My brother and I live about 7-8 miles apart. While we're both licensed for ham radio, we thought we'd give CB radio a try after a 40 yr hiatus. A few months ago, we each set up a stock CB (am only) and a wire dipole at about 25ft at our respective houses. Despite being pretty much line of site, we still couldn't make a reliable contact with each other. Granted, SSB would have been better but I'm just not sure how reliable it would be.
Not to be tedious, but you’ll recognize these as extensions of the value of a group effort. (Asked rhetorically, not personally).
1). How did you define reliable?
2). Did either of you make any tests as to Area of Coverage? Point-to-Point on a map showing radial circles in distance. GPS points.
3). Were these temporary installations, or are they still in operation? Used daily, or only by agreement?
In other words, over the course of a year, my brother & I found the following (A, B, C, D, etc), and we made the following changes (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) to qualify our experience.
We tested distances with club members calling in from known waypoints.
A version of, Field Strength, writ large.
What I’m trying to say here is that with (19) members on-air — and an efficient mobile in operation — a group test of reception can be performed.
Sure. Takes maps, willingness and the rest.
— And it might be that at the County Road Department parking lot that mobile can hear and be heard by all. In the evenings. In summer. (Etc).
— That one or more base installations have better ears than the others.
A group effort has much to recommend it.
Unity of Purpose = United.
In you two brothers area let’s postulate that a dozen others want to be on-air. It wouldn’t take much for Clem & Shem to compare notes about individual installations using on-air testing to try and remedy weaknesses in the local CB net, now would it? (My only point).
How to organize tests.
What family members use is one thing. Radios that may be “better”.
What my neighbors have is the real thing.
Unity = United. In my community.
This is how to understand Citizen Band Radio. Not me, but we
.
I have to ask the obvious, what's wrong with a landline, VoIP or Smart Phone?
My brother and I performed this test one time and only with the intention of communicating between the two of us. I only related it because it closely approximated, in scope, the conditions and problem that Rita posed in her original post. There was no indication that she wanted to turn this into a science experiment. Furthermore, while she may be able to communicate with fellow church members or friends via CB, I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly so given later posts) that an inability to communicate with her brother would lessen the value of setting up a CB station. She'll have to make that call. In any case, I never got the impression that CB philosophy was a concern of hers.
Looks like they’re one and the same.
And it’s an excellent idea, though geography and available funds make it difficult.
A wire dipole in the trees is the likeliest “best” solution.
It’s worth the effort to get some folks closer than 25-miles apart to ask the congregation for their aid. The ones “in town”, so to speak. Test group. May be someone with a bucket truck the church could sponsor. Or a tree service.
An SSB-capable CB radio is (should be) the minimum.
Wire dipoles are DIY. Some coax and how to ground (against lightning ) are the other part.
The radio would need a 120V-to-12V power supply.
Radio
Coax
Antenna
Power Supply
Copper Grounding
A video worth watching is by Cryptic Cricket (102” Whip Base Station Antenna) as another type. Good grounding emphasis. (Those antennas are about $20, but shipping doubles that).
In return, I’d imagine the oldsters could come up with what irregular hours kept could be of service to the larger community.
This is where to start. Prayerful consideration through which the benefits are in both directions.
It’s enough that a friendly voice is available. “To listen” means more than putting the words together to derive meaning. They’re the form, . . but the real content may be hidden below.
If there’s a group all within a few miles of each other, then a morning hour or an evening hour where a volunteer agrees to be on-air, has been my first thought. A starting point only.
CB Radio is just a little doorbell.
Ripples spreading outwards from a centrally-located group.
I suppose I don’t need to remind a lady of tender sensibilities that CB can can get kinda rough with some users. That can be tamed. Patience. Love. Will make plenty of converts to better manners.
NY state has many citizens of life-long residence. This is a huge help. It gives me confidence to think of it. As there are ALSO bound to be some HAM radio operators in the area. (Tech expert).
See if there aren’t any HAM Radio (Amateur Radio) clubs in your region.
Boy Scouts used to have a corresponding merit badge.
Eagle Scouts have a service project to design and execute. Under a HAM operators guidance one can see the parallel.
A plan needed.
And a big uncle to knock together some unruly nephews heads to git’er dun (as they’d say here in Texas).
More locals with CBs in their cars & houses is a desired outgrowth. And who wants to go to a diner with that blasted TV turned on. Be a lot more fun if the local CB party line was heard.
Your own resources, Ma’am, are the key. Church members interested. Prayer and reflection. Please keep that first. Unity of Purpose. Let Him guide.
