I'm looking to get a decent, quality, good CB Radio for my bronco. I've got a Uniden radio scanner, and I like it, dont have any problems with it, and it seems to be decent quality. Ive read a lot of good things about the Galaxy's to. But I'd like to here some more opions on other brands out there. Who and what do you guys like?

I'm not really sure as to what I need to look for, I would more or less be using it to watch weather, talking in out in the woods, and maybe if possible just listening while riding around. I'm not really sure how many miles they will reach, or what kind of price I should be looking at?

I'd appreciate any help, thanks! :thumbup

not exactly an answer to your question, but look into HAM radios....FAR superior to CB's in many ways...

not exactly an answer to your question, but look into HAM radios....FAR superior to CB's in many ways...

x2!!

2-meter band radios are the way to go. An easy 20 or so question test and you got your license to operate. Way better clarity and far superior distance to send and receive.

Would a HAM radio be able to recieve information from a CB like if someone was talking to me from a CB could I get the info. And can I still talk through an HAM? Who do you guys like for HAM radios?

Do I need to get a licence to talk to a friend or someone on the radio? If so, or if not. How would I get the licence, and how much is it?

I'm a HAM. When these things come up I always tout the vastly superior quality of HAM radio over CB. It is seriously like going from a 13" black and white TV to a 60" HDTV. The difference just can't be appreciated by reading a few words about it over the internet. But having said that, you really need both, plus probably an FRS radio as well. The unfortunate fact is that as badly antiquated as CB is, it's what most guys run on the trails. CB radios don't talk to HAM radios and vice versa. IIRC the cost to sit for the HAM exam is something like $7.50. That gets you a 10 year license. To my mind CB has two principal knocks against it. One is horrible audio quality. The other is very limited range. CB, like FRS, was designed to have an extremely limited range, on the order of a mile or so. HAM radio on the other hand can be just as crystal clear as if the other guy was sitting in the truck with you, and it is definitely designed to be able to communicate over long distances. If you put a dual band UHF/VHF radio in your truck you will be hard pressed to find a single spot in the entire continental United States where you would not be able to talk with someone. In an emergency that is very reassuring.

As for brands of radios, with HAM gear I've always had very good service from my Yaesu radios. Kenwood is also top shelf. ICOM is pretty good too. With CB's the only two brands that I have any experience with are Cobra and Uniden. I haven't had any trouble out of either of them. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but IMO CB's are junk anyway and I keep one in my rig under protest. I find that I use the CB's PA function to yell at people more than actually communicating over the radio portion of it.

[QUOTE=Dave's Bronc 90;1678272] To my mind CB has two principal knocks against it. One is horrible audio quality. The other is very limited range. CB, like FRS, was designed to have an extremely limited range, on the order of a mile or so. HAM radio on the other hand can be just as crystal clear as if the other guy was sitting in the truck with you, and it is definitely designed to be able to communicate over long distances. If you put a dual band UHF/VHF radio in your truck you will be hard pressed to find a single spot in the entire continental United States where you would not be able to talk with someone. In an emergency that is very reassuring.QUOTE]
I also have a HAM license and radios. When I go wheeling with my brother, we use 2 meter, If with a group, CB CH 4 is the token off road channel. The CB is fine for a few miles, but with the Ham radio, we were talking from the local mountains to another Ham who was in Death Valley near Barker Ranch. (Manson's Hideout). About 200 miles as the crow flies. Pro for CB is everyone has them and they are inexpensive. A good Cobra 29LTD goes for about $100. You can get less expensive ones which are fine for short trail communications for less that $50. You are usaully talking to your group which is only a few miles apart at most. A entry level Ham radio can get start at $300-$400 and it goes up from there.

Ham has other cool features (money permitting)

Con on Hams, not everyone has them so you are limited to who you can talk to.

What you want to do depends on how much $$ you want to spend

Tony KI6FGI

I'm in the exact same boat as Mudd Slinger. I have a couple quick questions also.

