| Author |
Message |
    
Steve Z.
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 03, 2002 - 10:34 pm: | 
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Well...it has been about 6 months now since I fired up my new 40 channel rig. I live in Ottawa, Canada, a medium-sized city. I have yet to make one contact on CB. One month ago, I bought a half-watt frs fm radio and made a contact almost immediately, even though frs is not supposed to be a "talking to strangers radio service." Why is this? I am completely frustrated. There are certainly more CB rigs in service than frs. Any thoughts or ideas? |
Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 03, 2002 - 11:13 pm: |
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Do you have an antenna hooked up to it?? I talk up there all the time and I know for sure there are CBers there. Tune through the channles till you find one that is in use, then wait till there is a lull and ask " breaker please" You should get a response if you are getting out. Make sure all you connections are tight. Check your swr !!!! Check the Mic!!! |
PsychoRadio
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 03, 2002 - 11:33 pm: |
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Get a real cb steve and you might make more contact. |
Hook948
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 03, 2002 - 11:39 pm: |
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Try ch 38 LSB. I've made contacts all over the world on this one with a barefoot Cobra. I prefer other freq.s but you are almost gauranteed to make contacts on this one. |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 12:40 am: |
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Unlike the Amateur Radio Bands where when one band goes dead you just move to another, in CB you are tied down to just one narrow band of frequencies.
Also when do you listen. If it is very late at night you will find many fewer people being most people sleep at night when their ham bands close down.
Also where do you listen? Some frequencies have more people on them than others.
Also what methods are you using to say Howdy? Perhaps you are too pushey? Perhaps you are not agressive enough? |
Possum
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 9:27 am: |
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what channel are you on, that may have a lot to do with it, i live in the metro dc area and only 3 channels ever have traffic on them but those 3 are loaded, scan the band and see whos there, 19 may be a good source for trucks etc but not the best conversations, if your radio has sideband 25-40 usb are good , i speak to nova scotia often on the 25 usb channel. good luck possum |
scott
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 10:06 am: |
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Steve, perhaps you have an antenna problem with respect to the cb operation. The antenna is a more important piece of equip. than is the radio believe it or not. As far as the frs radio goes it's a different mode (FM) and much higher fequency and less crowded. All of which could make it easier to make contacts. Check to see if your anrenna is up to specs. and you should do just fine. scott |
Marconi
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 10:25 am: |
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Hey Steve, what kind of radio do you have and is it a base or mobile? Can you hear any voices from your CB? If they indicate an S7 or better on your receive meter and are intelligible, then you should be able to make a contact. At the very least you should be able to make some contact for a radio check on channel 19.
What kind of antenna do you have and is it installed properly?
If all is fine, then you just have to find someone that will come back to you and talk.
Marconi |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 10:47 am: |
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Steve Z.
6 months and zero contacts says something just ain't right. But please post more info. Home base, mobile or handheld? What type of equipment and ANTENNA? No skip/DX contacts or not even local? Is there a CB shop somewhere in your town that you can go and just ask the guy for a radio check to ensure it works? Truckstop nearby? ask for a radio check on the truckers channel. Give us more information. |
Steve Z.
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 2:35 pm: |
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Thanks for all the responses guys. I guess I should have been more detailed. Before I do though, please note that:
1. I am not allowed to erect an outdoor antenna in my neighbourhood.
2. I do not own a car.
3. I can only afford a portable handheld.
This being said, here are my specs:
2.5 watt handheld with a 10inch antenna, and yes, I tried it outdoors. Thanks in advance. |
707
| | Posted on Thursday, July 04, 2002 - 9:26 pm: |
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You wll have little luck with that setup on CB. However, if you were to use some creative design, and possibly up your radio ante, you could string up a nearly invisible dipole, run SSB and talk all over when the band is open. Barring that, unfortunately, CB band is very dependent on antennas. You might actually do some damage in the car, using an outside mag mount, though. I've talked 40 miles+ on 2.5-3w from a mobile on a good night.
