arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
Where do you go to take the test for the permit and find out what equipment is legal and what is not?
CB Radios
- Thread starter Irishwolf
- Start date
ARRLWeb: ARRL Home Page has info on clubs and exams as well as study material for the test. You can find a club near you, hopefully, and in it find an "Elmer", aka a mentor. They can probably also help you with equipment, both seeing if what you have is usable and advice on options if not.
Ah, my pet subject, CB's.. LOL.
Without going to a 'big radio', my fav's are the Cobra 25 or 29 Nightwatch, or the Uniden 78 series. I'm a Sidebander, so if there was room, I'd run a Uniden Grant or Cobra 148.
Hook one of these to a good antenna with quality coax, and you'll have a good setup that will be dependable and last a long time. You'll get out plenty far, and with the ears adjusted, and antenna tuned, you''ll hear just fine. We usually solder our own jumpers up, and I run Francis fiberglass whips on mirror mounts, and for the cars we run old Formula 1 antennas, or Wilson 1000's. All are solid antennas.
A big radio on a cheap antenna will sound crappy.. but a mid range radio on quality coax and a good antenna will sound and hear great.
Every radio I get goes to my tech to get a true peak and tune. That does not mean just 'crank it up'! You'd be surprised at the stuff we've seen right out of the box. I've gotten new radios that put out 2 watts and were off freq! A true peak and tune will set modulation at optimum (100% but never over) and check the freqs, adjust the ears sensitivity, etc. I've bought a lot of used radios that were 'chop shop' peak and tuned and all they did was turn them up so bad they were distorted, all the parts were stressed, and usually off freq. Strange some of the stuff people do in the name of a peak and tune.
I've played lot's of different radios, everything from out of the box Uniden 501's to Galaxy's with all the toys (Sorry Leo.. LOL). I never felt like a criminal, but then I did stay out of 10 Meter (the uppers). That stuff is just too close, plus it's Ham Bands. I confess I talked a bit on the 'lowers' just below Channel 1 on the freq chart, but then again, too far, and you get to close to important stuff.
I didn't stay off them for the illegal aspects, I just figured it as respect for the guys who pay for the right to use those freqs.
Ark, actually there are starting to be some warnings issued to trucking companies, and several Pilots and other truckstops have been fined for selling Galaxy radios. They still are sold everywhere, and I think they just do it now and then to make a show of force, so to say.
I like some of the 'big radios', but like someone said, they don't hold up to vibration very well. They have a terrible problem with solder connections vibrating loose, and they are a pain to track down. I had a couple 44's that played well, but the 66 and 88 models I had kept having probs.
You know, I"m actually going to agree with Highway star AND Leo.. LOL.. how's that for fence riding! If they are tuned right, NOT CRANKED so loud they distort, etc.. the 'big radios' are nice.. BUT as Leo said, most who have them will run them wide open, echo WAY too high, and BEEP BEEP .. LOL. (those roger beeps are killer with an external speaker by yer head!). Set 'right', they will have a nice quality, clear sound... but most don't know how to run them.. they crank 'em up, and show their intelligence as they try to talk over everyone.
Dale
Without going to a 'big radio', my fav's are the Cobra 25 or 29 Nightwatch, or the Uniden 78 series. I'm a Sidebander, so if there was room, I'd run a Uniden Grant or Cobra 148.
Hook one of these to a good antenna with quality coax, and you'll have a good setup that will be dependable and last a long time. You'll get out plenty far, and with the ears adjusted, and antenna tuned, you''ll hear just fine. We usually solder our own jumpers up, and I run Francis fiberglass whips on mirror mounts, and for the cars we run old Formula 1 antennas, or Wilson 1000's. All are solid antennas.
A big radio on a cheap antenna will sound crappy.. but a mid range radio on quality coax and a good antenna will sound and hear great.
Every radio I get goes to my tech to get a true peak and tune. That does not mean just 'crank it up'! You'd be surprised at the stuff we've seen right out of the box. I've gotten new radios that put out 2 watts and were off freq! A true peak and tune will set modulation at optimum (100% but never over) and check the freqs, adjust the ears sensitivity, etc. I've bought a lot of used radios that were 'chop shop' peak and tuned and all they did was turn them up so bad they were distorted, all the parts were stressed, and usually off freq. Strange some of the stuff people do in the name of a peak and tune.
I've played lot's of different radios, everything from out of the box Uniden 501's to Galaxy's with all the toys (Sorry Leo.. LOL). I never felt like a criminal, but then I did stay out of 10 Meter (the uppers). That stuff is just too close, plus it's Ham Bands. I confess I talked a bit on the 'lowers' just below Channel 1 on the freq chart, but then again, too far, and you get to close to important stuff.
I didn't stay off them for the illegal aspects, I just figured it as respect for the guys who pay for the right to use those freqs.
Ark, actually there are starting to be some warnings issued to trucking companies, and several Pilots and other truckstops have been fined for selling Galaxy radios. They still are sold everywhere, and I think they just do it now and then to make a show of force, so to say.
I like some of the 'big radios', but like someone said, they don't hold up to vibration very well. They have a terrible problem with solder connections vibrating loose, and they are a pain to track down. I had a couple 44's that played well, but the 66 and 88 models I had kept having probs.
You know, I"m actually going to agree with Highway star AND Leo.. LOL.. how's that for fence riding! If they are tuned right, NOT CRANKED so loud they distort, etc.. the 'big radios' are nice.. BUT as Leo said, most who have them will run them wide open, echo WAY too high, and BEEP BEEP .. LOL. (those roger beeps are killer with an external speaker by yer head!). Set 'right', they will have a nice quality, clear sound... but most don't know how to run them.. they crank 'em up, and show their intelligence as they try to talk over everyone.
Dale