CB radio ?

[haganap]

Who's got one ? Who uses one ?

Should they be made compulsory for funsters?

Forget waving we could have An eyeball eyeball, is that how you say it?

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Who's got one ? Who uses one ?

Should they be made compulsory for funsters?

Forget waving we could have An eyeball eyeball, is that how you say it?

Just got one of flee bay just got to sort it out
Oslo looking at pmr446 system with a little illegal power and bigger ariel

 

[LesAshmore]

I have been a CB-er for a great number of years now, Just remember that unless your vehicle is made of steel you need special ariels or fittings to make them work correctly, I have actually bonded a steel sheet 70" X 34" to my roof and used a Mag mount to ensure good transmission.

If anyone need advice just ask no problem at all.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

I've got one on the bike which I use when leading runs just to check when the tail-end charlie has cleared a junction, traffic lights etc. Non of this rubber duck stuff thoughoh:

 

[smudger]

Who's got one ?[HI] Who uses one ? [/HI]
Should they be made compulsory for funsters?

Forget waving we could have An eyeball eyeball, is that how you say it?

hi hags, yosser hughes has one, but dont tell i,m, unless yoo like verbal abuse over the airwaves.

ps. dont tell i,m that i,ve got one either.:thumb:

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[Hayleylulu]

hi hags, yosser hughes has one, but dont tell i,m, unless yoo like verbal abuse over the airwaves.

ps. dont tell i,m that i,ve got one either.:thumb:

And there's no rules on the CB I love it plus I use meney names on it so you don't know it's me

 

[dadsmad]

I have been a CB-er for a great number of years now, Just remember that unless your vehicle is made of steel you need special ariels or fittings to make them work correctly, I have actually bonded a steel sheet 70" X 34" to my roof and used a Mag mount to ensure good transmission.

If anyone need advice just ask no problem at all.

have a 2012 adria sport is it poss to run a cb from it? would be keen to chat but not sure of bonding a sheet of steel to roof

 

[reader]

If you have a bike rack you could mount the aerial on that.
I extend a wire from that to the chassis to improve the ground plane but it works well with big boys cb.
That way no drilling as the aerial lead can come under the van and into the cab through one of the grommets in the cab door footwells

ps: the flagpole on my avatar picture is actually an aerial (10mtr long!)

 

[LesAshmore]

have a 2012 adria sport is it poss to run a cb from it? would be keen to chat but not sure of bonding a sheet of steel to roof

There are methods that will work but none as good as an actual plate.

There is what is known as an NGP ariel (non ground plane) which are fairly expensive, these usual mean drilling a couple of holes through your bodywork, or if you have a wing/door mirror that it is possible to fit a bracket on then they can be fitted there.

If you have a metal ladder or roof rack (not alloy) these can also work, The method stated above will work from alloy as the earth cable that is referred to actually changes the ariel to a di-pole, But it is usually only short distance TX

With the method I have used I can TX up to 10 - 15 miles.

But Yes it IS possible to run a CB from it, you can in actual fact run a CB from anywhere or anything.

and the TX RX distance far exceeds PMR 446

 

[LesAshmore]

If you have a bike rack you could mount the aerial on that.
I extend a wire from that to the chassis to improve the ground plane but it works well with big boys cb.
That way no drilling as the aerial lead can come under the van and into the cab through one of the grommets in the cab door footwells

ps: the flagpole on my avatar picture is actually an aerial (10mtr long!)

What type of ariel is it as a 10 mtr long ariel will not work on CB or do you mean a CB ariel on a 10 mtr mast ?

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[golly]

I went to Scotland couple of years ago in the van with my son and family following in their car. I had a couple of CB's from the 80s so fixed them in the vehicles, used a mag mount and half breed antenna on the cab wing, worked OK.

 

[LesAshmore]

I went to Scotland couple of years ago in the van with my son and family following in their car. I had a couple of CB's from the 80s so fixed them in the vehicles, used a mag mount and half breed antenna on the cab wing, worked OK.

