SSB CB Radio VS. 2 Meter Ham Radio?
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- Опубліковано 15 лис 2019
- I recently picked up yet another 2 meter radio and hooked it up to my directional 2 meter antenna only to find out the exact same thing that I realized years ago when this video was made. There is no activity on 2 meters in my area.
Certainly there are areas of the country where 2 meter still is booming... At least I hope there is, but I can't possibly recommend someone spend the money to purchase a new 2 meter setup anymore.
A sign that interest in the hobby is fading I'm sure, and I'm sure there will be some hate here, but I have to say CB is going to give the end user a lot more fun these days for the average user.
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You're correct. There are more cb/ssb radios out there. They're cheaper and don't require licensing. People are waking up because the times are changing and they're beginning to prep for the worst. Your videos are very informative and helpful. Keep up the good work. I certainly appreciate it.
Your videos are the reason I got back into CB. Thanks!
Ditto
Glad to hear it!
Farpoint Farms - I have to get e new CB though. I really want to play with SSB because, especially living in the CT River Valley, my contacts are limited on my old Pierce Simpson Tiger 40A in my truck with the old 102". After I finish my basement workshop I'll also look for a used SSB base unit.
@@9mmARman get the Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB, they sound awesome, are modern, have search and weather functions etc.then get an older sideband rig for a backup.
fnordly - The 980 is on my list to check out, but right now the purchase is on hold. My wife had surgery a month ago and will be out of work for at least two more months. And to add to the problem, she covers the family health insurance, so we have to repay the $1200/month that she misses. Purchases will be on hold for at least the next 6 or 8 months until we dig ourselves back out of this hole. I was hoping I could find an older used mobile SSB unit locally for a very reasonable price, but there's nothing.
All Hams know about Propagation. The wavelength of 2 meters is too small to bounce off the ionosphere like 11 meter does. Two different bands for two different purposes. Not a fare comparison...
Yeah, we do. Ever hear of ducting? I've worked hundreds of miles on 2 meter ssb
Hi Eric this is Landon I like your videos I have been driving truck all my life been in cb radio sents I was a kid my family all had base stations at there houses in pickups for hunting just nice to see people enjoying cb radio I had open heart surgery in November before Thanksgiving still trying to heal up so I can go back to driving my dump truck I haul asphalt around Branson and Springfield MO. I live in Arkansas and I have a few cb radios my truck pickup and my shop and I would have been lost without it through this time it give me something to do through this healing process and your videos really helped me in these trying times just wanted to say thank you
CB was almost empty in my area when i got my radio about two weeks ago (nobody answered my calls) and In the last week the band started having more people on it. And i have been told that more and more people are getting CBs in their cars
Logan MacGyver be patient, we are at a all time low with propagation, little by little it’s getting better
@@bobdillashaw4360 thats true, propagation is pretty bad these days
@@bobdillashaw4360 the odd thing is that i started hearing locals only recently
Logan MacGyver hey that’s a good thing lol, this past week I been talking to locals myself.
@@bobdillashaw4360 CB is only good when propagation is low. Otherwise its all racket
Watching your videos inspired me to get a cb in my work van. I’ve made contacts all over the states. Thank you for everything you do.
I had some coworkers in my car recently, and I was asked if my ham radio was a CB. I said, no, but that I have one. I set up the CB and called out on channel 19 multiple times, hearing nothing. Then I called out on a local 2m (ham radio) repeater and got an immediate response. I see CB antennas all over town, but I don't hear any local traffic, but we have many active repeaters around here on 2m and an active GMRS repeater, as well. People aren't talking on them all day, in fact they're quiet for much of the day, but there is usually someone listening. I drove around with a CB in my car for a couple of weeks, but didn't hear anyone (except for a guy on channel 17 that's running at least a kilowatt). Someday I'll get an SSB CB and maybe then I'll be able to hear some traffic.
Being a 40+ year ham/cb enthusiast, working all HF,VHF and UHF bandwidths, I still enjoy 11meter frequency work.there isn't a better feeling after signing off with a DX station in another country on 11m.
Great video as always Erik, thanks for sharing.
It is pretty darn cool making those long range DX calls on 4 watts or 11 watts.
I have a ham license have had for 30 years still enjoy CB more ! Around here "Indiana " we talk on murs and gmrs too it's all radio it's all good 151.880 cheers 👍
I just got my general, its good to see that cb is not totally hated by all hams.
I'm a ham, too. I started with CB and I'd be happy to use it again if there were active users in my area.
Yep ki4nlp ham here as well but I really enjoy talking on 38lsb. Am not so much they are over powered bye bye bye numb nuts but their are still some great respectful guys on side band
The CB antenna is going to be deaf as a post on 2m, it's far too long.
saves me typing that. You are correct
And from England, ditto.
Would have had better results from a wire coathanger.
That said, 2m FM and SSB is sketchy here in Kent, England.
Some days you can CQ2m all day on 145.500 and 144.300 and get nothing.
Other days you get swamped.
