Any mobile amateur radios that do CB as well?

[redshift]

Hey all,

Got my general class license last fall and have been looking for a camping radio to install in my truck. My primary motivation for buying a radio to bring camping is for the ability to communicate in an emergency (no cell phone coverage, but there is a fair amount of traffic on VHF -- In an emergency, I figure I should be able to at least get a hold of someone on 2m). The area in which we usually camp is national forest, but is interspersed with private land that is being actively logged. The loggers sharing the roads are all on CB, so I would really like to monitor that as well -- most of these roads are 1.5 lanes wide at best so having advance notice of an approaching rig is good. Being able to transmit on CB would also be helpful since there are generally 1 or more rigs I want to talk to that aren't hams.

My question is, is there a mobile amateur radio that can access both the 2M and 11M (CB) bands? I have seen a quad-band 10M/6M/2M/70cm Yaesu mobile, but that doesn't even appear to be able to monitor CB.

I already have a scanner in the truck, but it can't monitor CB. I'd like to avoid installing 2 more radios if at all possible, but unless there is such a beast, it looks like I'll be installing 2 boxes.

Is it even legal to transmit on CB with an amateur radio as long as you limit to 4W PEP? I know some truckers are illegally using modified CB radios to transmit in the 10M amateur band, but this is exactly the opposite.

Thanks for any knowledge you can offer,

-Chris
KF7LWJ

 

[Token]

The simple answer is no, it is not legal to transmit with the same radio for CB and ham regardless of power level. To put a CB on ham freqs would require you to modify it, making that radio illegal to transmit on CB except in an emergency.

However, if you want to monitor CB while on the road, there is nothing wrong with using any one of the many ham radios that can cover those frequencies in receive only mode just as they are delivered. Most of those radios can be easily modified to transmit on CB using what is called a MARS/CAP mod, but to actually transmit is illegal except in an emergency.

Pretty much any of the ham radios out there that do HF all mode plus 2M and 70 cm will work for this. Icom IC-706, IC-7000, Kenwood TS-2000 (I use this in two mobiles), Yaesu FT-857, and FT-897. All of these will do everything you want all in one package.

Another option would be to get a separate HF/6M radio and 2M/70cm radio. This results in 2 radios, but with remote heads it is pretty easy to mount them in a vehicle.

As far as I am concerned there is no better "do everything" mobile than the Kenwood TS-2000x with RC-2000 head. But, this is really a radio meant to be a base unit so it is a little large. But cross band repeat from the car is awesome at times. The size problem really is not an issue, I mount the radio in the trunk or under the back deck and put the RC-2000 control head on the dash.

Now, I said it is illegal to use a ham radio on CB frequencies. But the reality of the situation is your chances of getting caught are essentially nil unless you are doing something that gets you noticed. Run near legal power and on frequency with legal CB modes from a mobile installation and no one will even notice. But, it is absolutely against the rules.

T!

 

[RadioDaze]

One thing that might help is that there are some really small, basic 40-channel CBs available, usually much smaller than the smallest mobile ham rigs. And cheap, too. Like this, for example: 40-Channel Mini Mobile CB - RadioShack.com

P.S.: I just found this: Cobra® 75 WX ST Remote Mount CB Radio
Maybe that could be a workable solution for you.

 

[redshift]

Token and RadioDaze,

Thanks for the advice! As I look into it more and more, I'm really pining for a FT-857D or the like, but for now, it might be less expensive to just get a small inexpensive CB transciever and a 2M mobile or even HT than it would be to get and then have to modify an all-in-one box. A lot of the CB rigs also look to have NOAA all-hazard alert included, which would be nice as well.

I hate to have my first radio purchase after passing my ham test be a CB, but whatcha gonna do?

 

[gewecke]

Absolutely NOT. :evil:
n9zas

 

[Sporkupine]

I'll second the fact that pretty much any amateur radio that has a "DC-to-daylight" receiver - and that's pretty much all of them nowadays - will do just fine to monitor the CB channels. The general gist I got is that your main interest is monitoring.

If you'd like to TX as well, I'd look at what RadioDaze has suggested and get a small CB. In fact, I just saw one in the AES catalog that fits the whole radio into the "mic" part. Of course, you'll wind up with an extra antenna. Maybe a hand-held CB?

Legal issues aside, I would be loath to mess around inside a $500 radio just to jaw-jack with the truckers and teach my kids "new" words.

 

[RadioDaze]

....Of course, you'll wind up with an extra antenna. Maybe a hand-held CB?