Yep if your mag stuck then it was metal and they are very good twigs

we once went up to St Abbs and ended up talking to a Norwegian actually in Norway got a great skip that day. :thumb:

 

[Heyupluv]

Just one questionoh:.....if you are not allowed to use the phone and drive???? what about the CB mike.....or are we saying the wives will be doing all the Talking as usual

 

[LesAshmore]

Just one questionoh:.....if you are not allowed to use the phone and drive???? what about the CB mike.....or are we saying the wives will be doing all the Talking as usual

It is actually LEGAL to use a two way radio whilst driving


It is an offence to use a hand held mobile phone or an "interactive communications device", but there is an exemption for a two way radio which is designed or adapted -

(i) for the purpose of transmitting and receiving spoken messages; and
(ii) operates on any frequency other than 880 MHz to 915 MHz, 925 MHz to 960 MHz, 1710 MHz to 1785 MHz, 1805 MHz to 1880 MHz, 1900 MHz to 1980 MHz or 2110 MHz to 2170 MHz.

Ofcom states that you should be transmitting CB in the 27MHz range, if you are, you come within the exception and are OK. The exception was created because so many government and private organisations (e.g. taxis) use 2 way radios.


Link Removed

 

[Jaws]

What type of ariel is it as a 10 mtr long ariel will not work on CB or do you mean a CB ariel on a 10 mtr mast ?

Ummm.. yes it will
Be pretty crap and you would def have to use a decent ATU but it will work

Be far better on 40m of course ( with a decent ground plane ) or shunt fed on 14 megs :thumb: ( Do I win the pedant of the year award ? )

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[LesAshmore]

Definitely Win It

Now if he had said 11 mtr that would have been perfect :thumb:

 

[Chockswahay]

Slightly off topic (well completely I'spose:Blush but if CB radio was not around in 1982 I would not have met my loverly wife

It was only after chatting to her mum for about 2 months that we arranged an 'eyeball' (my wife never used CB radio). I turned up, invited into kitchen for a cup of tea, and there she was...............my wife to be with her back to me doing the washing up!............I said "hello, has the cat got your tongue?"...............she turned round.............and......BOOOOOM........my heart stopped.

Who said romance was dead ?

 

[Reallyretired]

Just got one of flee bay just got to sort it out
Oslo looking at pmr446 system with a little illegal power and bigger ariel

Having more power is pointless unless the person you're talking to has as well. Otherwise he may hear you but you can't hear him. At the high frequency of PMR propagation is line of sight only + a bit of reflection off buildings if you're lucky so increasing power will probably make you illegal for no actual gain.

 

[Reallyretired]

I have CB. Will be mounting CB antenna and a 2M/70cm antenna on the bike rack

 

[LesAshmore]

Having more power is pointless unless the person you're talking to has as well. Otherwise he may hear you but you can't hear him. At the high frequency of PMR propagation is line of sight only + a bit of reflection off buildings if you're lucky so increasing power will probably make you illegal for no actual gain.

I have a pair of Intek HX-460S Handheld 446 radios which transmit at 8 watts I also have a roof mounted antennae Which I discarded after 1 trip and discovered they were useless we rarely use them now but I have them with me whenever we go anywhere "Just in Case".

I have my CB on always.

Just a point, If anyone wants any of the NGP (No Ground Plane) antennas I have a couple that I would sell if anyone was interested

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[Philcott]

Do you have to have a licence or go on a course if using a cb?

 

[LesAshmore]

Do you have to have a licence or go on a course if using a cb?

No Not at All to both questions

 

[LesAshmore]

If anyone is interested in the NGP Ariel This is the place where I purchased it from there is also a video about the ariel at the bottom of the page.

http://www.rightchannelradios.com/everhardt-ngp-side-mount-kit-4.html

:thumb:

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Having more power is pointless unless the person you're talking to has as well. Otherwise he may hear you but you can't hear him. At the high frequency of PMR propagation is line of sight only + a bit of reflection off buildings if you're lucky so increasing power will probably make you illegal for no actual gain.

Was thinking more of increased reception with external ariel rather than power out and yes both are illegal

And I did parade in London in early 80s for cb radio to be made legal
Got my first rig in 1978 president veep same year my oldest daughter was born with a home made inverted v ariel in loft and a car battery
Happy days

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Having more power is pointless unless the person you're talking to has as well. Otherwise he may hear you but you can't hear him. At the high frequency of PMR propagation is line of sight only + a bit of reflection off buildings if you're lucky so increasing power will probably make you illegal for no actual gain.