Don't give up on CB just yet...but you might seriously consider getting a Tech license and run 2m/70cm. You will likely find some chatter there for little investment, time or money. |
PsychoRadio
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 2:04 am: |
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HANDHELD??? Look....your not gonna get NOBODY on your handheld except maybe your room mate, if the conditions are good. HA! If you want to get out you need to get creative with your resources. Like what you ask... How about a nice magmount antenna for that handheld? Stick the wip outside at night on a car or something metal thats up in the air. Nothing metal? Just stick it on your moms car while shes sleeping. If you dont like that idea go with 707s thought, homemade dipole can be strung up every night easily. You can also hang clothes on it to dry and tell everybody its a clothes line. Also an a99 on a 10ft push up pole would work the best. If you do get your antenna problem worked out, start looking for a better radio. Good luck! PsychoRadio |
Biged
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 6:08 am: |
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Try hooking a Texas Star "Sweet Sixteen" up to that handheld. Just kidding! Ive got a friend who talks on a handheld with a wilson 1000 for an antenna. He gets out fairly well. That would be the first thing I would do. Ask anybody on this forum what the most important factor of a good setup is and they will tell you the antenna. |
bruce
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 7:00 am: |
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steve 707 is right HF bands lke cb are atenna dependent while the small size of vhf/uhf antenas makes the tech ham bands a better choice for the hobbiest wh has no way to put up a antenna if you wish e-mail me and ill help anyway i can
wa4gch@yahoo.com
bruce |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 8:41 am: |
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Re Steve
What you need is a stealth antenna. You can put up an antenna ouside your place BUT you have to use a wire antenna that is hard to see.
all you have to do is to measure out a piece of small diameter wire. About the diameter that is used to make the choke on a TV tube/magnet wire.
About 37 feet will do. Attach/solder one end to the center conductor of the coax and the other to the shield of the coax. Lay out the wire in a square, diamond, triangle or circular shape on the roof of your house using colored thumb tacks that match the shingles of the roof. The SWR will be about 1.7 on a typical installation. If that is too high for you throw in a small antenna tuner.
You can also make a dipole and just tack it to the roof as well. Cut two pieces of wire 102 inches long. Solder one piece to the center conductor. Solder the remaining piece to the shielding. Streach them out on the roof using those colored thumb tacks and there ya go. SWR should be about 1.5 or so.
Eventually the small diameter wire will break and need replacing. If no one noticed the antenna then you can increase the diameter just a tad bit. If the wire has any kind of insulation on it, leave it on (except for the ends to be soldered of course).
Now as to your radio. To be honest with you, a walkie talkie of such low power can be useful but you are in the wrong band. The Amateur Radio Services use them to great success. BUT they also use "Repeater" systems to achieve the distance. CB unfortunately cannot use repeater systems. Sorry but I must agree with Pshco and tell you that the best course of action would be to consult our hosts (Coppers) offerings of mobile radios. You can get one heck of a nice radio for around 100 bucks.
One last thing, seal the outside end of the coax to keep water out of it.
Good luck
DE |
Steve Z.
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 11:19 am: |
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Thanks again for the input guys! I am thinking of getting my ham license (no flaming please), but am not sure yet. I was wondering...if cb handhelds don't work at all, why build them? Should'nt they come standard with a longer antenna if they really need it? Does anyone think getting a 4 watt instead of the 2.5 would help? PsychoRadio, I am new to this and the suggestion "Get a real cb steve and you might make more contact." is no help at all. Obviously I don't know what I'm doing!!! ;-) |
707
| | Posted on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 4:27 pm: |
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Steve-
Don't waste money on a bigger handheld. It will make NO difference in your ability to communicate under your circumstances. CB handhelds are generally designed for emergency use to hail a trucker on the highway, or maybe to use on camping or hiking trips(although for that purpose I'd have to go with FRS these days). CB handhelds used to come factory with huge telescopic whips which were very unwieldy and tended to get broken. They did work much better than the rubber duckies, though.
My opinion is that you would be much happier with a VHF or VHF/UHF handheld, depending on your area. Check your local frequencies or a frequency list for your area to determine if you have repeater access. Just as with CB handhelds, a VHF/UHF handheld won't do you much good with no repeaters in the area. Getting your ham license is easier than ever before. You could easily put up a virtually undetectable dual-band antenna. Check this out- http://www.dxring.net/srg.htm
Do you see an antenna??;-) I can work 11m DX just fine and hit all the local repeaters on VHF/UHF with this setup. Admittedly, it's not great for local CB over 5 or 6 miles, but then again, I didn't want to talk locally on CB.
