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CB, Ham & Communications etc


BogMonster

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if your recieving, the meter will show the recieved signal strength not the output power, you'll see the output power on the meter when you transmit a signal outbound from the rig, you will not here your own transmitted signal on your rig as it cannot transmit & recieve at the same time, CB radio's are only permitted to work as a simplex [transmit OR recieve] unit not duplex [transmit AND recieve] at the same time as per my Dual band Ham radio

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there maybe a hi/lo power switch on the rig front panel or on the rear face, check this is in the IIRC 4 watt seLection.

If the noise is coming from the alternator, better to get a suppresor from a auto electrics or radio dealer.

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next problem, supressors, ive googled them, there seems to be more than one type

These are intended to fit on the power feed to your CB, which has a 4W output, so the 10A one should be plenty. As Western ^_^ says , it is always better to stop the interference at source (just look at an FFR machine) so it doesn't radiate using tha wiring as an aerial.

The main sources on a car are the ignition (if fitted), alternator / dynamo and the wiper and washer motors. Distributor condensors come in handy cans with wire tails, and can be connected across live (12V) and earth as close as possible to the source, and make a world of difference (I can actually listen to 198 long wave (AM) with the engine on!). You can get purpose-made suppressors, but all they are is a rugged capacitor with a mounting tab (can't find any on eBlag at the moment).

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That rig is a blast from the past. TBH rather than have it squeezed at mid level between the spare and back door you'd get better results if you mounted the antenna a lot higher, say on the gutter via a suitable mount for example.

The meters on these rigs were all a bit relative anyway and I wouldn't rely too much on what it reads during transmit. The proper way to measure the output is via a decent in-line meter either with a decent tuned antenna attached or a dummy load to replace it.

I wouldn't faff about with suppressors until you are sure of your live feed supply and cable routing. I'd take the power direct from the battery and ensure that the cabling is of good quality and routed away from as many sources of interference as possible.

Back in the day there were quite a few helpful books giving CB radio etc installation (IIRC including The Big Dummies guide), you'd do well to track down a copy.

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That rig is a blast from the past. TBH rather than have it squeezed at mid level between the spare and back door you'd get better results if you mounted the antenna a lot higher, say on the gutter via a suitable mount for example.

i know its old lol, but hey it was a tenner a while back from a car boot. as for the positioning, i thought id put it there as the last 2 ones ive had, mounted higher got snapped off, and although this one is much bendyer, i thought this place would protect it more from trees etc, as our ground is really treeful and rocky.

@ disco al, could you possibly find it for me and scan any information on supressing, as even after all your good advoce im still a little confuzed, heres what ive gathered so far. you need to try and wire your CB as far away as possible to the wiper motors and alternator etc, mine is currently running off the cigarette lighter socket, and you need to put the supressor more or less right at the CB unit.

thanks again guys for your help

mikey

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  • 3 months later...

Hi,

I will soon be taking my foundation licence and becoming a radio amateur. Although I can't transmit yet, I do have a set up in my RRC (a Yaesu 7800 feeding a roof-mounted Sharman NR-77h antenna) and there are a couple of other Land Rovers among the vehicles in the car park at the club shack (one with a HUGE pump-up mast on the back! ).

Anyway - it occurred to me that there is a significant likelihood that a person who is interested in one, might also be interested in the other... So - I was wondering if many others on here are already radio amateurs? If so I'd like to hear a little about experiences etc..

As said, I can't transmit yet (and I haven't - honestly! ) but have been listening now and then and last night I could clearly hear m0atv in Stockport! That's bout 40 miles away and with Black Hill in between - seems to me that there are significant advantages over the old CB with it's limited range and population of foul-mouthed idiots with burners and over-modulating echo mikes...

I'll pot some pics of my setup tonight - off to work now :(

TTFN

Roger

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I've been put off from any further interest by the CB experience of a whole load of swearing on the CB. That means I didn't want the set on in earshot of my kids. Hopefully a licensed set on different frequencies means better behaviour. I have a CB in the 110 which now never gets switched on :( The aerial is always unscrewed and slid along under the headlining in the back for what ever rainy day or pay and play might happen along.

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Welcome to the wide world of amateur radio..... I'm one ! call sign VE9YA I operate in both VHF and HF frequencys

I'm sure you will enjoy VHF for excellent ground wave communications either thru duplex repeaters or station to station by simplex mode.

In North America (and I think pretty much worldwide) Ham radio is strictly regulated and to a great extent self policed so you tend not to get that CB trash talk but many CB'ers graduate in to Ham, amazing how they straighten up and fly right :rolleyes:

Hope you will operate in both modes and we may hear you someday......

Interesting fact regarding your call sign, you are the only person in the whole world with that call :D

73 for now VE9YA

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I've had a CB for years (since 1981 at least!) and got my foundation licence a while back.

VHF is so much better for long range clear comms - especially when used through a repeater than CB - but both have their strengths.

Welcome to the world of Ham radio!

Matt (M6 MJN)

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I remember of about 10 people on here being RA licensed, me included (kind of retired now from the hobby).

I 'discovered' the CB world after having my RA license and that was disappointment. I agree with zoltan's post above. I don't think I've been on the CB band more than 30 mins altogether.

