| Author | Message | ||
     Rupert J (Tehamarx) Member Username: Tehamarx Post Number: 28 Registered: 11-2002 |
I'm thinking of supplementing my FRS with a CB radio. I'm trying to decide on the Cobra brand models 78WXST, 18WXSTII or 19DXIII. Any help,thoughts,opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. | ||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 113 Registered: 01-2003 |
A search of the archives should give you all matter of opinions on this. The one I have seen for the Disco is the Cobra 75 WX ST All-in-handset Mobile CB. I have the mounting box can hide almost anywhere under the dash or the drivers seat. I have it mounted behind the glove box. Thge handset/michrophone I have mounted on the stalk next to my cellphone cradle. This week though I saw one mounted to the coin holder/ashtray on the dash (I am speaking of the microphone clip.) It's great, and no box to bang your knee or head on, save that space for something else. -Reed | ||
| Jess Alvarez (Jester) Member Username: Jester Post Number: 182 Registered: 11-2002 |
I also recommend the 75. Great CB, plus everything on the handset good luck jess | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 110 Registered: 02-2003 |
Rupert, Depends on what you want out of CB. Most people just want to talk to the car 50 yards away. If you'd actually like some performance out of your CB, then perhaps you should be looking for a traditional unit. I'd recommend a Galaxy, Uniden Grant, Cherokee, or Cobra with the Nightwatch. I'm about to ditch CB and move to Ham. Something quite comforting about being able to talk out 40-1000 miles with clarity similar to or better than cell phone. -P | ||
| Tim (Snowman) Senior Member Username: Snowman Post Number: 446 Registered: 12-2002 |
P- Does a mobile Ham operator need a different license than a base unit operator? Have you picked out a Ham unit yet? | ||
| Jack Quinlan (Jsq) Senior Member Username: Jsq Post Number: 338 Registered: 10-2002 |
The group I go out with uses Ham exclusively. It's grrrrrrreat. 2m or 70cm. remember if you get multiband and modify your radio to expand your range you can talk to FRS. CB doesn't work that well and is kinda cheesy. on the other hand Ham is real dorky. it's a no win situation eh? | ||
| Rupert J (Tehamarx) Member Username: Tehamarx Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2002 |
Thank you all for great advice & opinions! I went the Cobra CB 78WXST route with a 4ft Firestik II. I need the legroom and can upgrade later. I plan to set it up as descibed on the EE site. BTW any FAR NorCal LR owners around? I can't see going offroad with jeepers all the time.  Thanks again. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 114 Registered: 02-2003 |
Tim, It's the same license. You can get on VHF/UHF (6m, 2m, 1.25m, 70cm) with a basic Technicians license. I am going to install a high power 2m setup to start with and use that since that's what's prevalent near me. I'll be using the Yeasu FT-2800m. Good power, doesn't overheat, small, sensitive, and cheap. Everything I was looking for. Probably use a diamond antenna with that K400 mount on the gutter rail until I get the roofrack installed. Next year, I'll probably install an ICOM 706 so that I can have FRS, CB, 2m, 70cm, 6m, and HF all in one chassis with a remote mount head. That $800 entry price is a killer though! Once you work ham, you'll never want CB again. Ham doesn't have to be dorky. A full wave 2m antenna and a new 2m radio looks remarkably like CB with about 15x the power and range on simplex. Throw in a repeater network and all bets are off. I was reading about a jeeper who wheels in Moab and talks to his wife in Phoenix a few times a day. All on a $200 radio! No win situation? Not from where I'm standing. Audio is at least as good as cell quality and you can use it practically anywhere. If you really get out in the sticks, get on 20m or 10m and you can talk across the country if conditions are right. | ||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 136 Registered: 01-2003 |
Perrone- I too am looking toward ham. I inherited a Yaesu FT-5200 from my dad, and it looked too good to get rid of. The only problem I see with all the communications is what I have experienced on the trail with other Discos. Most everyone has CB, most everyone else has FRS, some have both, some don't have any (Most of us with FRS have a spare to lend). The problem is that in order to communicate you need both. Then ham rig is a superior radio, but not everyone has one, so thats one more radio you need to have turned on in the cab. The combined ICOM you were talking about sounds neat. Even better if it has a programable monitor/scanner that can reply to the person calling you. I hope this makes sense. Anyway, I'll take the test in a couple of weeks, and see how it goes. -Reed | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 119 Registered: 02-2003 |
Well, the "all-band" radios recieve and transmit on all the normal bands. This is the way they ship from the factory. The Icom 706 is able to transmit on just about any common frequency with the removal of a single small diode. So for 30 minute's work, you can talk to hams, CB'ers, or FRS equipped folk. Note that the mod is not legal per se, and neither is using the radio to transmit on those frequencies. I don't plan on using CB or FRS above 5w so I don't think it's too bad. Any all-band ham radio can be modified to do this, but the Icom just makes it easy. That's what interested me in it. The REAL issue is if you really want to talk on 10m or longer wave, you are going to need an HF antenna. For those who've not seen one, it's HUGE!. Looks more like a basketball pole than an antenna. Oh, and all the modern units scan frequencies too, so you can program in all common CB, FRS, 2m and 6m channels if you like and just scan them for activity as you drive. Pretty slick setup. -P |