If you are just dead set on CB, then you'll need to follow Deadlyeyes suggestion and make a stealth Delta-Loop, Dipole, or come up with some other outdoor antenna of substantial size. In addition, unless you know for sure there are some close locals to talk to, you'll want a radio with 4w out and SSB capabilities. Otherwise, you will be very disappointed.
For the price of a decent CB handheld, you can get a good used SSB rig, maybe even a vintage 40ch SSB Base Station. This will serve you much better. Don't go with 23ch. boat anchors.
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PsychoRadio
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 4:10 am: |
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Hey steve, you got some good suggestions here. Like I said before, your handheld wont get you far...by its self. I dont beleive you have disclosed how many ducks your gonna pull out of your wallet to get you what you want. Building the diploe antenna deadlyeyes gave you instructions for wil be the most bang for the buck, if you cant mount it, just string it up between some poles, trees, whatever. I have used a dipole of same specs and a little old trc 427 radio shack job, and I got out great. Get a real radio means get anything (almost) but a handheld. Post some kind of budget and you will get plenty of help with radio ideas. God luck, later. |
chris leggett
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 11:41 am: |
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I've got a midland handheld.It works pretty good.I have talked 5-7 miles with it(on a quiet night with no dx).Plus I can sit in the sleeper at truckstops and cause hate and discontent,w/o people seeing me talking on my big radio. lol |
Znut
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 6:50 pm: |
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Hey!
Put a skylab T233 in your closet where you have that opening into the attic! Make sure you have 17 feet of headroom from the floor to the roof through the hole in the ceiling. Cover the hole around the antenna with garbage bags or blankets or something to keep your air conditioning in. Try your handheld, it should work ok. Not like a good base or mobile rig.
That was one of the wild suggestions I could think of. If I had more time I'd give you some more!
Good Luck!
Znut |
Znut
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 6:52 pm: |
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By the way, the skylab has its own tripod (it can stand on its radials).
Znut |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 10:56 pm: |
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Get your ham ticket and get on 2 and 440! You dont need a huge honking antenna and tower to talk to some of the repeaters and its more bang for the buck!! And you dont have all the darn noise and static to contend with like on CB. JMHO and my .002 cents!!
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Steve Z.
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 10:24 pm: |
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With all these good suggestions, it's hard to decide which course to take! I will do one of two things:
1. Get my Ham license and a 2 meter portable.
2. Buy a decent mobile or handheld cb with at least a four watt output and attach it to a homemade dipole antenna outside.
One last question, if a cb is attached to a good outside antenna, what does it matter if it's a 4watt handheld or a 4watt mobile?
Thanks again guys!
ps: I have about $150-$200 to spend. |
Biged
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 9:20 pm: |
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If you want just regular CB band ch 1-40, then I would suggest the Ranger 296. I never had one but they say they are just like the "old" Cobra 148 gtl. It has AM and SSB. $135.00 then get your self an Antron 99. $38.00 total of $173.00, that leaves you $27.00 for coax and connectors. You may spend a few bucks more than 200 with tax and everything but whatever you do, I repeat, whatever you do, do NOT skimp on the antenna and coax. That is 90% of the system. Your ranger would get out about as good as the handheld with a cheap antenna. You really cant beat the performance out of this for the money. You ask what the difference is between the mobile or handheld, well, I dont think your handheld will accept a PL259, at most it will have a BNC connector. If you were to get this setup that I just mentioned, you will be talking. There are plenty of other options that you may want to look at but if I were to build a new system on a budget of around $200.00 this would be my route...Eddie |
DeadlEyes
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 10:37 pm: |
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My Oh My....
I guess you are going to have to go via CB then. And for budgetary considerations alone.
I do not wish to scare you out of going for the Ham ticket but I in all honesty must point out a few realities of the Ham Radio Hobby.