Is HAM a third type of radio like a UHF/VHF?

I assume you mean 300-400 NEW for a HAM radio? I suppose they can be had cheaper?

What do most truckers use now?

Can UHF/VHF (or HAM) talk directly to police?

Do UHF/VHF have weather channels?

I'll end my hijack now. Thanks!

I'm in the exact same boat as Mudd Slinger. I have a couple quick questions also.

Is HAM a third type of radio like a UHF/VHF?

HAM radio, the proper name being the amateur radio service, is a set of bands set aside for non-commercial use. There are many HAM bands, by far the most popular being VHF. The UHF HAM band is also quite popular. Both the UHF and VHF HAM bands use FM modulation, like commercial two way radio, which gives it the superior sound quality.

I assume you mean 300-400 NEW for a HAM radio? I suppose they can be had cheaper?

Yes, those are new prices for a dual band UHF/VHF radio. A single band VHF can be had brand new in the $150 ball park.

What do most truckers use now?

Pretty much every trucker has CB, many have HAM radios as well.

Can UHF/VHF (or HAM) talk directly to police?

Generally speaking, no. Many can be modded to work on those frequencies, but most people don't do that. Also, many PD's use 800MHz these days instead of the more conventional UHF and VHF, as well as digital modes instead of analog, so you can't count on communicating with PD's. I work in commercial two way radio, and I can tell you that all PD's hate the idea of "civilians" talking to them directly on their channels anyway. They hate the idea of scanners letting people listen; the idea of people talking on their channels makes them crazy. Unless you were talking to them in an emergency situation it would likely get you arrested, or at a minimum severely hassled.

Do UHF/VHF have weather channels?

I'll end my hijack now. Thanks!

VHF, yes. UHF, no. You know the NOAA weather alerts? They're broadcast on VHF. Here is a link to all of the weather channels nationwide. (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm)

i really would like to get ham based on everything i hear but, the reality is every rig i've seen on every trail ride has a CB, if that. it'd be cool if the entire club got together and got licensed. but most people i know are wheeling on the cheap too.
i do like having the weather band on my CB though, it is a bit handy. i need to get a better antenna though.

I know where you're coming from when you say that. All you can really do is convince your good wheeling buddies to do it and not worry about everybody else. Trust me, once other people see how much nicer it is, they'll want it. It's something that can spread, you just need to get people to try it out. Here's an example of how cheap you can get into it. From HRO you can pick up a Yaesu FT-1802M for $129.95.

http://www.hamradio.com/

http://hamradio.com/web/gif/ft1802.jpg

I think I'm actually going to get that in the near future. It sounds like VHF would be the way to go, since it has NOAA and is more widely used.

I went on the hamradio website and found the brochure for that model. What are the specs to look for that separate an average or poor radio from something better? Here's the 1802M's specs:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/daverbmxer/specs.jpg

Ok really..... Perhaps my CB wasn't full ham status but my old in truck yaesu had upper lower vhf and uhf and they spent the 10 seconds to toss in the standard 40 channels. you just need to know the frequencies. So

NO you don't need both.
Yes HAM is fun
NO don't get caught with a 1,600 watt signal amplifier
Yes I blow your stuff if I crank it up
That's why I took it out :D

I take it back I had USB LSB AM FM for sure. I don't think technically your supposed to run 1600 watts on 2m I'm still looking for my old radio. If you could find one I'm fairly confident it went UHF and VHF but I don't want to mislead..

I run both. CB for those who don't ham. It is nice knowing I can get ahold of someone when I am wheeling way out in lala land....:thumbup
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/606443/fullsize/0205081709a.jpg

[QUOTE=daverbmxer;1678364]

What do most truckers use now?

[QUOTE]
CB. thats what i use in my pickup and so do most of my wheelin buddys.