Was thinking more of increased reception with external ariel rather than power out and yes both are illegal

And I did parade in London in early 80s for cb radio to be made legal
Got my first rig in 1978 president veep same year my oldest daughter was born with a home made inverted v ariel in loft and a car battery
Happy days

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[LesAshmore]

Was thinking more of increased reception with external ariel rather than power out and yes both are illegal

And I did parade in London in early 80s for cb radio to be made legal
Got my first rig in 1978 president veep same year my oldest daughter was born with a home made inverted v ariel in loft and a car battery
Happy days

I remember so well.

I was prosecuted in 1979 for using a CB radio to capture some van thieves and setting a road block up, I was actually fined more than the Van thieves, But as it hit worldwide press on the court date there was that many CBers there and they all chipped in and paid the fine on the spot £476 in 1979 a lorra lorra money.

 

[rolandrat]

Not to long ago ERF trucks had fibreglass cabs and didn't present a CB problem as you could fit a twig with a ground plane and the transmission and reception was very good. I can't see a problem if anyone wanted to have one in their motorhome no matter what the build structure is.

 

[LesAshmore]

Not to long ago ERF trucks had fibreglass cabs and didn't present a CB problem as you could fit a twig with a ground plane and the transmission and reception was very good. I can't see a problem if anyone wanted to have one in their motorhome no matter what the build structure is.

The VAST difference is that the small cab on an ERF truck compared to a Large Basically fibreglass body of a MH and the large amount of Metal in the Cab of a truck and the vast amount of steel around the cab meant a grond plane WAS possible, But not on a MH Try it.

 

[mid4did]

swr reception/transmittion

I think you.re probably right as far as the modern plastic moterhomes,to get a good swr requires a good ground plane.
In the older campers with aluminium bodies and a good large roof rack/ladder/bike rack it,s less of a problem.Also the higher it is the more likelihood of hitting low bridges etc if travelling.A compromise and common sense is needed,hence a short helical wound 2 foot antenna such as the firestick maybe could help?If you,re just intending on talking to someone in convoy with you then a clip on bumper mount or bicycle rack mount under the height of the camper should be ok,It,ll only be 4 watts or so,right?
My first rig/twig .midland 3001/ k40 circa 1981.
Be careful,it is addictive.

 

[Jaws]

Not to long ago ERF trucks had fibreglass cabs and didn't present a CB problem as you could fit a twig with a ground plane and the transmission and reception was very good. I can't see a problem if anyone wanted to have one in their motorhome no matter what the build structure is.

Given the correct size ground plane for cb radio frequencies is ABOUT 8ft and in an ideal world should have at least 6 radials I doubt very much you had a true ground plane antenna fitted..Although you COULD do it using loaded coils on the radials and shunt feed the actual antenna ( or indeed have an antenna that is 5/8th long ( about 17ft ) and shunt feed that.. ( Silver Rod as was )

Yes, there are ways round the problem ( there always is ) but it will always be a compromise..
One way would be to mount a pair of antennas 8ft apart ( give or take ) and connect them using a phased harness.

Mounted one on each mirror would give a decent forward/back transmission pattern ( if you mounted them one forward and one back the radiation pattern would be sideways with only an extremely small lobe going forward or back from the vehicle

For most folk the best answer would be a marine antenna..
Designed to work with very little groundplane as it a helically would capacitance fed unit ( usually )

Could be mounted on the roof rail ( if you have one )


So where is this info coming from ? Why am I so sure of the above and can state it as factual rather than guess work or conjecture ?

Well, from 1978 to 1984 I worked in the CB radio field, I am a licensed radio op and spent some time 'back in the day' as an RF design engineer.. I still work in the field of radio comms but only as a volunteer

Yes, I have no doubt at all some stuff has changed but, to paraphrase the immortal words of Mr Scott 'Sorry Jim, ye canna change the laws of physics' !

Some good, down to earth reading...

http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/63Things.htm

I specifically direct attention to number 5 and number 16 :thumb:

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