Well Amateur/Ham would give you more choices and options but the equipment is not inexpensive. The typical ham radio station from antenna to radio with a few ascessories inbetween could easily run 3 or 4 thousand dollars depending on how many extras you want. BUT a 2 meter or 440 meter handheld only costs about 350 to 500 bucks.
In total honesty given your budget for now I strongly suggest that you get a very inexpensive CB for now and study for the ham tests. Perhaps by the time you pass the written and code tests you will have saved up for a nice hand held 2/440 radio. |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 8:02 am: |
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DEADEYES WHERE DID YOU GET THOES NUMBERS ????????
1) a icom handleld is 100 bucks
2) the alinco 2 meter moble radio runs $150 and is 50 watts
3) the alinco DX-70 is 700 dollars 100 watts allmodes covers 100 khz to 54 mhz and transmitts on 160-6 meters
4) ANTENNAS ! i run a home made ant cost about 40 bucks and i work the world on it
go take a look at my station
http://www.qrz.com/wa4gch
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707
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 11:11 am: |
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Steve- for 200 bucks you can get set up with:
A brand new Alinco DJ-596 2m/70cm 5watt handie talkie
OR
Icom ICT7H 2m/70cm 6watt with single band display
If you look around on Ebay or Eham.net, you can stretch your 200 bucks to include a radio AND outdoor ground plane or colinear dual band antenna.
For 200 bucks you can find a GOOD used dual band 25-40watt mobile.
Ham radio doesn't have to be expensive. The key is, don't worry about keeping up with the Jones. You buy what you can afford, and as you progress in the hobby, you will "find" that you can afford more later on ;-) |
707
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 11:25 am: |
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and..just to give an idea of a real-life typical Eham.net find, I picked up a Radio Shack HTX-204 2m/70cm dual display talkie with two battery packs, charger, antenna AND a Maha dual band docking amplifier which gives the radio 30watts/40watts, all equipment in good condition for $200 a few months ago.
The HTX-204 is quite a find, since it only stayed on the store shelves for 2 weeks before the FCC pulled it because it has "too many" capabilities, including very wide coverage. What I'm saying is, take your time, look around, hold on to your cash and wait for the right deal, whether it's a good CB deal, or good Ham deal. |
sandbagger #106
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 12:18 pm: |
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What Bruce said. I have about $400.00 invested in HF (10 thru 160 FT101-ZD paid $125.00), VHF, and UHF. Like Bruce, homebrew antennas that will work the world when the band is hot. sandbagger #106 |
Insider
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 2:36 pm: |
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I've connect a Uniden 4 watt handheld to my Antron. You will need a BNC to SO239 adaptor available from the rat shack. It didn't have the "swing" that those mobiles or base stations can be peaked for, but the range for local talking was identical to that of my Washington.
I would suggest getting a mobile radio only because you will have more options with the type of mic you want to use and the like. Also, Those AA or rechargable battery packs that most handhelds use don't last too long. If you do decide to use a handheld with a base antenna, make sure you can use a power adaptor with it. |
Jasper009
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 8:01 pm: |
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Steve
You could get a good base anteena and paint it green to Camouflage it and put it in a tree, or buy one already painted. |
DeadlEyes
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 12:14 am: |
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Re Bruce....
Those numbers came from the various radio advertisements. You see I only use the big name brands. I find form personal experience that if you have to return your radio for repairs the big three aka Icom, Yaesu and Kentwood are the top dogs of the field. They have been around for one heck of a long time.
I look at it this way. If the radio breaks I want the security of knowing that the manufacturer is going to be around to repair it. For this security I am willing to pay a hundred bucks extra. Think of it as life insurance premiums for your radio. |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 1:00 am: |
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Re Bruce .... PS
The handi you mentioned for 100 bucks, hmmm for that price I should think that it would have to be a mono bander.
I was thinking more along the lines of a dual band hand held (2 and 440 meters) and better yet a tribander with at least a reasonable amount of bells and whistles to make it interesting/read confusing :-). One of which should be the ability to monitor both 2 and 440 (also the third band if a tribander) at the same time.
The 850 buck radio of which I was Re was either an Icom or a Yaesu that featured all the features of a full size standard base radio but without the built in power supply. It featured a nice backlit display and was fully programable for some very nice features and very useful functions.
