I know this may be a really noob question but I have been trying to search the internet and cannot find an answer.

I want to get a CB radio for off roading because no one I off road with will have a HAM. However, I am getting into weather spotting and it would be very benificial to have a HAM. I do not want to have a CB and a HAM in my jeep. My question is, can HAM radios operate on CB frequencies? Can you talk to CB's with a HAM radio?

 

sure with a 10 meter ham opened up for 11 meter fequinces it can be done.

but if you do this it is illegal so be warned about the ham police.

but they sure work good

 

CB radios must be type-accepted. This means that the manufacturer built one and it was tested and approved for operation on CB radio frequencies. So, modifying a 10-meter ham radio would not pass muster. Plus, CB radios are limited to 4-watts of carrier power in AM and 12-watts of peak envelope power in SSB modes. Maximum power for ham operators on 10-meters is 1.5KW PEP (200-watts if amateur or technician class licensee). Besides, it's been a few years since I've been licensed for ham: Is anyone even making a 10-meter AM radio? SSB probably wouldn't do much good on the trail.

 

If you mean "just" am, I haven't seen one. But of course there are 10m all mode radios all over the place.
I have to ask, why do you say "ssb probably wouldn't do much good on the trail"...???

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't most folks running AM?

 

Ok let me clarify my original post.

Yes you can get a ham radio that works on cb frequencies. These radios work the 1o meter ham freq and when modified work the 11 m cb freq. The good ones have AM FM USB LSB, but they are not legal radios because they have more power than the 4 watts for CB.

The other problem is that there is no action on the 10 m band that you will pick up in a jeep. don't ask me how i know.

so if you want a good trail cb you have several options a standard cb, one that has been tweeked with a swing kit, one that has a swing kit and more power (also illegal) and an import 10M that has modified up for CB these usually have a swing kit and more power.

If you want to truly have a good ham radio in the jeep you will be like most of the guys I know who have a cb and a good ham setup for the frequencies that they want to work. this means two radios and two antennas.

if you are like me you have one radio cause there isnt any room in a wrangler

i suggegst you go to a radio shop and do some research.

I also suggest that you at a minimum get a cb with a swing kit installed. swing kits are not illegal but they help carrier for the signal be stronger.

all i know for sure is that my radio works good and i have all the bands and frequencies that i need.

if you cant find a blackhawk like i have i think it is also branded under magnum

 

Ok, thank you for all your help. I guess I wont be able to do exactly what I was wanting to. I will just get a CB while working on my lisense anyway.

 

No....you're right, as far as CB coms go I'm sure it's mostly AM. I just didn't know if you were inferring that SSB doesn't work as well in a mobile or not.
As you probably know, altho some will work 10m AM and FM, but most run SSB.

That will change again soon tho, because as the solar cycle picks up, 10m is a very popular DX band and guys will start using all the modes. During the last cycle I had a blast working FM into Japan from here in Alaska. Not to mention, working AM with all the vintage gear ops up around 29meg. Great Fun...!!!

 

Well.....that's not entirely true. As far as DX action goes, there are always small openings on 10m. It's just that at this time in the solar cycle, those 10m openings are few and far between. But I did hear there was a good one last week. It's a day to day kind of thing. But, as far as groundwave goes, meaning just using 10m to talk local, that works pretty much the same as the 11m/CB band. There are HAMS using 10m to talk to their neighbors, and run daily state "nets" all over the US.

 

Altho I do not know what a "swing" kit is (I have an idea), but it's a new term to me. But as far as carrier goes, on AM it has everything to do with RF power output. I think what you probably mean, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that this swing kit tweeks up the modulation, which in turn creates more "talk power". No...???