Appropriate CB radio for touring?

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Appropriate CB radio for touring?

Possum3 · Guru

UHF most useful although in certain areas need to be turned off due to offensive language. VHF handy if in less travelled areas.
The Sat phone or PLB can be handy if in remote country.

Nomad Mike Harding is very knowledgeable in this field give him a PM.

Greg 1 · Guru

I have a 5 amp cb by Oricom who are an Australian company. Normal cb has limited range depending on atmospheric conditions, terrain and your aerial. The most I have had out of mine is about 30kms. I have found that this has been adequate for what I want it for such as communication with truckies, fellow nomads, keeping a check on overwidth vehicles and roadworks. If you want more then HF is going to be necessary but very few run anything more than the standard UHF cb's.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Any quality 5W UHF will do the job for you. Choose the features to match your budget. The most important bit often mucked up is the aerial mounting position. It does not need to be a high gain one, but it needs to be mounted as high as possible on the roof to give best reception.

VHF are not frequencies that are typically available for public use.
HF is probably what you mean. That is for long range communications and is mostly used by "enthusiasts".
If you think you need something like that I would suggest a sat phone instead.

Whatever you choose, I strongly advise you take a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for serious emergencies.
Cheers,
Peter

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

To forum members.

Thank you to all who have responded to our post re the CB radio.

Have taken all advise on board we will price all items mentioned, ie. uhf cb radio, sat phone, and beacon.

Cheers and thanks to all.

Kerrie and John.

Still feel we should be on a tour bus with guide: safer. (Joke)

Mariner30 · Senior Member

Yes, You need a UHF band radio, VHF is used almost exclusively for marine use. Boats. You would have a long wait for a answer if on the roads. I drove trucks for more than 30 years and never heard of anyone using VHF on the roads, You also need a radio licence to transmit with VHF, which is a costly exercise that is not required for UHF. We have a number of VHF radios in our boats. No UHF sets.

PeterD · Guru

Rather than commit yourself to an expensive fit out with a 5 W transceiver with a vehicle mounted antenna, try a cheaper handheld unit. Anything with a transmitter (TX) power output of 2 W or less is suitable for the short range communications that is required for local traffic. Some of us have coped well with 1/2 W units.

All the receivers have the same sensitivity, a unit with a higher power TX will not receive other transmitters any further than a low power TX. The only difference between the units is you can not call quite as far. However, this is of little consequence when talking to others around you. When choosing between units, pick the one with the longer antenna. The longer the antenna the more efficient the antenna is.

Going this way with a cheap set will allow you to see if there is any value in carrying a full-blown installation. If you do upgrade your money will not be wasted, the small unit is handy for communication between the tug and one of you nearby.

-- Edited by PeterD on Monday 15th of March 2021 08:53:25 PM

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Thanks again for additional advise from members.

Will take into consideration cheap units for the interim.

Cheers to all: Kerrie and John.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

I find CB great to hear road works, wide loads or accidents a head . A few times I have picked up the traffic controllers talking . Said thanks Dave as I passed ! The look on his face ?? Lol . Do I know you ??

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Personally, I would not bother with the low powered cheapies. In a particular circumstance they may work or they may not.
If it is OK that it may not work, you don't need to have one at all.
It is not compulsory to have one.
Cheers,
Peter

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Thank you Aus-Kiwi and Peter n Margaret,

Doing research at present, and the general view is dont get hand held if we want range in communication also make sure battery are continually charged.

Long term touring ie. more than 2 months, get in built cb and good aerial and location of same: this has been from a couple of retailers, one was pushing the GME mini type bit dearer than the oricom product! Still researching looking at Uniden, Icom,

Cheers,

John

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Brands like uniden etc . We have two hand held also for parking, boat ramp, waking etc

Bicyclecamper · Guru

If you can get a 9 db antenna, go for it. It extends your range, otherwise, get a 7.5 db version. I also have a 3.5 db, for hilly country, and also, have antenna, that is 1900mm tall, adjustable, and powered thru an amp, ( formally legal, as I don't run the emergency channel anymore can't really use it), but only used when in deep outback. Also don't put on roof of your vehicle, as you will forget it is there, and rip it off when going into shopping centres, ask me how I know. Put it on your bullbar, if you have one, or on your front guard. They have brackets for them.