Ok really..... Perhaps my CB wasn't full ham status but my old in truck yaesu had upper lower vhf and uhf and they spent the 10 seconds to toss in the standard 40 channels. you just need to know the frequencies. So

NO you don't need both.
Yes HAM is fun
NO don't get caught with a 1,600 watt signal amplifier
Yes I blow your stuff if I crank it up
That's why I took it out :D

I take it back I had USB LSB AM FM for sure. I don't think technically your supposed to run 1600 watts on 2m I'm still looking for my old radio. If you could find one I'm fairly confident it went UHF and VHF but I don't want to mislead..

Keep your illegal bullshit to yourself. IIRC the max legal power in the HAM 2M band is 200W, a far cry from CB. There are a ton of different radios out there with a ton of different options, but we're pretty much talking about the entry level stuff here. Sure, if you want you can drop nearly a grand on a really sweet HAM radio that will handle ALL of the bands, but it's not really required.

Keep your illegal bullshit to yourself. IIRC the max legal power in the HAM 2M band is 200W,


lol That was less than 200 dollars and if you recall correctly it's 4 watts on 2 meter. not to get your panties in a bunch but you'll also notice I said. "Which is why I took it out"

You'll find quite a few fantastic mobile units that have LSB and USB from 14 to 32ish MHZ and some offer UHV and or VHF. Once you get off the primary bands life get's VERY quiet and clarity changes dramatically. If you find a few local HAM Radio hobbyists you can usually get a decent used unit for much less than brand new. I had no problems talking with mine for 140~ on a 72 inch whip even getting and talking on bounce.

just a short FYI

p.s. I have heard of a few that found a way to store Beam Antenna to setup when they get to their camp site..that's a bit much but an idea for those that really enjoy it trucks make a decent mount point with the right ground plane.

not exactly an answer to your question, but look into HAM radios....FAR superior to CB's in many ways...

Go HAM then you can act like your better than everyone eles...:toothless

lol That was less than 200 dollars and if you recall correctly it's 4 watts on 2 meter. not to get your panties in a bunch but you'll also notice I said. "Which is why I took it out"

Care to guess again? CB is limited to 4 watts AM and 12 watts SSB (47CFR95.410 (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/octqtr/47cfr95.410.htm)). Last time I checked with www.fcc.gov,

2M with a appropriate license is limited to a maximum of 1500 watts PEP (47CFR97.313 (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/octqtr/47cfr97.313.htm), however according to subsection (a) "An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications"

I wasn't going for extreme detail. Perhaps I would get flamed less if I said. Citizens band is limited to 4 watts.

So Bravo you figured out...what I said is still blow 200 watts, it's still not legal

ergo why I pulled the system.

It was a fantastic unit for less than 200 dollars.

SOOOO what I said about perhaps finding some Hammies in your area is a great idea for finding a good unit that is mobile unless there is an FCC code that proves otherwise is a reasonable way to get a better deal and some hands on information beyond the citizen 40.

p.s. I like that setup wasacop

And broadcasting on any of the frequencies they are recommending is "illegal" without certification. So one big question. A do you want to get certified to go wheeling with buddies. B if you don't how much do you want to spend on CB.

I wasn't going for extreme detail. Perhaps I would get flamed less if I said. Citizens band is limited to 4 watts.

So Bravo you figured out...what I said is still blow 200 watts, it's still not legal

ergo why I pulled the system.

It was a fantastic unit for less than 200 dollars.

SOOOO what I said about perhaps finding some Hammies in your area is a great idea for finding a good unit that is mobile unless there is an FCC code that proves otherwise is a reasonable way to get a better deal and some hands on information beyond the citizen 40.

p.s. I like that setup wasacop

And broadcasting on any of the frequencies they are recommending is "illegal" without certification. So one big question. A do you want to get certified to go wheeling with buddies. B if you don't how much do you want to spend on CB.

Do you even bother to read before you post? Nobody's talking about illegally using the ham bands. Getting a ham license is trivially easy, and it's totally worth it. As I stated previously, the much better audio quality comes from the FM modulation of the 2M band. You're still talking about Upper and Lower side band stuff, which is not FM. Stop talking about stuff that you don't know anything about.

