Yaesu 7800 installed
JK Newbie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 15
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I want to get my license so I can help out after a major disaster.. I live on the east coast and we are very prone to hurricanes.. Every year they always advertise people to sign up if you have a HAM license to help out.. It is part of the emergency hurricane preparedness....
And really the comparison of Citizen's Band radio and Amateur Radio stops with the fact that they are both types radio. A CB is like two tin cans and string while Amateur Radio is like the internet. CB has it's place, it's cheap and easy to use to talk to people right around you, but with ham radio you can do so much more. Many more frequencies to use, much more power, more modes then just voice. You can hook up a computer and send information digitally. You can talk to someone down the road, across the the country, halfway around the world, or even on the space station. I know you can do many of these things using the internet now but before this stuff was really amazing and it's still amazing to know you can do all that without a huge infrastructure like the telecommunications system. Ham radio is not for everyone but chances are there is some aspect that will appeal to you.
Mick
WB4LDP
JK Newbie
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Murrieta, CA
KI6NRF: It's amazing how fast the new licenses get entered in to the FCC database once you pass the exam. I think mine was in within four days of passing the test. Thanks for the info on the location of the radio. I originally thought is was a backseat seat belt reel instead of the front in the photo.
The hood on a Jeep is indeed the optimum location for any antenna needing a ground plane (1/4 wave dipoles memory kind of fuzzy here?). I haven't installed my antenna on the Jeep yet. On my Tundra, I have the antenna mounted in the rear corner post holder of the driver's side bed rail. It works well enough although I'm sure I could get more range with it on the roof. I think on the spare tire mount would be the Jeep equivalent of this location. I'll let you know how it works once I get it mounted.
Here's what I see as some of the benefits of a ham radio vs a CB.
1) better sound quality (FM vs AM, more bandwidth)
2) better propagation characteristics for communicating short distances between vehicles (VHF or UHF vs HF)
2) more power (tens to hundreds of watts instead of 4 watts but power should be scaled back for communicating short distances in small groups)
3) more range directly between vehicles (> 15 miles over flat terrain w/ good line of site)
4) repeaters (30 - 75 miles w/ good line of site to tower)
5) repeater networks (I can hit a Colorado Connection repeater in Fort Collins and converse with anyone anywhere in the entire state)
6) even the lowest quality ham radio is manufactured better than the most expensive CB radio. Many are manufactured to Mil Spec tolerances for resistance to dust, vibration, temperature, etc.
7) APRS - combine GPS and ham tech to know where all your buddies are at on the trail
8) better etiquette amongst operators
As for using a ham radio for emergencies, it works well but not as well as calling 911 yourself directly on a cell phone. If you can reach a repeater, there's a good chance you can either dial 911 from a phone patch connected to the repeater or you can find a ham monitoring the repeater to call 911 for you. You can often reach repeaters where you can't reach a cell tower.
The FCC will not allow CB radios and ham radios to interoperate so if you want to use both, you need to carry both radios (and probably a FRS / GMRS radio too).
I'm going to install both eventually. This is another good thread on the subject:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-cb-ham-radios-128/ham-radio-installed-kenwood-d710-16048/
Glen
KC0VXL
The hood on a Jeep is indeed the optimum location for any antenna needing a ground plane (1/4 wave dipoles memory kind of fuzzy here?). I haven't installed my antenna on the Jeep yet. On my Tundra, I have the antenna mounted in the rear corner post holder of the driver's side bed rail. It works well enough although I'm sure I could get more range with it on the roof. I think on the spare tire mount would be the Jeep equivalent of this location. I'll let you know how it works once I get it mounted.
Here's what I see as some of the benefits of a ham radio vs a CB.
1) better sound quality (FM vs AM, more bandwidth)
2) better propagation characteristics for communicating short distances between vehicles (VHF or UHF vs HF)
2) more power (tens to hundreds of watts instead of 4 watts but power should be scaled back for communicating short distances in small groups)
3) more range directly between vehicles (> 15 miles over flat terrain w/ good line of site)
4) repeaters (30 - 75 miles w/ good line of site to tower)
5) repeater networks (I can hit a Colorado Connection repeater in Fort Collins and converse with anyone anywhere in the entire state)
6) even the lowest quality ham radio is manufactured better than the most expensive CB radio. Many are manufactured to Mil Spec tolerances for resistance to dust, vibration, temperature, etc.
7) APRS - combine GPS and ham tech to know where all your buddies are at on the trail
8) better etiquette amongst operators
As for using a ham radio for emergencies, it works well but not as well as calling 911 yourself directly on a cell phone. If you can reach a repeater, there's a good chance you can either dial 911 from a phone patch connected to the repeater or you can find a ham monitoring the repeater to call 911 for you. You can often reach repeaters where you can't reach a cell tower.
The FCC will not allow CB radios and ham radios to interoperate so if you want to use both, you need to carry both radios (and probably a FRS / GMRS radio too).
I'm going to install both eventually. This is another good thread on the subject:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-cb-ham-radios-128/ham-radio-installed-kenwood-d710-16048/
Glen
KC0VXL
Installed my 7800 a couple of months ago on a Bug Mount in the same location as yours. Running an Opek Glass Mount Dual-bander, need to replace the capcitance box in it though, I damaged it when I relocated the antenna. The Opek works great, I was able to get the SWRs down to about 1.5:1 so I was pumping much more of my signal out.
It seems to be a tough system, its been handling SoCal freeway speeds without any problems for the last 2months. Only problem is that I'll need to get/build an amplified external speaker, just can't hear it going above about 50 in the Soft-Top
Congrats on the new license.
73 de KG6ECW
JK Freak
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 568
Likes: 0
From: Fort Collins, Colorado
I'm thinking of mounting the front for my IC-7000 (or maybe picking up a D710 instead--the 7000 is my base rig) using a bug mount but from the plastic above the rear view mirror and in between the sun visors. Should keep it out of the rain with the top off. There's room there for a speaker and my inclinometer too. Maybe use a big patch of velcro and I can rearrange things on the fly.
Glen
KC0VXL
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore MD
