CB/Amateur Radio In RTV?

O

Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower

Member
We were considering getting involved in local search team efforts when a child or elderly person is missing or some other search needs to be performed. One of the things you should have is a citizen band radio or a ham radio with the appropriate license. My question is has anyone equipped their rig with a two way radio and if so, what antenna did you choose?

I selected the heavy plastic roof which does not lend itself to a magnetic mount so real curious how you might have mounted your antenna.

Thanks in advance.
 
Since I prefer not to drill into the fiberglass on my boat I use a handheld Marine radio. They have handheld CB's too. They get out a couple miles but not as far as the ones with a mounted antenna.
 
I am a HAM radio operator and emergancy radio operator, i also run CB on my jeep and past trail rigs.
Radios are great, if yet the right one,

CB’s are limited to pretty much line of sight and a mile or so. Great for high-ways open fields, trail riding where you are all within a mile or so of each other, they are cheap easy to use and set up, once the antenna is tuned they are a simple device.

HAM requires a license and a test, but the radios are much stronger and the range is well suited for SAR, the hand helds are trong and have usable range for their size, I run a Handheld which plugs into the cigarette lighter and a mag mount antenna if I want greater range while in the vehicle. when trail riding in a group we all have handhelds with one or two members with vehicle mounted radios, we use the vehicle Mounted radios as base stations or repeater stations to end the range of the handhelds.

the mag mount can mount to anything metal ie a roll bar or a simple steel plate glued on to the plastic roof, my roof is aluminum and I just used silicone on glue a 1/8” thick 6” x 6” steel square on the underside of the roof, the. Mag mount is powerful enough to grip the steel thru the luminous skin of the roof.
 
In my early days I installed 2way radios in many different type vehicles. Way before Kubota RTVs
For SUVs with fiberglass roofs we used foil tape, commonly used to seal duct work. Tape a large X on the roof and mount the antenna in the center.

Mobile antennas are available now that do not require a ground. Not as efficient as the old school stuff, but for short range work probably OK.
 
I have been studying for a Technician Class Ham license off/on for a few months and already testing into the high 80% range. So it won't be long. I like the idea of having access to both types of radios and appreciate all the great feedback. Incidentally, I was a teenager in the 70s when CBs were red hot and had not heard those CW McCall tracks in a long time - brought back memories. I was in the Boy Scouts at that time and remember we installed a CB radio and ground plane antenna at a nursing home up in the city. Those folks had a blast talking on that thing. We hoped that other nursing homes would do the same but it never caught on. Good times.
 
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower said:
I have been studying for a Technician Class Ham license off/on for a few months and already testing into the high 80% range. So it won't be long. I like the idea of having access to both types of radios and appreciate all the great feedback. Incidentally, I was a teenager in the 70s when CBs were red hot and had not heard those CW McCall tracks in a long time - brought back memories. I was in the Boy Scouts at that time and remember we installed a CB radio and ground plane antenna at a nursing home up in the city. Those folks had a blast talking on that thing. We hoped that other nursing homes would do the same but it never caught on. Good times.
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The best of luck with the Tech license, from W3DIY. No radio stuff in my RTV.
 
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower said:
I have been studying for a Technician Class Ham license off/on for a few months and already testing into the high 80% range. So it won't be long. I like the idea of having access to both types of radios and appreciate all the great feedback. Incidentally, I was a teenager in the 70s when CBs were red hot and had not heard those CW McCall tracks in a long time - brought back memories. I was in the Boy Scouts at that time and remember we installed a CB radio and ground plane antenna at a nursing home up in the city. Those folks had a blast talking on that thing. We hoped that other nursing homes would do the same but it never caught on. Good times.
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Good luck on your exam. I would look over the General stuff too and give it a shot the same session as your Tech exam if you pass.


