CB radios

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Do you have a CB radio in your vehicle or home radio shack?  If so, what model radio and antenna, and do you like it?

[mtnbkr]

I have a small Midland CB in my 4Runner, connected to a 4' Wilson fiberglass antenna.  It works.  I'm not a serious CB user and only have it for offroading purposes.  I chose that model because it was small enough to fit in the slot normally occupied by the ashtray. 

I had to put a bunch of capacitors on the fuel pump contacts to reduce the hash created by the pump.  Otherwise, the noise was drowning out all but the strongest signals.  I also put some toroid cores on the alternator leads, but the capacitors did more for things than any other change.

Chris

[HankB]

I have a Cobra 148 GTL CB radio . . . this particular model has been around for a long time (over 20 years) and will do all a CB radio is legally allowed to do, including SSB transmissions. It also has an SWR meter so you can "tune" your antenna for optimum performance.

I really just use it when I'm making a longer road trip . . . set it on the console, plug it into the cigarette lighter, and run the antenna wire to a magnetic antenna I stick on the roof. (Don't recall the make/model of antenna . . . )

If the other guy has a decent setup, communicating up to five miles is pretty easy . . . in flatlands, ten or more is possible. YMMV.

I'm told (but haven't confirmed) that a good radio mechanic can "peak" the system to virtually triple power and allow access to "unauthorized" channels.

[mtnbkr]

I'm told (but haven't confirmed) that a good radio mechanic can "peak" the system to virtually triple power and allow access to "unauthorized" channels.

Illegal and pisses amateur radio operators off immensely.

Work on your antenna first.  Don't go solely by SWR, you can have low SWR with a poorly radiating antenna (SWR can be low with very high losses).

Chris

[Brad Johnson]

An amateur radio license and a repeater guide might be more useful. At the very least it would be a useful addition to your CB.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

An amateur radio license and a repeater guide might be more useful. At the very least it would be a useful addition to your CB.

Brad

A CB still has its place.  It is far more common and is the de facto standard of 4x4 groups.  A 2 meter (144mhz) amateur radio rig doesn't have nearly the reach of a properly set up CB and you can sometimes find yourself out of range of the nearest repeater (assuming they're even monitored, lots of "dead" repeaters out there).  Now, a 6 meter amateur rig has some good reach, but there are fewer 6 meter repeaters and you still won't have compatibilty with most folks.

Chris

[One of Many]

I have never had a CB communication that exceeded the range of a 2 meter radio contact through a repeater. I have had simplex communications on 2 meters at a range of 10 miles between vehicles, using standard power output of the ham radios. The best I ever had using CB between mobiles was around 5 miles. I have even had a handheld 2 meter contact through a repeater 30 miles away. My experience is that the 2 meter rig is more useful than the CB when range is the issue.

Most of the time, range is not the issue. The issue is that the people that you need to communicate with do not have an Amateur Radio license; there is no license requirement for the CB, so anyone can use the CB. The FCC has essentially washed their hands of enforcement of CB, leaving it to the profane, indecent and obscene communications that drove me away from it. You could not drive anywhere on the highway without hearing something unfit for decent people, and the wife and children did not deserve to be forced to listen to that garbage.

When trying to use other channels than the one allocated to traveling use, the local "frequency cops" would chase anyone that they didn't recognize off of the frequency, by using blatantly illegal tactics and communications. Enough is enough. Good riddance to CB.

[Brad Johnson]

A 2 meter (144mhz) amateur radio rig doesn't have nearly the reach of a properly set up CB

I dunno.  A properly tweaked and peaked 50w VHF rig with a 7 or 8 dB antenna can reach a long ways.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

Put that 2m radio on 5watts and see how it compares.  I run a 5w HT into a halfwave 2m antenna on my car and have a hard time hitting my club's repeater from more than 5-7miles away (urban environment).  Other members, running more power than me, get into it from much greater distances.

