I've had my ham ticket for a little over a decade, but never really
used it. After this year's many hurricances and tornados I've gotten a
little more into setting up communications and monitoring systems and
read in one of the survivalism groups that some thing CB will be a
power tool for communications in a crisis.

Then I think back to when I was 20 years old in my Jeep with the top
down, and my CB radio installed and it just getting the worst possible
range. I then thought I'd read up on it here, and found a posting by a
gentlemen who traveled often in an RV and had the same problems. But
still I hear of others who are getting into it, use skip, get miles and
miles of range and so on.

So I have a little experience, and I realize that in a valley, a short
mag-mount antenna, and poor wiring could ruin anything - but what if i
throw an antenna into a tree, and what else can I do.

So I started to look more, and i started to find 40 channel radios (are
there models with more or less?) and then 'export' radios, and SSB
radios that can do 12w, while the regular 40 channel versions can only
do 4w. I see antennas, but they are only 4 feet long - and I wonder if
i can get an 8 or 12 foot mast to put up in a tree (as opposed to some
of the other giants that my neighborhood assn will make me take down).
I wonder if I can find a unit that scans, or information on ways to
maximize reception and transmission, and if anyone uses the AM/FM
models I've seen - or does everyone still just use AM?

Then I think - IS THERE A SITE THAT CAN TEACH ME THE BASICS?

If I head out to radio shack and buy their best model CB radio, where
can I get a good antenna that I can put into a tree and use to listen
to the highway that's 3 miles south of me? I see people mention K40,
but their site is all about radar detectors, then I go to Wilson, and
their stuff looks all mobile. In the end, I don't want to throw money
away, and I don't want to have to buy something with 150w of illegal
amps so they can hear me, when I probably won't be able to hear them
back. Where can I shop? What is a good basic setup? How far off the
ground? What kind of cable? All things I can answer with my ham
knowledge, but I get lost when I hit a website about CB radio and see a
'freeband' unit with the actual frequency displayed and don't know if
thats for me, or someone in Canada.

So I'm asking here - can someone tell me the basics, or where I can
find them - so I can get started in this hobby and maximize my
experience? Thanks.

Richard
N0TZC