Why Cb Radios??
02-08-2007, 09:44 PM
#11
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I think this is the best reason to have a CB. I used mine for help once when I ran out of gas in my Explorer-- a trucker came up and gave me a couple of gallons to get me to the closest town. It's true that you are much more likely to find help with a CB than with a 2-way. Eventually, I'll have one hooked up in the JK....
Yea.. not to mention the numerous people who have CB's at their houses.. My friend works with a guy who is paranoid of cell phones, so instead he uses an ULTRA WAY TOO HIGH POWERED CB lol!
-Brandon
02-09-2007, 01:59 AM
#12
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, I too used to have CB radio when I drove a tractor trailer back in the early 80's so can someone tell me if it's as busy as it was back then ( for those old folks like me who can still remember)...especially 19 the highway channel most used by rig drivers....and how many channels do most CB's have....thanks
02-09-2007, 12:14 PM
#14
Why not just get your HAM license. (No more Morse Code needed, just take a multiple choice test)
Then you can transmit with up to 1500 watts legally (although most of us use 5 watts or less just fine)
You can use repeaters and cover vast areas. Routinely our 4WD club could be wheeling in Maine and members at home in MA could follow along the action.
Many repeaters have auto-patch links to phone lines so you can make calls when there is no phone service (it usually requires some small donation to the repeater owner, but it's minimal.) We used this feature several times when a part breaks and we need to call home to get a replacement or trailer delivered.
Several Ham radios are built to military spec standards and easily withstand off-road abuse.
Ham radio is polite because anyone can look up your call sign and drop a dime on you. People who don't identify themselves become targets of "foxhunt" groups who take extreme pleasure in hunting down rogue stations. As a result, the crude language of the CB and the endless teen chatter on the FRS stations are non-existant.
Cross Frequency repeat functions allow you to use a handheld to talk to the vehicle which then relays using full power to where ever. Great when you are sitting around base camp talking to a late group arriving.
That said, my YJ had 3 radios. CB, Ham, and Cellular phone. The JK will likely have the same although the cell phone is now a little portable. Most clubs I know require a CB. Handhelds can work, but CBs really require a large antenna which handhelds do not have. This severely limits their range. Most clubs ban 102" 1/4 wave antenna whips due to the hazard of whacking people with it. But shorter antennas can work just fine for most group rides. 2 meter and 70cm band (most common) use antennas only 12" to 36" long.
When I first got my Ham license, I used a hand-held exclusivly. In the Jeep, I'd clip it onto my center console, plug in power and an antenna cable and it worked just as well as any other built-in radio. Best of all, I could unplug it, pop on a rubber duck antenna and walk around. It was only when we started going on long adventures into the woods of Maine that I put a full size radio in the Jeep just for the extra power to reach home.
In any case, installing your radio properly and tuning proper SWR makes a HUGE difference in the performance.
Oh, and most of the non-world ham bands (ie. used to talk around the world) use FM transmission instead of the AM transmission of the CB. This vastly improves the quality just like your FM radio usually sounds better at all times than AM radio.
I could go on and on, but if anyone is interested in more, just start another thread and ask.
Then you can transmit with up to 1500 watts legally (although most of us use 5 watts or less just fine)
You can use repeaters and cover vast areas. Routinely our 4WD club could be wheeling in Maine and members at home in MA could follow along the action.
Many repeaters have auto-patch links to phone lines so you can make calls when there is no phone service (it usually requires some small donation to the repeater owner, but it's minimal.) We used this feature several times when a part breaks and we need to call home to get a replacement or trailer delivered.
Several Ham radios are built to military spec standards and easily withstand off-road abuse.
Ham radio is polite because anyone can look up your call sign and drop a dime on you. People who don't identify themselves become targets of "foxhunt" groups who take extreme pleasure in hunting down rogue stations. As a result, the crude language of the CB and the endless teen chatter on the FRS stations are non-existant.
Cross Frequency repeat functions allow you to use a handheld to talk to the vehicle which then relays using full power to where ever. Great when you are sitting around base camp talking to a late group arriving.
That said, my YJ had 3 radios. CB, Ham, and Cellular phone. The JK will likely have the same although the cell phone is now a little portable. Most clubs I know require a CB. Handhelds can work, but CBs really require a large antenna which handhelds do not have. This severely limits their range. Most clubs ban 102" 1/4 wave antenna whips due to the hazard of whacking people with it. But shorter antennas can work just fine for most group rides. 2 meter and 70cm band (most common) use antennas only 12" to 36" long.
When I first got my Ham license, I used a hand-held exclusivly. In the Jeep, I'd clip it onto my center console, plug in power and an antenna cable and it worked just as well as any other built-in radio. Best of all, I could unplug it, pop on a rubber duck antenna and walk around. It was only when we started going on long adventures into the woods of Maine that I put a full size radio in the Jeep just for the extra power to reach home.
In any case, installing your radio properly and tuning proper SWR makes a HUGE difference in the performance.
Oh, and most of the non-world ham bands (ie. used to talk around the world) use FM transmission instead of the AM transmission of the CB. This vastly improves the quality just like your FM radio usually sounds better at all times than AM radio.
I could go on and on, but if anyone is interested in more, just start another thread and ask.
02-09-2007, 12:39 PM
#15
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Thanks for the info CJ2a, I didn't know you no longer had to test for Morse Code. Something to consider. I looked a HAM before but never wanted to study and test for it.
02-09-2007, 03:58 PM
#16
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Cb Amp!!
Well since you guys opened my eyes to CB"S, what about CB amps? When I had a CB 10 years ago amps were not legal. Is this still the case and if not whare can I buy an amp!!
02-09-2007, 05:19 PM
#19
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Holy crap.. I didnt know they took the morse code part out of the HAM radio test! Sign me up! That was the only thing keeping me from getting a HAM license for the past 5 years..
-Brandon
-Brandon
02-09-2007, 06:48 PM
#20
Linier amps for CB are still illegal - the band allows 4 watts maximum. CB was a VERY poor choice as it operates on the 11 meter band which is actually a fairly good long distance band as it will skip well. The FCC limited CB to 4 watts to try to avoid problems. They should have used a higher frequency instead.
I have a 30 watt linier for 2 meter ham that with my handheld and a 6db gain antenna can push a PEP of over 400 watts. All perfectly legal in the ham bands. In fact, a common practice is to use directional antennas and bounce signals off the moon. Ever hold a conversation over about a half a million miles?
For info on where to go to get your HAM ticket, visit ARRL.org. Test details, books, and links to test locations are all available.
73s
N1LYD
I have a 30 watt linier for 2 meter ham that with my handheld and a 6db gain antenna can push a PEP of over 400 watts. All perfectly legal in the ham bands. In fact, a common practice is to use directional antennas and bounce signals off the moon. Ever hold a conversation over about a half a million miles?
For info on where to go to get your HAM ticket, visit ARRL.org. Test details, books, and links to test locations are all available.
73s
N1LYD