As a member of my local ARES group, I work special events such as marathons several times a year.  2m radio in a hilly or urban environment without the support of a repeater can be trying unless you can put up a good antenna.  The last event I worked, a 24hr marathon in the Prince William County Forest (hilly terrain), made my HT all but useless once I got more than a couple miles or so from Net Control's location.  On the far end of the course, they couldn't hear me at all and I had to relay through other amateurs at the event.  Net Control was running 2m mobile rigs (50watts) to a vertical antenna mounted on a 20' mast.  I could hear them clearly, but they couldn't hear me at all.  Now, when I switched to 6m (Yaesu VX-7r), they could hear me fine.  CB, being an even lower frequency than 6m would haved worked even better (as would the 10m amateur band).

Of course, if you wanna talk distance, I've gone clear across the country with 5w into a wire antenna on 40m (7mhz).  This during our current period of low sun spot activity.  Others have gone further with less power.

Sorry for the thread drift... 

Chris

[mtnbkr]

I dunno.  A properly tweaked and peaked 50w VHF rig with a 7 or 8 dB antenna can reach a long ways.

Brad

Let's compare apples to apples here.  A CB is limited to 5w.  Comparing it to a 50w amateur rig isn't fair. 

Chris

[Brad Johnson]

Let's compare apples to apples here.  A CB is limited to 5w.  Comparing it to a 50w amateur rig isn't fair. 

Chris

Yeah, I know.  I was comparing it more for size (mobile unit) and range.

BTW, I have a dual-band Mirage amp that takes my Alinco DJ-G5 HT from 5w to 45w on VHF.  I rigged it to plug into the ciggy lighter and use a Comet 5.5 dB mag mount.  On an average day I can hit someone 15 miles away.  I can hit usually hit repeaters up to 25 miles.  I tried a friend's 8 dB stick and could hear a LOT farther than I could talk.  Not very practical, though, given the antenna was about 7' tall.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

I thought about getting one of those Mirage amps, but I don't do enough talking while in the car to make it worth my while.  If I start operating that much while mobile, I'll probably get a true mobile radio. The HT can be kind of annoying at times.  The receiver is so sensitive, I get blown away by pager systems around here.

Chris

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I'd say that was a perfectly legit question.  But I'm not a mod, so...
The answer is yes, many people still use CB radios.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Your first question I have no idea about.  I'm not a mod.  However, the answer is yes, people still use them.  Your subsequent posts, I asked the moderators to look at, so that we can get back to discussing radios.  So, yes, people still use CB radios.  I have an old Midland in my truck that I'm looking to replace.
Discuss.

[Sergeant Bob]

I have a Cobra 29 Sound Tracker (junk, good thing I got it for free!) and Cobra 148 GTL (excellent radio) which has been peaked and tuned. That thing would really walk the dog with twin Wilsons. They're both sitting in a box, along with a couple Road King mic's and an El Cheapo Radio Crack. I really have no desire to use them now that I'm not trucking anymore. Got tired of listening to people argue about what time it is or about the weather.

[thebaldguy]

We have two hand held Cobra CB radios. They came with short flexible antennas, but we bought two roof mount antennas for extra range. You can use AA batteries or plug them into a cigarette lighter. They work well for road trips with multiple cars, and we have used them as walkie talkies. I think the max range in perfect conditions might be less 10 miles. The channel 9 emergency is a nice feature. We used it to report a bad accident in a North Dakota blizzard. I like the fact that truckers will alert you to possible speed traps on the road as well.

You can get a decent CB radio for under $40.00. They're a nice toy on road trips even if you're by yourself. Get a roof mount magnetic antenna and you're in business.

[Perd Hapley]

Wow.  Everyone be very nice to the moderators right now.  They are hungry.   

[Brad Johnson]

Wow.  Everyone be very nice to the moderators right now.  They are hungry.   

Persnickety
Moderator
Syndrome.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

Who's persnickety?

FWIW, if you're interested in radio, an amateur license isn't hard to get.  The hardware is more expensive, but tends to be better made.  Fewer on air antics and you can run some serious power if you need it.

Chris

[HK-91-762MM]

PING===!!!!!!!!
Skip land skip land  -Common in skipland ---Ya got the bikini boobie biter her commin at ya from the deep south--Common Back I hear ya !
  Thats the reason I got away from CB, I wish the feds would have policed the thing!
I do miss those Smokey reports though