I will not even go into the matter of Amplifier cost. Even the standard Ameritron Full Legal Limit amps cost between 2500 and 3000 US--Cost per per ad in June 02 QST pg 14. And lets face it, what Ham does not want a full legal limit amp to help them over the pileup humps.
After some 50 years plus a few days I find that expensive is not always good but inenexpensive is almost always not good. The reason it was inexpensive is that they cut corners to make it inexpensive.
HAVING SAID THIS, that 200 bucks can and does buy one hell of a nice AM/SSB CB Mobile from coppers and an adequate regulated power supply to power it. Standard external antennas obviously do not apply in this case.
Later
DE |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 7:03 am: |
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I paided right at 200 for my icom dulebander but only 99 for the 2 meter one as for base radios ive been a ham for almost 40 years And REALY LOOKED into do i need to spend 2000 bucks for a radio answer no so i bought a ft-840 with AM and CW filters cost about 800 dollars now for the car i bought a alinco dx-70 liked it so much i bought another one! As for amps YOU DONT NEED ONE with 100 watts i easly work around the world ANTENNA! ANTANNA! thats where you get a return.THE FACT IS with a ft-840 dx-70 or any simular radio hooked to any well thought out antenna your on the air and doing fine for 900 bucks ... o i have a amp sitting in the box it uses 3 811 tubes and cost 2 years back 600 bucks but never used it maby one day when i feel the need to go buy a 2000 dsp radio with all the bells and wissles.
bruce |
Znut
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 10:20 am: |
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Steve,
Keep in mind that a dipole is usually horizontally polarized, that drastically reduces your communications with the majority of stations since most folks have vertical ant. like antrons or mobile antennae.
As far as the radio 4 watt HT vs. 4 watt mobile: The mobile has more headroom and a much more capable output.
Znut |
Triplecguy
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 11:48 am: |
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I will have to agree with Bruce on this one. As a ham and knowing many other hams, 100 watts is enough for world wide communication with voice. However of course a 1500 watt linear amplifier is pretty cool and the name brand ones are extremely expensive with many over $5000! But a well practiced operator can get through pile ups with skill and filtering not necassarily more power. Think of it like oval track racing, just because a car has more power it doesn't always win, it's the skill of the driver that really matters. I just purchased an Alinco DR-605T with 2 meter/440mhz, crossband repeat, simultaneous receive, scan, memory and a whole lot of extra frequenicies for 300 dollars brand new. Thats 50 watts out and a built in duplexer as well. I have it hooked to a dual band magnet mount ($50) sitting on top of my swamp cooler and can talk well into the next state with it. It is about 3 feet tall and is almost completely invisible because it is so small. $350 total for my station that can talk hundreds of miles and is unoticeable to the naked eye. You don't even have to worry about buying a fancy power supply, I use a 12 volt gel cell battery with a trickle charger on it. Cheap and effective. And don't forget that if you run 1500 watts on VHF (2 meter and 1.25 meters) and UHF (440mhz) you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself or others unless your antenna is way up in the sky. 50 watts is plenty and most of the time you'll find yourself only needing the low power setting of 5 watts. It is a great hobby to be in but so is CB. Get into both and enjoy them both. Good luck.
DAN |
PsychoRadio
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 11:34 pm: |
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Tripple, swampcooler?? You must be in Arizona, or mexico. Ha |
dimstar
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 3:02 am: |
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On Ebay you can get an Alinco DJ95T for under 100.00, I know. I got one. It works great.I have it connected to a MFJ 5/8 wave base antenna (its tiny and very light)I got at HRO for 25.00. I hit repeaters up to 100 miles,sometimes more when there is a good lift(ducting). A complete 2 meter station for 125 bucks. When Icom has thier sales I bought an Icom IC2100h for 130.00 dollars.3 power settings 5-20-55 watts! I run that in my car and at home on a 20 amp power supply. |
Triplecguy
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:15 pm: |
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Hey Psycho-NO WAY!!! Colorado! We've been hovering between 10% and 19% humidity all summer. That's why half of our state burned up. But it is nice living somplace where when it is 100 degrees, it's only a hundred degrees not like 130 degrees with the heat index from the humidity.