Repeaters are the same...
CB is also a mixed bag. Pockets of enthusiasts rather than an even spread.
A bit of SpE though and 6 down to 12m (inc CB) goes mad!
A friend of mine found that his 10m dipole (no balun, 75 ohm) worked quite well on 2m at 1.2 SWR
That's because the 5th harmonic of the 10m dipole falls in the 2m band. Antennas work on odd multiples for higher frequencies, 3, 5, 7 etc., although there may be an upper limit.
CB: Apples. We all know how to eat them. Nothing special. Available pretty much everywhere. Cheap. Requires little of the consumer to consume the product. Pick one and eat it.
Ham: Pie. We all know how to eat them, but not how to make them. Requires a little more knowledge and the use of special tools. But they're yummy. They're warm. They go well with accessories like ice cream and chocolate syrup. And, while apples is apples, pie can be made with apples, cherries, lemons, cream, merengue, pecans, peanut butter, pumpkin, ...
-------------------------
CB: An egg.
Ham: Scrambled eggs, fried eggs (over easy, over medium, sunny side up braised in the grease from the bacon fried moments earlier...), deviled eggs, quiche..... by extension, pancakes, muffins, banana nut bread....
-------------------------
Maybe I need breakfast. Why is it so hard to find people who will fry an egg in bacon grease on a cast iron skillet?
-------------------------
But yeah, it's no wonder you don't hear much on two meters at five o'clock on a Saturday morning. They're all in the kitchen making breakfast (if they're even awake yet!). Plus, you've said it many times, you live in the hills. VHF is line of sight, as I'm sure you know. Height is Might with Line of Sight. You gotta get that antenna up higher than the next ridgeline, and even then you won't hear the people in the mountains' "shadows". I don't know if you're in the valley or on the peak or just a hillside, but that hill is blocking your signal wherever the hill may be.
But you know this! Don't you?
Are you just pretending, to think 2 meter VHF would propagate the same or even have the same user base as 11 meter HF CB? Also, you live in "the country", where CBers and truckers and mountaineers are often one and the same.
You keep comparing apples and kumquats, man! If you want a fair comparison, there isn't one. Best you MIGHT get is 10-meter ham, but even in my area that's not too active (assuming my longwire random length antenna is even suitable for that band with my RTL-SDR dongle). I can easily hear 20m and 40m (14 and 7 MHz) with occasional 80m (3.5 MHz) traffic coming in with just a $30 SDR and two 40 foot long pieces of wire running in two directions from the other end of a 75-ohm TV coax. BUT!!! I have heard stations on the complete opposite corner of the continent and down both adjacent sides with little effort. Most stations I hear are no farther than you are from me, but I do hear them up into Canada, out to Washington, and I think I heard a Texan a little while back...
Crap. Wrote another essay.
Try as I might, not to do that....
About a month ago there was a tropo event and people here in Raleigh NC were talking 2m simplex to Florida. One old ham said it was the longest tropo he had ever worked. It was a rare event though
Loved your story.
How about, some HAM for breakfast?
LOL Typical hammy ham, tryin to act all fancy pants and like ham is some big fancy thing. All my videos prove that CB is the LUXURY ROLLS ROYCE of radio, it takes a PRO to do CB, anybody can do HAME.
@@CBRADIOLOVER meh, not at all. I actually use CB as well. But if you think I was trying to act fancy or like ham is better, you must not have read what I posted, because I wasn't. Neither is intrinsically better than the other.... They're just different and you can't directly compare two meters or six meters with CB or any other HF band. They each propagate differently, they each have different noise floors, etc.
But if that knowledge makes me fancy pants.... >shrugs
A cb radio s fun but I will never let my ham radio license expire!
cb radio is fun,but ham radio,expecialy HF is MUTCH more fun.
@chris beerad Not even the close,11m is like 10m ham shitty band that works in very short propagation periods during summer.In winter and half of the year,it is dead band.It is also bad band for close range,under 300km qso.HAM 40m works day and night whole year,20 also,80 is no1 for close range propagation.Did you ever try real HF ham radio???
@chris beerad 11m is almost dead in my area half of the year,and even in good propagation it cant be compare with hundreds of stations chewing on the 80m band in the evening and 40m and 20m propagation all year.There is no body on CB in my location and HF booming on all bands.HAM HF is no1 definitly,you cant compare CB with HF.
@@ciro79 It is 2200 UTC 12/22/2019. Right now 11 meters is open. I'm receiving stations from AL to NH on Ch 38 LSB. While 11 is not open all the time, but we are currently at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, so it will only get better. Would I give up ha radio for CB? No way! But it might be an interesting addition.
@@timothystockman7533 I dont hear anything on 11m CB band whole winter,night and day,and half of the autmn and spring.It is dead band half of the year and it is shitty band like HAM 10m compared with ham bands 40,20 and 80....HF HAM bands rocks.
