doubledime

So I plan to do a lot of highway driving this summer and want to avoid tickets. I know, I could do the speed limit, but then I would have bought a Honda. I have my Valentine 1 but I am looking for all the edge I can have, so, though I have not used one for 35 years, I'm thinking about installing a CB. (I don't know if they are still used that much.)

I was hoping that someone has had some experience with what is the best way to go. Of course I do not want some permanent installation, so I was thinking of maybe a "walkie talkie" with some type of antenna placed outside the car, or maybe just sh*t canning the idea all together. Any suggestions? Thanks

obxchartercaptain

10-4 Good Buddy....yu'all gonna run them double rabbit ears screwed into your side view mirrors to get good reception to listen for them bear traps.....SORRY couldn't resist. BUT to answer your question....CB is soooooo 70's. I don't think the truckers use it to the degree that they use to. But you keep the rubber side down and we'll see ya on the flip side....

PaulB

One of the Corvette Clubs in the area uses CB's in their travels. Its a great way to communicate within the traveling group. I can remember some folks using a hand held CB that gets its power from the cigarette lighter and also uses an antenna mount on the top of the window. The mount sits on the top of the glass and when the window is rolled up it locks into place. The antenna gets unscrewed from the handheld unit itself and re screwed into the mount at the top of the glass. The CB cord runs to the mount but on the inside of the glass. The antenna must be on the outside of the glass. Whatever CB you decide to use you will need an exterior antenna. If you dont use an exterior antenna your voice wont go out very far and you wont hear very well either. I used to see these mounts at truck stops but lately I have not seen them. So I think you will probably have to go to a CB shop of some kind. I have a Cobra CB currently. All controls are in the hand sized handheld CB. Mine is hooked up to the car via permanent conection. I also use a Cell Phone antenna on the top of the hatch window but thats pretty much permanent and thats not what you are looking for. I also agree that the traffic on the CB is not nearly what it was in the past. Truckers and others will talk to you but you need to start the conversation. Otherwise you can travel for miles and not hear much of anything. Good Luck...

Torchsport

With Paul.
There are quality hand helds, with ample range. Check the geek cb forums for the best one.

VET4LES

I used a CB for 15 years while on the road in our motorhome. Channel 19 is the truckers channel and they are on top of the cops all over the US.

2vettes

I use a hand held one on long trips. A coupe of years ago, it saved a group of driving out to Carlisle; I heard the trooper bagged a group of 6 vettes that came by less than 10 minutes later.

mikefili

I had a 78 that came with a CB radio incorporated in the stock Stereo, the car had a bracket on the dash for the MIC, this was all Delco and was an GM option for 78. My car was the only one I ever saw with that option and I have been around vette's my whole life, so that option must have been very rare. I was the first owner although I did not order the car, Brought it new from a Chevy dealer in Saratoga NY.

PaulB

Yes, I remember that CB option. I went to the Black Book and it says it was available as an option from 78 thru 82...

kliph

When I go on long trips I bring a hand held CB.
It's good for a mile + without an external ant.
I use it mostly for listening.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3601266

loflite

It's true that there is not as much chatter on the CB as there used to be, but you do get a definite edge to listen in to the truckers to find the law. I've been saved more than once. Of course I also have a V1. But the truckers give you a heads up on where to look. MidAmerica used to sell a CB antenna kit that mounted on your rear plate frame. It has a quick disconnect so you can remove the antenna in a seconds time. That is what I use and it works great. Also use the Cobra hand held. I think they are discontinued but you can buy them brand new on the internet yet.

category4

Here's what I use: http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...2005-2012.html

although I don't use it much as smart phone apps such as Waze do a great job for me.

C7Joy

I ran CB for a long time but gave it up in the late 70's as a hobby. I live less than a mile from a busy interstate (I90) and sometimes listen in on channel 19 and others. Seldom hear any real traffic. The security aspect is gone with a cell phones in the pictures for everyone. IMO CB won't help you much.

kliph

One thing nice about CB's is traffic updates.
I was outside Boston, Mass a few years ago.
Traffic was stop and go(mostly stopped) on I95.
I asked on the CB what was going on.
I was told it's like that every day!!!

outbackfarmer

V1 and Trapster app on your phone. The CB will drive you nuts. It is like listening to Larry the Cable Guy talk to himself....except it is not funny.

