CB questions

All,

I'm currently looking at buying a CB and have some basic questions (I don't know much about CBs).

First, there is a huge range of CBs around and I'm not sure what to go for, or even what to look for in terms of features. I'm certainly not after something fancy, it's only to talk to people in a group of a few vehicles when laning. Anybody would care to comment on brands or even specific models (good and bad experiences)?

Second, I'm not too sure where I should fit an aerial, and what type I should fit. The long springy ones look cool ( ;-) but I'm not convinced I need one of them. Again, anybody would want to share good and bad experiences?

Cheers,

Fred

Reply to
Fred Labrosse
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I bought one some time ago for the same reason, all I needed was a CB, aerial lead, aerial and SWR meter, that was all. Aerials can be bought cheap from Maplin as can the rest of the kit, the long whips with a spring at the bottom appear to be best. If it's a 40 or 80 channel kit legal in the UK then it'll do. Mine's a Midland 48 Excel Multi, I had to get one that worked on 24v and 12v would also be useful so I got one of the few that will work on both.

For just talking on laning trips there's nothing fancy needed, but some can be hard to hear, mine's quite good but it's expensive. When you're tootling along a lane, noise often isn't an issue but when you're travelling between lanes it can be hard to hear what's being said with some units. Personal recommendation is all you can really go on there.

Also there's the issue of the Defender's aluminium bodywork to take into account, there's ground plane kits available but whether they're needed or not I don't know, mine's fitted to the Pinzgauer which is made of steel.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

You won't need a 'long springy one' if you're just using it in a group for such as green laning, I used to use a small coiled wire type covered in a rubber sleeve, only a tad over a foot long. It's not going to get broken like a large one and it's quite adequate for using in a group situation. I had mine mounted on a bracket bolted to the windscreen pivot bolt on a Series2 and it was lower than the roof line. I'm a bit out of touch with the sets available today but a small robust 40 channel was the best one to use, not much to go wrong and cheap. Midland was the make I used and it would stand any length of mismatched aerial without damage, don't know if they still make them.

Reply to
Oily

Shouldn't think so, ali is a conductor after all. What don't work on Defenders/Discos etc are mag mounts. A proper aerial mount correctly fitted should be just as good on ali as on steel.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Don't know about Defenders

But a mag mount works well on my '96 Disco roof

It's those magnetic signs that wont stick on the sides or the red Knows on the bonnet that miffs me -;((

DieSea

Reply to
DieSea

The ground plane issue isn't because of the material, it's because of the method of construction.

Aluminium bodywork is fine, bolted construction isn't, which is why the army tend to build their system in a special rack. This is earthed to the chassis by a great big lump of wire and their aerials use a fairly sophisticated mounting system that insulates them from the bodywork and does something clever for an earth.

Reply to
William Black

Also, doesn't the cable that goes between the CB and the aerial carry both signal and ground, as on normal car radios?

Fred

Reply to
Fred Labrosse

It will form a ground, but its primary function is to screen the rf signal from other interference being picked up between the antenna and the rig. Also to prevent the RF signal radiating on transmit other than from the antenna that is so as to prevent interference.

I would recommend what ever you get that you also invest in a remote speaker too.

I've always had excellent service from

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If you plan on going to Europe with it get one that has the CEPT channels too.

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

ISTR there being an issue with getting electrical contact consistently due to the nature of Aluminium's super-fast oxidising, however I only read up on it very lightly so might be mis-remembering.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

I would recommend tuning the antenna though where possible, especially on a short antenna. Its really going to affect the signals you pull in as well as the signals you put out so will compromise the set from the start.

Small antennas are good but if one of your group takes a wrong turn then best to be sure you have coverage for say a mile and a half or so.. which shouldn't be too hard to achieve with a well set up system. In the clear of course you can get way way further.

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

It's not an earthing issue, it's a "ground plane" issue, ideally you need a metal plate of decent size grounded to the aerial's shield to help the aerial's reception pattern, a car roof works well, a roll bar's not so good as it can distort the reception pattern.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

On or around Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:34:20 +0100, "Lee_D" enlightened us thusly:

Midland were quite good kit, ISTR.

on some rigs, seriously out-of-kilter SWR will not only get you crap performance but damage the rig output stage as well. Mostly, though, this is not much of an issue at legal power output.

Best I got was about 40 miles, more or less line of sight, with 4W output. 'course, a 100W burner makes a lot of difference, but it also means the antenna tuning is more critical.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

"Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Going slighlty wide of the topic but hey.... ;-)

I'm now sporting my Full Advanced amteur radio operators licence. :o) There are still a few muppets on local repeaters but I find its great fun. Last weekend we chucked a string over a tree branch. Pulled up a random wire attached to a antenna matcher and sat chatting to a dude in Greece, Italy and the Ukrane (sp?) all within 20 minutes. That is of course on HF (20 metres). We were pulling in lots of Stateside stations too but there was a pile up of people getting back to them and time was short for me.

By contrast I've just had a quick VHF simplex (not through a repeater) contact from a 8 inch or so Rubber duck dual band antenna on 2 metres to Burton-upon-Trent to GB4RFC.. 35 miles from my cars location at the time, poor signal, but contact none the less. Through the repeaters and you can chat a good 50+ miles radius from many repeaters really clear. Then there is Echolink and IRLP cunning stuff!

I'm currently exploring APRS -- check out

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though I have yet to get my set up working on it it will be shortly.

Topically - Today is International Marconi day. 135 Years since his birth.

Lee D

M0LPD :0)

Reply to
Lee_D

On or around Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:41:47 +0100, "Lee_D" enlightened us thusly:

I'll tell a chap I know who's into radio to keep an ear out for you..

what's M for anyway? I thought we had GB numbers?

Reply to
Austin Shackles

They used to be G

They ran out , so now there M's

Congratulations

At least you progressed

AND quickly

DieSea

Reply to
DieSea

Cheers! Took some doing.. not only the study, but pinning down courses and exams, a little travel was required.. Glad its all out of the way now mind!

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

Well done , its worth it

I did mine in '57 and then again in '77

I shall follow you on your travels

Don't expect to see me on mine although I was using APRS today in the dales

That's where the window regulator broke at least it wasn't raining !

DieSea

Reply to
DieSea

IIRC, normal aluminium oxide _is_ conductive.

Reply to
SpamTrapSeeSig

I don't think it is, you have to scratch through it to the metal underneath, and stop it re-forming under the conducting joint faces, however that's from memory so might be wrong.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

G6ILE... Haven't transmitted on an amateur band for years. Am I right in= thinking that we don't have to pay =A315/year anymore and even as a Clas= s B I have access to HF now? I'm a little out of touch...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

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