Mr. Answer Man
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 3
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Good microphones, as well as punchy audio/modulation also come into play. I've heard signals that barely move the S meter, but their audio is so clean and crisp it punches through easily. I urge you to look into aftermarket microphones as some can be the difference in making a contact or not. Astatic makes a couple fantastic handheld mics.
As said before, there are just too many variables when the topic of "range" comes into play....
As said before, there are just too many variables when the topic of "range" comes into play....
JK Jedi
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,813
Likes: 0
From: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Actually I've been trying for quite awhile....... https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-cb-ham-radios-128/heads-up-cbers-65693/
Last edited by AK4Dave; Nov 26, 2009 at 11:49 PM.
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,800
Likes: 374
From: Midwest City, OK
Back in my ham days (WB6MPD for many years) I remember talking on two meters with ten watts from Chula Vista, CA to Lompoc when ducting would occur over the water. That's about 225 miles.
JK Jedi
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,813
Likes: 0
From: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
I have also played a little with the satellites (2m UP/10m down) and that was a lot of fun as well, albeit a little tricky doing it all by hand....moving both my 2m yagi and 10m yagi to follow the bird across the horizon. Guys I know use computers and tracking devices to automatically follow the birds.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 3
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Apparently the Yaseu 8900 has a function built to factor in doppler shifts for satellite work...sounds like a lot of fun.
I think we've gotten a little off base here though. The OP was looking for info on what he could expect from a Cobra 75. With that CB, he won't be running an active mike, and I doubt that he can reasonably expect to talk to his trail buddies using skywave, sporadic E, or tropospheric ducting.
2 miles is perfectly reasonable with a good coax, a reasonable antenna, and the whole unit properly tuned. Under nasty conditions (terrain and atmoshpheric) you'll see as little as a 1/2 mile. Under favorable conditions (terrain and atmospheric) I would not be surprised by five miles.
Going beyond that is getting into territory that the average CB user isn't going to invest the time and effort into. If you do want to reach out further, then it doesn't make sense to chain yourself to running a 4 watt AM transmitter...and that spells "HAM license"
I think we've gotten a little off base here though. The OP was looking for info on what he could expect from a Cobra 75. With that CB, he won't be running an active mike, and I doubt that he can reasonably expect to talk to his trail buddies using skywave, sporadic E, or tropospheric ducting.
2 miles is perfectly reasonable with a good coax, a reasonable antenna, and the whole unit properly tuned. Under nasty conditions (terrain and atmoshpheric) you'll see as little as a 1/2 mile. Under favorable conditions (terrain and atmospheric) I would not be surprised by five miles.
Going beyond that is getting into territory that the average CB user isn't going to invest the time and effort into. If you do want to reach out further, then it doesn't make sense to chain yourself to running a 4 watt AM transmitter...and that spells "HAM license"
JK Jedi
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,813
Likes: 0
From: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Apparently the Yaseu 8900 has a function built to factor in doppler shifts for satellite work...sounds like a lot of fun.
I think we've gotten a little off base here though. The OP was looking for info on what he could expect from a Cobra 75. With that CB, he won't be running an active mike, and I doubt that he can reasonably expect to talk to his trail buddies using skywave, sporadic E, or tropospheric ducting.
2 miles is perfectly reasonable with a good coax, a reasonable antenna, and the whole unit properly tuned. Under nasty conditions (terrain and atmoshpheric) you'll see as little as a 1/2 mile. Under favorable conditions (terrain and atmospheric) I would not be surprised by five miles.
Going beyond that is getting into territory that the average CB user isn't going to invest the time and effort into. If you do want to reach out further, then it doesn't make sense to chain yourself to running a 4 watt AM transmitter...and that spells "HAM license"
I think we've gotten a little off base here though. The OP was looking for info on what he could expect from a Cobra 75. With that CB, he won't be running an active mike, and I doubt that he can reasonably expect to talk to his trail buddies using skywave, sporadic E, or tropospheric ducting.
2 miles is perfectly reasonable with a good coax, a reasonable antenna, and the whole unit properly tuned. Under nasty conditions (terrain and atmoshpheric) you'll see as little as a 1/2 mile. Under favorable conditions (terrain and atmospheric) I would not be surprised by five miles.
Going beyond that is getting into territory that the average CB user isn't going to invest the time and effort into. If you do want to reach out further, then it doesn't make sense to chain yourself to running a 4 watt AM transmitter...and that spells "HAM license"
JK Jedi
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,813
Likes: 0
From: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd...5&isArchived=0