I started on 2m, hated it, traded it for a cb radio, now have about 6 of them, I am lucky enough to have a few locals to talk to every day. Cb radio is still great, and is still amazing. I get out 30 miles local everyday. I meet great people who still love radio. Thank you for the great videos, and helping to keep radio alive and well. Being able to talk at the speed of light, on less power than a christmas tree bulb, out 1200 miles, is a thrill that never gets stale.
Hi. Because of you I dug out my base for the shop and a garage sale unit for my truck. That was a year ago. Got a bit of action but it’s increasing here in Southern BC Canada. Love what your doing.
Just yesterday afternoon I found my CB radio license number from the 70s. LOL. My handle was "FlyBoy" KEP5596 LOL
Anthony Shepard KCJ4779 “Slim” back atcha from 1974. Some things you just never forget.
@@spresc2180 OUTSTANDING
KRK8171 in 1966 my handle was Big Bear when there were only 5 of us within 50 miles, after I left the Navy in 72 any name with bear in it was avoided so I became Chill Will, that's what my buds called me anyhow. 73's
Flyboy this is Chevy waving a hand from the sandpile.
KIT4492, the Jaguar here, originally from NJ now South Florida.
I have been a Ham but I started on CB 45 years ago and now I am going back to CB because its just more fun and you can do so much with 4 watts and 12 watts on SSB.. I Guess it's time for the Unit 127 to return .
more? more than what?
Something about Ssb that brings a smile to your face.
Thanks for making these videos! They help a lot of people who are getting into radio! Happy Thanksgiving fromTN!!
I have the top gun quad 5 and the solarcon A-99 antenna. I am hearing guys from all over the place but i don't seen to be getting out very far. Elevation is probably my enemy which is probably a big plus for you being in the mountains. Great video as usual, Eric.
2m and 11m bands are very different bands that behave very differently and need different antennas. 2m is FM for one thing and is for line of sight communication unless you happen to hit a repeater. In very rare weather circumstances you would be able to get further than line of sight.
I once heard a 70cm repeater about 60 miles away as the crow flies (identified by frequency and callsign). At that frequency it shouldn't have been possible, but we were in the middle of a solar storm at the time. This was only around what, 6, 9 months ago? I forget. But I haven't heard that repeater since.
Here in the UK both tropo and terrain affect 2m/70cm.
During tropo, 2m contacts from SE England can be made UK wide, Eire and from Scandinavia down to Southern Italy (distances over 1000 miles!)
The other day I had a 2m mobile contact at 20 miles.
Not a great distance until you find out there were 450’ of chalk hills (The “North Downs” Kent) between us refracting my mobile signal over them :-)
@@braxtonhickswaxinglyrical3068 oh, very nice! I have to admit that despite being licensed for 26 years, I've not been very active until recently and even now I'm still very limited in my gear, abilities, and experience, but I've never experienced tropo propagation to that extent above 10m myself so that would be quite something to me! I have had far less time on HF bands in my life so you might think I'd have less experience with it there, but tropo in HF is a daily occurrence, so no news. But VHF? I almost never hear of it. While I knew it was possible (like that 70cm hop several months back) I've also learned it to be quite rare, at least by comparison to HF anyway, requiring something like a solar storm to affect the atmosphere to cause the right conditions to occur. Plus, the way the tests are worded here, they'd have you think it never happens...
I wonder though, how similar are the two? I mean it must be different tropo layers affecting VHF versus HF, yes? Does your altitude above MSL play into either band's ability to propagate this way? Soil salinity? Proximity to Hogwarts? I mean there must be something to make it happen for you when so many others claim it can't... I'd be interested in a study if I had the time.
Steve, are you from Norwalk Ct by chance?
Btw, 2 meters is mainly fm however there are lots of areas of the country that use SSB on the lower end of 2meters, just like the chicken band does.
There is a certain appeal the CB radio has. It's very hard to explain but it does bring back memories regardless if it's AM or SSB.
📡🔊👊👀👍 woohoo tipping my hat from one of the 11 m Pirates, the 1122 Wingnut radio down here in Panama City Florida standing by channel 38 (27.385 LSB)
We've talked! Good to see you in here.
Boy o boy haven't heard you in awhile but I just getting set back up hope you and your family doing well D-man 312 crestview Florida ch 19 and 26.875 take care wingnut hope hear ya'll bith out there on cb soon
Thanks for your great videos. I'm learning tons and can't wait to apply this knowledge!
Very welcome!
Good video hope it catches on like it did in the 70sand80s keep giving it some plugs now and again thanks catch around the band
Hey Eric, Andy from Yorkshire UK here. Been watching your videos for a while now, jus thought you'd like to know that cb is still alive and kicking over here. We are trying to get breakers to dig out their old rigs for a retro radio night on December 11th. Should be a good one, I'll be using the wks 1001 from 1978.
Looking forward to the next one friend 73's
Hello from Kent Andy.
Nearly mini Sporadic E season (End Nov to beginning of Jan) so will have to try 10/11 :-)
I’ve worked Leeds, Shffield on both this summer SpE.
