What kind of CB Radio to get in my car?

I'm looking to pick up a CB radio for my car but cant really figure out which ones are which. I know cobra and uniden are good brands but thats about it. I'm new to this. I was looking at the uniden pro520xl or the uniden pc68xl bearcat pro. I don't want to fork out more than like 120 which is why I was looking at those 2 models but again I know nothing about them. Any input or suggestions would be helpful.What kind of CB Radio to get in my car?
The only thing that you're going to need to be concerned about is the "bells and whistles" that come with the CB that you want. The transmitter part is going to be the same across the board. You may want to look for something with a built-in SWR meter, although it won't be entirely accurate. The "Delta tune" or clarifier switch is pretty much worthless for an AM setup, but a weather Channel could be handy. PA, up to you, instant Channel 9 %26amp; 19 up to you. And chrome and lights are always pretty.
Most small cb radios are the same, the difference comes in the size of your antenna. I have some old clunker cb radio in my truck and it picks up about a range of 35 miles because my antenna is freakin enormous.What kind of CB Radio to get in my car?
I've never made any comparison's, but I've always had Cobra. For the most part I have been pleased. This is the one I use in my semi: http://cobra.com/products//29-wx-nw-st-c鈥?/a>

It's adequate for what I do. Since 99.99% of the talk on the open CB is bullsh**, mine is usually off until I really need it. That is why I won't invest a whole lot into it.
Cobra and Uniden are good models. Like Marble said, get the best antenna you can, and have it matched for low SWR. Use a powered microphone to fully modulate your signal or, no matter how good the antenna or radio are, you will not have a strong voice.



One caveat: In my owner's manual (Corolla, 1998) it warns against possible interferance to the engine management computer by CB radios. I don't know what car you have, but check for that issue before you start spending money.What kind of CB Radio to get in my car?
If you are looking to save a few bucks, the pro520xl will be fine. The "meter" is pretty useless though. It does have an RF gain control like more expensive units. That helps reduce distortion from nearby, strong stations. The receiver specs for the radio are about the same for other radios. It does have more power for a PA speaker though.



If you wanted to have a few more features, skip the pc68xl and go with the pc78ltw. It can pick up NOAA weather channels, has a longer mic cord, an auto squelch (less fiddling needed). It also has a modulation meter which makes the mic gain control useful (unlike the pc68xl) and a built in SWR meter. You'll need that in tuning your antenna.



A decent antenna is important. The physically longer the antenna, the better. Go with a Wilson antenna.