CB vs PMR

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wagpap

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hi chaps + chapesses

i have a cb in my nav but on a recent green laning trip it prooved less than reliable. i think i've sorted the problem out now but was thinking about getting a pmr as a standby or compliment to the cb, only thing is i dont really know anything about them. was hoping some of you ham enthusiasts could help me out with a few of my questions

does pmr have any benefits over cb?
what is the differance between pmr and pmr446?
do they make a vehicle mounted unit like a cb?
will a handheld unit be able to hook up to an external aerial?
and finally can you recomend any good makes/models? (quality is more important than price)

sorry if these are dumb questions but its all rocket science to me so any answers would be appreciated in plain english :bow

cheers peeps:thumb2
 
PMR446 is the only one you don't need a licences for PMR was a generic term for radio systems used by companies and they pay lots of money to use em. PMR 446 handhelds are the only things I've seen, cheaper ones are cheap n cheerfull but you can't put an external aerial on. I've seen handhelds that cost a lot more on ebay made by icom and kenwood. These may take external aerials. Try visiting Lam Communications at Hoyland Common, they have a web site. They both have their uses and probably compliment one another.
Just to go off on a tangent, me and Terranosaurus used vhf ham band called 2 metres and never really lost contact despite been in seperate groups in the Dales. This might be an option if you have other friends that are hams it adds fun.

Jim T
 
it was on the trip wit terranosourus that i had the cb issues.
i believe ham needs to be licenced :nenau and i wouldn't really know how to go about that but wouldn't rule it out.
the only issue i have with the cb when it was working was there only seemed to be foul mouthed chav types using it
 
Well I don't push too hard but if ever you want more info regarding ham radio just pm me. Yes you have to have a license, £15 for life but a course and exam would cost approx £60 mark.
Anyway back to thread, what actually went wrong with the CB? Yes there are idiots but ha is not imune from that just not as bad as CB. If you simply want to talk vehicle to vehicle across short distances then a combination of both CB and PMR446 is a good compromise.

Jim T
 
not too sure what happened to the cb but its a new team unit and wouldn't recive or transmit, my swr is 1.2 and has never been above 1.5 i swapped the mic over on sat and havnt had any problems since :nenau
the radios would only really be used for laning which is why i was looking at pmr.
would a ham rig be able to communicate with pmr or do both parties neeed to be using pmr?
 
A lot of mobile ham radios have wideband recieve so would receive pmr 446, to meet uk specs they should not transmit on pmr446 but I do know people that have modified em. The mod is easy so I've been told:augie

Jim T
 
:lol:lol:lol:lol

PMR it is for now then i think

Thanks for your help on this one :thumb2
 
Pmr, ( professional/private/public mobile radio) transmission output max 0.5 watt. is the maximum output on uhf 446mhz to allow licence free usage.
Which really limits range.
As CB 4 watts on 27mhz fm far greater range.

However, it's fairly easy to obtain uhf handheld radios on fleabay from hongkong, that cover the the pmr frequencies.( just slighty out but functional) that are 5 watt output, for £20 surprisingly good quality.

Please note these are illegal sets,
(hard to locate as their mobile)

I do not advise or advocate purchasing or using the above!
just abit of onfo.
(The wouxons are very good quality, for the price)
 
They are all only any good if the others in the group have the same - admittedly with PMR446 they are so cheap you can have a few spare to hand out.

CB is more or less universal in 4x4 circles, sure their are Hams out there too but most seem to have CB and HAM or just CB - of course there are exceptions but as a general rule.

PMR has really lousy range and really doesn't like hills, buildings, woods etc CB is better but HAM really is another league. All goes up in price of course though a decent starter Ham rig isn't much more than CB.

It is illegal to use anything but the built in aerial with PMR446 btw.
 
Hi just put a good aerial on the Cb and even a booster may help u out.Make sure the aerial has a good earth. I can get in excess of 10Miles at times but the aerial cost £30.00 plus base. this one from here we get club discount just ask http://www.4x4cb.com/public/item.cfm?itemID=694

we have tried the pmr446 route with the kids on holiday only good for short distance 5k
out side but lost ground when inside the car and in hilly areas alps skiing did there job
but have to be patient

good luck to date well happy with the Cb when out and about.
 
i had problems with my cb when i was using a mag mount.
changed it to a clamp on the roof bars and added an earth to the body and its been fine ever since.
not really sure about the range but its fine for laning.
 
elty001 said:
i had problems with my cb when i was using a mag mount.
changed it to a clamp on the roof bars and added an earth to the body and its been fine ever since.
not really sure about the range but its fine for laning.
Click to expand...

i run a trimag setup at the moment i dont think this was the cause of my problems but as my setup is a permanent fixture ive just bought a drill through the roof mount gunna have a go atfitting it on tues as im off work that day. its a bit more substantial than the standard dome type as it fixes by 3 bolts and is a shock spring type of affair :naughty
 
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