I've been thinking about getting a new rig, and a few pieces of advice have been thrown my way. From what I hear and read, the Wilson Lil Wil antenna is one of the best for its size, price, and out of other magnet mounts. I've also been advised to try Wilson 1k or 5k magnet mounts.
As far as radios, the Cobra 29 LTD seems to pop up all over the place. When I googled for a K30 Mag mount antenna, my eye fell on the Midland 1001Z radio and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with it? From what I read its a really good radio, and for that price I can't ask for much else. I can get a K30 Mag mount with that radio for $50 shipped for free, and that looks really good to my wallet. I also don't think I'll get TOO much into CB'ing (blame it on a short attention span) so I don't want to invest alot of money in something that I might not pursue in the future.
As far as my budget goes, I'm willing to spend up to $100-$150 on a decent radio/antenna combination. Obviously the less I spend the better, since I don't see this as a long-term investment. Seeing as how I live close the highway and the most talk I'll hear is crazy truckers, I don't think the "cb bug" bite will affect me too much
So if those users who are experienced with CB will do me the honor of listing good rigs for a beginner CB'er....I obviously dont need top-of-the-line equipment, or any of the fancy doo-dads (PA, amplified mic, etc.)
What I am looking for would be:
1) A good antenna for a decent price, that isn't a hassle to install (it is an old car after all, and I am selling it by end of year) that is preferably MAGNET MOUNT. Wilson, Cobra, K30, all seem to be good brands so I will narrow it down to the experiences that other users have had.
2) A radio that has weatherband, a decent squelch circuit, some sort of noise reduction/blocking mode, and hopefully a fine-tune switch. I'm not terribly picky, and I'm sure I won't notice the small things, so I don't need anything too fancy. I also don't want to spend more than $50 or so on a radio, since its really not a long-term investment and might end up in a box somewhere.
3) If its really necessary, a good mic might also help to be heard over the static that my car seems to produce (wind shield wipers, engine noise, etc.) But I'm sure the factory mic will do fine, as I will listen more than talk.
4) A swr meter that isn't too expensive and will get the job done. Since I don't think I will find myself with radios in the future, buying a $50 meter would do me no good. What I think I will do is just buy the radioshack one, use it, and return it, so as to save the hassle.
I hope to see some responses, and I hope to come to a conclusion about a rig that will fit my needs soon. For those who post, if you list the item also list any pros/cons or reasons why you think that particular item is better. I want to really see how these items compare to others, and this could also possibly help any new user in the future.
Thanks for all the help,
LittleDog
*PS* The CB radio shop closest to me, the owner is in Florida and won't be back until the 18th of this month, so any rig I buy won't be tuned/adjusted/installed until later in the month. So that gives enough time to gather responses and compare them. Also I can't post links yet so if you want to see the radio I am talking about (The Midland) go to google and search for K30 Mag mount and the first amazon link will have it listed as a package price.
