2 Meter Radio / OffRoad Use

[Elbert]

ground issue on the 2nd battery. Charging 14+ on each battery now. Radio works and displays voltage upon innital power up..

...back to the radio discussion if anyone has anything to add. I'm reviewing my ARRL studyguide that finally showed up.

 

[Eshu Elegua]

i use on my 40,a alinco dr-610t dual band radio,old school radio that i can remote controled via another hand held radio ( yaesu vx-7r), turning on-off cross band repeater,or i can listening to 4 vhv-4 uhf freq. or mixed, when camping and another friend came late and if im far from the fj40 i can use the cross band rep to give directions.etc but if i have to choose a singe band 2 mtr. .... Icom v8000 or yaesu ft-2600 front speaker models i like.

 

[Elbert]

passed the test....maybe some of the other guys in the "club" will get motivated to get their's as well.

 

[jonheld]

passed the test....maybe some of the other guys in the "club" will get motivated to get their's as well.

Our club (GCLC) has been very slow to make the change from CB to 2M, but out of 45 members 3 already have 2M setups. CB still dominates on the east coast from what I can tell, but things are changing slowly. Another 4 or so club members are studying for their technician exams. I'm hopeful that by the time summer comes around, we'll have 10 members on 2M.

 

[Elbert]

I think we now have a total of three hams (inclusive of me) in our group for now. Since CB equipment is so prevalent and easily purchased and nto too expensive and no lic requirement I think CB will be around as long at they are avaliable.

We use CB radios to keep up with each other offroad and as as siutational awarness tool on the trails. I think the formal rules of HAM both hurt and hinder new participants...some people go to HAM for the capabilities and the formal rules, while others are put off on the rules part.

I doubt we will get more than a handful of others to try ham...and I understand their reasoning....part of which it is more expensive to setup.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I think we now have a total of three hams (inclusive of me) in our group for now. Since CB equipment is so prevalent and easily purchased and nto too expensive and no lic requirement I think CB will be around as long at they are avaliable.

We use CB radios to keep up with each other offroad and as as siutational awarness tool on the trails. I think the formal rules of HAM both hurt and hinder new participants...some people go to HAM for the capabilities and the formal rules, while others are put off on the rules part.

I doubt we will get more than a handful of others to try ham...and I understand their reasoning....part of which it is more expensive to setup.

I am kind of surprised by this. Ham radio swept through our local guys like wild fire like 6 years ago. Now, seemingly every off road group in Norcal is on board with amateur radio. I have not had a CB in a truck for 5 years or more.

Regarding the rules, the only one that is mildly intrusive is the need to identify every 10 minutes. That isn't a major burden and if you are not transmitting, you don't need to identify. We basically use the ham radios like we used CB prior to 2005. The difference is, the Ham radios actually work.

You just need to get a critical mass on board. The best way is a trail run where the Ham guys stay in contact and the CB guys don't. That happens without trying. Remember, no one goes from Ham to CB. Just food for thought.

The expense thing, is interesting. The radios we are discussing like the Yaesu 2800-2900 are not a lot more expensive than a good CB. But they are orders of magnitude better than CB in terms of performance.

In our local group, what made the whole thing gel, is one of the members bought 2800s for 3 key members. With use on 1 trail run, everyone was on board and paid back the original purchaser. What he got for everyone was a 2800 and a Wilson magnet mount antenna. At that time about $150 per person.

Anyway, it's just a matter of exposure. There is no comparison otherwise. Good job on pursuing the Ham thing. You may be a voice in the wilderness today, but you are right, and should stick to your guns. Everyone else will eventually come along.

 

[jonheld]

I am kind of surprised by this. Ham radio swept through our local guys like wild fire like 6 years ago. Now, seemingly every off road group in Norcal is on board with amateur radio. I have not had a CB in a truck for 5 years or more.

I think the big difference is the terrain. I experienced this first hand when I was in Moab last May. In the east the trails are tight and short. This prevents groups from getting spread out like they do out west. When I was in Moab at times I felt like I was stranded in the desert and would have to eat my young to survive
CB has always been "good enough" for trail comms for me, and a new unit was $85 from Amazon. That will keep them popular for a while. I moved to 2M because the exam was easy, the total cost of my setup was under $200, and I plan to get back west this spring.
However, after playing with my 2M setup for a while I am really impressed with the capabilities and clarity of the system. I have no doubt that more and more folks will move over to ham, but I still think CB will remain prevalent for a good long time here. I have both in my truck.

 

[jonheld]

I think the formal rules of HAM both hurt and hinder new participants...some people go to HAM for the capabilities and the formal rules, while others are put off on the rules part.

It's funny that you say that. We had a discussion about that on our local list. IMO most ham operators "overuse" the call sign thing to death. They tend to get so hung up on station identification that it really gets annoying at times. The reality is that you can use ham exactly the same way that you use CBs. You just need to ID every 10 minutes "during a conversation". Personally, I have never spent 10 minutes yaking to someone on the trail. It's usually a short conversation figuring out directions or making dinner plans.
I have a hard time remembering my own call sign let alone others in my group. I ID myself at the start of the conversation and I call out to people using their names. It's a non-issue.

 

[1911]

I ID myself at the start of the conversation and I call out to people using their names. It's a non-issue.

Especially when using simplex, as you typically would on the trail. No one else is likely to be listening or care, and you can be as informal as you (and your group) like.

 

[Elbert]

its not an issue for me....(the issues I noted) ...its certainly an issue for some though. THere just are not that many hams offroad here in the SE... and as soon as people hear you have to take a test, and play by the rules...etc and its going to cost more $$..then thats about the end of it.