I edited this because I am actually pretty sure USB and LSB are AM frequencies.

Most of the clarity comes from a lack of traffic. Less background noise = Clearer signal no matter what type of frequency your talking about. Obviously clarity and modulation of that signal and strength has allot to do with it as well. Yes I do My point is you can get a more than capable clear setup without going HAM.

I may have to research that. I was under the impression the citizen 40 was 2m as well.


Too clarify for people that don't understand what I am saying and would rather just assume I'm stupid...


Legal limits are 4 watts unlicensed. My system was outrageously overpowered! I did remove it long ago. After being flamed I RE explained that I pulled that system. (I did have fun while it was in though)

I also while being flamed explained that in 2m you can get radio's that include FM and citizen 40 bands. For weather emergency or 19 trucker channel. Instead of 1 radio for each. Because someone mentioned buying 2 1 for 40 and 1 "ham" (this typically means more money)

Just to simplify. I am being flamed for saying.

You can get 1 radio that will do usb and lsb and FM. as well as the standard 40 channels for your non HAM buddies when you just want to run out for a day and have handhelds and CBs.

my .02

I edited this because I am actually pretty sure USB and LSB are AM frequencies.

Most of the clarity comes from a lack of traffic. Less background noise = Clearer signal no matter what type of frequency your talking about. Obviously clarity and modulation of that signal and strength has allot to do with it as well. Yes I do My point is you can get a more than capable clear setup without going HAM.

I may have to research that. I was under the impression the citizen 40 was 2m as well.


Too clarify for people that don't understand what I am saying and would rather just assume I'm stupid...


Legal limits are 4 watts unlicensed. My system was outrageously overpowered! I did remove it long ago. After being flamed I RE explained that I pulled that system. (I did have fun while it was in though)

I also while being flamed explained that in 2m you can get radio's that include FM and citizen 40 bands. For weather emergency or 19 trucker channel. Instead of 1 radio for each. Because someone mentioned buying 2 1 for 40 and 1 "ham" (this typically means more money)

Just to simplify. I am being flamed for saying.

You can get 1 radio that will do usb and lsb and FM. as well as the standard 40 channels for your non HAM buddies when you just want to run out for a day and have handhelds and CBs.

my .02

Lighten up Frances.

You're not being flamed, but people are trying to understand what the heck you are talking about. Most of your posts in this thread do not make much sense. I've read and re-read your posts (specifically in this thread) and I am more confused each time I read them.

For more specific FCC rules for CB personal radio service, please refer to FCC Title 47 - Telecomminication, Part 95 - Person Radio Service. Sections 401 - 428 are for CB (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/47cfr95_07.html).

BTW, LSB = Lower Side Band ; USB = Upper Side Band ; They are both more efficient use of AM. For more information on both (and SSB) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sideband_modulation

yes I understand side banding.

I did edit my post as a clarification.

Sounded pretty...insulting to me but that's neither here nor there.

To clarify.

You can get a good radio that has USB and LSB and FM and citizen 40 or whatever it is you prefer to call the non HAM or amateur or a "no license required" channels that most hand held and CB radio's use for cheap. Per the original poster.

This would allow for
1. Clear communication between vehicles on a trip with 1 radio...not a Cobra and a yaesu HAM radio.
2. Allow him to access what some ignorant folk call the citizen 40. Including weather and emergency channels.
3. use of FM broadcasting. (yes it is clear and very nice) for when he is with other HAM operators.

Fairly simple imho. But I can see how that can be confused.

edit: The PEP and all that BS came out as I was told to "keep my illegal bullshit to myself"

typically I take that as something that is meant as less than amiable conversation. But then again that could just be my ignorant side again.

and I should be clearer. Less noise = clearer signal no matter what broadcasting method you are using. Whether that is amplitude modulation or frequency modulation. Less RF noise = bueno!!

.. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / -.. --- -. .----. - / .-.. .. -.- . / .. - / .. / -.. --- -. .----. - / -.-. .- .-. .