If he wanted to do any HF operation at all with something like an 857, he'd need to get fairly involved in the antenna system anyway. Most likely to the extent of needing two, including VHF/UHF. Not to mention opening up the radio, violating its warranty (if it's new) and then having a radio that he legally can't transmit on CB with anyway. And don't forget that CB is channelized; what does he do if he's talking with someone and then they ask him to change channels? I guess he could put them in memories, but what a lot of overkill when an inexpensive CB can do it all better. If it was mostly just for camping, I'd get a good mag-mount CB antenna so that it can be removed at other times.

I hate to have my first radio purchase after passing my ham test be a CB, but whatcha gonna do?

But it would be worth it if just for the sheer irony!

 

[CoolCat]

If you're lookin for a small CB transceiver for emergency use, they don't get much smaller than this: MIDLAND-75-822 40-Channel 2-Way CB-Radio/

 

[redshift]

Thanks, everybody. I think for camping use, I am going to stick with the small CB. That way I can monitor the loggers, get weather alerts (with a wx-capable box) and leave the purchase of a ham rig until I know what I really want to do with it. As far as potential emergency comms in the forest, do you think CB will be adequate? Does anybody monitor those channels anymore?

I could bring a 2m HT as well, I already have a 1/4 wave VHF aerial on the roof of the truck. I'd have to add one for 27 MHz as well I guess. How do they finagle the CBs with wx tuners with a single antenna? Tune for 27 and let 162 just come in however good it does? I don't see any with separate antenna jacks.

 

[K9WG]

... snip ... How do they finagle the CBs with wx tuners with a single antenna? Tune for 27 and let 162 just come in however good it does? I don't see any with separate antenna jacks.

That is how it is done. NOAA broadcast for the most part has enough power and antenna height that just about anything can pick it up.

 

[James_Bond_007]

Now, I said it is illegal to use a ham radio on CB frequencies. But the reality of the situation is your chances of getting caught are essentially nil unless you are doing something that gets you noticed. Run near legal power and on frequency with legal CB modes from a mobile installation and no one will even notice. But, it is absolutely against the rules.

T!

KEEP IN MIND WITH THIS STATEMENT I AM NOT ADVOCATING THE USE OF ILLEGAL RADIOS MERELY STATING THE FACTS.

what gets people busted on CB 99.999% of the time is not the using of illegal equipment, but the side effects of poorly designed equipment. Fact is running a 100 Watt Ham radio on CB you have less of a chance of being busted then if you are running a 25 Watt Export CB. Because the export CB is poorly designed and causes interference to everything, then you add an amplifier to get to the 100 Watt of that modded ham radio and things really cause interference.

it is the running on illegal frequencies (free banding) and modes (other then AM/SSB) and causing RF interference that causes most FCC enforcement actions. fact is that 100 Watt ham radio is more stable and cleaner then your 4 Watt Type Accepted CB.

I know many who hold ham tickets that have been running FT1000's, FT897's, TS-2000's and other radios for many many years and still running them and have not been busted.

again it's still illegal to run anything but type accepted radios on any of the licensed bands. ham radio is the only band along with very low power part 15 operation that allows modded and home built equipment with out needing certification.

 

[KG4INW]

That is how it is done. NOAA broadcast for the most part has enough power and antenna height that just about anything can pick it up.

To add, receiving is much easier than transmitting. An interesting aside, I was parked very close to the local WX radio transmitter and was picking up the broadcast on just about every VHF/UHF freq I tuned to!

I too recommend the small handheld with some sort of mag mount so you don't have to keep it in there all the time and they're cheap.

 

[redshift]

That is how it is done. NOAA broadcast for the most part has enough power and antenna height that just about anything can pick it up.

For the area where we're camping, I'm wondering about doing the opposite -- i.e. connect the CB transceiver to an antenna tuned for 162. Down in the canyons where the majority of the campsites are, I can't get any of the WX stations on my handheld with the rubber duck or with the little ~18" eBay aerial on the truck. I don't remember the specs on that aerial antenna since I bought it quite a few years ago, but I don't think it's all that stellar.

Looking at coverage maps, it's a crap shoot between whether I'll be able to grab WXL25 out of Missoula on 162.4 or WXL82 out of Kalispell on 162.55 but with a decent antenna I'll hopefully be able to get something. The loggers I want to hear on the CB are all close (within 5 miles or so -- if they're not close enough to be bombing down a road I'm on then I don't care about them )

So, if I put a good VHF aerial on the truck and connect it to the CB, do you think that would be good for the WX receive and adequate for CB? I'm not extremely interested in TXing on CB frequencies, although it would be nice occasionally. Plus, if I ever install a 2m amateur radio in the truck I'll already have a decent antenna for that.

