Posted: 8/13/2009 8:06:57 PM EDT
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Can any one tell me the range I should expect from a pair of these 4 watt output portable CBs. Midland
No body online offers an estimated range as many 2 way radio manufacturers do. Well say under optimum conditions, even though my area isnt. I used to have a cheapo junk CB portable and that thing couldnt even reach a mile. Aslo can anybody recomend a good portable CB for me. Id like to get a pair for me and my brother for when we go shooting, messing around, or if SHTF. Thanks |
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Quoted:
Can any one tell me the range I should expect from a pair of these 4 watt output portable CBs. Midland No body online offers an estimated range as many 2 way radio manufacturers do. There's a good reason for that, which is there is no reasonable way to estimate range, which will vary tremendously with terrain as well as atmospheric and propagation conditions at the frequency CB operates at. Published range estimates for most consumer communications products are best described as "wishful thinking" at best or more commonly, "pure fantasy" in any event. More than likely you'll get 1 to 2 miles over average terrain. Well say under optimum conditions, even though my area isnt.
Couple of miles at best. ~12" rubber duck antenna at CB frequencies would be horribly inefficient. I used to have a cheapo junk CB portable and that thing couldnt even reach a mile.
Aslo can anybody recomend a good portable CB for me. Id like to get a pair for me and my brother for when we go shooting, messing around, or if SHTF. IMO, no such thing as a "good portable CB" If you want good usable reliable communications, look to something - almost anything - besides CB. Best advice for high performance communications for personal use outside of the amateur radio service would be either GMRS ($80 license) or MURS (no license, but limited power output and only 5 channels). |
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About like a good GMRS radio unless you hook up a larger external antenna.
I have a similar setup, external magnetic antenna, hand mic, and cigarette plug power source. Works fair for on the highway which for a CB fair is good enough unless you want to get illegal with them and tracked down one day. Tj |
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I ave a couple of Cobra HH36s. I've talked form one house to another, about 8-9 miles. BUT one was using an antenna on top of the house and he other a mobile anttena. Both had a BNC to SO239 adapter to mount the external antenna. CB freqencies are clear of all traffic most of the day around here. It was pretty clear but a t the limit of range. May not be able to do it on a given day.
We did the same thing with two MURS radios with 1 watt and went about 5 miles I think we could have made another mile or so but there are a lot of noisy power lines in that area.. Diffrence is the antenna size. The CB had a 1/4 wave antenna. Works out to 108" at frequency. The MURS at 154.600 is a little over 18 inches long to get a perfect match. Which one do you think works better on an HT ? I talk house to house eaisly with my 2 metter HT with the stock antenna and 5 watts. I cannot talk radio to radio. But I talk thru a repeater that is further than the house, right at 40 miles. How? Antenna height, I talk simplex (radio to radio) with 5 to 10 watts to a station 55-60 miles away. I can do this on demand. I can even do it with my HT hooked up to my base antenna. The reason my antenna is 40 feet up and the others is at 75-100 foot. We did a side by side with stock anttenas with the CB, MURS and FRS\GMRS radois. This was walking thru building and parks in town. In other words real world use, no picked settings. CB was the worst by far. Near overhead power lines it was useless unless very close together. Without power lines they were still in last place. They even came in last when one was hooked up to the house antenna. mobile could hear the house fair most of the time, but not vice versa. Then agian I've heard stations on the stock antenna several states away. You can hear if conditions are right but you can not talk. Not idea for 2 way communication The MURS at one watt was about equal to the FRS at 1/2 watt. The FRS did work a little better close to buildings ect. The FRS is in the 462-467 Mhz range and fins opening to get thru a litle better than the 154Mhz MURS. |
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Okay,, all these radio ters are really getting me confused.
I use a radio regularly at work for EMS, so I have a pretty decent understanding of VHF/UHF. But with other stuff I am lost. I read about the GMRS and they sound pretty good. But how do I find a radio that is GMRS. I did searches but everything is so confusing. Every radio claims to be FRS/GMRS, how could they be both, and which channels are which. I have no idea. Also its my understanding that the higher the watt output the better the range of the radio. Legal limit is 4 watts. But didnt it say that with a GMRS you can do more? How much more can you go? And whay cant I find any "GMRS" radios that are more than 2 watts. Wow radios are tough. |
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Quoted:
Okay,, all these radio ters are really getting me confused. I use a radio regularly at work for EMS, so I have a pretty decent understanding of VHF/UHF. But with other stuff I am lost. Your setup that you use for work more than likely uses a repeater setup, and the repeater will increase the range greatly. I read about the GMRS and they sound pretty good. But how do I find a radio that is GMRS. I did searches but everything is so confusing. GMRS radios are in the UHF range, they are. GMRS and FRS shared and have to be low power 462.5875 462.6125 462.6375 462.6625 462.6875 462.7125 GMRS only and you can have high power 462.5500 462.5750 462.6000 462.6250 462.6500 462.6750 462.7000 462.7250 The best way to find them is to look for LMR radios like ICOM link Every radio claims to be FRS/GMRS, how could they be both, and which channels are which. I have no idea. See above Also its my understanding that the higher the watt output the better the range of the radio. Legal limit is 4 watts. But didnt it say that with a GMRS you can do more? How much more can you go? And whay cant I find any "GMRS" radios that are more than 2 watts. I use icom 6061's and get a 14 miles range in my AO Wow radios are tough. |
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That helped out a bit, thanks.
I was looking at the Icom F21 before. I have read alot about using repeaters ( I know what they are if course, we have them in our rigs) question is would the FMRS radios work off of local repeaters? I would think not, and that they would only repeat particular channels. |
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Quoted: If I understand the legalities correctly, FRS may not use a repeater, external antenna, or more than .5W output. GMRS requires a license, can use repeaters, external antenna, and may transmit at up to 50W on the GMRS only frequencies. Correct. MURS is a good compromise: 2W limit, you can use external antenna's, it's VHF, and it is License-Free. ETA: In addition, there is no fee to use MURS, the radios are inexpensive and very durable, and you can just give them out to use without the others being family. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
If I understand the legalities correctly, FRS may not use a repeater, external antenna, or more than .5W output. GMRS requires a license, can use repeaters, external antenna, and may transmit at up to 50W on the GMRS only frequencies. Correct. MURS is a good compromise: 2W limit, you can use external antenna's, it's VHF, and it is License-Free. ETA: In addition, there is no fee to use MURS, the radios are inexpensive and very durable, and you can just give them out to use without the others being family. Yes, and a Murs does a little better broadcasting through things than GMRS. Both GMRS and Murs share one thing in common, not that many people on the frequencies. One of the reasons the CB still is around is how common it is on the highways and its emergency channel which may or many not be monitored depending on where you are. The lack of an external antenna on a GMRS is real handicap when convoying on the highway. The inside of a vehicle greatly reduces its range and you have to follow pretty close to each other. Since cell phones and the fact most interstates have cell service, I haven't used my CB in very long time even convoying on a trip. Probably the last time was in the boonies to hook up with a guy and only then because the only radio he had was a CB. In fact, out of a party of 12, other than myself brought just for him, he was the only one with a CB. Most had GMRS and two guys had hams. Tj |