Was good to see thank you l still haven't setup my base station yet but it's very encouraging to see just the same 😁🍻👍
Hope to hear you on the air one day!
Hi Eric, I love my CB Radios I've got CB Radio Fever!!! Hey the next time the skip is running, I'm going to get it on video. Channel 6 really Rocks in my neighborhood , get a lot of traffic from the North West. Thanks for the video. 101 Sagebrush Base Out! Pappy said that! 🎙️
Cool video ,it was definitely a good time with skip rolling.
Now have an old Cobra base set up in the house and a cobra 29 LX LCD in the sled shed and my truck and installed a Cobra 18WXST 2 in my wife’s Jeep just before my operation.
The antron is not resanent on ham unless it's on 10 meters.
For just receive a great it will long cable
I made thousands of long distance contacts on SSB CB, Freeband etc. 11m talks when skips running. Now I am an Extra Class Ham, I still talk CB and yet I have made many, many contacts on HF, a few on 2m and 70cm. On my desk sits a Yaesu HF radio, a Icom 2m all mode and a Johnson Whiteface CB. (Gotta love the tube rigs.) My Toyota has a Galaxy 99 in it and my Ford has a Icom 706, both do 11m.
I like radio, period. Ham, CB, Shortwave, AM, FM, PM, SSB, Crystal.... The list goes on.
Me too. Anything radio related is just fun to play with.
2m is extremely busy in England.
I purchased my bearcat 980 after watching a few of your videos. Thanks!
cool!
@@FarpointFarms I've been running a 520xl for a few months with great results. Hooked up the 980 yesterday and calibrated. 1.1 swr on channel 1 and over 3 on channel 40. Going to my local radio shop today and let a guy who knows what he's doing figure out my mess before I fry my 980 🙈
Really into the idea of side ban radio. Been doing lots of you tube with you while my knee is healing all the way from Nova Scotia Canada! Lol.
Right now in my area it seems like from 11 am to 2 pm a huge skip window opens up.
Awesome video, im crazy about my cb radio also ,although it has been a little quiet as of late here in southwestern Ontario Canada.
73s from 514,have a good day.
South western Ontario Canada as well. 519 here standing by
@@1teddy1979 Where you located? ,i am in a little community in the middle of nowhere called Glenwood. Approximately 3 miles north of lake erie.
@@charleswills4554 you know what I dont know what I was thinking I guess I am more midwestern Ontario. Listowel is the town
Hi, Eric, it' Transcanada radio 5322 2 Meters is still very active in Toronto with a Repeater on our c n tower
I wish there was some 2 meter stuff here. GMRS as well. Nothing going on with those bands in my area.
thank you for a great video
Awesome video man, 73 from Santiago Chile
I recently bought a cb, Its a 40 channel ssb, Freadom one by Ranger, I enjoy it. Have a fiberglass antenna mounted to my metal carport / garage, It works great.
It’s good to have both
Hey Erik! Man, 11m has been rockin' as of late. I hear we're at the beginning of a new solar cycle so I bet we're going to see the bands continue to pick back up! What I find interesting since I got my amateur license, is that in my area there's quite a few 2m and 70cm repeaters that are still active around here. I use a J-Pole with a 60w radio and the land is flat. Weekly Net meetings with a fair amount of participation. But, most hams I know are more interested in getting their general license to utilize HF frequencies and using nice radios that can access 1mhz-50hmz and using different modes like CW, FT8, and of course our beloved SSB. Perhaps this is why CB is so attractive to most users because it literally *is* HF, but available without a license. I find it funny that I have like 4 freakin' radios for different bands and I try them ALL until I make a contact somewhere. HAHA. I've got the radio bug that's for sure! Hope you guys have a great holiday season!
I'm jealous! When I lived in Raleigh,NC we had the weekly 2 meter net meetings. Sadly up here, no such luck. Sounds like with 4 radios going, you have a genuine "Radio Shack" at the house! Enjoy it, and enjoy the holidays as well my friend!
Farpoint Farms Hey, Erik, greetings from NW North Carolina, too. The 2m repeater on Mt. Mitchell, NC, has a fair bit of traffic (145.190 MHz) and it has a wide footprint. 73s from KN4TSR!
there are applications for all of the radio band including 2M and 11M -- some areas are more active than others. I like the approach he takes to comms
Interesting comparisons for sure. 2 meter can be pretty quiet. You might consider, first, getting your VHF antenna installed, then starting a net, be it simplex or otherwise. If it's quiet on 2m in your area, make some noise! I started a preparedness net on simplex here in the pacific NW and we started with 3 of us. We picked up guys doing just what you're doing, scanning around the band and they decided to check in. There's 13 of us now. You might be surprised what you hear. I do have a CB in my shop that I don't use as much as I should. Although every time I try to call out I get some jerk that wants to jam the frequency or make fun of everyone. It's entertaining for a few minutes but more than frustrating when you can't have a good conversation with someone. Ham has that too, but it's far more rare. Keep up the good work, I do enjoy your videos sir!