Besides the usual terrestrial chat (direct or through repeaters) an interesting thing to do with that rig is satellite communications (although a full duplex capable rig would be better), there are 3-4 sats operating in FM, hope they're still working. The antenna you have won't help much but you can always buy/build another.

Or chat to the ISS ops (quite rare event), see

The real thing will start when you'll want to achieve more than what you can do with the rig you mentioned, specially using SSB, directional antennas and more power (the latter involving upgrading to another license level). Then you'll be able to talk to at least half if not the entire globe, conditions permitting.

After that you'll want to get into EME (Earth-Moon-Earth), hunt for sporadic E-skips, aurora and meteor reflections in VHF/UHF etc etc etc

That is if you'll get really hooked to ham radio. Of course, like any other technical hobby, this will mean ££££s spent on equipment.

Welcome to this wonderful world of ham radio and good luck!

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Add me as another one, since 2003/4? caught the licence requirements just as they abolished morse and before the three tier M3, 2e0, M0/M1 was introduced. So have an M1 call with no morse ticket (M0 with morse at the time). Don't use the radios to chat much particularly, more of a listener/builder/messer.

Pete

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There must be excellent ham radio forums with excellent technical advice out there, hopefully as good as this one is for Land Rovers.

Although that's true - this has some relevance to Land Rovers in that a lot of the people doing foundation licences are in connection with 4x4 Response groups.

A lot of Amateur forums are too technical and unfriendly to novice or foundation licence holders who generally just need simple, practical help.

This may not be the 'correct' forum for it - but I'm not sure there is one.

I've been an Amateur (G7DMQ) since about 1988. I don't use it much these days, but I'm looking forward to the number of licence holders with 4x4's growing and it gaining new relevance for me. I must get round to buying an HF rig one of these days too!

If any of you need help or advice from a technical point of view - my PM folder is always open!

Si

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Thanks for the offer Simon, although I am a member of a pretty decent club who are very friendly and helpful.

What sparked this off is that a couple of weekends ago I was up a green lane in Wales listening in on the Raynet group supporting "The OMM" mountain marathon, and had a graphic demonstration of the usefulness of a 4x4 with a decent comms system - I was in my Range Rover (LR content ;) ) and my CB and PMR sets were struggling to make 1/2 a mile at times, but I could hear people 10 miles away (crystal clear) on my 2M set. While I was there I was involved (but in the end was not needed) in the rescue of a 'casualty' with a badly sprained ankle who would otherwise have had a six km walk out to the road.. My intent when posting here was hopefully to elicit some similar (or hopefully more exciting) tales of Land Rovers with amateur radios - also setup, effectiveness, 4x4 Response, Raynet, adventure - all that sort of thing - and particularly the huge benefits over CB. But it appears there is not the crossover I had thought, so I decided to just let the thread die...

We all know that when the chips are down, floods, snow, gales etc that Land Rovers are the best, and it seems to me that because of that Raynet needs members with Land Rovers, and they (Raynet) and 4x4Response may well end up converging, and that the two of them could create a whole new boom-time for mobile amateur radio with Land Rovers at the forefront. I hope so anyway.

The advantages of amateur radio over CB are enormous - hugely increased range, vastly improved clarity and nobody using bad language or competing to cause the most annoyance. The only disadvantages are the cost of the kit (although it's not too bad 2nd hand) and having to take an exam (which is really simple).

Sorry that was a bit of a diatribe :)

Roger

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There are some views that amateur radio isn't really relevant to Land Rover (ie is not something this forum should concern itself with being the preserve of anoraks who live in gloomy garden sheds) but down here there are a lot more vehicles fitted with 2m rigs than there are fitted with winches so it is more relevant for some parts of the world.

I have about eight or nine sets I think at the last count, between various vehicles, handhelds and the house. I've never used CB but from a 2000ft mountain have had a receive range of about 90 miles on 2m but 15-20mi is more common vehicle to vehicle, depending on terrain. Given that mobile phones here don't work in most of the country, 2m is the main means of mobile communication in a lot of the islands unless you are rich enough to afford a satphone.

Threesheds makes a good point that it enhances the usefulness of the vehicles we all own especially in dodgy situations, and as such it is a relevant bit of equipment in the same way as a winch, a tough mobile phone, a GPS system or a fancy LED torch, all of which have been discussed at length on this forum.

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MA0VMP here, soon to revert to MM0VMP. Sometimes I'm heard as MM0VMP/VP9 too :) DC to daylight!

There's a lot of hams into off roading for a variety of reasons. Landies generally have enough space to fit gear into and are easy to run cable around. I run everything from 80m down to 70cms from my Range Rover, ideal way to get away from all the RF noise, take myself up into the back of beyond!

Then there's RAYNET, obviously a 4x4 is a useful vehicle getting radios into places you'd haev to walk otherwise, there's the dual function on these events that many of us are helpnig with these days, and you find a lot of off roaders are rally marshalls/recovery too. So you tend to find a lot of MSA sets.

Mine carries 1 Yaesu FT857D, a Yaesu FT8900, a Tait 2000 on MSA and UK General (I'm Thistle 6/6A), and another Tait 2000 on high band PMR for working on the nets that are part of events up here, it has the events own fequencies, Mountain Rescue and Red Cross programmed.

I think I've a CB knocking around somewhere, and what used to be the washouse out the back is my workshop/shack.

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