How many use HAM vs C/B for rig to rig etc?

[FIRE_UP]

Ladies and Gents,
The subject of C/Bs gets brought up every so often and is debated whether or not folks still install and use them. But, not many mention too much about HAM radios. I know and understand that the use of HAM radios requires a license as, I have one. I've had it for 8 years and have dabbled only a small amount in it. But, from my short experimentation with HAM so far, mostly at home with a small hand held handy talkie but, also a tad bit of use of a mobile unit in one of my vehicles, I've found it to be considerably stronger in signal and capabilities.

There's all kinds of technical reasons why they perform better and I won't go into them now. But, this post is primarily for those who have experience with HAM radios, maybe use them from RV to RV while traveling and or, also my use them in say, Jeep to Jeep while venturing off road. My level of license is TECHNICIAN and, there are two levels higher.

For those of you that care and or, are wondering, the higher the level of license, the more frequencies you can use, different ranges, and a whole lot more.

While traveling in groups, even two or more, C/Bs in the past have been outstandingly helpful and, whether or not I (and anyone I may travel with, on or off road)migrate over to HAM radios for the same basic communications, remains to be seen.

For anyone interested, acquiring the first level of HAM license is phenomenally simple. There is no longer (and hasn't been for quite a few years)a requirement to know Morse Code. There are classes all over the U.S. that are one day classes and, at the end of the session, you take your 35 question test and, are issued your license. The folks that volunteer for teaching and helping administrate those sessions are outstanding people.

Anyway, just wondering, just how many might already be using HAM radios for coach to coach, Jeep to Jeep type communications and how do you like it vs the old "C/B" stuff?
Scott

[tropical36]

Back in the day and at the height of the CB radio craze, the 11 meter AM band got so jammed with foolishness and splatter, that many of us simply converted our single side band CB's to include the 10 meter band and consisting of the frequencies 28.000 to 29.700 MHz. This was of course in violation of something or the other, including those who had a ham license and thought by many to be punishable by life in prison or worse....lol
Still have a couple of the these radios and are saving them for my great grandchildren and the Smithsonian.

[Can_t_Wait_Now]

Only bad thing with both ham radio and cb well with the 2 m not a problem but solar storms can cause havoc. When I drove truck was times I just turned cb off all you heard was noise from the solar cycle Today you can get on HF at my location was a major geomagnetic storm that has disrupted the atmosphere I am still new less than 3 years a Ham and still learning

[mowermech]

Ah, yes, the "update to make things better".
That must have been when the portal I normally used (http://www.woodalls.com/cforum/index.cfm?site=WPD) quit working. It still doesn't.

[CA_Traveler]

The problem was apparently introduced in a Jan update. A number of users and moderators are aware of the issue and preview will also fail. I made an administrator aware of the problem who apparently contacted IT.

You can use a different portal or add https:// to the link.

[mowermech]

CA Traveler wrote:

mowermech wrote:
I wonder why the connection resets and won't allow me to post here?

Since Jan it's been known that using a percent symbol will cause that. There are several workarounds.

OK, I did not know that, and I am obviously not aware of any "work-arounds". From now on I will write out "percent" instead of using the symbol.
HMMM... It has been known since January, and the problem hasn't been solved yet?
I wonder why...

[wa8yxm]

I run multiple radios.. Did that for over 25 years professionally (At a desk) so now I do it on the road for fun

CB-13.. Well I had a 2nd unit and that's the "Good Sam's" Channel after all
CB-19.. Has saved me much grief in my travels as I find out about things up ahead (Accidents) in time to avoid the back up or, perhaps even participating. (Done both thanks to the radio)

Ham, at differnt times eithe ra 2Meter or 2Meter/70CM (Antenna does both) and a 2nd 2 Meter on 146.52.. I always have something listening to '52.

In a truck stop once (pulled into a truck lane that was out of service to wash windshield) and when i got back in one of the truckers gave me a call on '52.. Only happened once.


Which do I prefer for rig-rig.. Well 2mtr/70cm would be my first choice but that needs at least a Technician class ham in all vehicles.

Had one trip where there were 3 of us (3 cars) all of us had 2mtr, 6Mtr and 11Mtr radios.. The non-ham only talked on 11Meters (CB) One car on 2 mtr and the other on six so we could chat much like siting around a table.

[CA_Traveler]

mowermech wrote:
I wonder why the connection resets and won't allow me to post here?

Since Jan it's been known that using a % symbol will cause that. There are several workarounds.

[mowermech]

Well, let's try again.
Amateur Radio is alive and well.
Maybe if I keep it short, the system will aloow the post to go through.
KJ7POE

[mowermech]

I wonder why the connection resets and won't allow me to post here?

[Kidoo]

Same in my area, Ham radio is not as active as before but we still have a good number of people using them. Many got rid of their Ham radio and got Satelite phone for remote areas without cell coverage. It is much more expensive, like $50 a month, but they can receive call from home and call home or receive and send e mails.
We have ham radio association to maintain the repeaters and it cost me $40 a year to get in the club and use the radio to phone home.