MAKE CB GREAT AGAIN!! I think it still great. I spend way too much time driving for our business and rarely do i hear nothing on CB. Now i admit we are just a small town but i bet 90% of pick up truck have some kind of antenna and we use them fir huntin,tracking turkeys,farming and of course the truckers from the refinery (Niagara Bulk) that come across the border. Its just another tool in the tool box. And a valuable 1 at that. Mite not be "cool" but we don't give a flyin fick bout cool. LMAO. 73 from the land of flip phones and CB!!!
ThT
That's right
CB is still very useful
I have a ham licence the advantage of CB is you do not have to jump through hoops to enjoy your hobby.
Good video!
I'm going to get active on 11 meters again. Been a ham operator for 40 years but CB is where I started. No need for repeaters on 11 meters (CB) unlike 2 meters ( VHF) Digital 2 meters is just Skype without the video.
Welcome back! CB is still a great place to hang out in 2023.
I usually listen on 144.200 USB and occasionally enjoy an "opening". Hang in there! I also sometimes monitor 50.125 Mhz. Spoke with a chap in Ireland last year, and I was using a 5 watt transmitter. FUN. Yes. 73 de Karl, VE3GUN.
I'm a fan of 11 meters (CB) SSB. 2 Meter, 70 cm, GMRS, all require repeaters and programming etc. And here in NC there just ain't a lot of people on the ham bands or gmrs. But with my CB I talk country wide daily.
Agreed. The simplicity of CB mixed with the larger user base is all I need.
Listen on 146.520 fm 2m for more then 5 mins. 11m dx ls like 20m
Hey Erik. I don’t really use CB Radio all that much anymore, but I sure cut my teeth into Radio as a kid back in the 70’s on CB! From 23 Channels to 40, from AM to SSB, from my 1/4 wave to the Shakespear Ugly Stick, to Yagi’s and Quads. And I had a blast! Glad to see RF communications is making a comeback on the Ol’ 11 meter band!
Have you ever given 6 meters a try?
This is probably my favorite Ham band, and I’ve worked the entire country on 5 watts or less. I’ve also worked several parts of the world on a hundred watts both fixed and mobile! They don’t call it the “Magic Band” for nothing!
Just a thought, as you might want to look into if the price is right.
I hear a lot of great things about 6 meter. I'll look into getting a setup like that for in the house. I've slowly been working on making a smaller indoor radio shack since it's so cold in the garage all winter.
Been seeing a lot of these videos lately. Just purchased a pair of UV-5Rs for the GMRS capability. Once I got them my son and I decided we’re going to get our licenses. Now I’m also thinking of dusting off my RCI 2950 I’ve had for close to 30 years (which I put back in its original box years ago). But what’s more nostalgic than CB radio, you ask? I believe it’s the SANKA can on the shelf behind you. 😂😂😂
"Skip over the superbowl" Lmao
Yup! It gets old after a while.
....I really need to get my Solarcon back up....get ears back on in a base in the Phoenix area.
I've got the CB channels programmed into my IC-7100. Listening to 38 LSB at 2200 UTC from my QTH just north of Philadelphia. The band is open from GA to NH right now. I currently have no way to transmit on CB... --de N3TS
SSB is so fun on CB these days. So many contacts!
I just had a friend ask about getting a ham license for off roading with his Jeep club. They get tired of the AM noise and would like squelch to mute it. Plus more range.
I live in the Fort Lauderdale area. I can hit no less than 15 repeaters with a small omni diretioal antenna. When I drive to work I make a call on
a few repeaters that have action. the last four days I had no answers to my call yet I check my QRZ page and my look ups increased each of those days. Many people read the mail but too Microphone shy? One of our local fm 2 meter repeaters is linked to the East Coast Reflector
which connects abot 100 repeaters throught out the country, that repeater is always active, thankfully. I think the introduction of these new digital modes has fragmented the user base a little. many of my friends are on DMR and never se analog fm anymore. I have a DMR radio, but my codeplug doesnt have thier preferred talkgroups in it and I find it pretty confusing. I use dmr NA, and Florida talk group the most.
I wish there was more activity on every legal frequency. I dug a couple old cb radios from the attic a while back and they still worked after being stored for 15 years. I also ordered a new uniden 980 ssb. Sadly, the one feature I bought the 980 for was the scan and it would not scan > RATS < Now I have to decide to let amazon replace the 980 or return it and upgrade. The old sears and the realistic 462 both work fine but no scan feature. I keep turning my radios on and make it a point to listen then try to make a contact. You never know someone may be listening waiting to hear another voice !!!
I have been revisiting 2m and decided to go buy a SSB CB rig as well. HF, VHF/UHF and SSB CB all have their place.
-Ham HF is obviously better for DX under varying conditions, and I love CW.
-Ham VHF/UHF is great if you can hit a repeater. Where I live, the local hams trip over themselves to help answer questions and they provide a real life community, something missing these days. Local hams can end up friends on and off the air.