CENT Z06

Hand held CB's are useless, bough one last year. Most in my corvette club either use a fill size C.B. or cheap hand held FRS radios.
Here's a link to an antenna mount the ones that use a full size C.B. use.
http://rivercitycorvettes.org/forsale.htm

vetteright

And I thought that I had the only '78 with the built-in Delco CB with AM/FM Stereo. Mine was a Silver Anniversary with the L-82 engine option and 4-speed manual. Actually, according to the Corvette Black Book, there were 7138 '78s built with the Delco CB optional radio, but mine was the only one I ever saw. I ordered the car new from the dealer in Marshall, Missouri in 1978.

To get back to the question, I believe that a good quality hand held CB transceiver with a temporary/portable outside antenna should work nicely.

LS WON

Remember when CB only had 23 channels? Then in 1975 since there were so many people that jumped into CB they went to 40 channels.
Also don't forget Single Side Band upper end and lower end of channels to extend your power and band usage.
Back then CB radios were very expensive compared to what you get today.
What I don't understand why does that ugly big looking quick connect and disconnect antenna in here also available from Eckler's costs so much for the Corvette? $169.00+
Is this a Corvette tax?
I know no ground plane is needed for that antenna and the Corvette does not have a metal body.
K-40 antennas worked good at the time and you had a choice to use different kinds of mounts. If a regular metal car, a magnet mount worked great for temporary set ups and got great range.

LS WON

I remember those but didn't that have a very limited range since it used the antenna that was also used for stereo? vs. using a separate dedicated CB radio or even nowadays a window mount antenna on hatch?

bolivar

The real problem of a CB is you need an external antenna. To get any kind of distance And getting that coax cable inside the car is the problem. I've not been under a C6, or any Corvette since my 1981, but my other cars don't have much of a place to pull a cable inside without some kind of significant drilling. And, I've never liked to do that. My 72 and 81 had a rubber plug into the storage compartment behind the seats. Pull the cable inside there and plug the hole around it with some windshield caulk and put the plug back when you pulled the CB out.

If you can find a way to get the cable inside, here is how I set CB's up. Go to a hardware/home improvement store and get a flat steel bar about 1 or 1 1/2 inch wide and it will be about 3 feet long. Find a bolt at the rear of the car you can back out and drill a hole in the end of the flat bar and put bolt back thru the hole. This is also your ground for the antenna. Make right angle bends in the steel bar until you have it down and back, out the back so it clears the rear of the car. Radio Shack used to have a straight, white plactic coated antenna, which you can paint body color. Drill a hole at the end of the steel bar that will accept the antenna. This is the antenna ground. A nut lead comes out the base of the antenna where a round crimp electric comment will connect the coax lead and the antenna. Wire it up, zip-tie the coax to where ever you can get it inside. Use a bare coax, Radio Shack should have connector for the back of the CB that just screws together.

The bar steel is flexable to make the right angle bends needed. It is also flexable enough that it will take years and years of flexing while bending with the antenna flapping around. Of course, run it out far enough that the antenna will not 'rebound' and hit the bumper. I've run one of these steel bar supports for many years, on several cars, and none has never cracked at a bend from the flexing.

I've tried one of the 'thru the glass antenna' that glues inside and outside and is capacitively linked thru the glass, and it didn't work well at all.

The trucks all still have CB and will talk to you. They can also tell you about traffic problems and give advice about avoiding them, if possible.

LS WON

The window glass antenna on the hatch glass (highest point) on Corvette works great for scanners and isn't that noticeable or stand out as bad as that expensive big ugly antenna that can get damaged if someone bumps your car when parking.
Forgot to mention that my 72 454 Coupe had a combo antenna for AM/FM/CB and it didn't perform well at all. Probably a walkie talkie with the regular base loaded antenna that comes with it works better than that did.