I realize this has morphed more into an antenna thread now...

 

[redshift]

Well, this is just an update to close the thread (I know everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting of course).

I've completely switched directions and I think I've come up with a solution that will works best for me. See, I wasn't really interested in HF mobile operation -- I just wanted the low-band receive for the ability to monitor CB. I'm also not entirely interested in UHF -- not a lot of activity around here on 70cm, not enough for me to justify purchasing a multi-bander.

So, I think I've figured it out. I'm looking at picking up a Midland 75-822 handheld/mobile CB and an Icom IC-2200H to cover 2m and WX. The 2200 has WX alert scan and I can connect it to a proper VHF vertical to avoid the tuning issues associated with trying to run a single antenna for CB and WX. There is a 2m repeater on a peak less than 20 miles from the area where we do most of our camping, so I should be able to communicate with no issues should the need arise, and I can invest in a good quality antenna for the band that I care most about, and use an el-cheapo antenna for the CB when I have it with me.

 

[Sporkupine]

Actually, one of the most edifying things for me, personally, is seeing how people decide to actually solve the problem they've come to seek advice about. You have a good plan here. The 2200H is a good radio; you won't be disappointed. If you're out in the boonies, the extra TX power can be a make/break deal, so it's nice to have. Thanks for letting us know what you came up with!

 

[RadioDaze]

Good plan, redshift. Let us all know how it works out for you. You can always re-post back to this thread.

 

[blue5011]

You are far better off using a CB on CB freqs than to use a ham radio on CB freqs, as the CB is designed for those freqs. A CB that has WX receive uses the CB antenna for the WX. You can pickup 162.xxx WX transmissions on a coat hanger... As a General class op you should remember that CB and even 10M is local except during high sunspot times. Whats one more radio? When I drove for Carlile Transportation in Alaska I had a CB, modded 2M, UHF Business Band, and a cellphone in my semi-truck. You can never have too many radios!

 

[cpsTN]

Hey all,

Got my general class license last fall and have been looking for a camping radio to install in my truck. My primary motivation for buying a radio to bring camping is for the ability to communicate in an emergency (no cell phone coverage, but there is a fair amount of traffic on VHF -- In an emergency, I figure I should be able to at least get a hold of someone on 2m). The area in which we usually camp is national forest, but is interspersed with private land that is being actively logged. The loggers sharing the roads are all on CB, so I would really like to monitor that as well -- most of these roads are 1.5 lanes wide at best so having advance notice of an approaching rig is good. Being able to transmit on CB would also be helpful since there are generally 1 or more rigs I want to talk to that aren't hams.

My question is, is there a mobile amateur radio that can access both the 2M and 11M (CB) bands? I have seen a quad-band 10M/6M/2M/70cm Yaesu mobile, but that doesn't even appear to be able to monitor CB.

I already have a scanner in the truck, but it can't monitor CB. I'd like to avoid installing 2 more radios if at all possible, but unless there is such a beast, it looks like I'll be installing 2 boxes.

Is it even legal to transmit on CB with an amateur radio as long as you limit to 4W PEP? I know some truckers are illegally using modified CB radios to transmit in the 10M amateur band, but this is exactly the opposite.

Thanks for any knowledge you can offer,

-Chris
KF7LWJ

I don't know why radios can't be built to have separate circuitry, one for whatever Amateur band and another for 11M (CB). There can be a switch on the front to toggle from one to the other. Switching to the CB can lower the output to the legal 4w. That way, the people who want it, can have an Amateur AND CB radio in one. it would be an Amateur radio (and price) with the other radio too, except for speaker output, they would be COMPLETELY separate inside. They wouldn't interfere with each other because you woun't be hearing or TXing on both at the same time. Should I prepare myself for some more of "n9zas" little devils?

 

[Sporkupine]

Should I prepare myself for some more of "n9zas" little devils?

Aaaarrrggggghhhhh!

You know you just did the RR equivalent of saying "Beetlejuice", right?

 

[cpsTN]

Aaaarrrggggghhhhh!

You know you just did the RR equivalent of saying "Beetlejuice", right?

yes, but I was just aknowledging the inevitable.