-CB may not have the reliability in terms of range, because it's only one band, but it certainly offers a whole lot of "color" whereas Ham is more "after-church brunch."
I am looking forward to it.
I dig my CB too buddy!
I am from New Jersey and have been a CB guy since the mid-70s. I watched it deteriorate in my area a great deal. By that I mean, the language and the absolute filth. Also fighting over who has the biggest antenna who's pushing the most power illegally. I finally started to move away from the CB because of all of that. Yes I still have one in each of my vehicles and enjoy them while I'm on the road but I became a license ham operator where there is some type of self-policing and regulation. I won't forget my roots, but I am saddened by what it became. 73 to your Eric. Stay safe out there.
Good point. I'm on Beech Mountain.
Just went to the Benson HAM deal. Lots of folks there but not much in the way of vendors. Pops sold his Kenwood he doesn't use anymore in like 10 minutes. Probably helped that he had such a low price on it.
2 meter and CB - it's an apples and oranges comparison. You're not going to hear that magnitude and type of activity on 2 meter, ever, in my experience.
I think so too. Without a repeater on the 2 m Band....imho would not compare it to 11 m Band.
Exactly. Apples and oranges. A senseless comparison.
I tend to agree, two different bands, if you really want to compare, I would think 10 meter and 12 meter would be closer, same band, and CB is right in the middle at 11 meters.
@@KKEM641
Agreed. This guy is clueless. Ive seen many of his video comparisons on Citizen Band Vs Amateur Radio and he tries to convince everyone that Citizen Band is superior. Don't know why this dude even bothered getting his ticket.
What happened to the 980ssb? Good to see the grant back up.
This video is that old! I put it in the wrong folder and forgot about it until last week. Good catch!
Eric nice video am a ham to there no body 2 meter here am like my cb to have a cb to take wesley from ga.
@farpointfarms do you make any ground wave contacts back across the Piedmont or is it all skip? I'm sure your elevation is good, being in the mountains, but ground waving is all about line of sight...just curious
That direction is no good, but I can hit almost 40 miles ground wave heading from my place to Bristol,TN or Kingsport,TN most days and nights.
@@FarpointFarms gotcha... I'm east of Charlotte and get up that way really well...so just checking. I enjoy your videos, keep up the good work!
And by the way... where do the loud stations in that part of Tn monitor? Just put a big beam up and I'm sure I could reach over that way
What ssb cb do you recommend now?
I have several that I like. The most recent is the Uniden bearcat 980ssb. But I like Texas ranger tr296 which is essentially a cobra 148, the Robyn SB520d and realistic trc458.
OK new to ham radio. Do they make CB ham radio combos. And do they also make one that is a handheld one as well I would like one of each. Having trouble finding surgery monster. Any help would be greatly appreciated
In the USA, there are no legal HAM/CB setups, but there are a lot of HAM radios that have been modified to transmit on CB.
I'm a ham operator but started my radio interests through shortwave listening and CB back in the 60s and 70s. I still like CB but there is not a lost of activity around here now. A lot of Truckers gave up their CBs for cellphones.
I think all radio traffic is slowly fading away. It just seems like CB is fading slower than the HAM bands here in the USA.
I had CB for many years but then left for a while. Traffic is way down from the 70s. Also there's not much where I live and only traffic when I get 10 miles from a major traffic route. Then very little except when there's a traffic accident.
On 2 meter there are occasional transmissions from my scans. Some are CW, some voice and some digital. The local repeater sometimes has traffic (once routed through several repeaters for about 200 miles). The best times seem to be for nets.
What set up is that? Trying to be able to reach my parents door emergencies, they don't have cell service, and everyone says c.b won't work. 12 or so miles but there are a couple mountain. Any advice would be appreciated.
What kind antenna ? is so power full CB>? i got nice cobra 29 classic and i don't have any good use for it??
the whole point in 11 meters years ago was to create a band with low watt out that had both longer range when the band is open and reliable local comm to get more people interested in getting their ticket and move up in privileges
I live in a area with repeaters and TBH many are just not on the repeaters and have switched to digital now. Everyone is doing DMR and WinLink. Also, find out when the local net is. Ours here in where I live there are several cities who have repeaters and ham clubs. Nets are normally 7:30pm 8pm and 9 pm. Maybe try again around these times. I am currently using a hand held baofeng HT 5 watt with a SMA to Coax adapter to a mag mount antenna on top a window ac unit LOL HEY IT WORKS LOL Just bought a Jpole to use though. Anyways thanks for sharing man and keep posting.
Yeah, there's that to remember: Lot of hams are going DMR / C4FM / Insert-proprietary-mode-here... I know my analog radio doesn't break the squelch when it hits a digital signal but then when I look at the 2m band on the SDR waterfall it's full of digital signals.
Then again it's also full of Echolink style connections all over the world. If I wanted to use the Internet, well Hell, I'd just use the Internet.
