CB radio's

[Kayos]

Im intending to do some green laning this year, and on the Landy forums a CB seems a good idea

My only previous experience is one bought for a few quid from a car boot many years ago and connected to an old tv aerial.......

I know a licence is no longer needed and my question is for the basic needs I have, can I just buy a cheap one?

As I know zero about them I would rather new, I like the look of this as I want it discreet as possible

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/CRT-ONE-AM-...-WORLDS-SMALLEST-CB-RADIO-OFFER-/161567585755

Any good? Or do I need to spend more (remember, I'm from Yorkshire )

I know I also need an aerial, but I have that covered

Thanks chaps

 

[ajlelectronics]

446 PMR would be so much better for you. Not expensive either for a pair.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I agree PMR radios are far better. You can have somebody on foot checking out route, if you come across difficult section, with a PMR.
FWIW only FM are UK legal so as the one linked is also AM then strictly if shouldn't be used here.

 

[Kayos]

I have some 2 ways from when I was a site supervisor, but as you don't know 100% who's turning up then CB's seem to be the best compromise

I didn't look at what else it did beyond price and the fact it's small, it will only get occasional use and I want it hidden away as much as possible

 

[TechnicAl]

Slightly off topic

Years ago my lad had one. We used it in the car when we were going caravanning (mostly to annoy the Truckers who always complained about caravans)

One day there was a knock on my front door........."Hello, Im Metal Mickeys Mother"...........I didnt know what to say

 

[Kayos]

Slightly off topic

Years ago my lad had one. We used it in the car when we were going caravanning (mostly to annoy the Truckers who always complained about caravans)

One day there was a knock on my front door........."Hello, Im Metal Mickeys Mother"...........I didnt know what to say

Bet that was interesting the one I had hooked up to the tv aerial mostly annoyed some locals who just talked ********, non stop

I was going to say you shouldn't have to spend that much, but it seems prices have a bit of a resurgence.

PMR is pretty limited in terms of range. Much more so than CB...

You can improve it, but it means not complying with the type approval which is just as illegal as an AM CB.

If that multistandard one linked to is similar to one I had a while ago, you choose which standard you want to use - so if you set GB that's what you can access without messing around in menus.

If you stick to the legal frequencies (27/81 and cept) and the legal power output (4w) I wouldn't think you'd have any trouble.

You say you're sorted for an aerial, is it a 'proper' one and do you know how to tune it?

I have a Stinger Springer (1.55m) and the base etc, been talking to a lad with one in his freelander, mounted above the o/s rear light and he says it works well for laning, and it's also out of the way. However if I wuss out of drilling a hole in the bodywork I may build a bracket on the spare wheel mount, I have no idea how to tune the aerial

I fully intend on sticking to legal frequencies, not interested in anything else

On a side note, I've been recommended a hand held one with sockets for connecting to a proper aerial in the car, they are more money and obviously easier to secure but with the stubby aerial are they any use when not in the car? Probably won't as I want this cheap, I'm just interested

 

[Kayos]

The PMR's I have were OK on a housing estate in Blackpool, mostly used to warn my lads the "senior" project manager (yet there was only him) was en-route, they are chucked in a box somewhere now

If the dinky one i linked is OK i will go for that, just need to work out where to put it

 

[Robotstar5]

I remember seeing a mount that fitted on the spare wheel carrier, it was clamped between wheel and carrier.
Googling Freelander spare wheel antenna mount bought up a few ideas.
Do you have roof rails fitted? can be mounted with this

 

[the snooper]

There's a reasonable 'how-to' on tuning here -- http://www.4x4cb.com/public/page.cfm?CatID=882 -- just one of the first from a quick google but hey...
You really should grab an SWR meter to 'make sure' the radio lasts - they don't much like mismatched aerials. The meters used to be pennies but if you get stuck I'll have a look.

I've still got a few cb radios in the loft a bandit 2 magmout and swr somewhere there are a couple of Am radios amongst them as well

 

[Robotstar5]

I've still got a few cb radios in the loft a bandit 2 magmout and swr somewhere there are a couple of Am radios amongst them as well

I've still got a few, the Cobra 148GTL was THE mobile to have in the "AM" days

 

[the snooper]

I've still got a few, the Cobra 148GTL was THE mobile to have in the "AM" days

I had a cobra 148gtl you missed the dx off
I still have a colt 444

 

[Robotstar5]

I had a cobra 148gtl you missed the dx off
I still have a colt 444

Didn't want to sound like an anorak

 

[the snooper]

Didn't want to sound like an anorak

It's just about deserted now unlike it's peak when the channels were that full you was lucky if you found one empty or if in use they were far enough away that it didn't affect you

 

[octo0072000]

I still have a few in the loft super star is one of them
but remember after 27/81\\fm they altered the bands again

 

[the snooper]

I still have a few in the loft super star is one of them
but remember after 27/81\\fm they altered the bands again

Yeah they added 40 European channels

 

[the snooper]

I've just read that in 2014 am and ssb was made legal but only new sets and nit multi mode sets

 

[octo0072000]

I've just read that in 2014 am and ssb was made legal but only new sets and nit multi mode sets

that's not fair

 

[octo0072000]

can't remember what the super star was in watts either 10 or 14 comes to mind well over the uks legal limit
anybody ever remember Handbag the trucker from years ago

 

[octo0072000]

Why is it not fair? All consumer radio transmission equipment has needed type approval and the 'old' multimodes were never approved. They have too much power and too much coverage.

If you were to mod an old cobra so it is limited to legal channels and 4w max output I'm sure they'd approve it

but that would take all the fun out of it
mine was used more outside the uk when running Europe on HGVs

 

[octo0072000]

Alternatively, do what I did.

Take exams, be allowed to make your own radio kit up to 400w on frequencies people actually use

thought about that years ago but never had time to do the exams used to be away up to 6 weeks at a time on the road and you no longer have to do Morse code