And provided the loud mouth illegally powered crappy band users aren't on, then you may get 5-10 miles of coverage. If they are yelling and splattering all over the CB, then you might get 2 blocks of coverage. If you want reliable, make it legal and look at the suggestions already given.
Couple Questions about Ham
- Thread starter FrozenPhoenix
- Start date
- Status
Well, there are 40 channels available and where I live in southwest Canada there is hardly ever anyone on any of them, even when the skip is running only a couple of channels are affected.
k6cpo
Member
CB could be a viable solution to the OP's dilemma.
I was a member of a brand/model specific motorcycle club and all our bikes came with factory-equipped CB radios. They were perfect for coordinating group rides. They were helpful in announcing lane changes, freeway exits and potential hazards. They made the group rides a lot safer.
I was a member of a brand/model specific motorcycle club and all our bikes came with factory-equipped CB radios. They were perfect for coordinating group rides. They were helpful in announcing lane changes, freeway exits and potential hazards. They made the group rides a lot safer.
FrozenPhoenix
Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2014
- Messages
- 10
Haha sorry I was referring to using GMRS or MURS with the Baofeng, since it is not 'type-accepted.'
As for CB, I actually already have a CB already and wanted to use that but one of the other drivers hates CB... (Since channels are so crowded).. I dont mind too much but have to please all parties involved.
rapidcharger
Member
Well hey, if you got your convoy partners to take and pass their ham test for 2 days worth of driving simply because they don't like CB, then my hat's off to you.
902
Member
Looking through the conversation thus far, I can say that I have used ham radio for this purpose, with a multi-vehicle convoy travelling across several Interstates, however I should note that all members of my immediate family have at least a technician license (actually, two extras, one general, and three technicians). If you have an appropriate class license (as several have stated, technician and above), and if you are on a frequency that does not interfere with other people, then it's all good. In our case, we've used 6 and 2 meters, and 440 for various things/times/places.
Before the kids were licensed, we used a combination of my VHF business frequency and GMRS (both licensed). The results there were less satisfying.
Before the kids were licensed, we used a combination of my VHF business frequency and GMRS (both licensed). The results there were less satisfying.
Have we asked WHY the OP can't use external antennas? A VHF mag mount is not exactly a huge inconvenience, and MURS with a 1/4 wave whip will do 2-3 miles without breaking a sweat.
As for the usual handwringing about using non-type accepted radios: get over it. The agency which is the sole authority on this issue has declined to ever prosecute anyone for using a removable antenna on FRS or 5W on MURS. That means they don't care. A decision on the part of the regulatory body to uniformly not enforce is effectively identical to something being legal. Extra-obeying a law doesn't make you more virtuous or more right or in fact accomplish anything at all, and these cases of not complying with the law can not POSSIBLY cause harm to anyone that obeying the strict letter of the law would not already have caused.
Would you also tell someone to make sure they never carry wire cutters across county lines in Texas? Because that's a felony, but it also painfully obvious that it is not a violation of lawful behavior to do so, and no one has even been arrested for it, let alone prosecuted, since I have been alive.
If you cannot, by going up to a peace officer and both declaring and demonstrating the violation of MURS or FRS or even GMRS regulations, get arrested, it's not really illegal. Just like the wire cutters, declining to enforce is indistinguishable in every way from declaring it legal, and things which cannot be distinguished are the same.
As for the WELL IF YOU BREAK ONE LAW YOU WOULD BREAK ANOTHER argument, that is complete hogwash and you're a damn fool for saying it.
People speeding doesn't increase their likelihood to do murder, because those are obviously not equivalent in any way. To claim otherwise is absolute lunacy, and that's what's happening here.
Imagining that emitting three extra watts of a frequency that doesn't propagate harms the social order or is morally bankrupt or, most ridiculously, will land you in the hoosegow, is just plain stupid.
Get over yourselves. This isn't people running two kilowatts on CB or operating on ham bands unlicensed. That which cannot be demonstrated to cause harm, is not harm, and the only legitimate purpose of the law is to prevent harm.
As for the usual handwringing about using non-type accepted radios: get over it. The agency which is the sole authority on this issue has declined to ever prosecute anyone for using a removable antenna on FRS or 5W on MURS. That means they don't care. A decision on the part of the regulatory body to uniformly not enforce is effectively identical to something being legal. Extra-obeying a law doesn't make you more virtuous or more right or in fact accomplish anything at all, and these cases of not complying with the law can not POSSIBLY cause harm to anyone that obeying the strict letter of the law would not already have caused.
Would you also tell someone to make sure they never carry wire cutters across county lines in Texas? Because that's a felony, but it also painfully obvious that it is not a violation of lawful behavior to do so, and no one has even been arrested for it, let alone prosecuted, since I have been alive.
If you cannot, by going up to a peace officer and both declaring and demonstrating the violation of MURS or FRS or even GMRS regulations, get arrested, it's not really illegal. Just like the wire cutters, declining to enforce is indistinguishable in every way from declaring it legal, and things which cannot be distinguished are the same.
As for the WELL IF YOU BREAK ONE LAW YOU WOULD BREAK ANOTHER argument, that is complete hogwash and you're a damn fool for saying it.
People speeding doesn't increase their likelihood to do murder, because those are obviously not equivalent in any way. To claim otherwise is absolute lunacy, and that's what's happening here.
Imagining that emitting three extra watts of a frequency that doesn't propagate harms the social order or is morally bankrupt or, most ridiculously, will land you in the hoosegow, is just plain stupid.
Get over yourselves. This isn't people running two kilowatts on CB or operating on ham bands unlicensed. That which cannot be demonstrated to cause harm, is not harm, and the only legitimate purpose of the law is to prevent harm.
castlecain
Member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 20
Come on guys....CB, single sideband, external antennas, used as it was intended,
then no problem. Back in 1978 I could talk mobile to base 30 miles some days
and certainly 10 miles most days, and we used it for business reasons under no
skip conditions. I think the skip might pose less problem now because of less use..
I would think under the above conditions 5 miles would be a piece of cake. My
conditions were:
Base antenna 30 feet, mobiles antennas properly mounted and low swr.
Get a ham radio operator to check the mobile antennas for you after installation.
then no problem. Back in 1978 I could talk mobile to base 30 miles some days
and certainly 10 miles most days, and we used it for business reasons under no
skip conditions. I think the skip might pose less problem now because of less use..
I would think under the above conditions 5 miles would be a piece of cake. My
conditions were:
Base antenna 30 feet, mobiles antennas properly mounted and low swr.
Get a ham radio operator to check the mobile antennas for you after installation.
castlecain
Member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 20
The original poster said: "Hi all,
I convinced the rest of the group to use external antennas."
I convinced the rest of the group to use external antennas."
Oh, perf. I must admit I skipped over a lot of the thread when it became mostly hemming and hawing about Title 47.
Why not just use regular AM CB? OP doesn't need OTH coverage, just a couple miles. They sell complete kits with magmount antennas at Walmart and Radio Shack, or you can pick up one of the self-contained emergency roadside CB kits on eBay for a song.
Why not just use regular AM CB? OP doesn't need OTH coverage, just a couple miles. They sell complete kits with magmount antennas at Walmart and Radio Shack, or you can pick up one of the self-contained emergency roadside CB kits on eBay for a song.
rapidcharger
Member
You must have also skipped over that one too as this was already addressed in reply #44.
Folks, the OP has some answers to his questions and we now seem to be re-hashing previously-stated points. I think we're done.
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