CB Radio

[White Tiger]

Mountainous regions aren't real good for CB - I guess that's why folks use 2m FM - as it is vertical and can be directed/reflected back down and around mountains, from a tower...but typically only line of sight.

High Frequency (80m - 10m) NVIS is something I'm learning about for just that sort of issue (signals getting "lost" between mountains). Since this can "bounce" a signal off of the ionosphere and back down in a 600 mile wide circle - and you don't worry about mountains blocking signals between two towers on different sides of a mountain - when you're practically dropping the signal in from above.

The antenna is pretty cheap (compared to towers and climbing mountains to position them), but the radios are a a little more expensive.

CB's are nice if you only want to communicate with cars you can see, on flat land, with no obstructions that might absorb a radio signal...outside of that...you're going to need some special - but not expensive or difficult equipment!

 

[Loomis]

So while at the auction this weekend I was so excited to win a CB radio! In my excited state (i snagged it for only 2 dollars!) I didn't notice that it was a car model lol But thank goodness my hunny bunny is very smart when it comes to electrical and wiring etc (he was a marine but now he is a construction worker...builds houses from the ground up so he does wiring too) so I assumed he'd be able to rig it up somehow to run off of the 110 outlets in the house...and sure enough he can! He has a converter that takes 110 and converts it to 12v (since its made to run off a car battery) so he wired it to one of those plugs that goes into a cigarette lighter, he plugged that into the converter and the converter into the wall so now I have an indoor cb radio...i know this isn't something that most would be excited about but I am lol its a bit of nostalgia with them as my dad and I used to talk to truckers etc when I was little...my handle was Rainbow Bright anyhow.... since its a car unit, I've gotta find some speakers that will work with it, and it squeals when i press the button to talk, so i think there is a short in the handset also...and I've gotta get an antenna for it...any suggestions on speakers or antenna? also...what do you think about if we gotta bug out, how could i power it then if i took it with me?

That's a great find. Yes, it will work with a ac/dc converter as long as it's 12 volts or run it straight from a 12v battery like I do. Again GREAT FIND !!!
SUPER SHOPPER AWARD !!

 

[Loomis]

Clydesdale- I just hold of a new Galaxy DX-959 peaked and tuned. Paid a pretty penny for it.

 

[Loomis]

I have a CB from when I drove a semi cross country. Yes a stock one is only 4 watts unless you use the USB (upper side band) or LSB (lower side band) then you get 12 watts. I think these days it is reffered to as SSB (super side band). However, others have to be on either USB, LSB or SSB to clearly hear you. If not you sound like you are talking under water.

Sometimes you can catch what is called a "skip."

Skip = Atmospheric conditions that cause signals to travel much farther than they normally would. Typically signals are line-of-sight, but when the ionosphere is "charged" by the sun, signals that would normally pass through it are now reflected back to Earth, or "Skip" a large distance. Hams refer to this as a "Band opening".

I have had a skip where I was in orange county California and have spoken with others in San Francisco and also in Seattle, WA.

I have a Galaxy 88 converted to CB so I get about 300 channels on it, plus i attached a 300 watt kicker (amp) too it and I run Wilson 1000 attenas or I have a way of setting it up as a base station with a no ground anttena.

Ok, I had to look up that model. Here is a question: Did you have a power Mike? Reason asking I just got a hold of a Galaxy DX 959 peaked & tuned currently in shipment. I'll hook it up to my dipole antenna out back. Will work on getting that thing up this week. It will be another week till I get it.

 

[Clyde]

Ok, I had to look up that model. Here is a question: Did you have a power Mike? Reason asking I just got a hold of a Galaxy DX 959 peaked & tuned currently in shipment. I'll hook it up to my dipole antenna out back. Will work on getting that thing up this week. It will be another week till I get it.

I honestly don't remember. I'm going to try and digg my radio out of the garage this weekend. I will see if I can find the mic. I still have my power inverter to take 110 volts down to 12v.

 

[White Tiger]

You guys would be better off with a combo 10 meter/CB radio (covers about 2-3 miles on CB and up to hundreds or thousands of miles on 10m) or even a multi-mode 2m radio (depending on your antenna type and power supply - up to a hundred miles using "repeaters", or out to 30 miles withOUT using repeaters) - the 10m/CB would give local access AND (occasionally) news from faraway you could then share locally with other likeminded individuals - should the S hit the proverbial fan...

