CB and Ham, newbie needs advice

[lucky dave]

Hi guys,

Just bought an 03 LC last week. Luv it.

Startin to think about radios. Is there a good way to do both CB and Ham?

Appreciate your suggestions.

Dave

PS: Will get a Technician license soon.

 

[Mark W]

"Good way", meaning what?


Mark...

 

[brew8]

They are not compatiable one is FM the other is AM and their operating bands are very far apart. If you want both you need to install both. If you think with the group you wheel with will use the CB more you may want to make that permenant and get a hand held 2 meter radio. Larry

 

[spaldam]

I did this for my CB:
http://www.walcottcb.com/bigbillcombo-p-1090.html
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/stereo-electronics/7685-cobra-75-wxst-bandi-mount-install.html

And an ICOM IC-208H for my HAM.
Here's an installation example that I didn't follow, but might switch things around to be more similar too:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=175106

My HAM antenna is mounted to the center of my roof for better reception/transmission. Also, Mag-mounts aren't good for off-road use, especially when you drive under low hanging branches that push them across the top of your roof leaving scratches behind. I’ve seen a lot of different antenna mounting options on here, and other forums for HAM radios. Just find one you like.

Personally I'd be more concerned about the HAM having a good antenna and mounting location, then the CB, because they are usually more expensive to begin with, and they have a much better range. Plus CB's are usually used with a smaller group within a closer proximity, so it's not as critical but it still helps to be heard clearly.

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

I had heard you could speak to CB radio users from a HAM radio. However I just heard that and no factual data to go on. If one is FM and one's AM, I guess not.

 

[1leglance]

what you heard about are the 10meter/11meter radios that are sold in cb shops and are very very grey!!!!!!!
so while it is true that you can buy a cb that will tallk on a ham freq there are a few problems
you won't have a lic to do so
the hams won't talk to you...see above
you won't be on the 2m/70cm freq that everyone offroad is using
and you will pretty much pay as much as if you had bought a decent cb and decent seperate 2m radio....
So all that said....
get a decent cb like the handheld midland or cobra or a small uniden 520, get a decent mount and antenna for your cb as antennas are worth more than radios
study for your tech lic and get either a handheld dual band 2m/70cm radio(yeasu vx6r) if you hike alot or dual band mobile radio in your rig (yaesu 7800) and again spend the money on a good antenna and look at all the mount options. You must understand the idea that a $1000 radio working through a $200 antenna that wasn't installed well enough to have a decent ground just won't work.
Like everything else on your rig...do it right 1 time and it will last

 

[Mark W]

Yep, if you want CB and Ham (2m generally) then you need two radios.

I run a tweaked CB and a decent 2m in all of my rigs that see the trails. And GOOD antennas for both. We're getting our guys to move over to 2m, but a lot of them and most of the folks who might casually join us are still running CBs so it will be a while before I move completely away from it.


Mark...

 

[spaldam]

I had heard you could speak to CB radio users from a HAM radio. However I just heard that and no factual data to go on. If one is FM and one's AM, I guess not.

You can get a HAM that uses a frequency range that covers CB radios, but for them to be legal, they cannot be allowed to transmit on those frequencies. You could get it illegally modified, but you'll likely find the results some what lacking due to other issues such as antenna configurations.

 

[lucky dave]

what i now understand, i think

All the advice I have gathered:

Forget 10M.

Hand held CB with good antenna

+

2M or 2m & 70cm ham with good antenna.

------------

Any advantage to 2M vs 2M/70cm?

Cobra 75WXST + Firestik Firefly 3 Foot Flexable Antenna for CB.

Yaesu 7800 + ? antenna.

Tks for the help guys.

Dave

 

[1leglance]

great choices on both cb & ham radios
as to the antenna for the ham I like my flexi dual band on a lip mount for the top of the back door of my FJC...antenna's and mount will vary depending on your application

 

[HummerHater]

I havent met anyone who uses ham on the trail yet how many actually get use out of their lic on the trail?? I use CB. The last run i went on there wasnt one Ham user.

Bobby

 

[Mark W]

All the advice I have gathered:

Forget 10M.

Hand held CB with good antenna

Hand held CBs are pretty worthless beyond short term use where you need to stay in touch with other folks in rigs while you are out of yours and shouting is not workable. For example a complicated winch recovery in or across a stream where the sound of the running water drowns out shouts. Or maybe spotting someone where they can't watch you constantly the way you can in most rock crawling situations. OR...???


But for routine vehicle to vehicle communications they really are not the way to go. Poor transmit and received from inside the rig. Awkward to use and keep track of in the rig. Irritating power connections if you don't just use the batteries. And they really eat up the batteries if you do that instead.

Not to mention microphone and speaker quality and performance.


Mark...

 

[Mark W]

I havent met anyone who uses ham on the trail yet how many actually get use out of their lic on the trail?? I use CB. The last run i went on there wasnt one Ham user.

Bobby

In our core group of about a dozen or so, we have about 8 guys running 2m now. And we've only been moving that way for about a year now.

Even if you weed out all the chintzy CBs, there is no comparison between the performance of a CB and a 2M.



Mark...

 

[BC_FJC]

I havent met anyone who uses ham on the trail yet how many actually get use out of their lic on the trail?? I use CB. The last run i went on there wasnt one Ham user.

Bobby

Our Club is making the slow move over to ham. My last trip out we where split about 50/50 between CB and Ham and it was great since there was 4 groups of us at different points along the 2 day trail. CB was good for close contact but with the ham radios all of the groups where able to stay in touch with one another.

On the next trip out there was only a single ham radio in the group and they kept getting split up and losing contact with one another. After this last trip it looks like a few more people will be heading down the ham path....

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

I have a Cobra 29 WX NW ST and magnetic mount antenna for the moment. I have a set of dual Wilsons I am going to put on as soon as I get an ARB roof rack.

HAM radio license and radio are in line.

 

[FJ40_owner]

Hi guys,

Just bought an 03 LC last week. Luv it.

Startin to think about radios. Is there a good way to do both CB and Ham?

Appreciate your suggestions.

Dave

PS: Will get a Technician license soon.

To listen only? Many "Ham" radios are able to receive down in the 26-27 MHZ range. They are unable to transmit there. If you want to transmit on both bands you will need two radios.

JB

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I havent met anyone who uses ham on the trail yet how many actually get use out of their lic on the trail?? I use CB. The last run i went on there wasnt one Ham user.

Bobby

Just about our whole group uses 2M on the trail. Even the Rubicon Wagon Run at Rubithon was all 2m this year.