Look, I'm not flaming you. If I were flaming you, you would know it. This is a gentle warming. For the record, we don't discuss illegal stuff here on this site because it attracts the wrong kind of attention. We don't talk about wheeling power line trails. We don't talk about distributing cracked software. And we shouldn't be talking about illegal CB's. Hell, I don't even like talking about hollowing out cats, but that topic seems to get a pass for some reason. At any rate, it's not a personal crack at you by any means. I meant exactly what I said and no more...keep the illegal bullshit away from this site. I very much appreciate your doing just that, so thanks.:beer

I can see that you have one big misconception here, and that is the definition of 2M. 2M is an abbreviation for "2 meter". Ham bands are designated by the wave length of their carrier signal. You seem to be using the 2M name interchangeably with the term VHF, and this is incorrect. The 2M band is between 144-148 MHz. The 6M band is between 50-54 MHz. The term "VHF" stands for very high frequency, and generally applies to any carrier above 50 MHz that is also below the UHF band. 2M & 6M are both VHF. The radio you're talking about using will probably do 6M, but not 2M. 2M is the VHF ham band that we are talking about using here, because it is by far the busiest band, and therefore gives you the best chance of contacting someone in the event of an emergency. Trying to contact someone on 6M in the event of an emergency is not a good bet. 2M on the other hand, it should be no problem.

Also, your theory about less noise = clearer signal is correct, but only partially so. If you are comparing two like signals, the your theory works. However, when comparing two dissimilar signals your theory falls apart. The reason that the FM signal is much clearer than the LSB and USB signals that you're talking about is because the FM signal inherently has superior noise canceling properties. It's as simple as listening to the FM and AM signals on your car radio. Which sounds better? The FM does.

.. -.. --- -. --- - -.-. .- .-. . .. ..-. -.-- --- ..- .-.. .. -.- . .. - --- .-. -. --- - .-.-.- - .... . ... - ..- ..-. ..-. - .... .- - -.-- --- ..- .- .-. . .-. . -.-. --- -- -- . -. -.. .. -. --. .. ... -.-. .-. .- .--. .- -. -.. -.-- --- ..- -.-. .-.. . .- .-. .-.. -.-- -.. --- -. --- - -.- -. --- .-- .-- .... .- - -.-- --- ..- .- .-. . - .- .-.. -.- .. -. --. .- -... --- ..- - .-.-.-

It is kind of funny that this thread came up, as I've been thinking about getting my HAM license. However, most of what you guys are talking about is going way over my head, so I'm wondering is there a good website to check out that talks about getting started in HAM? Specifically, I'm wondering what type of equipment I would need to talk between the UP of Michigan and Mid Central Ohio. I'm pretty freaking tired of dealing with a cell phone all of the time, so I'm wanting to get into the radio, so I can get rid of this damned cell phone, and just have a house phone. Also, may be I'm a little dense, but I take it from you guys that it is possible to get a radio that will work on both HAM frequencies as well as CB frequencies?

Thanks,
mR

Hey guys thanks for all the help. You too Dave! Like you guys say HAM is better, but sadly mostly everyone is running a CB. So I think I'm gonna buy my CB first, and then prob a few months/weeks I'll get me a HAM radio. How much do you think I should look to spend on a CB? And what should I get... Ive never done this before, but I feel like I need to get one, and would like to get both.

Look, I'm not flaming you.
.. -.. --- -. --- - -.-. .- .-. . .. ..-. -.-- --- ..- .-.. .. -.- . .. - --- .-. -. --- - .-.-.- - .... . ... - ..- ..-. ..-. - .... .- - -.-- --- ..- .- .-. . .-. . -.-. --- -- -- . -. -.. .. -. --. .. ... -.-. .-. .- .--. .- -. -.. -.-- --- ..- -.-. .-.. . .- .-. .-.. -.-- -.. --- -. --- - -.- -. --- .-- .-- .... .- - -.-- --- ..- .- .-. . - .- .-.. -.- .. -. --. .- -... --- ..- - .-.-.-I DO NOT CARE IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.THE STUFF THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING IS CRAP AND YOU CLEARLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT

clearly not flaming

Go HAM then you can act like your better than everyone eles...:toothless

Hmm HAM Operators are all very kind and well spoken individuals that I know of. Keep your illegal bullshit to yourself.