I just put together a similar EMP proof kit for my son, the radio was a little hard to find, the EMP proof faraday box is a little unique, but the radio, a 10m antenna and some coax cable - all fit into a small metal case. I am thinking about including a micro 2 meter radio - Handy Talkie (or HT) - in what I call his EMCOMM (Emergency communication) kit.

Lots of unlicensed "user groups" are working on unpopular 2m and 10m ham radio frequencies. I don't advocate this, as I am a licensed ham and believe you should know what you're doing on ham frequencies - but I have heard them.

 

[Clyde]

You guys would be better off with a combo 10 meter/CB radio (covers about 2-3 miles on CB and up to hundreds or thousands of miles on 10m) or even a multi-mode 2m radio (depending on your antenna type and power supply - up to a hundred miles using "repeaters", or out to 30 miles withOUT using repeaters) - the 10m/CB would give local access AND (occasionally) news from faraway you could then share locally with other likeminded individuals - should the S hit the proverbial fan...

I just put together a similar EMP proof kit for my son, the radio was a little hard to find, the EMP proof faraday box is a little unique, but the radio, a 10m antenna and some coax cable - all fit into a small metal case. I am thinking about including a micro 2 meter radio - Handy Talkie (or HT) - in what I call his EMCOMM (Emergency communication) kit.

Lots of unlicensed "user groups" are working on unpopular 2m and 10m ham radio frequencies. I don't advocate this, as I am a licensed ham and believe you should know what you're doing on ham frequencies - but I have heard them.

What did you use for your Faraday box?
I agree with running the 10 meter, 2 meter, and cb (I think those 40 channels are 12 meter). I like your EMCOMM idea!

 

[Loomis]

You guys would be better off with a combo 10 meter/CB radio (covers about 2-3 miles on CB and up to hundreds or thousands of miles on 10m) or even a multi-mode 2m radio (depending on your antenna type and power supply - up to a hundred miles using "repeaters", or out to 30 miles withOUT using repeaters) - the 10m/CB would give local access AND (occasionally) news from faraway you could then share locally with other likeminded individuals - should the S hit the proverbial fan...

I just put together a similar EMP proof kit for my son, the radio was a little hard to find, the EMP proof faraday box is a little unique, but the radio, a 10m antenna and some coax cable - all fit into a small metal case. I am thinking about including a micro 2 meter radio - Handy Talkie (or HT) - in what I call his EMCOMM (Emergency communication) kit.

Lots of unlicensed "user groups" are working on unpopular 2m and 10m ham radio frequencies. I don't advocate this, as I am a licensed ham and believe you should know what you're doing on ham frequencies - but I have heard them.

What's the power output on those rigs?

 

[Clyde]

What's the power output on those rigs?

A regular CB Radio has a legal limit of 4 watts. When you get in to HAM you can start putting more power on your rig.
I have a 300 watt amp (a.k.a. "Kicker") from my truck driving days.
An amp typically costs $1.00 per watt.

 

[White Tiger]

What's the power output on those rigs?

The power my 10m radio runs on is 15 watts, max PEP (peak envelope power). I currently run it from a 13.8 VDC, 10 watt power supply, but it it can just as easily run off of your car battery (it was designed to be a mobile unit).

I believe 30 watts is max DC, but you don't need that much to make contact...just throw the included dipole antenna over a tree limb (preferrably about 30' or so), unroll the two copper wire "legs" of the antenna, tie them off in an inverted "V" hook up the coax and the positive/negative-ground leads to a car battery...and "Vi-Ola" (as WC Fields used to say)...yer cookin' with gasoline (even if you don't have any in her tank)!

Or you can use a whip antenna for CB - and with 15 watts available - you wouldn't need an amplifier....

...not that I have tried that, as I understand it, CB-er's don't take kindly to the linear amplifier folks "stepping" all over their signal...

 

[White Tiger]

What did you use for your Faraday box?
I agree with running the 10 meter, 2 meter, and cb (I think those 40 channels are 12 meter). I like your EMCOMM idea!

