Communications Equipment / Radios

jshupe wrote:
Who has CB/ ham/ or radio scanners in their vehicles, and why?

I have multiple.. In part due to when and why they were purchased but here goes.

CB: I have two, One I purchased for the motor home is a high end Cobra, it lives on chan 19 with a NO GROUND PLANE antenna (Radio Sahck) mounted so the TIP of the antenna is just above the highest point on the RV (Doubles as a bridge stick that way) on the "A" pillar, Ran the coax up inside the pllar, sealed the pass hole with GOOP and put hhe mounting bracket over it.. Install looks professional and works fairly well. Radios on chan 19 have saved me much grief when they told me of the road ahead.. Once I was able to slow down enough to avoid springing a radiator leak (you get those when you rear end someone) on black ice, Alas the two cars I stopped near were not so lucky,, I wound up taking them home after the report was made out... Cop had a nice warm and dry interview room (my van) to work in too.
The other time it was a pair of fatal accidents.. I saw an exit, was in the righ lane, so exited,,, JUST as they closed the road ahead.. Nice night, Slept well, continued on in the AM.. Poor guy behind me had to suffer through hours long traffic jam.

And there have been lesser times as well.

CB #2 is on 13, mag mount (18" more of a dummy load than an antenna) in the basement.. This is just in case another RVer in range tries the "Good Sam" channel.. if I hear anything I am likely to switch the Cobra over to answer.. This radio came out of another vehicle we used to own.. Could not find it when I installed the Cobra, Found it like 2 years later.

HAM: Cockpit is a VHF/UHF FM (Currently a kenwood) This is the one I'm most likely to talk on, With the aid of repeaters and today LINKED repeaters I can often chat with someone from start of trip to end if I wish... Here in Georgia for example we have the "Georgia Conference" Echo link node.. Repeaters all over the state, and in other states as well Many states have interlinked repeaters now.

MAIN RADIO (This is in my "Radio Room" which like Joe Walsh's is equipped with the latest in net member accessories...... A toilet (it is the half bath in this bath and a half model) Kenwood TS-2000, all band (160 through 70cm) all mode (with the aid of one of my laptops) does AM/FM/SSB/CW/SSTV and many other digital modes. but I'd rather not operate HF when driving. (not that I could not with this radio) anmd besides I can "remote it" from the cockpit Kenwood if I wish (NO, not Sky Command, this dual radio has many remote options).

WHY: Well, I have been in places where my Cell phones (two differnet companies) did not work.. I have been in palces where the CB's could not reach help. I have yet to be in a place where I could not yell for help on that TS-2000..

100 watts Voice.. around 30-40 when running PSK.. Voice I can talk to over half the country,, PSK over half the world.. And I have the QSL cards to prove it.