however I have heard of an Old Elitist Hammy that is arogant and will denounce any equipment that doesn't do exactly what his "uber" equipment will do. They are Elitists and frequently know everything about everything but what they think is worthless. Much like people that think 20 inch lift mud trucks have no purpose and are stupid. What they don't like is stupid nothing we haven't seen before.

As for CBs if I remember correctly Uniden and Cobra both use he same circuit board made in the same factory (by uniden) but I could be wrong of course. So I like Uniden it's a decent unit you can get some good President units for cheap some times depending on how far out of the norm you want to go you still have Ranger and Kenwood and Yaesu are all well known brands. IMO K.I.S.S until you know if youw ant or need more. But that's just my own 2 Not knowing anything ignuhent selph.

--- --- --- - .... .- - .. ... .-.. ...-- ...-- - .-.-.- :toothless

--- --- --- - .... .- - .. ... .-.. ...-- ...-- - .-.-.- :toothless

ROFLMAO

Sorry if that was making fun of me too I dont' know I just thought it was funny lol

It is kind of funny that this thread came up, as I've been thinking about getting my HAM license. However, most of what you guys are talking about is going way over my head, so I'm wondering is there a good website to check out that talks about getting started in HAM? Specifically, I'm wondering what type of equipment I would need to talk between the UP of Michigan and Mid Central Ohio. I'm pretty freaking tired of dealing with a cell phone all of the time, so I'm wanting to get into the radio, so I can get rid of this damned cell phone, and just have a house phone. Also, may be I'm a little dense, but I take it from you guys that it is possible to get a radio that will work on both HAM frequencies as well as CB frequencies?

Thanks,
mR


The best way to start is getting the book "The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual" (available on http://www.arrl.org). The book includes the entire question pool with answers for the Technician Exam (35 multiple choice questions) and explains the basics of amateur radio. Also through that site, you'll be able to locate where and when you can take the test.

I just picked up a cobra classic 25 for $56 dollars used on ebay. Just got it yesterday and should have it hooked up soon. That was for the radio and mic only just to give you and idea of prices. New price was $125

So the Technical Exam would be the one to take, not the General Exam?

clearly not flaming


Nope. Just the facts. You can't blame me if the facts are not on your side.

however I have heard of an Old Elitist Hammy that is arogant and will denounce any equipment that doesn't do exactly what his "uber" equipment will do. They are Elitists and frequently know everything about everything but what they think is worthless. Much like people that think 20 inch lift mud trucks have no purpose and are stupid. What they don't like is stupid nothing we haven't seen before.

Elitist has nothing to do with it. Arrogance has nothing to do with it. It is just a fact. It is a fact that fuel injection works better than carbs. It is a fact that electronic ignitions work better than points. That is just the nature of all technology, it evolves. If you enjoy your radio that's fine, go use it. But it is a fact that it is inferior technology that just doesn't work as well as the equipment that I'm recommending. I see guys on this site all the time wanting to remove their fuel injection and go back to a carb, and it is nearly always because they're afraid of the newer technology. You remind me of those guys.


I just picked up a cobra classic 25 for $56 dollars used on ebay. Just got it yesterday and should have it hooked up soon. That was for the radio and mic only just to give you and idea of prices. New price was $125

That's a good deal on a good CB. You should be set with that one if CB is all you want.

Hey guys thanks for all the help. You too Dave! Like you guys say HAM is better, but sadly mostly everyone is running a CB. So I think I'm gonna buy my CB first, and then prob a few months/weeks I'll get me a HAM radio. How much do you think I should look to spend on a CB? And what should I get... Ive never done this before, but I feel like I need to get one, and would like to get both.