You’ve my prayer. (And that of others here). The tech stuff some of us are willing to help with. Your neighbors, the rest.
Your posting here caused me to think more on this. It’s been on my mind. Now is the time that all Citizens install and use this Radio.
Thank you
Best wishes.
Thank you for your reply, slow mover. I believe we are living in our last days, and must be prepared for the inevitable. I will be using a Ham radio for my purposes. I am putting up a book shelf for my radio equipment. It is tall and will fit in a spot against my wall. Hopefully, I can use the tall tree outside my window for my antenna. All I need is an office chair to complete my little set up.
Looks like they’re one and the same.
And it’s an excellent idea, though geography and available funds make it difficult.
A wire dipole in the trees is the likeliest “best” solution.
It’s worth the effort to get some folks closer than 25-miles apart to ask the congregation for their aid. The ones “in town”, so to speak. Test group. May be someone with a bucket truck the church could sponsor. Or a tree service.
An SSB-capable CB radio is (should be) the minimum.
Wire dipoles are DIY. Some coax and how to ground (against lightning ) are the other part.
The radio would need a 120V-to-12V power supply.
Radio
Coax
Antenna
Power Supply
Copper Grounding
A video worth watching is by Cryptic Cricket (102” Whip Base Station Antenna) as another type. Good grounding emphasis. (Those antennas are about $20, but shipping doubles that).
In return, I’d imagine the oldsters could come up with what irregular hours kept could be of service to the larger community.
This is where to start. Prayerful consideration through which the benefits are in both directions.
It’s enough that a friendly voice is available. “To listen” means more than putting the words together to derive meaning. They’re the form, . . but the real content may be hidden below.
If there’s a group all within a few miles of each other, then a morning hour or an evening hour where a volunteer agrees to be on-air, has been my first thought. A starting point only.
CB Radio is just a little doorbell.
Ripples spreading outwards from a centrally-located group.
I suppose I don’t need to remind a lady of tender sensibilities that CB can can get kinda rough with some users. That can be tamed. Patience. Love. Will make plenty of converts to better manners.
NY state has many citizens of life-long residence. This is a huge help. It gives me confidence to think of it. As there are ALSO bound to be some HAM radio operators in the area. (Tech expert).
See if there aren’t any HAM Radio (Amateur Radio) clubs in your region.
Boy Scouts used to have a corresponding merit badge.
Eagle Scouts have a service project to design and execute. Under a HAM operators guidance one can see the parallel.
A plan needed.
And a big uncle to knock together some unruly nephews heads to git’er dun (as they’d say here in Texas).
More locals with CBs in their cars & houses is a desired outgrowth. And who wants to go to a diner with that blasted TV turned on. Be a lot more fun if the local CB party line was heard.
Your own resources, Ma’am, are the key. Church members interested. Prayer and reflection. Please keep that first. Unity of Purpose. Let Him guide.
You’ve my prayer. (And that of others here). The tech stuff some of us are willing to help with. Your neighbors, the rest.
Your posting here caused me to think more on this. It’s been on my mind. Now is the time that all Citizens install and use this Radio.
Thank you
Hello. I'm new to this world of CB/Ham radio. It's been over 40 years since I've used a CB radio. My late husband and his father introduced me to it then. Now, my brother and I would like to use a CB for our long-distance communications. Since I have health issues, I cannot drive. He and his wife live in their apartment 25 miles from my home. I'm in the center of very tall trees, with a mountain behind my tiny home. I feel I may require a "Ham" radio with a tall antenna at the top of my tree to get any radio signal. I don't own a professionally-trained monkey to climb and set up such an antenna, just 2 loveable dogs. Please advise me on my situation. Thank you for your time. .... Rita
Best wishes.
Hi. No, I'm not technically challenged and I have an old cell phone that doesn't send pictures. But I did figure out how to upload pictures....finally. Lol. I'm slow, but not dead...yetI may have missed it and I apologize if I did, but why can't you use something like Zello? You're uploading pictures so your not technically challenged and the selfies would imply you have a smartphone so Zello seems like a good option to me.
You are absolutely correct, 👍 😉 K4EET. My daughter informed me that some of her tall trees were going to be cut down. About 6-8 of them. This is good news. More of a view, etc.@KevinC, I believe that the issue is she wants to communicate with her congregation and not all members have cellphones/smartphones which can be somewhat complicated to use for an aging population. Apparently, a two-way radio solution which is simple to operate may be more acceptable to the group. Please correct me if I am wrong @PearlSnow6724. Thanks! Dave