[curtis73]

You can get them cheap, and if you're just planning on listening they all do that pretty well provided your antenna is pretty capable. Radio Shack, WalMart, and other electronics stores carry CBs for $30 or less. Antennas can be had for $15.

I have a Uniden PC66 radio and a Wilson 1000 antenna and a Road King mic. The radio was about $80, and the antenna about $70. I think the mic was $69. I had some work done to the radio so that it puts out about 40w peak (FCC regulations limit manufacturers to 4w). With modifications the radio cost me $130.

So, for $270 I'm talking at the same intensity as many of the big rigs. Its not that you can't talk to them on smaller boxes, its just that they don't hear you. If there are 50 truckers talking at 100 watts, a stock 4w radio isn't loud enough to hear and they disregard it as something too far away; or their squelch is set to not even pick it up.

If you just want to listen to road conditions and cops, get an inexpensive radio and a good antenna. If you want to contribute to the conversation, get a good radio: uniden PC66 or higher, Cobra 25 or higher, or just stop by the local truck stop and ask around.