• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

CB Recommendations

Status
Not open for further replies.

SB-Wi

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
297
Location
Eastern Dane Co
We're moving to CB's at work from our UHF LMR radios and looking for similar quality mobiles and portables as well as a base setup. We only need close range reception on job sites and at a quarry with 80 ft vertical rock walls. We also need "short" antennas to mount on dump trucks and heavy equipment that can hold up to tree branches and other overhead obstructions. What are your thoughts?
 

IdleMonitor

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 17, 2005
Messages
3,178
Location
The Ottawa Valley - Eastern Ontario
We're moving to CB's at work from our UHF LMR radios and looking for similar quality mobiles and portables as well as a base setup. We only need close range reception on job sites and at a quarry with 80 ft vertical rock walls. We also need "short" antennas to mount on dump trucks and heavy equipment that can hold up to tree branches and other overhead obstructions. What are your thoughts?

As someone who works in a scale shack in a quarry, we use very simple radios. Uniden Pro510 XL mobile radio, and Wilson 500 antennas. Even on the shack that's what I use to talk to our drivers in and around the pit.

While I do get alot of interference on my radio in the shack I'm still able to talk to who I need to when I need to. The transmit on the one in the shack I'm impressed with as I've heard the distance on my own mobile, but the receive is horrible. Probably due to either the scales or a charger of some sort. I haven't been able to figure it out yet.

Just make sure they stay somewhat clean (especially the speaker and microphones) in the environment you want to use it in and they should be just fine.
 
Last edited:

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
4,164
Location
Texas
You want to stay in UHF for that and not migrate down to HF. If you are used to commercial FM gear…only CBs up to par on quality are those from GME which doesn't have a US option.

Hard to beat a Larsen NMO27 for CB if you have a ground plane…it's a Public Safety grade low band antenna.

Portable CB tech has yet to come out of the 1970's (so they're still the size of bricks).

80 ft on properly setup CBs…won't work due to being too close.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
Certainly won't find a shorter antenna than a UHF, especially one that might be effective for CB. Shouting would be more effective, second would be a bull horn.
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
7,452
Location
Illinois
STAY with Uhf, don't downgrade to cb's. That would be like going back to dial up from broadband internet! 73, n9zas
 

freqs

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2004
Messages
1,435
Location
warren michigan
I drive a Roll Off Truck In the landfill they use a mix ox Antennas Mag Mount and mounted .Some ideas The Scale house uses either a Antron 99 or the like Some mount a Mag Mount on top of the shack .The equipment will mount a mag on top like a Wilson 500.They also mount them on the grab handles .We use CB so we can talk to each other and outside companies that use the landfill.
 

SB-Wi

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
297
Location
Eastern Dane Co
Thanks for the input. I was hesitant to the switch at first knowing the differences between LMR and CB but most trucks that come into the quarry are not ours and can't communicate with the scale or loader. We only have a dozen UHF radios for the quarry and trucks and the guys out on jobs want to be able to talk to the trucks and each other too. I was asking for what equipment was durable and performed well under these conditions. Should I recommend a midrange model or will a basic one be as good? I'll hold on to the commercial gear until the CBs are fully tested.
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
4,164
Location
Texas
Thanks for the input. I was hesitant to the switch at first knowing the differences between LMR and CB but most trucks that come into the quarry are not ours and can't communicate with the scale or loader. We only have a dozen UHF radios for the quarry and trucks and the guys out on jobs want to be able to talk to the trucks and each other too. I was asking for what equipment was durable and performed well under these conditions. Should I recommend a midrange model or will a basic one be as good? I'll hold on to the commercial gear until the CBs are fully tested.


Sounds like what is really needed is a dispatch setup where only the people who need (not want) to talk to trucks have CBs. The reason I say that, your handheld guys will do nothing but complain about having to carry hand held CBs as they are easily 3-4 times the size of a modern hand held radio (think 1970's Motorola for a size comparison).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top