Below is my EMCOMM - I'll have one for each vehicle, and training for each driver in the family on how to make them work.

And Clydesdale - I know you have plans to study, so this warning is for anyone planning to use something similar to my set-up, and plan to utilize the ham bands WITHOUT being licensed to do so: we only charge $14 for a 10 year license, we provide ALL the questions/answers to a 25 question test (at NO charge, and the EXACT questions/answers on the test), and for this small amount of money and time - you can gain access to thousands of FREE frequencies!? That exam really educates you to safe & proper operating practices - 30 watts DC doesn't sound like much, but in the right circumstances - it's deadly. My other high frequency radios operate at 110v & 120v AC and over a hundred watts of power...so you kinda need to know what your doing...

...even still, flying under the radar is an option, and for some Prepper types it's attractive to stay off the radar - but the consequences aren't good if you're caught - some might argue that in the case of SHTF - no one will care - but I hope you don't wait till then to try and learn how to call "CQ"...and if you do that BEFORE you have a legit call sign (i.e., before you have a license)...well, the FCC has folks lurking around for those types...and most of them are ham radio volunteers!

 

[Clyde]

Below is my EMCOMM - I'll have one for each vehicle, and training for each driver in the family on how to make them work.

And Clydesdale - I know you have plans to study, so this warning is for anyone planning to use something similar to my set-up, and plan to utilize the ham bands WITHOUT being licensed to do so: we only charge $14 for a 10 year license, we provide ALL the questions/answers to a 25 question test (at NO charge, and the EXACT questions/answers on the test), and for this small amount of money and time - you can gain access to thousands of FREE frequencies!? That exam really educates you to safe & proper operating practices - 30 watts DC doesn't sound like much, but in the right circumstances - it's deadly. My other high frequency radios operate at 110v & 120v AC and over a hundred watts of power...so you kinda need to know what your doing...

...even still, flying under the radar is an option, and for some Prepper types it's attractive to stay off the radar - but the consequences aren't good if you're caught - some might argue that in the case of SHTF - no one will care - but I hope you don't wait till then to try and learn how to call "CQ"...and if you do that BEFORE you have a legit call sign (i.e., before you have a license)...well, the FCC has folks lurking around for those types...and most of them are ham radio volunteers!

I am trying to eek out the time to study, but I must admit when it comes to home study.... I suck! I am the kind that needs to see what is being taught. A classroom setting or videos works for me.
I will NOT try and operate without a license. The FCC is most unfriendly about that sort of thing.
Do you have to retest every 10 years, or jut renew?

 

[Loomis]

The power my 10m radio runs on is 15 watts, max PEP (peak envelope power). I currently run it from a 13.8 VDC, 10 watt power supply, but it it can just as easily run off of your car battery (it was designed to be a mobile unit).

I believe 30 watts is max DC, but you don't need that much to make contact...just throw the included dipole antenna over a tree limb (preferrably about 30' or so), unroll the two copper wire "legs" of the antenna, tie them off in an inverted "V" hook up the coax and the positive/negative-ground leads to a car battery...and "Vi-Ola" (as WC Fields used to say)...yer cookin' with gasoline (even if you don't have any in her tank)!

Or you can use a whip antenna for CB - and with 15 watts available - you wouldn't need an amplifier....

...not that I have tried that, as I understand it, CB-er's don't take kindly to the linear amplifier folks "stepping" all over their signal...

I'm going to run barefoot with the Galaxy CB. Lower power is better for me because of my implanted ICD. The higher the power the further away I have to be from the point of transmission. I have a ham license too so 10 meter wouldn't be a problem. It's the power.
Point well taken.

 

[Loomis]

im not sure they work up here in the middle of Rabun county.

How far away are you from Jasper GA airport? I have a 2 Meter handheld I can reach the repeater there. That would be about 61 miles as the crow flies. That is using a Diamond X 50 vertical.

 

[Loomis]

White Tiger:
Ok, I couldn't get it up 30' but did manage to get it to 25'. My idea behind this was stealth. It's not up all the way. I've ordered more paracord to tie the ends down with. Most people are not familiar with dipoles so they don't equate this with "antenna". I can get it up higher but I was measuring how much coax I had and if it would reach the back deck.