How the heck did we start talking about humidity and swamp coolers from a Canadian complaining about CB?
DAN |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 1:39 pm: |
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Time out guys....
I think we are getting away from the topic a little bit. Sure you can go low ball and bild a miliwatt machine in a tuna can. Or you can spend 10,000 dollars on the top of the line stuff.
The biggest drawback the person in question has is that of money. He does not have enough to do too too much in ham radio--no expansion capital. And barely enough to build a barely adequate station on the CB Band. He needs more cash to invest
Another thing bothers me guys. Why does he not have a car? Hmmm something does not seem right here. Most adults have automobiles. Something does not seem right if ya get my drift.
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Psychoradio
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 2:19 am: |
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They dont drive cars in Canada, do they?? |
dimstar
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 6:52 am: |
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Some adults cannot afford cars,or are unable to drive(eyesight). Its easier and cheaper to try to set up some sort of a working station. Lets think of some ideas. |
dimstar
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 7:01 am: |
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Yaesu 1500m 2 meter,very small. 4 power settings 1 5 20 50 watts. Yaesu is having thier sales now and the 1500m is going for 139.00. You could put one of those 2m glass mount antennas and no one will be the wiser. |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 2:38 pm: |
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Maybe he is a DUI.. I know some DUI drivers that either got thier wheels taken away or they have a moped or something similar... You never know!!! |
jimbob
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2002 - 11:40 pm: |
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Back to subject: I like 27mhz, 10, 6 & 2 meters. I find 160 to 15 meters a bore! Try 10 meters, however you will need a ham ticket. My 2 cents. |
DeadlEyes
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2002 - 2:11 am: |
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Re dim.....
If you follow all those who make ham radio a life time experience you find they have one thing in common, a big budget.
You see Amateur Radio is like golf. And sure like golf you can get the cheap club and play it, is manditory that you buy he expensive well crafted, custom fitted, big name club to achieve your full potential of enjoyment the game for any length of time.
I for instance have this dream station that consists of a 1500 watt amp, one of those 4000 plus dollar radios going to a 200 foot tower and a set of stacked 3 element beams. Of course it is just a dream but one day, perhaps???? In the meantime I run enough wire in the back yard to BBQ the grass and an acceptable Yaesu 767gx with the 440 and 2 meter cards installed. A good starter station.
And while he may enjoy the heck out of that little handi unit for a while, you cannot use that handy on the General Class or The Extra Class HF bands. As such his incentive to advancement into higher licenses would be reduced.
But what is curious is why is he living there (a restricted area)? Why does he not move? He never stated he was blind so why does he not have an auto? Could he be just a teenager with no job, no income, no automobile? Just who is he or she? Something just does not jive out. Something is missing. We are not getting the complete story. |
707
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2002 - 1:51 pm: |
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So what if he is a teenager? Does that mean he can't get on the radio? Ya gotta start somewhere, guys. If a kid is interested enough to ask for suggestions within a price range, small though it may be, then what is the problem with helping him out rather than highlighting all the negatives?
Last time I looked, there is no age or income restriction on amateur or CB radio. Why does it have to "jive out"? The simple question "what can I buy for $200" has turned into a discussion on the merits of the person asking the question? What gives? |
Steve Z.
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2002 - 7:00 pm: |
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RE: DeadlEyes
What does this have to do about my interest in radio? Yes, I rent a room in a suburban neighbourhood that does not allow outdoor antennas. Will I try to find another place to live so I can install an outdoor antenna? Maybe...but at the moment it is not possible. I work as a part-time bookeeper in a small company and whether I wish to own a car or not is my business. I use the public transit system and it works for me. I have received a number of good responses from people here and appreciate it. I am about to take my ham exam and have found a dual-band Icom handheld that I can afford. Your questions as to who I am or what I do or whatever, is not relevant to this discussion and is ,quite frankly, rude. Thanks again to the other decent posters here. |
dimstar
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 1:46 am: |
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Good for you! A ham license will expand your radio fun! I dont understand thease other posts either.You can set up a UHF-VHF station pretty inexpensivly. Look around for the deals,they are out there. I have my ham license and it been a lot of fun.But dont give up on 11 meters.I still run my Uniden Washington with great dx results.My first VHF ham rig was (is) an Icom 255a 2 meter rig. No tones but very simple to operate 1 watt and 25 watt output.I bought it used at a ham fester for 30.00 My first vhf station cost me a grand total of less than 100.00. Remember ITS ALL RADIO AND ITS ALL FUN! |
Znut
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 6:00 pm: |
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Hey Steve,
I started with an inexpensive VHF rig myself (for ham). A used Icom IC27A, 25 watter, similar to Dimstar's. I've hit repeaters in every corner of the state (GA) with my 25 watt rig and an 8 ft. colinear antenna with about 6db of omni gain. I bought the antenna new for 49.95 at Tech America, which is now Radio Shack .com. I am currently enjoying 6 meters with my Ranger 5054DX (same as 2950DX except band). I have talked to folks all around the Great Lakes, Upstate NY and Vermont. Different DX than I usually get on CB.
