Re: CB Radios

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

>> This weekend one truck had an amplifier on the CB and it was very
>> impressive. Is this a good idea or are there any comments?
>
>And also very illegal -- not that the FCC cares very much about CB these
>days.  4 watts is the max. legal output for CB.  If you run a linear
>amp, don't advertise it, and don't use it if anyone near you has a CB,
>or you could fry their radio. 

Even if you see a radio advertised as "5 watts".. they're lieing.  typically
they mean they've amplifiied the signal internally to 5 watts.. As Dan says,
4w is the legal max transmit.

OTOH, I'll confess to owning a 100watt linear amplifier for the 10 and 11
meter bands (CB is 11m).  I will not publicly confess to USING that device,
however..

At one point I was halfway through my HAM Tech license, and I still plan on
finishing the tests.. But...

Per FCC regulations, in an EMERGENCY situation, an amateur radio operator
can use whatever frequencies and output wattages necessary to resolve the
crisis.

I know there are full fledged HAMs lurking on the list, and they may or may
not agree with me...

But, my linear is for an emergency.  when I go for a drive through Montana
and I'm 100+ miles from the nearest 2-barn town, if I need help, I'm going
to use my linear.

Even if the FCC rule of "whatever necessary" doesn't apply to CBers with
Linears.. I'll be more than happy to pay the fine when the Radio Police come
bust me for running 100watts on the CB bands.. when my alternative is to
wait out the -20 weather until spring when the plows come through and hit my
Scout under a snow bank, with my frozen corpse inside.

'nuff said.

>Speaking of CB and range..  How about SSB?  You get 12 watts output, and
>15 miles range is pretty routine.  A friend of mine got a Cherokee

SSB is great.. if EVERYONE has it.. which most don't.

I've also never seen an SSB radio at a Pawn shop for $50 or less (where I
buy most of my radios.. every vehicle I own has a CB, and I have an 8' whip
on the roof of the house with a base station)

>leave you can take it with you so it doesn't get stolen.  It can be
>easily modified (jumper across 3 pairs of solder pads) for 400 channels
>covering the entire 10 meter ham band.  The LCD displays both channel
>and will be selling them for around $225.  Oh no, now I sound like the

For the HAM wanna-bees..

The Uniden 2510 Presidential (I think that's right) is a 10meter HAM radio,
that.. just like the unit Dan describes, can be "jumped" in one spot, and it
covers the 10m HAM, the 11m CB, and all of the restricted frequencies
inbetween.  (23Mhz-->30Mhz?? I can't remember)

It also has FM modulation, a really slick looking "meter" in the face (LCD),
and loads of other bells n' whistles.  OTOH, it puts out 10watts, which is
illegal on the CB freqs.  But, it's one radio that covers the CB freqs and
the 10m HAM spectrum..

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT