What is the best "bang for the buck" Base setup?

[Red Ranger]

Start from scratch this is what I've came up with...

30ft pushup poll
Maco V-quad
guy wire with clamps
50 ft Radioshack coax and coax standoffs
a Galaxy DX2547 peaked.

I'm looking at just under $600 dollars to setup a base. Is this about right, opinions on a good reasonable base setup? I need to hit a CB community about 23 miles Southwest of me.

 

[n8fgb]

Take the coax and standoffs back to rack shack.They sell the worse coax in the industry. Standoffs ore for twin lead, not needed for coax. I use this from RF Connection.
RG-8X/IIA Jacket w/Foil (9092-Plus
33 cents a foot for 100 ft or more.
Rich

 

[Robb]

Well, a base radio for a base setup is logical.
But - is it practical?
Thinking outside of the box may show another point of view. When you buy a base station-type radio; is it really that 'ultimate?

Or does buying a top-grade mobile radio and using it in the shack - better?
Get a ten meter radio that can convert to 10-11 and maybe some of twelve - meter radio that puts out 40-50 watts with variable power.
But even a dual-final MOSFET CB is pretty good - too.

Now, buy a power supply big enough that you can run a 200 watt kicker if you opt for it later on.
Base radios are notorious for being insufficient and burning up - BTW.
What's that you say? You like the meters that a base radio provides?
Well, how about a Dosy triple meter?
That way - you can use it for other installations when you need to - or just keep it in-line.

Buying any radio will give you a stock mic; so that point is moot.
Buying a D104/M6 is the best bang-for-buck mic for any base station - IMO!
Sure, a base radio usually has a front-fire speaker; but $15 will cover that part.
That is one part you can buy a Radio Shack that is still worth the money.

So what are the advantages? That is still up to you. Most base station radios out there have the very same chassis that is found in a high-end mobile radio.
If your mobile radio should fail in this system above; you can take it out of line and put in a lesser backup until the repaired unit can be put back into service. You can still use the meters, power supply, antenna, external speaker, coax, and antenna. Sorta like having a spare tire until you get the flat to the repair station.

And - oh yeah - the comment about the Radio Shack coax is correct. It is really bad cable. Oh, it will work - but it will be sucking the life out of your radios receive and transmit. Take it back - if you can! Get some LMR-240 Flex for $.70/ft at least - and buy your length according to your need - keep it as short as NEEDED!

 

[King Mudduck]

Bang for the buck? An RCI 2995 and a Imax 2000. Run low loss coax and put the antenna up at least 36 feet,that's all you need!

You could also go with a 2 or 3 elelment beam for under $150.00 and use a TV rotor for maybe $50.00 to turn it.

 

[9C1Driver]

There is no way to really say because everyone has a different idea of what they can afford and what they want to do.

Here is what I am talking on right now until I can get my tower up.

1) two 10 foot sections of mast pype with an IMAX 2000.
2) Uniden PC244 AM/SSB radio, 38 dollars on e-bay
3) Astron 35m, 60 dollars
4) Bulletproof 250, 80 dollars used but never hooked up.

Talk about cheap, and I can talk local all night and when the skip is rolling make some contacts as well. I do swap in my RCI 2950 when I want to talk some freeband channels. 100 dollars used for the radio.


Later this spring I have a Moonraker I want to get up there and I am buying a Uniden Madison. Also plan on sending the 2950 to Doug at CBR to set it up right.

 

[fly442]

best bang for the buck

imax 2000 and a used cobra 2000.

 

[Moleculo]

I can get this project built a lot cheaper than most of the suggestions I've heard so far

First, I wouldn't use the base unit (as suggested). I'd just get a mobile radio and an inexpensive power supply made by Pyramid. The Pyramid supplies have a reputation for being cheaper than the Astrons, but I've never had any problems with the ones I've had.

I would use a vertical groundplane antenna like a Maco 5/8 or 1/4 wave groundplane or something like that. That's only a few bucks more than the Imax, but worth it, IMO. The V-quad isn't going to do much good without a antenna rotator.

For only a 50' run, you'll be fine with RG8x, RG8, whatever you like. Take back the radio shack coax and stand-offs. DavisRF has good prices on coax.

I'm assuming you want SSB, since the radio you suggested has it. So find a used Cobra 148gtl or Grant XL/XT if you can. Even a used Galaxy 959 will be ok. Just about anything that isn't an export will be OK (some of those exports really are lousy on SSB) and less expensive. Use stock power until you decide you need more. I can talk to all my locals with stock power, no problem. Adding power is where it starts to get expensive

 

[C2]

I've never heard of the 2547 as being notorious for burning up, but almost all CB (even Export) radios can be considered insufficient. Depends on your expectations.

I've considered the 2547 one of the best, modern age CB base stations available out of the box. Note that the DX-959 has the same main board and is usually quite a bit less expensive.

The best bang for the buck, again, depends on your expectations. You first need to decide if you are going to cross the line and freeband. If so, I would suggest not looking at CBs at all and look at Exports (the Lincoln/HR2510 being my favorite, if you can find them). From there, any of the suggestions above work just fine as the radios mentioned are all good performers.

I'd worry about upgrades at a future date as they can always be added as needs surface and funds allow.

Also note that CBs and other accessories can usually be found rather cheap at local swap meets. I bought about 100' of military surplus coax (really good stuff) for $2!

 

[190]

good doc or roger bird tuned 2510/2600, vertical 5/8 antenna (your choice), rg 213-rg8u or lmr-400 coax. push up poll. the 2547 looks a decent radio. the old washington and the more hard to find madison base radios are good to. uniden grant xl/148 cobra with power supply is a good choice to. i run doc tuned hr-2510 / 2600 radios everyday.there the only radios i would not part with other than my icom 706mk2g.

 

[osfp40]

IMO you need a good antenna, I followed the articial from The Ultimate guide to 11 meter antennas and built 3 element quad beam antenna. I use a galaxy 949 and radio shack power supply. i talk to who ever I want where ever I want. about 100.00 to build the antenna. Imax 2000 isn't worth the money, I have one.
IMO<gotproof>

 

[Mudfoot]

good doc or roger bird tuned 2510/2600, vertical 5/8 antenna (your choice), rg 213-rg8u or lmr-400 coax. push up poll. the 2547 looks a decent radio. the old washington and the more hard to find madison base radios are good to. uniden grant xl/148 cobra with power supply is a good choice to. i run doc tuned hr-2510 / 2600 radios everyday.there the only radios i would not part with other than my icom 706mk2g.

He'll blow his budget on those radios. Everyone that has one to sell thinks they are made of gold and want a fortune for them.

People...

The 2510's and 2600's "were" good radios in the day. Just not worth the premium that people request. Much better and reliable alternatives exist for newcomers.

 

[Grogan]

I would get an Imax and better coax, That base radio talks. One of the guys on the home chanel has one with a SRA-198 ranger Mic and it talks Greatttt
He plays music, watches TV, equipment running in his shop, And it's Quiet no backround noise with that MIc,,, What Mic do they come with ?????
The V-Quad also nice. But 2 people I know wish they got the Y-Quad for a little more.... You will need a rotor and wire......

 

[Mudfoot]

A rotor for a directional antenna is nice, but not absolutely needed. I have turned beams by hand back in my poor days. It can be done.

 

[CHAINSAW]

CHAINSAW

I am not going to tell you what to buy, its not my place. I will tell you what I have for a set up and how it works/what it does.

I have a Cobra 2000 GTL made in the Philipines (supposedly a better built radio???) I have it tuned, peaked, aligned, cleaned, (whatever termanology you want to use to describe the radio working optimumly) and a few minor parts replaced and a variable power option.

The adjustable wattage puts out between 1 watt to nearly 17 watts on AM and 28-33 watts on SSB. SWR 1.4:1 on 40 and 1.00:1 on 1.

I have a Maco 5/8 wave antenna on a 10 foot mast with a 10 foot tripod on the roof of my house, the peak of my roof is 25 feet. So, with that added up the top of the antenna is at 64 1/2 feet. I am also on a hill that is nearly 70 feet up from the lake I live on. However, my antenna is not above the tree line. I have 75 feet of "good" coax and I am in the 4th or 5th highest point in my county.

I use a D-104 silver eagle mic.

I routinely can talk 50 miles (base to base) in all directions on AM and around 75 miles on side band (base to base) as far as My base to a mobile it varies grossly due to most people with mobiles do not know how to set up there mobile unit.....some don't even know to use a SWR meter when they install a radio!!! However, those I know have a decent radio set up properly, I routinely talk to these friends of mine Base to mobile 20 miles and when I say 20 miles I mean sometimes my meter only shows 1 s-unit and those base to base conversations on sideband that are 75 miles away are barely moving the needle!!!

 

[Oatmeal]

I noticed this is a old thread, wonder what he went with ?....

But the thing about running a mobile radio on a PS is a good idea I know some guys who does this, and the best thing about it is, if the radio does go down, and u have to send it off it dont cost as much as it would to ship a base radio off.....shipping is costly if you dont have a local tech...

But the down side is, if your just getting into the hobby, and u dont have a PS, u have to buy one, and u know u want the biggest u can afford, then if u dont have a radio u have to buy it too...then u look what money u are out for this...
When u can just buy a base radio and be done with it....in which would be good, iof u had a local tech...

As for the antenna, its always good to get a good one, the first round..
A Imax is ok, but Id look for something else if I could afford it..coax, get a good grade, do it right the first time around...its not fun having to drop your antenna down a year or 2 later and have to replace the coax..