As to the 10 meter rigs, I just don't want to get into the cost with ham stuff.

 

[White Tiger]

View attachment 326 White Tiger:
Ok, I couldn't get it up 30' but did manage to get it to 25'. My idea behind this was stealth. It's not up all the way. I've ordered more paracord to tie the ends down with. Most people are not familiar with dipoles so they don't equate this with "antenna". I can get it up higher but I was measuring how much coax I had and if it would reach the back deck.

As to the 10 meter rigs, I just don't want to get into the cost with ham stuff.

Looms, that's a good start...and actually, I have mine 25' up in a palm tree (call it my palm tree dipole), and get great signal reports on 20m and 40m.

I can tell you that the 10m/CB was around $65 - and if you already have the coax and the dipole you're set!

Now, about the configuration of the "legs" of that dipole...you look to have it set up in an inverted "v" and attached to another tree as high as you can reach - and ideally you need to have the legs configured as close to 180 degrees as you can get. The axis point of the feed- line (coax) should be in between - and heading back to the shack. If you don't get it exactly right you'd still make contact...but your elements (or legs) will scramble the radiation pattern of your antenna and rather than gather RF (Radio Frequency) it will mostly produce a lot of SWR (or "standing wave ratio" which feed strong signals back to your radio and have been known to fry some circuits)...

Anyway, that's just what I've learned the past few weeks!

You really need to be able to get messages from the outside world - in and out of your local area during a SHTF type event - which only HF can do. that would maximize your usage of CB - as it would then be a necessary tool to send bulletins out to your local group in closer proximity!

One of the critical functions amateur/ham radio fulfill during these types of events (tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, or even military actions) is to be able to get messages out to folks who don't live in your immediate area, and to get messages from outside your immediate area and to loved ones to let them know you're ok, or what the movements are of certain units - if things get dicey.

You have a good idea, and you must have some HF experience if you already have a dipole, so this may be pretty routine stuff for you...but others may be interested in hearing some of this. As I said in an earlier post, 10m isn't always "there" so it's not as reliable, but it's an inexpensive means of gaining access to the HF bands and it gives you some level of flexibility in your communication planning - plus, if you get a mobile radio like mine that covers 10m AND CB - you don't lose anything if 10m isn't available - still have 15 watt CB (for emergency use)!

 

[Loomis]

Looms, that's a good start...and actually, I have mine 25' up in a palm tree (call it my palm tree dipole), and get great signal reports on 20m and 40m.

I can tell you that the 10m/CB was around $65 - and if you already have the coax and the dipole you're set!

Now, about the configuration of the "legs" of that dipole...you look to have it set up in an inverted "v" and attached to another tree as high as you can reach - and ideally you need to have the legs configured as close to 180 degrees as you can get. The axis point of the feed- line (coax) should be in between - and heading back to the shack. If you don't get it exactly right you'd still make contact...but your elements (or legs) will scramble to radiation pattern of your antenna and it will produce a lot of SWR (or "standing wave ratio" which feed strong signals back to your radio and have been known to fry some circuits)...

Anyway, that's just what I've learned the past few weeks!

You really need to be able to get messages in and out during an SHTF type event - the CB would then be necessary to communicate to your group in closer proximity!

Great advice. What happened was I ran out of paracord to spread the legs in that pattern. Gald I did, plus what you told me. I wanted to use green paracord because it becomes almost invisable. I tried another color and it showed up like a sore thumb.
I also have a 2 meter dipole I can do the same thing with my handheld. I have a tech license.
Another issue: you made a very good suggestion as to using 10 Meter. I've been looking at those. I actually found a Galaxy 2517 base that has a CW plug. now all I have to do is learn CW . New radio is due in Tues, the paracord after that. I'll take another pic when it's finished.
Great flow of info.

 

[White Tiger]

Great advice. What happened was I ran out of paracord to spread the legs in that pattern. Gald I did, plus what you told me. I wanted to use green paracord because it becomes almost invisable. I tried another color and it showed up like a sore thumb.
I also have a 2 meter dipole I can do the same thing with my handheld. I have a tech license.
Another issue: you made a very good suggestion as to using 10 Meter. I've been looking at those. I actually found a Galaxy 2517 base that has a CW plug. now all I have to do is learn CW . New radio is due in Tues, the paracord after that. I'll take another pic when it's finished.
Great flow of info.

