Right Channel Radios

Running a single CB antenna on a semi? You are leaving range
on the table. Here is why we recommend a dual antenna system
for most trucks -- and exactly which antennas to use.

A co-phased dual setup expands your radiation pattern front
and rear and helps your signal get around that long trailer.

Our top picks:
-- Stryker SRA 10/20 -- best overall, includes 10" and 20"
lower shaft so the coil clears the roofline
-- Wilson 2000 -- best value, most popular trucker antenna
year after year
-- Firestik FS 4ft -- best budget option, still performs well

One rule for all three: make sure the coil clears the roofline
of the cab. If it does not, your signal is being blocked.

A bad coax cable is one of the most overlooked causes of high
SWR and poor CB performance. Here is how to test yours in
under two minutes with a multimeter.

Three tests -- a good coax passes all three:
1. Shield to shield: should read near zero
2. Center pin to center pin: should read near zero
3. Center pin to outer shield: should read 1 (no continuity)

If your cable fails any one of these tests, replace it
before troubleshooting anything else.

Want to use a compact CB radio inside your vehicle without
a permanent antenna install? A small magnet mount antenna
is the way to go.

Something like the President Virginia is a perfect pairing --
toss it on the roof, route the coax into the cab, and you
have a clean setup you can install and remove in seconds.
No drilling, no permanent commitment.

Great option for daily drivers, rentals, or anyone who
wants flexibility without sacrificing performance.

Can you tune your CB antenna without an SWR meter? The short
and honest answer is no -- not really. In this video we
explain why an SWR meter is not optional and what your
options are if you do not have one.

WHY YOU NEED AN SWR METER:
Tuning a CB antenna means adjusting its length until
the standing wave ratio is balanced and as low as
possible across the full 40-channel frequency band.
There is no way to know whether you are moving in
the right direction -- or whether your system is
safe to transmit on -- without measuring the SWR.
Guessing the antenna length is not tuning.

YOUR OPTIONS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A METER:

Option 1 -- Use a radio with a built-in SWR meter.
Many CB radios include a built-in SWR calibration
function that lets you read and tune your SWR
without any external equipment. The Cobra 29 LTD
is the most well-known example. If you are buying
a new radio, a built-in SWR meter is a feature
worth prioritizing.

Option 2 -- Buy an external SWR meter. A quality
SWR meter is inexpensive -- most run between
$20 and $50 -- and is a one-time purchase you
will use for every antenna install going forward.
It connects inline between the radio and the
antenna for a quick reading.

Option 3 -- Have your antenna tuned at installation.
If you are buying from a shop or installer, ask
them to tune and confirm the SWR at the time
of install.

Bottom line: do not transmit on an untuned antenna.
High SWR can damage your radio over time and
significantly reduces your range and performance.

Subscribe for more CB antenna tuning guides,
SWR explainers, and setup advice.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Can you tune a CB antenna without an SWR meter?
0:00 It depends on whether your radio has a built-in meter
0:00 Without any meter -- not really, no
0:00 Why guessing antenna length is not tuning

Getting electrical noise through your CB radio? In this video
we walk through the three most effective fixes -- starting with
the most common cause of noise that most people overlook completely.

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE RIGHT NOW:
LED light bars and auxiliary LED lighting are one of the biggest
sources of electrical interference in modern CB installs. If you
have recently added LED lights to your vehicle and started
hearing noise, that is almost certainly where it is coming from.

THE THREE FIXES -- WORK THROUGH THEM IN ORDER:

FIX 1 -- INDEPENDENT GROUND WIRE:
The ground wire coming off your CB radio should run to its own
dedicated ground point -- ideally a bolt on the firewall that
does not share connections with any other electrical accessories.
A shared ground is the single most common cause of electrical
noise bleeding into CB audio. This fix costs nothing and takes
five minutes.

FIX 2 -- RADIO NOISE FILTERS:
Nearly every CB radio has built-in noise filters -- typically
a Noise Blanker and an ANL (Automatic Noise Limiter). Turn
these on before trying anything else. They are designed
specifically for this purpose and cost nothing to use.

FIX 3 -- FERRITE SNAP-ON CORES:
If noise persists after the first two fixes, snap ferrite
cores onto the wiring of the interference source --
specifically the power wires running to LED light bars
or other electrical accessories. The ferrite acts as
a passive noise filter on the wire itself, blocking
the high-frequency interference before it can bleed
into the CB system.

Note: ferrites are best placed on the wiring of the
noise source (LED bars, inverters, etc.) rather
than on the CB radio wiring itself.

Subscribe for more CB radio troubleshooting guides,
installation tips, and noise reduction advice.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Electrical noise through my CB -- how to fix it
0:00 LED light bars as a primary source of CB interference
0:00 Fix 1 -- independent ground wire for the CB radio
0:00 Fix 2 -- use the radio's built-in noise filters
0:00 Fix 3 -- snap ferrite cores onto LED wiring

The Cobra 29 LTD Classic is the best-known and most popular
full-sized CB radio ever made -- and it recently got its
first meaningful update in decades with the addition of
AM/FM mode. In this video we walk through every control
and indicator on the Cobra 29 LTD AM/FM so you know
exactly what everything does.

