Radio for when Cell Phones won't work

[swatdoc]

Basic radio theory is relevant to the discussion. SSB (Single Side Band) is a fairly effective method of longer-range communication using voice (CB'ers call this 'skip') and has to do with propagation via the ionosphere. AM modulation is also a fairly archaic system limited by transmitting power. In short, more power is 'wasted' on the carrier wave, and less goes into actually modulation of the voice signal. Hence why amateur radio ops seldom use it! SSB puts almost all of the power into the actual transmission of voice. It also introduces a number of other frequencies as band width is reduced and upper vs. lower side-band are both available. As well as 'free-band' frequencies with illegally modified (read: "export") radios.

The parameters of Amplitude Modulation, low power, and frequency (~27Mhz) were likely chosen by the FCC more to limit the effectiveness of long range communication more so than enhance it. When you communicate short range on CB it's via ground-wave propagation. Again, less than ideal, but was this by design? Vertical polarization (e.g. most mobile antennas) also introduce a lot of noise into the reception since most terrestrial noise shares the same polarity. Transmissions are very susceptible to noise from vehicle electrical systems, alternators, computers, etc. Squelch on an AM signal is difficult to achieve. Hence you almost always have a static hiss, or take a chance of missing a weaker transmission. Antennas are very dependent on ground plane. You need a chunk of metal with a solid coupling to ground. The hand-held CB's suffer from this major limitation of antenna length / ground plane and therefore are of very limited range. Recall the old 27mhz 'walkie-talkies' if you grew up in the 60's/70's! Lucky to transmit across the street, let alone your neighborhood.

So what's all this mean? Do I think you should have a CB? Definitely. Should you rely on it as your sole means of commo? Not such a good idea. It has a niche. Ham radio offers much, much more for more reasons than I can recite. But I encourage you to get licensed. It's the only way to become familiar with your gear and test it out prior to really needing it. Would you buy a new tactical rifle and never take it out of the box until the zombie hordes were crossing the front yard?!? Think once again and think hard about taking the test and getting a license. It's not that hard. Hey, I'm a doc and I passed!

[agentl074]

Originally Posted by swatdoc

Basic radio theory is relevant to the discussion. SSB (Single Side Band) is a fairly effective method of longer-range communication using voice (CB'ers call this 'skip') and has to do with propagation via the ionosphere. AM modulation is also a fairly archaic system limited by transmitting power. In short, more power is 'wasted' on the carrier wave, and less goes into actually modulation of the voice signal. Hence why amateur radio ops seldom use it! SSB puts almost all of the power into the actual transmission of voice. It also introduces a number of other frequencies as band width is reduced and upper vs. lower side-band are both available. As well as 'free-band' frequencies with illegally modified (read: "export") radios.

The parameters of Amplitude Modulation, low power, and frequency (~27Mhz) were likely chosen by the FCC more to limit the effectiveness of long range communication more so than enhance it. When you communicate short range on CB it's via ground-wave propagation. Again, less than ideal, but was this by design? Vertical polarization (e.g. most mobile antennas) also introduce a lot of noise into the reception since most terrestrial noise shares the same polarity. Transmissions are very susceptible to noise from vehicle electrical systems, alternators, computers, etc. Squelch on an AM signal is difficult to achieve. Hence you almost always have a static hiss, or take a chance of missing a weaker transmission. Antennas are very dependent on ground plane. You need a chunk of metal with a solid coupling to ground. The hand-held CB's suffer from this major limitation of antenna length / ground plane and therefore are of very limited range. Recall the old 27mhz 'walkie-talkies' if you grew up in the 60's/70's! Lucky to transmit across the street, let alone your neighborhood.

So what's all this mean? Do I think you should have a CB? Definitely. Should you rely on it as your sole means of commo? Not such a good idea. It has a niche. Ham radio offers much, much more for more reasons than I can recite. But I encourage you to get licensed. It's the only way to become familiar with your gear and test it out prior to really needing it. Would you buy a new tactical rifle and never take it out of the box until the zombie hordes were crossing the front yard?!? Think once again and think hard about taking the test and getting a license. It's not that hard. Hey, I'm a doc and I passed!

Thanks!

[Lars]

for what it's worth, The technician ham license, is something my mom passed.

She's an art teacher. Anything electronic, scientific, or even remotely logical qualifies as Magic. Yet she has her license. In California there was a 9 year old who has her Extra Class License. She comes to visit the W9IMS station during the Indy 500 every year as a guest Op. Her brother was 7, and already had his General.

The tests aren't that hard. Don't require much study at all. I went to a ham fest with a friend a few years ago, having never looked at a single piece of study material, and missed the Tech license by 1 question just using common sense.

Take a look at this link: Become a Ham | W9ZEB Dot Org

It's really not difficult, and certainly (at least from a licensing stand point) not expensive.

[jeremy]

My problem with the license is not the difficulty of the test or my lack of knowledge. It is there just is not enough hours in the day right now.

[CulpeperMM]

Originally Posted by W9ZEB

Take a look at this link: Become a Ham | W9ZEB Dot Org

thanks for this
repped

[Justus]

Originally Posted by jeremy

My problem with the license is not the difficulty of the test or my lack of knowledge. It is there just is not enough hours in the day right now.

Here ya go:
QRZ.COM QRZ Ham Radio Practice Tests

In the time spent cruising INGO you could be practicing the exam online!

[jeremy]

Originally Posted by Justus

Here ya go:
QRZ.COM QRZ Ham Radio Practice Tests

In the time spent cruising INGO you could be practicing the exam online!

I should be learning to speak Pashtu in the time I am cruising INGO...

Ok actually I just don't need another bottomless pit to though my money into. I already own guns and a CJ. Not to mention the wife...

[Dr Falken]

Originally Posted by jeremy

I should be learning to speak Pashtu in the time I am cruising INGO...

Ok actually I just don't need another bottomless pit to though my money into. I already own guns and a CJ. Not to mention the wife...

Well I have guns and a wife and an XJ, oh maybe that's why I have More money/fewer repairs Seriously, I'd like to gently encourage all to get their license, and it's good for 10 years. And a radio for $100-130 mobile or HT in 2 meter, and your good to go for most stuff. Even if you just get the license, in a situation you could borrow a radio and be legal. Of course having friends that relentlessly hassle you to get a license, well that helps a lot...sometimes you just have to "cowboy the f**K up and do it!"

[Sailor]

What kind of range can I get with about a 65 watt mobile unit 2 meter used as a base with a good antenna and good coax, simplex, repeaters, and ssb? Antenna will be about 25-30 ft high.

[Justus]

Originally Posted by Sailor

What kind of range can I get with about a 65 watt mobile unit 2 meter used as a base with a good antenna and good coax, simplex, repeaters, and ssb? Antenna will be about 25-30 ft high.

You'll have to define "good antenna".

You won't need 65 watts to use the local repeaters.

At that height you should be able to "work" some distant repeaters.
For the most part, 2 meter is considered line-of-sight,
so the horizon or terrain are the limits to distance.
You might want to use 2 antennas since it's a base station.
A good omni for local low-power use and
a rotatable directional to see just how far out you could get.

I've never used 2 meter SSB.