when all I had was 150 W and a Wilson 1000 and I spoke to the whole world now I gotta have 10 times the power and a beam antenna just to get out of my neighborhood.

[@thomaswarmouth2551]

Rooster you're speaking the truth and I hope people listen to you 162 horseshoe😊

[@easttennesseehollerriders]

My 955 all the way from you has talked skip everywhere then local talk mobile to base 30miles and all that is done with a 102inch whip on center of truck box everyone tells me my 955 gets down is good radio and that 30miles mobile to base is pretty darn good to be as hilly as it is in East Tennessee

[@joekane5029]

Thank you rooster for the "nuts and bolts" common sense video...ive ran a wilson 500 mag mount, a wilson 1000 mag mount, a wilson 5000 mag mount a tri pod with a coily antenna, the wilson antennas are junk im done with wilson antenna antennas just my opinion, the tri pod coily antenna setup worked good but was to big and tall for my pickup so now ive got a stryker sr-10 magnetic mount on my pickup i put it right in the center of my roof it tuned out perfect running it with my 6 pill putting out 1100 to 1200 watts im very happy with it living in ks i can talk east south a some north east i cant talk much west ...i would like to try that sirio antenna yet to sometime. ..but for someone wanting a good mobile antenna for running lower watts nothing crazy i really like the stryker antenna. ..leave the wilson antennas on the shelf they are not wrth it just my opinion

[@Spiderbulit]

Amen rooster

[@stanhausam6112]

I have a cobra 38 WXST 40 channel walkie talkie, when I turn it on the light stays on, it's locked on channel 19........

[@Rooster_Radio]

Junk it, not worth the cost to fix

[@stanhausam6112]

And none of the functions work. Is it worth getting it repaired or not?

[@elmercoffmans4223]

👍🇺🇸

[@adambennett2176]

10.4

[@fulltruckereffect]

🎙️🎙️🎙️ - 💪😎👍

[@agoquintal]

964- Aggie doggie.. Toronto..

[@240socal]

Thanks for the knowledge 240 socal high desert wavin

[@stevenackerson8810]

Rooster Ripley..... Believe It or Not. Knowlage IS power!!

[@blastingcapps4341]

Any suggestions on a mobile antenna disappointed with the Wilson 1000 and little will I know stainless steel whip is top of the line but I don't want to go there

[@Rooster_Radio]

@@blastingcapps4341 sirio performer 5000, stryker A10 mag or trucker, 6ft or 7ft skip shooter, predator 10k. All good antennas

[@bobbynewton4555]

Watch a few videos on the striker A-10 mag mount antenna. I have 3 of them on 3 of my vehicles and I think they are great. I have talked a lot of skip with them.

[@Bubbagumpinthewoods]

Skipshooter 7ft are easy to tune . I've had good luck with mine .

[@kilroy205]

[@danieljohnson8437]

SWR.happy,😮.