Radios, CB's or hand held, not stereo

[dieselboy]

I know there have been brief discussions before regarding CB radios and other types. I was originally planning on fitting a CB for trips out laning or general use for playing with. I think I remember from another thread the general idea was that hand held VHF radio was the way to go?

What are the general range of a hand-held? Do the more expensive units give greater range? Any advice for someone that knows nothing about CB's or any 2 way communication radios? Also can hand-held and CB communicate?

[slobodan]

I would have thought that a fitted one would give much better range because of the big tuned antenna, probably less likely to get nicked as well.
Plus you get a P.A. to play with.
Cheaper too.
But handhelds can be carried on the tube by Metrosexuals and tuned to the 'Grinder' channel.

[ROMEROTECH]

You can get hand-held CB radios but you can't get hand held licence free PMR radios to connect to CB radios unless you modify your CB radio. Different frequency altogether.

CB radios generally have greater a range than PMR due to the frequency they operate over, greater power output, use of an external antenna, and the vehicle acts as a groundplane.

In my experience PMR radios work well enough up to 2-3 miles in the open, maybe further depending on which radio you buy, but as soon as you get into built up areas they fall down unless you're fairly close to another radio. In built up areas they tend suffer from signal snatch due to other stronger signals from radio and RF/Electrical noise. Due to the low power output the signal can be walked over easily by other nearby better quality radios.

For what you guys are doing a PMR radio is probably fine and most of them have a vox feature so you can use it hands free in the truck.

Personally, i like CB radio, and when i was a lad it was all AM/FM/SSB radios, big long antennas like the Sigma V and GP27 5/8 wave, sited high on 2 or 3 scaffold poles end to end, with guylines at home, and decent mobile antennas like the KT40, Thunderpole, and my old Avanti 1/4 wave. Those were the days. I used to run a doctored Superstar 2000 in the house and a Cobra 148 GTL DX in the car. Both practically the same radio.

[Apache]

In my experience, CB is a waste of time for 'playing with' as the band is populated by cliques of bucket-mouthed pikeys, and unless you do a proper install on the vehicle (antenna in roof for best ground plane) then the range wont be much better than PMR in the open. Most people bumper mount or spare tyre swing arm mount their antenna and that's far from ideal for range performance.

PMRs from Argos are probably better for groups offroading as you can get a pack of four rechargeable ones for less than £100 these days, and as you will probably be rural when doing such things as laning, interference will be minimal and range adequate. A lot can be used with an external antenna too. In fact even those not designed for an external antenna can be butchered to work with one - like the one in my shed

Vehicle fit base radios are certainly available covering the UHF PMR (PMR446) band, but VHF is mainly taxis and business use these days.

Or fit one of these for complete global coverage. Has the bonus of pleasing slobby

[ROMEROTECH]

I've got a couple of Motorola PMR radios. Nice little hand-held radio.

They are pretty reliable, rechargeable batteries last just about all day if you're mostly listening, and you can hook the radio onto your belt rather than stick it in your pocket.

The audio is pretty good. With mine you can use an external earpiece/mic arrangement. I imagine they are pretty much par for the course really.

These were about £35 3yrs or so ago.

ETA: Just to add that a decent CB radio antenna with a good quality mag mount in the middle of your roof for good all round coverage is as good as any permanent install and easily removed from the roof and stored in the vehicle when you're finished so it doesn't get nicked.

Baring in mind the state of legal 80 channel FM CB's of today as Apache says, full of bucket mouthed pikeys..lol... there might be something to be said for digging out those old 40 channel AM radios if anybody has one.

I've no doubts those airwaves will be practically zero populated bar a few diehards. Ideal for off-roading and much better coverage than FM or PMR, open spaces or built up areas. Unfortunately they are illegal

[slobodan]

Has the bonus of pleasing slobby

I had one, but you broke it...

[Overland Tonka]

I had one, but you broke it...

Ok...that caught me out and made me chuckle...

[Curly]

I recently installed a Lafayette Venus CB into my 3rd gen and it fit inlace of the useless ashtray. Fitted a short springer ariel onto the spare wheel carrier and it works a treat when green laning etc.

I posted up some pics in the electrical section if you want to look them up.

I bought it from 4x4cb.

Cheers,

CURLY

[Dodge]

We use CBs.

There's never anyone else on, we use the same channel all the time but I've flicked right through them all and never get a flicker... it's like a ghost town now compared to the 80s.

Mine it mounted under the stereo, bolted in. I have short mag mount that I stick on roof, I put it on the bonnet through the rough stuff, lost it once mind had it swinging round the side of the truck, but it does work with it inside the truck. Most of my mates have a large springer they bend through the brush.

I also have a couple of hand held CBs, handy if you get someone along who doesn't yet have a CB, also good when you have a spotter out watching you on blind drops and climbs.

You can do it all with site radios but CBs are cheap as chips, you can talk to anyone else who has one and they don't need charging.