Anyway, like Dimstar says, enjoy communications. No matter what your budget and ant. restrictions you will still find plenty of contacts as you learn and will never run out of projects!
Take Care,
Znut |
DeadlEyes
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 8:50 pm: |
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RE Z....
I can only tell you how the ham world operates in real life. There are some who run old style tube type radios but the average run of the mill ham op buys a modern kenwood, Icom or Yeasu. Or perhaps if they are fanatical about old radios they run collins S lines that they reconditioned that still command respect.
I am not going to lie, jerk your chain or blow smoke your direction. Sure, you can build a miliwatt transmitter in a tuna can and many do as a challenge.
Tell ya what, just to be completely fair you do the research and see for yourself. I will let you prove it to yourself. Borrow a short wave receiver that has an Upper and Lower Sideband mode. Listen to the the radios they are running, the types of antennas they are using, the amps and other equipement. Then go to www.texastowers.com and look up the prices on the kentwood, Icom and Yaesu (the big three of ham radios) radios and other equipment that you heard being used by the people you heard.
I am definately not trying it insult or hurt your feelings. Nor is it my intention to insult you or your decision. I just want to let you know the eventual cost of the hobby you are getting into.
Good luck you your decision whatever it is.
DE
N5LRZ |
Insider
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 9:38 pm: |
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Don't worry about whether or not your radio cost as much as the other person's. If it performs well, and works well with you, that's what really counts.
Are you living on the first floor, second floor, or higher. I only ask because setting up any type of indoor antenna system can be tricky if on the first floor.
I set up an inverted V dipole antenna for my nephew in his room last year so he could try out CB. With a 4 watt radio, he was able to get out a minimum a couple of miles, though the interference was enought to have his parents curse me. Everytime he keyed the radio, his sister's stereo, in the room above his, would either turn on or off, depending on its last state.
I would think the higher up you go, not only will the signal improve, but there may be less interference, as the other electronics would be under the antenna where the field is usually the weakest.
If you have cool neighbors, consider talking with them about your antenna experimentations. Maybe some of them might want to get into the radio hobby.
Congratulations on going for the ham test. |
jimbob
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 9:54 pm: |
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Get a 3 element beam & put it in the attic even if pointed south only. Just elevate so elements do not touch the framing. You also have to find a base SSB/AM CB radio. Go to garage sales or check local newspaper- even place a 'wanted' ad. Last, a kicker of even 60 watts will get you heard- tube type are best for TVI prevention. |
707
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 7:25 pm: |
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It would be truly unfortunate for someone to sink thousands of dollars into a hobby they eventually lose interest in. That's why the prudent way to start is whatever you can afford.
Check out VHF/UHF first, since it's most user friendly. Then, if the bug continues to bite, you can branch off into HF if you like. You can work the world on a budget, or you can fall head over heels into it.
Every person is different and there is no need to worry about "eventual cost" of ham or cb radio. You get what you put into it. There are thousands of hams in foreign countries running ancient equipment by our "standards" and making QSOs right and left. Likewise, there are those U.S. hams who like to play with the radio from time to time, but don't feel compelled to buy the latest greatest radio. There are CBers who get by just fine with a decent base radio and a ground plane and there are those who spend monumental cash and effort to burn up the ether.