I had no need or desire for a super full featured CB, so I went for the Cobra 19DxIII, which is about $50 brand new IIRC. It's extremely basic and pretty much the only "extra" feature it has is the PA. If you want a more full featured rig, the Cobra Classic 25 is tough to beat for about $125. It is a design that has literally been around for decades, very proven. Uniden also makes some good quality units, but I'm not very familiar with their models.

So the Technical Exam would be the one to take, not the General Exam?
There are three different levels of ham licenses; Technician, General, and Extra. The lowest level of license is the Technician license, and that is the one you need. You'll see the difference between the different levels of license when you're studying for the Tech license.

ive used the cheaper radios, uniden the lower cobras and the best radio ive used for a few yrs now is a galaxy. get it tweaked an peaked and u can talk for miles
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa214/blownrocket/GalaxyDX93Tpreview.jpg
you wont be sorry

So the Technical Exam would be the one to take, not the General Exam?

It's a starting point, but is the most restrictive of the 3 currently available classes of licenses. If you enjoy Amateur Radio and want to pursue it further and to gain access to the HF bands, then the next class is General and then Amateur Extra, It all depends on what you want, but Technician is the starting point and is required for General and Amateur Extra. Each license is cumulative, in order to earn a General class licesnse you must pass all of the requirements for Tech. If you want Amateur Extra, that requires you to pass all of the requirements for General.

Good deal on your Cobra. Actually I like FI and Carbs are fun to tune. You have to be smart enough to make them run right and I challenge you to buy a FI system that will put out the horsepower of a demon or predator for less than 3x dollars but I get your point.

Wait aren't you driving a dinosaur of a 4x4? A Bronco which is no longer made because it's made with old technology like TTB and FI setups that are inferior to the new ones?

Facts have nothing to do with opinions. You think X radio is the holy grail I think he could spend allot less and be happier. That's the base of what I said. If you can find a HAM radio he can get cheaper that includes the bands his buddies will use when they off road for cheaper..then the facts are on your side. Or did you forget that's what he wanted? Oh wait.

his buddies don't use HAM

They use CBs

They must be old ignorant fogies afraid of FI right?

Using that inferior technology. :twak

my buddy wants to learn to ride motorcycles I don't tell him to go buy a 30k dollar ducati because it has the best suspension on the market. I tell him to get an old used unit and see how he likes to ride. That is called Good advice. And I didn't use a single curse word or direct an insult at anyone to do it.

PS Love the galaxy!!

Ok, you guys have me more confused then I was before reading this thread. I have a cb- cheapo wallyword special. It works OK on the trail, even picks up people at home that are 2 cities over.
I am going to get a HAM, once I can afford it.

I have 2 questions.
1) is there a radio of any type that I can buy off the shelf (no mods) and be able to communicate with CB users and HAM users?
2) if there is, any reccomendation on make and model.

Ok, you guys have me more confused then I was before reading this thread. I have a cb- cheapo wallyword special. It works OK on the trail, even picks up people at home that are 2 cities over.
I am going to get a HAM, once I can afford it.

I have 2 questions.
1) is there a radio of any type that I can buy off the shelf (no mods) and be able to communicate with CB users and HAM users?
2) if there is, any reccomendation on make and model.

Answers:

1) To the best of my knowledge, no there are no radios off the shelf that will communicate on both the CB bands and the Amateur bands. You will need 2 different radios. You will also need 2 different antenna systems.

2) As for recommendations on which make and model, that's like me telling you what music I think you should like. It's something personal, buy what you like.

If you want a radio that is reliable and is able to communicate over decent distances, concentrate on the antenna system with a proper RF ground. You can have the most expensive radio in the world and it will not communicate across the street without a good antenna system. A crappy radio with a good antenna will usually preform much better then a expenisve radio with a crappy antenna system.

Thanx Unix.

So before I waste money on something that's a POS I want to an approval on this cheap Cobra here if I could:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4642484

lol listen to unix he knows his sh@#. Cheapo units imo typically work fine. And hey their cheap...buy it use it sell it on craigslist and upgrade.

