new to this site and CB's need some help

[skittles11]

hey im new here and im trying to figure out the best way to "cop proof" my car. and ive heard alot about scanners and CB's but i have no idea about how to use them, how to set them up, what to get, and how they work in general.
so can someone give me a little introduction? and help me find the right product to buy?

[Motor On]

Welcome.

"Cop Proof" is extremely generic.

Take a look at these threads then come back with questions and give us a better idea of how you plan to use them. All these like RDs and jammers are just tools, so how you understand them is more important than what you buy.

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...tions-cbs.html

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...-scanners.html

[skittles11]

alright thanks for the links, does a scanner pick up the same frequencies as a CB? i dont plan on transmitting from a CB, atleast not until i have alot more experience. so is a scanner essentially a CB that scans so you can listen? if so thats exactly what im looking for.

and if i go with a CB does antenna size matter for listening?

do many people actually use CB's to give away cop positions? like if im driving 10 hours on a somewhat busy highway, will i be getting police positions all the time or will i be lucky to get it once?

[srtga]

Read FAQ @ top of page.

Scanners pick up Fire, Ambulance, Police and you can't talk to them. CB is "Citizens Band" and has 40 channels anyone can use. The main users of CB these days are truck drivers and it's a great source for all kinds of info on the road.

Most CBs are pretty big devices but there are some smaller ones on the market like the Uniden 510/520 which are regarded as OK radios.

If you want good performance you have to go with an antenna which is larger than your standard stereo antenna and it's not really a "plug-and-play" deal. You'll have to adjust your "SWR" to get it working well and to avoid damaging your radio.

A CB radio will make you about as "cop proof" as you can get on the interstate.

You need special paint to be 100% cop proof...

[Stealth Stalker]

You need special paint to be 100% cop proof...

And no, we won't tell you where to buy the special paint until you reach 10,000 posts.

[skittles11]

what am i gonna need to spend to get decent performance? and whats a good popular CB to go with? theres alot out there and i dont really know where to start looking.

[trailtow]

depends on how big of radio u want in your car on the smaller size go with a uniden 510/520 xl great little radios or bigger cobras, unidens a good site is sparkys cb shack they have an online store

[Motor On]

Ok so you've decided to go with a CB. There's lots of options so lets start with the practical first...

What kind of car?
Where will you put it?
How much space do you have?
Willing to drill for an antenna or is it going to be temporary?
How much of an antenna size are you willing to tolerate?

[skittles11]

the car's an 89 3 series bmw, id rather go with something a little on the smaller side, there are a couple places that could work on the dash. ive got an area about 8 inches wide by 5 inches tall. id rather not drill for an antenna since i wont be using it all the time. for size i just want something that will be good enough for listening and not transmitting.

[trailtow]

Then I would go with a uniden 520xl with alil will antenna.also an swr meter and buy the radio from sparkys because they will give it a nice tune up