Dave- KB1PVH
 
v10rick said:
The best of luck with the Tech license, from W3DIY. No radio stuff in my RTV.
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Hey Rick, checked you out on QRZ, Nice looking station and Beautiful scenery!! Maybe we can work sometime! Hang out on 3.643 at night after 8 ctrl. Bunch of guys scattered from Ga. To Neb and North to Mi., I'm in Alabama. 73 from "KO4BG"
 
In the Navy my rate / job was a 'Radioman'. I set up and ran transceivers tuned in multi frequency equipment used a teletype to communicate with NavComSta's and ships. I have considered getting my ham radio license but for one reason or another never have.

Since we have a few ham operators in this thread please give tips of about how much it costs to get started and what all I would need besides passing the test or tests. Any info appreciated.
 
Doc said:
In the Navy my rate / job was a 'Radioman'. I set up and ran transceivers tuned in multi frequency equipment used a teletype to communicate with NavComSta's and ships. I have considered getting my ham radio license but for one reason or another never have.

Since we have a few ham operators in this thread please give tips of about how much it costs to get started and what all I would need besides passing the test or tests. Any info appreciated.
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Since you are familiar with RTTY Google FT8. It's a weak signal digital mode that makes it possible to contact fellow hams all over the world with a very modest station. Under $1k for a rig and antenna buying new, half that amount for used gear. This is assuming that you already own a PC. Since I'm an old fart, licensed since 1965, I have experimented with FT8 but prefer to operate SSB.
 
Sitting on the ramp at Dallas Love Field, awaiting the arrival of passengers, ...the APU running and bored.... I dialed in a few freq’s on the aircrafts’ HF and “listened-in” on a couple of guys chatting between the Solomons and Australia. I SO wanted to “break in” and join the chat ...but knew it would be not only rude, but also perhaps illegal.... I wasn’t certain...

Anyway.... it was legal for me to use my radiotelephone license for aviation purposes... and the aircraft was certainly legally equipped.... So my question is: Would it be likely to offend the guys having a good, friendly visit for me to have entered into the conversation? And, second, would it have been likely to be prosecuted? By whom? and what penalty?
 
Technically if you aren't licensed to use a particular frequency, it's illegal to do so unless it's a life or death emergency. Personally if I was chatting on the air with someone and a pilot jumped on the frequency and said hello, I'd be cool with it and probably talk about it for a long time. I would also just let you know that if you aren't licensed for amateur frequencies that you shouldn't be transmitting on them without making a huge deal about it.

Back in 2001ish before I became a ham I had a 10 meter radio and it was modified for the US CB band and one day I was going through the freqs and heard a couple guys chatting so I said hi and they asked for my callsign so I told them I didn't have one and you would have thought I just committed the biggest crime of the century.

Dave
 
tfdr1 said:
Technically if you aren't licensed to use a particular frequency, it's illegal to do so unless it's a life or death emergency. Personally if I was chatting on the air with someone and a pilot jumped on the frequency and said hello, I'd be cool with it and probably talk about it for a long time. I would also just let you know that if you aren't licensed for amateur frequencies that you shouldn't be transmitting on them without making a huge deal about it.

Back in 2001ish before I became a ham I had a 10 meter radio and it was modified for the US CB band and one day I was going through the freqs and heard a couple guys chatting so I said hi and they asked for my callsign so I told them I didn't have one and you would have thought I just committed the biggest crime of the century.

Dave
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Most Hams (before this NEW Incentive Licenses came about) had worked our Asses off getting a Ticket and Don't take Kindly to ANYONE who hasn't done so getting on the Freq's without being Licensed or having worked their way up the ranks from the Old Novice to at least General Class, you'll find a Cold shoulder from Most, I now see Tech class Hams showing up in the Extra portion and Don't Have a Clue where they are supposed to be, Nor do they Care!
Woody, "KO4BG"
 
geohorn said:
Sure sounds a bit like a “snob hobby”.
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NO Not Snobs at all, But don't try to come in when you don't have the Qualifications, get a Ham ticket and Meet some of the Nicest people in the world and all over the World of all Faiths and Back Grounds and Genders, I've had friends all over the the World for over 30 yrs But like everywhere there are a few But a Very small amount of A/H, and that's true everywhere even here!
 
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