Let me toss in one more recco for going with a Ham radio setup. You and your friend could study and take the test together, cost is $14.00 for a technician's class license I think. There are no longer any morse code requirements, if you know Ohm's law and study up on some of the most basic radio operations you can pass the test. You could then pick up some used mobile 2meter and or 70cm band radios for about what you'd pay for the CB's, alternatively you could grab a couple of new HT's, (walkie-talkies) for about the same amount. Add a couple of antennas and a power supply and you're golden.

The problem with the CB's is that you will never get as clear a signal on them as you will on the Ham bands, trust me, I was a serious CB radio guy a million years ago and I'm now a Ham operator, the difference is night and day. In addition, once you get the Ham setups, there's nothing stopping you from putting it your vehicle and using it even more. There are 2m and 70cm band repeaters that will allow you to easily talk 50-100+ miles or more if they're linked together.

I still have a CB in my car, it's fine for very short distance work and for traffic reports, I have the NOAA weather bands on mine so I can easily tune in for weather reports as well but the mobile Ham radio works so much better I seldom even turn the CB on unless I'm on a road trip.

Whatever you decide, get an SWR meter and tune your antennas properly, you'll be amazed at the difference between a properly tuned antenna and an improperly tuned one, that applies to the CB as well as a Ham radio.

If you do go the CB route, save yourself some money and trouble and don't bother with any allegedly "tuned" or "tweaked" radios, all you'll end up with in most cases is a seriously distorted signal.

JohnE