P.S. When I have time at work someone mentioned a system that would work on both. it is not what I would call a Full ham system. This requires a GREAT Deal of equipment and antenna's tuned for different carrior widths. But there are some that will open up the door just enough to see if you like it.

So before I waste money on something that's a POS I want to an approval on this cheap Cobra here if I could:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4642484

Looks like a good deal to me, long as it's what you want. I actually considered that radio to mount in place of the ashtray - just never got around to buying it....

I know it's over kill, but check out the following web site (http://www.k0bg.com) for some good info regarding mobile installs. The site is geared for Amateur Radio, but alot of the princliples are the same for a CB antenna and install.

So before I waste money on something that's a POS I want to an approval on this cheap Cobra here if I could:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4642484

i looked for that one at several wal marts and they didn't have it in the store i woulda gotten it if they did, but they didn't so i went way overkill and got this with tons of features
http://photos-e.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v235/225/78/1205940201/n1205940201_30102276_1137.jpg
i need a better antenna though:duh

and of course several weeks after buying mine i see the cobra at wal mart:banghead:

I have the General Lee cb radio, I think its made by Galaxy but I'm not 100% sure and I have a Francis antenna. I like the set up and it gets out pretty far.

im gonna be picking up a Cobra 29 NW WX. and after that, i'll get a ham as well.

Do you even bother to read before you post? Nobody's talking about illegally using the ham bands. Getting a ham license is trivially easy, and it's totally worth it. As I stated previously, the much better audio quality comes from the FM modulation of the 2M band. You're still talking about Upper and Lower side band stuff, which is not FM. Stop talking about stuff that you don't know anything about.

I will second that getting your HAM license is incredibly easy. If I can get one, anyone can because I started out with no knowledge of radio or electronics. Granted I had Dave to help explain quite a bit to me, but it was totally worth it and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

It is kind of funny that this thread came up, as I've been thinking about getting my HAM license. However, most of what you guys are talking about is going way over my head, so I'm wondering is there a good website to check out that talks about getting started in HAM? Specifically, I'm wondering what type of equipment I would need to talk between the UP of Michigan and Mid Central Ohio. I'm pretty freaking tired of dealing with a cell phone all of the time, so I'm wanting to get into the radio, so I can get rid of this damned cell phone, and just have a house phone. Also, may be I'm a little dense, but I take it from you guys that it is possible to get a radio that will work on both HAM frequencies as well as CB frequencies?

Thanks,
mR
Just remember, on HAM, if you get rid of your cell phone, you cannot conduct any business communications on those bands...it is not legal. So, if you use your cell phone for business communications at all you should keep both. That being said, why I originally got my HAM license was because Dave was getting rid of his cell phone and that was going to be the only way I could contact him while we weren't both at home. Then, of course, me being my social self started talking on a different frequency them him and made my own group of friends.


however I have heard of an Old Elitist Hammy that is arogant and will denounce any equipment that doesn't do exactly what his "uber" equipment will do. They are Elitists and frequently know everything about everything but what they think is worthless. Much like people that think 20 inch lift mud trucks have no purpose and are stupid. What they don't like is stupid nothing we haven't seen before.

.

I certainly hope you aren't talking about Dave being an elitist and thinking he knows everything just because he is a HAM. He is far from an elitist if you actually knew him. Also, he does know what he is talking about when it comes to two way communications. It is what he does for a living. He is a two way radio technician and works on all these things for a living and has for a long time. He really does know what he is talking about.

As far as emergency situations, I will attest that it is one of the best ways to help you. Since I got my license I have had several situations where I was having car trouble while I was traveling or got lost and was able to holler out for help on my my HAM radio and had multiple people work to get me the help I needed so I would not be stranded. it is an awesome thing and a group of the best people I have ever met. Even, if you aren't using it to communicate to your immediate trail buddies, if you get stuck you can find someone out there who can help you out.