Hello again Richard,
Don't let the thought of 4 / 12 Watts discourage you. From my
experiences, one can easily achieve 20 miles base to base on AM and 30
plus on sideband with a descent antenna setup. The CB frequencies were
set aside for short range communications. The only problem is that part
of the spectrum is prone to HF progagational effects which allow for
long distance communications... (Though illegal over 149.9 miles (No
flames please)). With that said, Antenna.... antenna... antenna is your
biggest bang for the dollar. Your location also can play a major factor
in how far you can get. And like with the VHF/UHF bands, you can
improve things with using a higher grade of coax and connectors. I have
traditionally used 9913 or LMR-400 for most of my communication setups.
Try to get the most signal from the antenna back to the transmitter.
Your going to here individuals with hoped up units and amplifiers which
is an easy way to get out further. But a rule thumb that works for
myself is that you can talk to someone if you can't hear them. Hoped up
radios and amplifiers don't address this. I currently run a small beam
on an old SBE Console V. With 12 watts (SSB), I'm easily covering 4
counties around me.
Experiment around and ask questions from the locals around you.

Cheers

Dungeon Master