None of that bothers me...its a personal choice for whatever reason. We generally go offroad in a group 4to 5 or more...and when people get stuck or hung-up on rocks ro whatever it helps to know what's going on or which trail to take if there is a turn when a majority of the time you can't see the trial leaders vehicle..

I think we'll get a couple more hams in the near future and the rest may convert sometime later...but cb's will rule for the most part.

 

[jonheld]

THere just are not that many hams offroad here in the SE... and as soon as people hear you have to take a test, and play by the rules...etc and its going to cost more $$..then thats about the end of it.

My experience exactly. What started to push the 2M in our club was talking about another trip out to Cruise Moab next year. It looks like we'll have at least 5 heading out and they will all have 2M radios by that time.
As for the rest of the club, I know our President is studying for his exam as well as some other guys, so time will tell.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I think the big difference is the terrain. I experienced this first hand when I was in Moab last May. In the east the trails are tight and short. This prevents groups from getting spread out like they do out west. When I was in Moab at times I felt like I was stranded in the desert and would have to eat my young to survive

Aren't a lot of the trails "in and out" or OHV parks where you have a base camp and do trail runs from there? Seems like being able to stay in touch with base camp would be worthwhile, calling for spare parts, letting the cook know when to start dinner, etc.

CB has always been "good enough" for trail comms for me, and a new unit was $85 from Amazon. That will keep them popular for a while. I moved to 2M because the exam was easy, the total cost of my setup was under $200, and I plan to get back west this spring.
However, after playing with my 2M setup for a while I am really impressed with the capabilities and clarity of the system. I have no doubt that more and more folks will move over to ham, but I still think CB will remain prevalent for a good long time here. I have both in my truck.

The clarity of 2M was the real deal sealer for me.

 

[jonheld]

Aren't a lot of the trails "in and out" or OHV parks where you have a base camp and do trail runs from there? Seems like being able to stay in touch with base camp would be worthwhile, calling for spare parts, letting the cook know when to start dinner, etc.

Yes and no. The east is also saturated with cell phone towers. Over the last few years cell phone coverage has gotten way better. Even in the mountains and what once were "remote" areas have service so it has become less of a problem.
That said, everywhere we frequent has has 2M repeaters, so as more of our club members get onto the ham thing it will certainly be easier and faster to contact multiple vehicles and base camps.

I have done all I can trying to sell the ham thing to the majority of the club without getting pushy, and a small number are gradually making the change. Those that have used it are also singing the typical praises, but it is not a "must have" item like it is in the west. Personally, I'm glad I have one and wish I hadn't sat on the fence so long regarding getting licensed. It's really a non-issue.

 

[subzali]

Especially when using simplex, as you typically would on the trail. No one else is likely to be listening or care, and you can be as informal as you (and your group) like.

Don't bet on it. A friend and his wife in our club were talking to each other on simplex and got hammered by some folks who were listening in for cursing and not identifying themselves. Having the greater privilege of Ham requires greater responsibility in use.

For me, I still have both in my 40, but really hate turning on the CB because it's so scratchy in comparison to 2m. And if you're on a trail with a highway nearby, it seems that all the truckers are using up all the channels

2m caught like wildfire in Rising Sun a few years ago too, like '07-'08, but I'm not sure about other clubs and 4x4 groups in Colorado.

 

[retrofive]

Interesting thread. Studying for the tech license now. Have all the parts to install. I went with a 2900 as well, Comet SBB-1 antenna and Diamond K4000c mount. A friend with a similar setup is happy with it.

The formalities are a bit of a turnoff, but meh. Our club re-inverses members the cost the of the test upon completion/passing. We only have a few HAM users currently, but working on getting more onboard.

CB is just ok were we wheel. I typically tailgun and most of the time can't get to the leader, so we always need a couple CB equip'd rigs between us.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Interesting thread. Studying for the tech license now. Have all the parts to install. I went with a 2900 as well, Comet SBB-1 antenna and Diamond K4000c mount. A friend with a similar setup is happy with it.

The formalities are a bit of a turnoff, but meh. Our club re-inverses members the cost the of the test upon completion/passing. We only have a few HAM users currently, but working on getting more onboard.

CB is just ok were we wheel. I typically tailgun and most of the time can't get to the leader, so we always need a couple CB equip'd rigs between us.

Reimbursing members the test fees is a great tip for getting a whole club to convert!

I think you will be happy with the radio combo you picked. You might consider picking up a Larsen whip antenna at some point, they are very robust and will get you a lot better range with a hatch mounted antenna.

 

[Rambrush]

Just want to add that these radios do have different power settings, Do not need 100w on simplex for a club run 10 should be more than enough for most runs. This keeps things close by and others outside the group should not be able to monitor your traffic.

 

[retrofive]

Here is a really dumb question I haven't been able to put my finger on.

Keeping you CB antenna away from your HAM ant. (yay/nay). Running on different hz and power etc, probably should keep them off the same side of the truck... in other words using a hatch mount, should not put them on the same side? or would it be tolerable?

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Here is a really dumb question I haven't been able to put my finger on.

Keeping you CB antenna away from your HAM ant. (yay/nay). Running on different hz and power etc, probably should keep them off the same side of the truck... in other words using a hatch mount, should not put them on the same side? or would it be tolerable?

That is a legitimate concern. The Ham signal tends to set off the CB squelch if they are close, at least mine did. With that said it was a cheap CB with a cheap receiver.

I'd get them several feet apart at least and keep the coax away from each other too.

 

[retrofive]

That is a legitimate concern. The Ham signal tends to set off the CB squelch if they are close, at least mine did. With that said it was a cheap CB with a cheap receiver.

I'd get them several feet apart at least and keep the coax away from each other too.

Thanks. That is my thought as well. I'll put the diamond ham mount on the pass side then.