JBThompson
Member
Hello, everyone. I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to HAM and CB so bear with me here, and thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
My wife and I are prepping for several extended overland trips and we'll be spending a lot of time in remote areas without cell coverage so we're looking at installing a mobile unit. We're both studying for the tech license so we will both have our own call signs and the Mrs has tasked me with nailing down our equipment since I'm the techy one haha. That said I'm looking at dual band mainly for the ability to remote mount the display away from the main chassis (space limitations). I'm looking at different models from Icom, Yaseu, TYT, etc, so I'm all ears on thoughts regarding those brands. I'm also considering a scanner but wonder if that's absolutely necessary or even worth it? It seems like a scanner would make finding local much easier when we are in unfamiliar areas. Our main use here is emergency comms but the hobbyist in me says it'd be fun be able to talk to people and break up the monotony of being isolated for days and weeks at a time.
As far as bands and antennas go, should I just focus on the 2m side or does 70cm have benefits given our intended use? I found a site that has maps of repeaters across the country and at least where we're going it seems to be about an even split between both bands as far as repeater locations go. As for antennas I know there are dual band models out there but I'm assuming they're a compromise. Is it a matter of switching out masts depending on the band we intend to use or do you run two coax cables?
I'm also looking into DIN sized CB radios since a lot of off roaders still use CB over HAM and we'll be visiting various trails during our trips. I've looked at Uniden 880 and 990 models, they have a nice aesthetic that will blend in nicely with our interior and they seem to have good reviews. Is the SSB of the 990 truly useful? Don't people on the other end also need to be on SSB?
And finally, I know CB antenna placement is critical and I'm sure the same can be said for 2m/70cm. We'll have a roof rack and our vehicle also has a sunroof so advice in mounting the antennas would be appreciated. If we install a scanner that's three seperate antennas and things could get crowded. I'm assuming they need to be spaced away from each other to prevent interference?
My wife and I are prepping for several extended overland trips and we'll be spending a lot of time in remote areas without cell coverage so we're looking at installing a mobile unit. We're both studying for the tech license so we will both have our own call signs and the Mrs has tasked me with nailing down our equipment since I'm the techy one haha. That said I'm looking at dual band mainly for the ability to remote mount the display away from the main chassis (space limitations). I'm looking at different models from Icom, Yaseu, TYT, etc, so I'm all ears on thoughts regarding those brands. I'm also considering a scanner but wonder if that's absolutely necessary or even worth it? It seems like a scanner would make finding local much easier when we are in unfamiliar areas. Our main use here is emergency comms but the hobbyist in me says it'd be fun be able to talk to people and break up the monotony of being isolated for days and weeks at a time.
As far as bands and antennas go, should I just focus on the 2m side or does 70cm have benefits given our intended use? I found a site that has maps of repeaters across the country and at least where we're going it seems to be about an even split between both bands as far as repeater locations go. As for antennas I know there are dual band models out there but I'm assuming they're a compromise. Is it a matter of switching out masts depending on the band we intend to use or do you run two coax cables?
I'm also looking into DIN sized CB radios since a lot of off roaders still use CB over HAM and we'll be visiting various trails during our trips. I've looked at Uniden 880 and 990 models, they have a nice aesthetic that will blend in nicely with our interior and they seem to have good reviews. Is the SSB of the 990 truly useful? Don't people on the other end also need to be on SSB?
And finally, I know CB antenna placement is critical and I'm sure the same can be said for 2m/70cm. We'll have a roof rack and our vehicle also has a sunroof so advice in mounting the antennas would be appreciated. If we install a scanner that's three seperate antennas and things could get crowded. I'm assuming they need to be spaced away from each other to prevent interference?