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Portable 10m options

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AronDouglas

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I've been doing some digging, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing (few options). I'm interested in a portable CB or 10m transceiver. The goal use is for around the ranch use and general coms. The reason is because we already have a few vehicle CBs and a house base station, so why not have mobile coms as well.

I know the HAM guys and the CB world dont clash very nicely, so mentioning CB and 10m in the same sentence probably doesn't game me any brownie points :p But this is strictly low power, localized use. My current selection is the Midland 75‑822, but I was curious if there was anything I was overlooking. I am aware that a decent tri-band transceiver would probably be the more recommended choice, but I wanted to dig into CB/10m first.

I've come across the Magnum1012 and a few other (probably knock ff brands), but other than reviews, I cant find a seller.

Just curious what me options are..which I know are limited.
 

cmdrwill

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The biggest problem with a hand held radio on either CB 27 MHz or ten meters is the antenna. Even a 36 inch antenna with a 'loading' coil will be a poor performer. And the lack of a counterpoise/ground plane, the other half of an antenna system.
 

jwt873

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I know the HAM guys and the CB world dont clash very nicely, so mentioning CB and 10m in the same sentence .

So, you want to know "what's a good 10 meter radio to use illegally"?

It's not the ham guys.. It's the FCC that you might clash with. You need a license. There are no minimum power exemptions.

When 10 meters opens you can cover great distances with low power. I've listened to a CW beacon station from New Zealand. It was running 8 Watts into a 1/4 wave vertical. I've manged to talk to Oregon (1,300 miles) using 0.01 Watts.

Problem with running pirate is that you can screw up those who took the time to study and get a license. That's where the animosity lies.
 

KK4JUG

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10m and CB are different. The 10m band is above the CB frequencies. You need an amateur license for 10M. You need your head examined for CB. :)

In terms of CB portables, well, there really aren't any worth a whole lot. If you're hell-bent on getting one, try Midland but 86 the antenna and get something that works. It has a BNC connector, I think, and you could connect it to an external antenna. From inside a vehicle and using the stock antenna, be happy if you can talk with anyone at the end of the block.
 

KB0VWG

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Frs, Gmrs or Murs would probably be a better option.
Frs and Murs doesn't need a license
Gmrs needs a license but will let you transmit further and the power output is up to 50 watts.
If its all family members then 1 gmrs license would work for the whole family.
kb0vwg
wqyy385
 

AronDouglas

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@cmdrwill I see your point..its not ideal. But the intended range is within 600 acres spread.

@jwt873 Illegally? How do you mean? Currently in the process of getting licensed.. so there shouldn't be any issues. Last I checked, 10m can legally operate on CB frequencies just fine...they usually dont for obvious reasons lol.

@KK4JUG and @KB0VWG I am fairly certain I do want to stick with CB, just because the base station and two trucks are already CB. Having a license or not, I may stick with that band range just because the cost of going a completely different platform is too great at this point.
 

mmckenna

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@jwt873 Illegally? How do you mean? Currently in the process of getting licensed.. so there shouldn't be any issues. Last I checked, 10m can legally operate on CB frequencies just fine...they usually dont for obvious reasons lol. .

No, they can't. Whoever told you that needs their mouth washed out with soap.

CB radios are required to have an FCC Part 95 type certification. That's required, not optional.
10 meter radios do not have an FCC type certification on the transmitters, therefore they cannot be legally used in the CB radio service.
Transmitting on 10 meters requires a valid amateur radio license, again, that's not optional if you want to do this legally.

CB is entirely different frequencies from the 10 meter amateur radio band. A 10 meter radio will not talk to a CB, and a CB will not have a two way conversation with a 10 meter radio, at least not legally.

If you need CB, then stick with CB, don't try to mix the two together and think they'll work. They won't.
The key to CB is that it really is all about the antenna If you want to cover 600 acres, then you need good antennas. That means a base antenna on your house and good mobile antennas on the vehicles. The issue with portable CB (or even 10 meter) radios is that it's nearly impossible to make an efficient antenna that will work with a hand held radio. As was stated, the length of the antenna will be long, and the radio provides a lousy counterpoise.

One suggestion would be to install an external speaker in the vehicles, crank up the volume when you are away so you can hear it. A small portable CB radio -might- work if everyone else has really good antennas.

GMRS, which operates in the UHF band, and requires a license, might be a better solution, but it will require replacing all of your radios and antennas. Won't be cheap. The FCC GMRS license will cover you and your family members, not employees or friends.

Amateur radio licenses only cover the individual that takes the test, no one else.

So, not sure what license you are applying for. I'd hold off and get everything straightened out before proceeding. No point in taking an amateur radio license test if it's not going to do what you want. No point in getting a GMRS license unless you plan to replace all your radios. Since CB doesn't require a physical license, it might be a good solution. As I said, good antennas make the difference.
 