-

-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Tuesday 16th of March 2021 10:35:02 PM

-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Tuesday 16th of March 2021 11:06:39 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

High dB antennae give longer range but a much flatter transmission area which can be quite unreliable. Low dB antennae give a fatter, broader, lower range transmission.
The last thing you need is to hear every truck and every grey nomad within a 30 or 40km radius. What you do need is crisp, clean and reliable transmission and reception over a few km.
I would suggest a low dB antennae.
I use the little zero or 1dB gain rubber antennas that are about 200 - 300mm long. They are cheap and almost indestructible.
I carry a high dB antennae for longer range use in an emergency. I have never taken it out of its box.
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Tuesday 16th of March 2021 10:58:35 PM

Bicyclecamper · Guru

Peter, I ran channel 5 the emergency channel here for 10 years, so used to listen out to everything on that channel and also scanning all non repeater channels for incidents, that I still do the same today, so that is why I have a larger db antenna in the car. Probably wont change. I do have a Sat. Phone now, and have used in 3 emergencies on the road for other people. Use to also have a PMR ( RFS) and HF in the car as well. EDIT: out deep in the outback where you go, and where I use to go, not everybody has, or had a sat. phone, so being able to talk to someone, in dire straights, on the radio is still helpful, for me.

-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Tuesday 16th of March 2021 11:38:02 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

Antenna gain

PeterD · Guru

Bicyclecamper wrote:
Peter, I ran channel 5 the emergency channel here for 10 years, so used to listen out to everything on that channel and also scanning all non repeater channels for incidents, that I still do the same today, so that is why I have a larger db antenna in the car. Probably wont change.

Don't change your home installation. High gain antennas are great when you have them in a fixed position and can control the narrow vertical beam. However, when you are mobile, your antenna is continually shifting away from the vertical orientation. When this happens the bulk of your transmitted into the ground or up into the sky. When you are in hilly country this means you are attempting to communicate with the worms and the astronauts. You are not going to get many replies from them.

Feel free to continue using high gain antennas when mobile but please cease advocating their use to people who do not know the full facts.

The other thing I note with high gain antennas on vehicles is that they are very rarely mounted so they are dead verticle. They are then starting with degraded transmissions before their vehicles start to tilt when they get onto unlevel ground. It is far better to start with a little less transmitted power than to lose most of it as the antenna changes attitude.

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Thanks to all again,

Bloody hell, I didnt re-liaise how much i did not know about CB radios, going to book us on a bus tour with a guide and waiter service.

I am going to open up a further can of worms: please offer any recommendations on reasonable priced CB, as we have budget for work on the car ( long range tank, pre trip inspection, tyres etc) also the van.

Can I also ask if some one could give a comment on the battery set up in ours van.

We are thinking of updating to lithium battery and I been told they can be a bit temperamental, however the manual for the Setec PSU ( not that I knew what the PSU was until the manual was supplied to me by PeterD) states you should NOT have battery and PSU together. I dont wont to blow us up, gran kids need grumpMa bear not me. We also have the air con unit located there, under lounge seat? This set up came with van

A comment on that would also be appreciated. I attach photo for comment please.

Thanks for all and any comment on radio and battery set up.

Cheers: John

PeterD · Guru

J_KZ-1 wrote:
however the manual for the Setec PSU ( not that I knew what the PSU was until the manual was supplied to me by PeterD) states you should NOT have battery and PSU together. I dont wont to blow us up, gran kids need grumpMa bear not me. We also have the air con unit located there, under lounge seat? This set up came with van

You are changing subjects here. I suggest that all questions that do not relate to the topic heading should be in a new thread with the appropriate heading. I will make no further comment on this reply other than to say the handbook is being a little overly cautious. The instructions were written back in the days when flooded lead-acid batteries were commonplace. That instruction only applies to flooded batteries and not AGM or other valve regulated batteries.

-- Edited by PeterD on Wednesday 17th of March 2021 11:13:41 AM

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Thanks Peter,

Still learning how to post. Wont panic re battery location, Lithium battery will fit in nicely there and wont worry about it being there.

Peter, believe it or not, you have given my good advise in the past on other forum: you send me links for Setec 1 & 11 (these manuals did and still do confuse me) and the Atem Power dc to dc charger.

I know nothing about electrics, you have got me researching electrical bits and piece about van wiring etc. Not the greatest handy man as I have stated previous.

Look forward to you correcting my posts as I muck up.

Cheers,

John.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Hi John & Kerry,
The cheaper small hand held units do work but you have to be aware of their limited range & after a few years when the rechargeable batteries (in my case) eventually fail, the cost of replacement can be close to the cost of new units, especially if you want to use the supplied cradle to recharge them. We've used our 1/2w Oricoms both in car & on foot (when out bird watching, reversing the caravan).

Permanently installed 5w units are relatively easy to install as the main RF units are becoming smaller & easier to install. You will need a bar of some description to install the aerial on. I generally use what is called a 6dBi aerial - giving sufficient range.

Sticking to the 3 main brands of Oricom, Uniden & GME will give you quality units that give many years of trouble free operation.

J_KZ-1 · Veteran Member

Thanks Warren-Pat 01 for your post,

We have narrowed it down to GME and Oricom units. Also giving thought to a pair of hand held units.

Youre right re the sizing of the units. I was surprise how small the GME and Oricom are, will hide under dash nicely on passenger side.

Thanks for the input.

Cheers,

John