Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2005 » 02/01/2005 to 02/29/2005 » Hand held cb radios « Previous Next »

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Firefighter21
New member
Username: Firefighter21

Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 10:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does anyone have a idea of a good hand held cb radio i dont want to send a lot but i want one that is going to get out a little bit. ????
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2135
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

at 27 mhz hand helds are not a realy good idea. Sorry but even MURS ( VHF CB ) walkies work better. I have several CB HT's the cobra being the best of them but range is only a mile or so.
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Coyote
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Username: Coyote

Post Number: 95
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 12:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Maybe try the Cherokee AH-100. Even though they are discontinued, you can still pick them up on the internet auction sites as I see a good number of them being sold. It's a 40 channel SSB. Just depend's on how much you want to spend. You can get straight 40 channel AM only fairly cheap but as Bruce said, not much range on them.
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Chad
Intermediate Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 109
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have a couple old GE 40CH units that have come in very handy on road trips with friends that don't have radios, I think I got them from Marlboro miles :-)

Also came in handy on vacation in the wifes car (radios in there are a no-no) during a traffic jam, got around it on a bypass and was well ahead of everyone else. I like the headphone jack, sometimes you don't want the kid listening to the truckers!

Not a bad thing to have around.
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Harvester
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Username: Harvester

Post Number: 10
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 11:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

depends. will you just use it in the car ,if so you can add a better antenna and get out .

as for a hand held battery powered unit they dont work well .you can listen ok though

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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2140
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 5:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

depends. will you just use it in the car ,if so you can add a better antenna and get out .....

Why buy a walkie if you do this?????
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Sitm
Intermediate Member
Username: Sitm

Post Number: 169
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 11:00 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Firefighter,
I have several hand held 11 meter radios. They work very well and I have been able to have QSO with my home base from 5 miles or so.
I have had QSO with mobile units at 2 miles or so. So to answer the question you asked, (as opposed to the being told you shouldn't get one) I have several hand held units. Try to get one that has high and low power. Low power generally being .5 watts and high near 5 watts. get one that you can use with a bnc connector to use with external antenna. Make sure you have a meter on unit it is very useful and gives you an idea when your signal strength is going down.

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Sitm
Intermediate Member
Username: Sitm

Post Number: 170
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 11:38 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Firefighter,
Also, try to get a hand held unit with weather bands. Three of mine have them and I have found that is extremely handy.
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Sitm
Intermediate Member
Username: Sitm

Post Number: 171
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 11:40 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

getting one that will take a external mike is good too.

Sorry so many post. Thinking while I am work.
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Bob_p
Advanced Member
Username: Bob_p

Post Number: 667
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 8:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I did use a couple of Cobra 38 ST hand held in my 4X4 before I inatalled a regular radio, and with a cheap mag-mount it worked ok to keep in touch with the guys on the trail. I believe I had a speaker mic. with it, but that might have been my 2m HT so...

Anyway over all it is very useful for short distances when offroading.


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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2145
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 8:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The key is SHORT distance when you put a antenna and tie it to power it is NO LONGER A HT.
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Bob_p
Advanced Member
Username: Bob_p

Post Number: 669
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 4:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I agree Bruce, used alone in the area I live I got about a 1/4 mile on high power with the Cobra by itself with the rubber ducky antenna.
On the little FRS/GMRS Motorola T5720's radios I have. I get a get signal at the local post office, which is about a 1/2 mile away, and they are quite.
But I live in a forrested area with lots of trees, so I imagine they would both do better in an open area.


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Bluegrass
Intermediate Member
Username: Bluegrass

Post Number: 113
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 5:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

get a handheld with a telescoping antenna they really get out.
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2149
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bluegrass

In 1969 when i was at Ft. Knox i carried a Radioshack 5 watt CB walkie talike with a 5 foot pull up whip. Now i could get form on top on the hill at the south post entrance ( 31W ) about 3-5 miles WHEN THERE WAS NO SKIP..... If i go up on my roof with my MURS 2 watt radio and a 19 inch wip i can get at least 5 to a base and 3-5 easy to a well equiped car.... FRS/GMRS radios will do about 2 miles in the clear...... with a 6 inch wip. Even on 52.525 6 meters my handheld antenna is almost as bad as CB and ranges are just a few miles.

THE FACT IS antennas on a 27 mhz radio are almost a dummy load even a pull up wip has little or no counterpoise just the persom holding the radio! GO VHF MURS or UHF GMRS if you need to carry a radio around.
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Firefighter21
New member
Username: Firefighter21

Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 8:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

thanx all for the information keep telling me more if you got any.
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Sitm
Intermediate Member
Username: Sitm

Post Number: 172
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 10:46 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Last night, after reading these post. I was talking on my base radio to several regulars that are different distances from my QTH. I took my hand held radio outside and talked to three base stations 4, 6 and 7 miles away.

That is a fact, not an opinion.
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Hotwire
Junior Member
Username: Hotwire

Post Number: 28
Registered: 1-2005


Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 1:32 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I started out at age 4 with walkies. I know for a fact that rubber duck antennas are junk on 11 meters. Using a radio shack model with about a 5 foot telescopic antenna and fresh batteries I can talk to the next town about 5 miles away. I think its all about location and elevation. The radio shack walkies from the early 90's were nice.They have a good reciever too. Now that I think about it. Wouldnt a totally portable All Mode transciever be cool? Probably need a big battery!
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2169
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 7:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"I took my hand held radio outside and talked to three base stations 4, 6 and 7 miles away. "

To a well equipted base with no skip you could do this ..... HOWEVER ..... on MURS or GMRS with my 18 foot tall base antenna i can work HT's easly that far. The fact is a CB radio needs a 9 foot antenna to work at its best ..... Murs is happy with 19 inches and GMRS with 6. It is so easy to get base antenna gain and have background noise below .2 UV at MURS and FRS/GMRS it makes little sence to play with HT's at 27 or even 29.6 ...... yes i have BOTH.
MURS IS CB just on a higher frequency band and no skip and little noise. If someone has a real need for a HT VHF/UHF is where you need to be.
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Bluegrass
Intermediate Member
Username: Bluegrass

Post Number: 118
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 9:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yeah! if your in the right spot you can really get out.i have a realistic trc-216 handheld with a 47 inch telescoping antenna and i can talk about 3-5 miles from outside my house and 1/2-1 mile inside.
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2171
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 12:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hotwire

I have a all mode 28 mhz AM/FM/SSB HT and worked costra rica ( on USB ) from tampabay standing on my lawn. As for range on 6 meters with a 55 inch wip i can talk about 10 miles and worked into Ohio on skip. Right now I have ht's for everything from 11 meters to 3/4 meters, MURS, GMRS and FRS. Best iv'e done on 2 meters to a 1100 foot high receiver i can talk 50 miles when in the open and on 440 mhz (3/4 meters) best iv'e done is almost 200 miles on a good tropo opening. In 1982 i was working at the Kennedy Space Center on pad 39b and from the 200 foot level got back to the Largo repeater 120 miles away running just 2 watts. Dx CAN be done ....

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