Sorry to ask this, but I did a search and no results came back on the forum. It may seem like an odd question, but is there a Hamm/ CB radio combo for vehicles? Or is this even a good idea? Any info would be great.
FCC rules disallow combining amateur features into any other radio than an amateur radio. So you'll have to purchase separately.
I like the idea of owning things with multiple uses, but it looks like i will have no choice. Thanks for the info. Happy Birthday Devil Dog!!!!
The only way you're going to get that, is by getting one of the ultra cheap, yet hard to use Baofeng HTs. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baofeng_uv5r/ They have a cult following, because they're a $30-50 HT that can transmit and receive across the board, no restriction circuits or whatever. My friend has the UV-5, and I found it much less intuative then my Kenwood HT. But for $50-60, alot of people are giving them a try, they're everywhere on ebay and amazon. But as kd7dvd was saying, doing things like transmitting 5watts on CB is verboten.
Thanks everybody. I will most likely just get a mounted CB for the jeep and a hand held Ham after i study up a bit.
Have you looked in to "10m export radios" or " multimode 10m radio" the can cover 12 10 and 11meters which is quite a nice package alternatively my yeast 450 can be "unlocked" to work outside of the ham bands. I have a cb in my truck which does am fm and the various country's specific frequency's , a wouxun 2m 70cm HT which is wide banded and my trusty yeasu 450. If you cant find any ill find you some models to search for
Hi CB radios are of limited use, especially in emergency circumstances, as their range is limited. Amateur radio units, I'm speaking VHF and UHF, can utilize repeaters, which increase their effective range a great deal. Repeaters typically are placed on high ground and are maintained by local ham operators. Repeaters can be found across the country Further, once you become a ham, you will learn proper radio etiquette, which is important because it keeps the airwaves clear, and that is vital during emergencies. Since CB operators are not licensed, etiquette isn't taught, and individuals can at times monopolize a frequency. You are best served by getting your Technician license- this license allows for VHF and UHF freq use; the test is not overly difficult if you study and prepare. Later, if you become intrigued by using HF, you can study for your General license, and, finally, the Amateur Extra license, which allows the operator to use the full range of FCC defined Amateur Radio frequencies. If you want to hear CB broadcasts, get a hh scanner or a hh wide band receiver to go along with your Ham rig.
In the US, a CB (11m) radio requires an FCC certification. On the other hand, a radio capable of working on Amateur Radio Service frequencies cannot receive any certification at all. A CB radio modified for amateur use even if the user has an amateur license has it's certification voided. Such a radio may operate on amateur frequencies, but never again on CB frequencies. These rules may be dumb, but they are quite expensive to break, with fines on the order of $7000 to $11000. And, oddly enough, people really do get caught. Occasionally. IMNSHO, CB is good for scoring drugs, Amateur Radio is good for emergency services. Please do not let the necessity of licensing put you off. Also, should you attain an Amateur Extra license, you will have access to (by my calculation) about 7% of the radio spectrum. Seriously!
To be clear, it is the radio that must meet certification, which is done by the manufacturer or importer. The operator need not be certified. CB is the Citizen's Band and is license free (though you probably need to be 18 and other rot like that.)
Just so. Also, no age limits. The only people who are excluded are "representatives of foreign governments." That generally means the ambassador and certain of his staff. Merely being a non-citizen is no bar to operating a CB or getting a ham license in the US.
I think the lack of formal study and license is what makes CB so off-putting. We live in times when many would question the efficacy of amateur radio, what with SMS, email, cell phones, etc., readily available. it's only when those other services aren't working that the advantages of ham radio become clear. Hurricane Sandy hit my area, not nearly as bad as the shore areas of NY & NJ, but I did lose power for a full week, both at home and at work. I was fortunate that relatives and friends, who live nearby, did not lose power, so my family was able to get hot meals, get warm and charge our cell phones. I was fortunate that I didn't need to reach out for help, but I could have, if the need arose, via ham radio.
I can tune into the CB bands and when I got really bored with the broadcast stations I would tune in to the 11m band and remember why I like the licensing requirements for 2m and 10m. Using 10m I can talk direct from Washington to Texas AM or FM. Try that with CB. Sent from a remote location using smoke signals.
My longest contact on 10 meters, Seattle to Brisbane, with 50 watts into a little bitty dipole. The guy sounded like he was in the next room. We deduced that at that wavelength we hit the atmosphere 4 times and the ocean three times.
There is a 10M FM repeater in Dallas. I used to be able to hit that with my mobile rig from Seattle. (Not sure about the propagation now though.) I hit the Ukraine from Seattle on 40M SSB. (mobile)