Yeah - let me know how it works...and a 2m dipole? I've heard of those, but since most 2m is FM...which is vertical (and a dipole is horizontal)...I'd be interested in hearing how it does for you? I tell you, when I thought about 2m operating, I thought it would be "easier" than HF...MAN was I wrong, you 2m guys really have to do a lot of "stuff" to make contact, my hats off to you! ...I think I'll settle for 2m simplex with my locals...I have an Icom IC-271a 2m rig and a little Chinese HT 2m radio.

I JUST got a Dr Ed Fong (he's a physics Professor at Cal-Berkely that designs cool little antenna's his students then build - and he sells on eBay). I have a 2m J-pole antennas that cost about 25.00...I'll try and find a link for you if you're interested?

Here's the link for the j-pole:

eBay posting for: Dual Band VHF/UHF (Ham, Commercial ,MURS and GMRS

 

[Loomis]

Yeah - let me know how it works...and a 2m dipole? I've heard of those, but since most 2m is FM...which is vertical (and a dipole is horizontal)...I'd be interested in hearing how it does for you? I tell you, when I thought about 2m operating, I thought it would be "easier" than HF...MAN was I wrong, you 2m guys really have to do a lot of "stuff" to make contact, my hats off to you! ...I think I'll settle for 2m simplex with my locals...I have an Icom IC-271a 2m rig and a little Chinese HT 2m radio.

I JUST got a Dr Ed Fong (he's a physics Professor at Cal-Berkely that designs cool little antenna's his students then build - and he sells on eBay). I have a 2m J-pole antennas that cost about 25.00...I'll try and find a link for you if you're interested?

Here's the link for the j-pole:

eBay posting for: Dual Band VHF/UHF (Ham, Commercial ,MURS and GMRS

Well the link didn't work.

when I used the 2 meter dipole I was hitting repeaters in SC. I'm in NE Atlanta and I was using a hand held 2 meter. For local stuff I use a 5/8 Wave telescope that screws into the radio. Good range on that. But I don't do 2 meter anymore. Just got tied of it. Just a bunch of local hams who are so clickish they are not really interested in Tech licenses so they tend to ignore you, too much elitism. I was never an electronics guy to begin with. Getting a Ham license was on my plan in prepping. Slowly I drifted back to CB, and kept the license for just in case.

 

[White Tiger]

Well first, great idea adding comms to your prepping plans!

Second...I've never experienced it - as I dont like the complexity of 2m/repeater operation - but I've heard pretty much the same thing about 2m...and they're probably that way to keep people off of "their" band(?) - but for OPSEC a good j-pole on 144 -174 would be great! Especially if you have an "all mode" transceiver that can SSB, AM, FM and also CW (and digital data) out to about 30 miles (like the Icom 271A).

But the experiences I've had on HF have been completely different! Last night I spent about 20 minutes listening to a self-professed "antenna freak" tell me so much information on dipoles, I filled a notebook page! My first night on the radio calling "CQ" - one guy started holding traffic open for me to help me make a couple DX QSO's on 40m (got a guy from Sweden...who was vacationing in St Croix, Virgin Islands and then a very good contact with a guy down in Valencia, Venezuela). Many of the HF nets I ran across on my 2nd night on the air - when they found out I was new, invited me in and interrupted their nets to allow me to make several contacts...other than running across some repetitive jerks on 20m (mostly at 14.317) on my first night...I'd have to say I have mostly positive feedback for HF contacts!

I've spoken to several older Tech's that used to be Extra's and after 10 years decided not to get the same level of "ticket" they got originally. I wanted to test for my Amateur Extra prior to the New Year...but it doesn't look like any of the local test facilities will be testing the month of December.

Like I said, I think CB definitely has a place in your Prepps - but I also think knowing how to operate on HF prior to an event would be just as helpful. As for the RF-distance issue - the CW would seem perfect for you...because the low power nature of it would avoid any issues you might have...but like you, while CW sounds practical, it doesn't sound attractive!