Them's fightin' words, son...

[benjrblant]

I run both a Cobra 18WX ST2 and a Yaesu Ft-7900R because I drive trails with lots of friends and groups with varying communications. I don't want to be the black sheep in a field of white sheep or vise versa. A properly installed antenna makes a world of difference on CB, but it's still not great. If given a choice, I'm 100% ham and I make sure to express my misery when we have to revert to CB.

 

[chaos]

Thanks.... I know Mag mounts don't seem to be the best .... I've looked at some of those quad band radios that have 11M and transmit in AM. I'm a rule follower on things I have no idea about so doing some mod to get CB and stuff just doesn't warrant the effort and risk. It would be nice to get one radio, that has bluetooth that will allow me to have my music cut off in the 80 when someone talks on the radio.

 

[DaveInDenver]

If you're talking about the FT-8900 it can't be made to do CB. It will demod AM for air band receive but even completely opened it will only transmit 28-30MHz and 50-54MHz and it's an FM-only modulator.

You can make the VX-7R do wide band transmit but it will only do AM on 40-75.995MHz, which is I think a byproduct of the guts being packaged for aircraft radio. It won't transmit AM on 11m and in my experience its HF and very low band VHF isn't great anyway.

Are you thinking of something else, perhaps there's a Chinese quad band that I'm not familiar with?

The only radios that can be modified to do CB are 10m and 12m HF rigs. I'm not thinking of any quad band VHF/UHF radios that could do it. As for either being a ham radio, neither can demod or modulate SSB, just DSB AM, so they're not terribly useful. Very little of ham phone is done double sideband full carrier, it's almost always single sideband, suppressed carrier.

BTW, the FT-8900 being a 10m radio is cool and all, but to access the FM part of the 10m band you need to be a General.

 

[chaos]

Right... I wasn't talking about the FT-8900, it was this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I53VUEY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2TQ839YCQJ30M&colid=R8I325KS35BM

One of the Chinese quad bands that are being discussed on MUD. I guess they can receive but they can't transmit on AM. This one thread seems to say that on certain channels it can receive and not transmit, but not all channels. Then, a state patrol guy, who I met at Cruise Moab said to get a Stryker and mod it. I don't need all this craziness. I just want to hear what people in the group are saying and be legal.

Maybe, do both right, and not a mag antenna but another antenna far enough away from the Ham antenna so not to interfere with each other?

I feel like I'm at a party and no one wants to talk to me?? :-(

 

[DaveInDenver]

Well, any of these options are against the rules and for a ham it's bad practice. I know it seems like it should be simple. I'd just run two radios and spend the least you can on the CB.

 

[chaos]

Right... That's what all ham operators pointed out. It is illegal. So, looks like I'm going to get a good ham and a CB that can make due. I probably should ask in another post your opinion on APRS equipped radios. I'll PM you so I don't hijack this thread.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'm not commenting on the logic of the rules, just that hams should be examples of good operation. I don't like rules either and in this case it's technically feasible with just red tape preventing it. But OTOH a free for all like CB became would be singularly embarrassing and a death knell for amateur radio. The FCC would love to have justification to take our spectrum and being painted as lawbreakers is an ideal way to convince a Congressman to support a bill. Picking your battles is important and in the grand scheme following the FCC mandates isn't a fight worth waging. If the commission wants to be the king of their little domain, fine, it's good to be the king.

BTW, I run a FTM-350 in the truck. Does the job. If I was buying new I'd get a FTM-400. It's probably not the best APRS radio (the Kenwood TM-D710 is), but digital is growing and having it as an option is nice.

 

[nakman]

I'd just run two radios and spend the least you can on the CB.

That's pretty much it. Every one of us has gone through the motions on trying to beat the system, but in the end this is where we all wind up.


take a look at the FTM-400. that's my next radio, seems to do all you need and then some for what we do, including APRS.

 

[bh4rnnr]

That's pretty much it. Every one of us has gone through the motions on trying to beat the system, but in the end this is where we all wind up.


take a look at the FTM-400. that's my next radio, seems to do all you need and then some for what we do, including APRS.

The FTM-400xdr is a rad radio. About ready to get that to put in the new runner. Love the APRS function. Boland and Cardinal sold me on that radio.

 

[nakman]

Spooky night run: 13 trucks total. 5 were licensed Ham, 11 had CB, 3 had no coms whatsoever.

 

[Romer]

That FTM 400 looks awesome, but I wouldnt use all the features. Anyone who has a 7800 or another one with a removable face plate that wants to upgrade let me know as I need to get a HAM for Rachel's GX. She has been using a handheld the last few years

 

[mcgaskins]

Spooky night run: 13 trucks total. 5 were licensed Ham, 11 had CB, 3 had no coms whatsoever.

And the one guy who needed coms the most didn’t have any I have to confess I’ve only been running CB for the last 16 years because that’s generally what I encounter on the trail. I also keep several FRS radios in the truck at all times which have come in handy more times than I can count. Last weekend we were on Argentine Pass filming with the drone at Santiago Mine about to head home when a guy came running down to us asking for help because he slipped sideways off a shelf road and needed help badly.

He hopped in my truck and we headed to find his wife and dogs alone with the stuck truck. Along the way, we found a 4runner from Texas buried to his frame rails asking for assistance, so we pulled him out while I handed the new passenger an FRS radio while he hiked back to his truck and wife. After pulling out the 4runner, we called the other guy on the radio and kept in communication with him until we got to his location and got him out too. The portable radios were a godsend, and they’ve come in handy time and again. I still want to get my HAM license and add it to the repertoire, but I will likely never leave home without multiple FRS radios and a CB because in reality those are the most commonly used coms on the trail outside of the BEST prepared of the groups out there which are the least likely to require assistance IMO.

 

[nakman]

Also in full disclosure, this was the first run in years where CB was not only the dominant conversation tool, but actually pretty decent quality. There wasn't really a bad CB in the bunch.. and the group was nice and tight all night, so I was actually able to hear pretty much everyone most of the time. that was not expected to say the least... so nice work everyone on their rigs! shows it can still be done old school.

now, being able to speak with & monitor the CO4x4 recovery effort while en route to Idaho Springs is another story. not doing that on the citizen band.

 

[nakman]

bumping this up for Mendocino..

 

[Mendocino]

bumping this up for Mendocino..

Thanks Nakman! Sheesh!

 

[DaveInDenver]

now, being able to speak with & monitor the CO4x4 recovery effort

Who still doubts the upside for amateur radio now? There's no abstraction or hypothetical about it.

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

Who still doubts the upside for amateur radio now? There's no abstraction or hypothetical about it.

That's definitely the deciding factor for me!