cheap and cheerful cb radio

[ocelot]

basically yes , if you talk on a cb while driving , i would guess you are comitting a traffic offence , as for walkie talkies , they have their uses in particular situations ..as for " getting into it " ... its like anything else , you can spend as much as you want and get biggerabout , better stuff etc , its all limits and what you want to use it for

Hi Briggie, going to be contraversial here but my understanding of the police act governing the use of two way comms gear is that providing the mic/radio isn't held continuously, no offense is committed. CB radio and radio systems in general are not covered by the act, merely mentioned in passing. For example, police use radios on the move, as do the other emergency services, taxi's, group 4 money delivery bods........... all sorts.

For information, I have a CB fitted to my car which is a hand held with convertor unit to allow it to be used with the power socket and external aerial. made by Midland, its an Alan 42, 40 channels so limited but can be programmed quite easily to give 80, all american channels and european.
My aerial is a 'mini springer' maplin special, mounted on the spare wheel bracket on a custom made stainless steel vertical leaf, designed to give a small platform above the top of the wheel cover. The cable then runs through the door via an existing hole and up to the console, the radio when in use, hangs on a bungee by my left ear, tight enough so that it doesn't smack me in the side of the head works well............

Dave

 

[jims-terrano]

Hi Briggie, going to be contraversial here but my understanding of the police act governing the use of two way comms gear is that providing the mic/radio isn't held continuously, no offense is committed. CB radio and radio systems in general are not covered by the act, merely mentioned in passing. For example, police use radios on the move, as do the other emergency services, taxi's, group 4 money delivery bods........... all sorts.

Not sure about CB's but holding the mic of a ham radio is not covered under the same offence as a phone. However if it can be proven that you were committing another offence they'll get ya especially if you had an accident.

Jim

 

[Fez_uk]

Another nice and cheap CB is the maxon cm10.
£50-60

CB radios can be used while on the move just like Ham radios. But if your all over the place while using it the police could do you for dangerous driving or driving without due care etc.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2695/regulation/2/made

Quoted from a radio forum I visit:

I was told by somebody with 'legal' knowledge that it's best to just let Plod charge you under the mobile phone laws - and then get the case thrown out, than to insist on CB being legal - coz then they try to do you for "Driving without due care etc" . If they've already done you on the mobile phone malarky, they can't then change their minds and try to change the charge.

No idea if this is true. But might be worth a punt.

 

[zippy656]

http://www.thunderpole.co.uk/cb_radio_guide_cb.html are good so are http://www.4x4cb.com/

 

[briggie]

best cb in the world

 

[briggie]

a little help

http://www.moonraker.eu/imageZoom.p...mages/A23-007(L100 LINEAR)L_small.jpg&pId=673

 

[briggie]

and finally ....you need a 7 and a half foot aerial like mine lol

 

[briggie]

View attachment 1358

Type of Antenna 7/8 wave
Length 2m
Frequency 26-28 MHz
S.W.R. <1.2:1
Power Rating Max. 4000 watts
Mounting Any SO-239 mount

 

[briggie]

Type of Antenna 7/8 wave
Length 2m
Frequency 26-28 MHz
S.W.R. <1.2:1
Power Rating Max. 4000 watts
Mounting Any SO-239 mount

mine was " homemade " based on the sirio hp4000 , and is actually 2.3 mtrs tall

 

[briggie]

am i boring you yet ? :augie

 

[Fez_uk]

Mines bigger :bow

 

[kbekl]

right i was on a convoy yesterday and found that i was struggling to pick up a decent signal from the rest which had bloody big antenna's they were from the 4x4 response team

altho i was picking up some people loud and clear i had problems hearing some of them would this be down to my setup or not ??

also i noticed i still have a problem with electrical interferance making the cb sqealch would this be also the reason i am having problems or a different thing ??

 

[jims-terrano]

Come on Fez, spill is that really CB or summat else?

Jim

 

[Fez_uk]

yep its a CB antenna. It's a base antenna on a 20ft swagged pole used static mobile for better distances.

 

[jims-terrano]

Trying to work out how you've supported the mast. Doesn't look close enough to be a drive on stand. Where abouts was it? looks high up.

See Ya
Jim

 

[briggie]

right i was on a convoy yesterday and found that i was struggling to pick up a decent signal from the rest which had bloody big antenna's they were from the 4x4 response team

altho i was picking up some people loud and clear i had problems hearing some of them would this be down to my setup or not ??

also i noticed i still have a problem with electrical interferance making the cb sqealch would this be also the reason i am having problems or a different thing ??

where you on the same channel ? because its possible you were hearing channel bleedover.

is your aerial correctly swr'd ?

have you " hard wired " your cb directly to the battery ?

just a few things to check for now

regards

pete

 

[briggie]

Mines bigger :bow

ah but , i use mine mobile , not just static mobile lol ,

one of the cb lads once welded a bracket to the rear bumper of his car and used a gp 27 on it , along with the aerial was a 12 foot scaffolding pole ..... total aerial height ..... 30 foot ....... bluddie idiot lol

 

[kbekl]

where you on the same channel ? because its possible you were hearing channel bleedover.was on the same channel as everyone else had to have the squelch dial turned up quite a bit due to interference

is your aerial correctly swr'd ?no but didnt think it needed it

have you " hard wired " your cb directly to the battery ?no again it is wired to the cig lighter

just a few things to check for now

regards

pete

so should i have the cb wired to the bat ?

didnt think i needed the swr'd doing due to the type of aerial

 

[briggie]

so should i have the cb wired to the bat ?

didnt think i needed the swr'd doing due to the type of aerial[/QUO

check swr with any aerial .... pop over and i will check it for you

cb ideally should not be hard wired

 

[kbekl]

so should i have the cb wired to the bat ?

didnt think i needed the swr'd doing due to the type of aerial[/QUO

check swr with any aerial .... pop over and i will check it for you

cb ideally should not be hard wired

so i need a battery for the cb then lol

i will try the sterio power supply out see how i get on with that one