AronDouglas

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Thats what I read, GMRS license allows family members (immediate family).

Much appreciated @mmchenna...more reading, more researching lol.
 

KK4JUG

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Immediate family is also pretty broad, too.

The FCC definition of immediate family includes a spouse, children, stepchildren, parents, stepparents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and in-laws , see 47 CFR 95.179
 

AronDouglas

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Yup, I do remember that. And don't worry..when I say family, I mean legitimate family. I work my dads business, its a family made, owned and run business (wont be using radios for that though, we've got comms for that..just saying, we're close-knit people). This is just for around the farm/ranch and the property.
 

spongella

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AronDouglas,

Nice spread you have, 600 acres, which is about a square mile so CB would cover that range. As to whether a handheld will be effective enough, the only way is try it out. As was mentioned in a previous post the limiting factor is the handheld's antenna. That's where you'd really have to try it out. Also make sure whatever model of handheld you purchase has the full legal 5 watt input/ 4 watt output power.

The mobile antennas on your trucks and the base station antenna in the ranch house also will factor into how well you'll be able to communicate with a handheld.

The CB band (11 meters) gives you 40 channels to choose from and covers from 26.965 - 27.405 mHz and no license is needed. 10 meters is a ham band that runs from 28.0 - 29.7 mHz and you have to be a ham to use, so if you have mostly CB radios in your home and fleet, trying a handheld sounds worth it.

One thing with CB though, at times the band will be "open" which means propagation favors long distance signals to be received and the band will be crowded with distant signals which might make local communications harder.

Not a lot of bricks and mortar CB stores these days but some truck stops still have them. Probably not handhelds though. Good luck and I hope you find a radio to fit your needs.
 

KK4JUG

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Everything Spongella said is good but another thing to consider is batteries in the handhelds. They don't come with batteries designed for the unit like most ham portables do. Most use AA batteries. In Midland's case, I think they use 9 batteries but are switchable between rechargeable and alkaline. The radio is more battery holder than radio.

Based on all that, I would concentrate the communications on base and mobile when possible.
 

spongella

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KK4JUG,

Good point about the batteries, something definitely to factor in. Some HTs can be plugged into the cigarette lighter plug in a vehicle, but if you are on horseback I know of none that have one.
 

KK4JUG

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I remember a movie called "Electric Horseman" about a million years ago with Willie Nelson, Robert Redford and some others. Couldn't you get some of those? :)
 

w8lgz

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One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is, it’s prohibited to conduct business activity on amateur frequencies. Since, as you said, you’ll be using it around the farm, if your farm is a “for profit”, the FCC will likely view your transmissions as being of a business nature and would be prohibited. I could be wrong though.
 

prcguy

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After reading most of the posts here I agree with KB0VWG on using MURS or FRS. 2W VHF MURS handhelds should easily cover the space with fairly low cost radios and no license needed. I think new rules allow a little more power for FRS and that may also work, although you may run across kids that will try and jam out your conversations.

I played a lot with handheld CBs in the 70s and they can be battery hogs, prepare to invest in a lot in AA batteries and keep a pile of them with each handheld. Plus when the skip is in heavy you may not get but a few hundred yards due to super strong signals clogging every CB channel. You will be changing channels every 5 minutes trying to get relief from interference that will never stop.
prcguy
 

SteveSimpkin

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MURS radios might be a good option for this case. MURS is a VHF FM radio service that requires no license, has up to 2 Watts of power output and most importantly allows for external antennas. In your case, you *may* be able to get the range you need using just portabel radios without installing an external antenna at the house but it it nice to have that option if you need it. MURS and approximate range:
Distance - Miklor

This thread has some good information about MURS in general.
https://forums.radioreference.com/n...eneral-question-newbie-alert.html#post2844343

An inexpensive MURS portable radio ($55)
https://www.amazon.com/BTECH-MURS-V1-Manufacturing-Personal-Business/dp/B075VBP9YG?ref=ast_p_ep
 

cmdrwill

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WHERE does everyone get this "no license needed" or "requires no license" statements.

ALL the transmitters in CB, MURS, FRS and others require licensing. CB, MURS, FRS are Licensed by Rule, and you HAVE to follow the RULES.

Maybe someone else with better writing skills could make this very clear.
 

KK4JUG

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WHERE does everyone get this "no license needed" or "requires no license" statements.

ALL the transmitters in CB, MURS, FRS and others require licensing. CB, MURS, FRS are Licensed by Rule, and you HAVE to follow the RULES.

Maybe someone else with better writing skills could make this very clear.

You're nitpicking. Show me your CB license. Show me your FRS license. "License by rule" is a concept created by the FCC that says you're supposed to abide by the rules but you don't have to pay money or submit an application.
 
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