CONTROLS COVERED IN THIS VIDEO:

Power Button and Volume -- Combined power and volume
control on the outer ring.

Squelch -- Controls the threshold at which background
static is cut out between transmissions.

DynaMike (Mic Gain) -- Adjusts microphone sensitivity
for your transmit audio level.

RF Gain -- Adjusts receive sensitivity. Useful in areas
with very strong or very weak incoming signals.

Delta Tune -- Fine-tunes incoming signal reception to
compensate for off-frequency stations.

SWR Calibration -- Built-in SWR meter calibration mode
for tuning your antenna without a separate SWR meter.

Channel Selector -- Standard 40-channel selector k**b.

AM/FM Mode Switch -- Push the channel k**b to toggle
between AM CB mode and FM mode. The FM indicator
lights when FM is active.

Meter Selector -- Choose what the front needle displays --
signal strength, SWR, or transmit power.

Noise Filters -- Noise Blanker and ANL to reduce
electrical interference.

CB/PA Switch -- Switch between standard CB operation
and Public Address mode.

Display Brightness -- Toggle between bright and dim
display.

Channel 9 Mode -- Instant access to emergency channel 9.

TX/RX Indicator -- Shows whether the radio is
currently receiving or transmitting.

Antenna Warning Indicator -- Lights up when SWR
is high and the antenna needs attention.

Subscribe for more CB radio reviews, feature
walkthroughs, and setup guides.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Cobra 29 LTD Classic AM/FM overview
0:00 Power button and volume control
0:00 Squelch control
0:00 DynaMike mic gain
0:00 RF gain and delta tune
0:00 SWR calibration mode
0:00 Channel selection k**b and FM indicator
0:00 Switching between AM and FM mode
0:00 Meter selector
0:00 Noise filters -- NB and ANL
0:00 CB and PA switch
0:00 Display brightness -- bright and dim
0:00 Channel 9 mode
0:00 TX/RX transmit and receive indicator
0:00 Antenna warning indicator

Should you get a CB radio or a GMRS radio? In this video we
give you the honest, practical answer -- and it comes down
to one simple rule: get the radio that the other people
in your group are already using.

THE SHORT ANSWER:
Before buying anything, find out what radio system the
people you want to communicate with are running. There
is no point in buying a GMRS radio if everyone in your
Jeep club is on CB, and vice versa. Compatibility with
your group is the single most important factor.

CB RADIO -- BEST FOR:
- Communicating with other drivers on the road
- Emergency preparedness -- CB still has by far the
largest installed base of users on US roads and
highways, making it the better choice if you want
to reach strangers in an emergency
- Jeep clubs, off-road groups, and vehicle convoys
where CB is the established standard
- No license required to operate

GMRS RADIO -- BEST FOR:
- Private group communication where everyone has
agreed on a radio system
- UTVs, side-by-sides, and off-road vehicles
where you want reliable longer-range communication
within your own party
- Clearer audio quality -- GMRS operates on UHF
frequencies and sounds noticeably cleaner than
CB's AM signal
- More power -- GMRS radios are allowed up to
50 watts by the FCC versus CB's 4-watt limit,
meaning significantly more range is achievable
- Note: GMRS requires an FCC license ($35, covers
your entire household for 10 years)

BOTTOM LINE:
For emergency preparedness and communicating with
strangers on the road -- CB. For private group
communication with UTVs, side-by-sides, or a
dedicated off-road party -- GMRS.

Subscribe for more CB and GMRS radio comparisons,
setup guides, and buying advice.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Should I get a CB radio or a GMRS radio?
0:00 Get the radio your group is already using
0:07 If your Jeep club uses CB, get a CB
0:12 If your group has moved to GMRS, get GMRS
0:18 CB for emergency preparedness -- more users on the road
0:24 GMRS for UTVs, side-by-sides, and private group communication
0:32 GMRS gives better range for dedicated off-road parties

Not sure which CB antenna mount fits your vehicle? In this
short we cover every major mount category -- from vehicle-
specific no-drill mounts for Jeeps, Toyotas, and Ford trucks
to universal options for pickup beds, flat surfaces, vertical
surfaces, and adjustable bar applications.

VEHICLE-SPECIFIC MOUNTS:
We carry mounts made specifically for dozens of popular
makes and models. These mounts line up with existing
factory bolts on your hood rail or fender -- no drilling
required. Available for Jeep Wrangler (CJ, YJ, TJ, JK, JL,
Gladiator), Ford F-150, Ford F-250 to F-550, Chevy and GMC
Silverado and Sierra, Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, and
4-Runner, Dodge Ram, and more.

UNIVERSAL MOUNTS:
For vehicles without a specific mount or non-standard
applications, we carry:

Pickup bed and toolbox mounts -- stake pocket mounts
and toolbox mounts for behind-the-cab installs.

Flat surface mounts -- for hoods, roofs, and other
horizontal surfaces. Includes options that require
minimal or no drilling.

Vertical surface mounts -- for door jambs, roll bars,
bull bars, and side walls.

Adjustable bar mounts -- versatile mounts that clamp
to mirror bars, roof racks, roll cages, and other
horizontal or vertical bars without drilling.

Follow for more CB antenna tips, mount recommendations,
and vehicle-specific setup guides.