@@TechAddictAttic I couldn't agree more. Also, I am new at this. I have had my tech license for few years but, I don't do much in way of keeping up or expanding on knowledge or getting my general. Which I want just been lazy to study lol ..
@@1kzrider had mine since I was in junior high school, but after graduating high school I moved with the family and we never set the tower back up. Combined with lack of time due to work, college, commute; then work, college, dating, commute, automotive repairs; (somewhere before this point the hobby was lost to me) moved in with the then girlfriend so commute got better but now had full-time work, part-time college, relationship, auto... Then work, marriage, auto, kid; work, marriage, auto, kid, mortgage; W, M, A, K, M, another kid, car payment, credit cards... Finally I said screw it, I'm reviving my hobbies before I'm too old to enjoy them. LOL
Now I need to clean out the garage so I can throw money at mid eighties Chrysler product nobody has parts for....
Maybe it's time to teach the kids about "responsibility" muahahahahahaaaaaahhh
Give 40, 60, and 80 meters a try. I've recently worked Europe and the Caribbean. I've had some extended rag-chews. I even had a good rag-chew with Tim, the CE at WBCQ, on 40 meters AM using IC-7100 at 25W carrier power. With low power I am not always able to but through pileups, but I did hear W1AW working 80 meter AM. 60 meters is an interesting band. It is channelized, like CB, there are only 5 channels to check. And the power limit on 60 is 100 PEP ERP, so the IC-7100 is not a limiting factor.
Hello Erik have you heard of SOTA.org.uk Ham Operators go the tops of Mts. and operate on 146.520,146.550 and HF.freqs.check out the SOTA page.It's pretty neat also monitor 146.520 and 146.550 and freqs.listed on the page.
Can't say the same from my location I get lots of activity on 2 Meters by me and surprisingly I've made many contacts on simplex (146.52) lately, and It seems like simplex is becoming more active even though there many repeaters in the area. Once you get the right antenna you just need to put your call out on known active frequencies in your area. Problem a lot of times is there's too many people scanning and listening instead of calling. I often get the reaction when someone answers me they tell me they monitor but don't hear many calls but don't actually call themselves. It could also be that another band is way more used in your area too. I do hear local activity on 10 meters as well. Anyway you choose to play, radio is a fun hobby!
Today I'm running from McCalla Alabama to Dallas Texas. On the Mississippi border Louisiana on I-20 I was texting so much skip it was bleeding over into the upper band band lowerband and over 3 k on frequency tuning with squelch to up to over 50% on 27.185(ch19 on 11m) running a Stryker A10 + Stryker 955.
I feel the Antron 99 would be little more than a dummy load on 2 meters. With that said, don’t give up yet! Try with your 2 meter Yagi up as high as possible, use a good quality coax (I prefer LMR 400) and see what happens!!! If you don’t have success, keep your eyes open for a used Marage amplifier....... I made the 130 mile trip from my dads house in Pennsylvania to my local repeater on Long Island using this setup with a 3 element home made cross polarized Yagi religiously for years! The 25 watts of your rig probably won’t be enough anyway... With the amp, you have 150 watts AND the built in pre amp which should make a world of difference!
Eric, you didn't really think an A99 would work very well even for receiving on 2m 144 MHz, that 117 MHz out of band. Maybe it was good enough to determine you
couldn't RX a repeater? I've used my A'99 for SWL/MW, but that's only 27 MC out of the antenna's band at the most. When I lived in the SF bay area, I listened in
on 2m all the time. With a scanner/rubber duck antenna. Perfect reception. Very active there, multiple repeaters, linked repeaters. Here in South /MS, nothing.
No Mountains or interest I guess? I was under the impression, that there weren't many places in the lower 48 where a 2-meter repeater couldn't be accessed.
Maybe need to rethink? This vid is 3yrs old did you ever get on 2m? I am a sub and was just going thru your old videos, You responded to at least one of my
comments on (our) DX-302 SW. I was looking for one of your videos, where you briefly mentioned an ic 718 w/mars mod. I ordered one on eBay, but it wasn't
right, had to return it.☹ I did check it out on general coverage, my 2nd reason for the choice! What great reception even without the tuner, that the DX-302 has.
Still looking😮💨
I still have a 2meter setup here with a larger 2m J pole, but in 4 years, I've only caught one conversation on it. I'm in a dead zone for sure!
Since you got that radio mounted in your shack you should set up a decent extension speaker. CB radio speakers are usually cheap and junky but a good extension speaker can really improve the sound.
man i need a bigger antenna. my antenna does not pick up stuff like urs does. i hear truckers from time 2 time on 19.
It never gets old being able to talk hundreds of miles on SSB with 10 to 15 watts . Yeah , it’s true , 2 meter is mostly your local dedicated guys , and there’s only a few in each county
Pretty much. At least back in Raleigh,NC there was a local net so there was some traffic. Here I can't even get that.