The only way to find out who or what you are is to start somewhere and give it a whirl. You may hate it. You may like it. You may LOVE it and go nuts building a VOA class station in your backyard.
I liken it to cars. When I was a kid, I was happy with a 74 Nova with a 350. It got me around and I could run with the best. As I got older and made more money my tastes became more refined. I might have gone the way of the minimalist and evolved into a Yugo driver...what's the difference? It's all good. |
applejack
| | Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 6:38 pm: |
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biged post july 5th. with the help of a double male connector and another adapter from coax to the ant. connection on my maxon hcb 40wx i put a 4'wilson FGT directly on the sucker and talked to a base with a 5 el. beam 15 miles away. dont have any idea what standing wave was. it was just a test. |
BIG FOOT
| | Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 8:40 pm: |
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...some times we all get so "technical " we lose the FUN of it all... i fondly remember one night I took a walkie-talkie and got up on the roof and sat by the chimney and talked all over town for a good hour...did not sorry about swr or how many watts I was transmitting or rf radiation...ahhh for the good old days !!...can not do that no more, weigh too much and the roof may cave in under my weight..... BIG FOOT |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 11:18 pm: |
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BIG FOOT,
I just talked to a guy tonight with a mobile antenna mounted in his house. Could barely hear him but maybe tommorow he might try it outside. He is just getting started like Steve Z. I was booming on him but with a base antenna way up there (running barefoot), it made sense.
Steve Z., Antenna makes all the difference whether Ham or CB. Even with a 2 1/2 watt handheld, you can get out with some height. Good luck with the Ham test.
Alsworld |
d104 Ohio
| | Posted on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 6:15 pm: |
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Check out this antenna! You might be able to make a place to mount it outside, then bring it in whenever you're done! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1369239100
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bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 8:22 pm: |
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d104 had one and let me leave it with my cantenna worked better |
Steve
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 8:19 pm: |
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I finally go my first contact on CB last friday!
I decided to give my handheld one last shot before scraping it. I went out in a small wooded area not to far from my home which is surrounded by some highways. I thought, there are no homes or buildings around here and a good trucker presence on the roads. Maybe it will work. I tuned to channel 19 and made a few calls. Nothing. All of a sudden I get a super clear "go ahead" and a good contact. He was about 4 miles away and was quite surprised I was getting out so well on my 2.5 watt, 5 by 5. Well...so was I! I still want to get my ham licence but at least I know my radio works. I figure that since I was in the open with only trees blocking my signal the radio finally got out. The other times I tried to talk outside I was surrounded by houses and other obstructions. |
Chris142
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:51 am: |
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Do you have a washing machine/dryer?How bout sticking a magnet mount antenna on it with a coax adapter at the walki talki.You could do this for under $100. |
dale
| | Posted on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 4:17 pm: |
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steve glad to see you made contact with what ya got. i dont know how far your looking to talk . if you just want locally then go to www.copper electronics.com then mobile antenna page there you will see a variety of anttenas.once there look at the wilson antennas the littlewil is 3feet long and an excellent performer. or the wilson 1000 is 6 feet long and give you longer range. both come with coax, connecters,ect.stick it on your roof or belcony. be sure you get a magnet mount if you do this let us know how it worked out.you will only spent about 40.00 dollars on the little wil andabout 80.00 on the 1000.you will need a connecter from radio shack and its only about 5.00 either way money spent well |
Dimstar
| | Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 6:56 am: |
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Now try Ham. Less than 100 dollars for a ht and you will be blabbing on the repeaters. |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 12:20 pm: |
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This is the radio i run and they start about 100 bucks
http://www.elixcom.sk/ic-t2e.htm
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Dimstar
| | Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 7:44 pm: |
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Bruce, That Icom is a nice HT. The price is right too. If you get a small 20 or 30 watt amp it would make a fine base rig too. I have an Alinco DJ95T for a hand held> I got it at a closeout price for 85 bucks. Its 5 watts hi and its pretty rugged too. 73 |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 8:36 pm: |
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Dimstar i have a 195 too great radio the reason i use the icom is i have several batterys for it Looks like your all set if you have the 195 as for a amp yep a 30 watt amp would do more than fine... |
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