Here is a link if you come north of Quebec city:
http://www.raqi.ca/ve2crs/
http://www.raqi.ca/va2bca/
http://www.raqi.ca/va2crr/

[TragedyTrousers]

I thought Ham Radio was pretty much a dead or dying hobby. With the advent of cellphones and internet it pretty much killed it off.

[Kaz]

FIRE UP wrote:
Ladies and Gents,
...Anyway, just wondering, just how many might already be using HAM radios for coach to coach, Jeep to Jeep type communications and how do you like it vs the old "C/B" stuff?
Scott

K4EAK here...

I've got both CB and 2m/440 in my motorhome (the latter is an Icom ID-5100 which also gives me D-STAR and cross-band repeat) (and a separate 2m/440 radio in my truck). Essentially all of my coach-to-coach communication is on 2-meter for a few reasons. First, I'm a member of the FMCA Amateur Radio Chapter. If you're not a member, you ought to join. It's a very active chapter, with periodic rallies (one is coming up in Amarillo in July that, unfortunately, I'll miss), a great newsletter, formal or informal gatherings at FMCA conventions, annual get-togethers at the Orlando Hamcation, and so on. Information is here: FMCA ARC. When the FMCA ARC members are around, we use 146.55 as the comm frequency.

Second, for long road trips, I've got a bumper sticker that reads "K4EAK 146.520 MHz" and will occasionally get a call from someone on the road. It doesn't happen as often as it used to, but it's still fun when it does.

Third, I'll often give a holler on the calling frequency when I get to a campground and will often get a call back, which as you would expect often ends up in an enjoyable chat. Or, call up the local repeater and chat with the locals, which is a great way to get local information.

Finally, about the only thing I use the CB for is tuning in for traffic information, usually when I'm at a dead stop and I'm trying to determine whether I should wait out the delay, or blow my brains out and end my misery. However, I'll also give a call on the 2-meter calling frequency and it's surprising how often I get a call back. There was a movement many years ago, which resurfaces every now and then, to make CB channel 13 an RV calling frequency, but I never had much luck with it and I've given up trying.

Incidentally, you didn't ask, but I also sometimes carry my Field Day portable box (IC-706MkII-G) with me, and erect a hamstick dipole to mess around on HF. I've got hamsticks for 10-, 20, and 40-meters and they work surprisingly well. Here's a little write-up from a FMCA-ARC rally a couple years ago that shows my HF setup: FMCA ARC March 2014

Hope that helps,
73 Skip K4EAK

[J-Rooster]

SCVJeff wrote:

J-Rooster wrote:

CA Traveler wrote:
Where have all of the truckers gone? Cell phones, HAM or?

Great Question! I trucked on the West Coast for 44-1/4 years. Most of us truckers had 10 liter radios and we talked on the funny channels (These were channels that we had installed in our radios that were above Channel 40. Old CB's had 23 channels until the late 70's when CB's were allowed to have 40 channels. Funny Channels are Channel 41 and above the channels we talked on on I-5 were in the 70's) I ran a Galaxy DX-44 and it was pumped up plus I ran a 250 Watt Amp. What I really liked about the DX-44 was it was able to pull in the signal to the other trucker that I was talking to as we were driving in the opposite direction. I had a CB Radio Shop install my funny channels and it was very nice quiet polite channels. Truckers get sick in tired of listening to filth on the regular 40 channels where most of the filth comes from and the worst was coming out of Tacoma, WA. base sets. We complained to the FCC to no avail.

Did you call em' and say you can't talk over those filthy truckers even with your 1/4 gal linear? 🙂

I used to build those way back then but the smallest we sold was 300w dead carrier.

Btw: Liter = Meter

To honestly answer your question I couldn't get ahold of any of the line drivers! I caught up to a few of them at a coffee stop and they told me why I couldn't get ahold of them. Bye Bye to that useless Cobra 40 Channel CB and hello Galaxy 44DX. Most of the filth were coming from base sets ran out of people houses in the Seattle/Tacoma area not the truckers that I ran with.

[1971duster340]

Family handheld (hunters) radios are FM mode, need no license and sold in Walmart, Academy, etc. They get CB talk distance, are portable and have taken the place of some CBs which are AM. VHF/UHF Ham (FM) radios are also nice all the time, but I quit using HF while moving...too hard to mount the antenna on the camper and not bang limbs/overpasses. I set up HF antennas if we're overnighting or longer for awhile.

There aren't many predetermined Ham freq. like CB Ch19. There are Ham Nets that meet regularly at a certain time on a certain freq. The number of people on Ch19 and the lack of a license are what has made CB so popular.

As far distance, a CB handheld, 5 watts, might get you 3 miles...A VHF handheld, 5 watts, 20 miles.

I think communication capabilities today are catching up with Amateur Radio, but it will never replace Hams.

[SCVJeff]

Ed_Gee wrote:

2lazy4U wrote:
I've heard that a lot of HAMs are getting older and it's not as popular as it once was with the advent of the cell phone.

There are more licensed amateur radio operators in America today than there have ever been.

The question is how many are still active? The bands are empty these days... All of them.