Never let go of my Nato 2000, as a teenager in the 1980's it was some of the best times, and innocent times of my life. I find myself as a 52 year old with an of grid cabin in Poland. I can finally fire this thing up, with a beam, and a burner, on super low ssb, without fear of bleed over to the TV network. I live in hope l can enjoy the skip, once more.
good morning sorry I wanted information for radio Cb which good. alinco or crt thank you very much?
I've never owned either of those brands. President and Midland both make good radios.
Also, 2m uses USB and 11m (CB) uses LSB. The HTX radio you have doesn’t even HAVE sideband! You need a SSB 2m radio if you want a direct comparison to 11m SSB.
2 meters isn't dead, but compared to the 90s and early 2000s it has a lot less traffic. Cheap cellphones meant the folks using it to keep in touch with friends and family moved off the radio. in my area CB has very little activity, but you can easily get a few hundred miles out (or more) when 10/11 meter skip conditions are right.
West TExas we run on Channel 14 AM.............
"COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!! " :)
The BoogeyMan
what is your thoughts on murs and gmr radios
Had 2 meter rig, from Heath Kit on Grand Turk, during Cuban fiasco thru Jamaca before they got there independence, never had one in this country, now 89 and can't pass due to my memory loss, had radiotelepone license first class with radar endorsement
Yeah you'll need a dedicated 2M antenna for sure, that antron will be deaf and dumb at that high a freq. Good to see you still playin around tho!
2155 up in Manitoba Canada said that :D
146.520 and 146.610 are the 2m channels you want to monitor generally, anything more locally you'll have to find out from some ham guys
What happened to your 980 SSB?
Robb Sharpe I was wondering the same thing, just got one and anxious to see how it perform.
He posted an older video
CB is coming back, I’m a truck driver when I’m on the U.S WHYs and back roads I’m always rolling the AM and talk to people it’s fun I have 2 people I know from it so when I pass I put it on that ch just to say hi, and see what’s new
I heard ya but wasn't able to make contact, guess you changed the channel. Arkansas
you can only use a 2 meter antenna or a 2 meter beam to be able to hear something on the radio because there is an antenna for each band osse for 11m band regards oz3abu in Denmark
Any long wire antenna should also work fine. Not ideal, and not for transmit, but still.
I'm a fan of CB and the amateur radio bands. In your example, the 11m (27 MHz) antenna won't be resonant for a 2m (144-148MHz) radio. The result is what you heard (nothing). However, to your point. You will only hear but so much 2m SSB, FM simplex and repeater activity in your local area but there usually is at least some activity during the day and night with the drive times being the most active including the weekends when more people aren't working. In many cases, local areas hold either simplex or repeater nets. Other activities include clubs or repeaters serving as communications for local events or practicing emergency communication exercises. The nets usually occur on a weekly basis at a specific time. If not, you should be able to monitor a repeater in another town. It's my experience that lots of people monitor a local 2 meter repeater and even the national simplex frequency (146.520MHz) but not many reply or "call out". Since the 2m band (FM) works at line of sight, 11m (27MHz) AM will perform very well in comparison when conditions are right due to propagation using the atmosphere. We've all been enjoying better propagation conditions this past summer and it appears to continue. The ham radio HF bands offer good propagation with the advantage of more bands to monitor depending on the time of day or night. 73
Are you a new ham operator?
CB skip don't last long, my handheld ham radio with rubber ducky on 220 at max wattage of 3.5 watts I can talk to my friend repeater that is 52 miles away from me, on 2m SSB from Denton Texas to Austin Texas talk to a fella that was roughly 90 miles away with 35 Watts, from my car.
Try to build a simple 2m beam antenna lots of info on UA-cam and the internet on how to build one, you would be very surprised how far you will get out.
My ham HF radios don't need skip to talk to people across the United States or even over seas, I have two, one is 100 watts the other is 20 watts, even my 20 watt radio I have talk to people here in the States, as well to Japan, Philippines and Australia etc.....
No surprise you get the same distances with 20W as 100W Dennis.
That’s just over 6dB difference or 1 S point.
I feel that too many people don't give CB credit for what it is and most seem to forget about it.
It certainly got a bad rap in the 80's and early 90's with all the trash talk and such, but those days are over and now it's a pretty cool place.
I only want to point out one small flaw, the factor using an antenna designed to run on 10/11 meter bands on a radio that's looking to pick up signals around 144/147, even though the a 99 is a large antennait is clearly not residence for the ham bands so if you don't have the under 1.5 s scale just like on your CB you won't hear what you want, I would truly recommend going online and watch a video on how to build a ground plane style antenna. 1/4, 1/2 or full wavelength takes about 5 minutes to do using anything from old metal coat hangers to straight copper wire and making sure it's cuts in a proper wavelength, I guarantee that you will have a lot better results on ham versus buying a directional to test out the ham radio theory. Also there are apps on Android and iOS for helping build different style antennas for cheap amounts of money giving you the appropriate length you need to build different style antennas for the frequency you want to catch. I currently can work over 50 miles of the hills of West Virginia on a quarter wave ground plane antenna I made for 2m electrical tape to a broom handle and then zip tied to the front porch.