Re[2]: CBs revisited - John will speak again..

To: jlandry@domain.elided, tsm1@domain.elided
Subject: Re[2]: CBs revisited - John will speak again..
From: jmbrodsky@domain.elided
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 14:04 -0800 (PST)
Cc: ihc-digest@domain.elided, ldupliss@domain.elided
Content-type: MULTIPART/MIXED; BOUNDARY="Boundary_(ID_GkNzuvLg5BjMFET0oAuqRQ)"
Reply-To: jmbrodsky@domain.elided
Sender: owner-ihc@domain.elided

     OK guys, this has gotten WAY out of hand.

     Look, I looked at a map, the guy gave me his address, it was 7.6 miles 
     from where I was across town.

     I don't want to worry about a 'GOOD' radio since I don't need to talk 
     to truckers that badly, and CB is overrated.  FRS seems better on the 
     trail anyway.

     John,  You may know your stuff, and Tom you may know yours, but How 
     does one measure what another knows?  Questions.

     How do you tune the 114" Stainless whip?

        YOU CAN GET 1:1, we do it at work.  Of course when you have money 
     is no object kind of stuff, there is a HELL of alot more in the mix 
     than ch1, ch40.

        NOBODY answers on Ch.9 anyway, so what's the point?  I was there, I 
     needed help, nobody helped.  Now, possibly, I have become biased (Ya 
     think?) and this is all out of excitement, but, other than the tour 
     guide in Canyon De Chelley, I can't say that the CB has been all that 
     beneficial for me.  Others?

        -Joel

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: CBs revisited - John will speak again..
Author:  tsm1@domain.elided at mime
Date:    3/11/99 10:56 AM

"John A. Landry" wrote:

> allowable 4 watt CARRIER wave rating, the actually effective AUDIO output 
> will vary considerably between the cheapie radios and the better quality 
> ones.  There is a *big* difference.

This is why there are.. now I can't remember the name.. something like 
"voice processing" microphones..  It's an "active" microphone that 
modulates your voice to achieve maximum tranmission power and clarity.

> willing to skimp on a crappy radio just because you haven't studied the 
> subject and aren't making an informed purchase.  Many of you who are CB 
> "enthusiasts" should know better than to suggest people buy crappy
> equipment, but I can only assume this is because you don't know any better 
> because you're so used to listening to the same crappy radios in everyone 
> else's trucks that you wouldn't know the difference!  Just because your
> wheeling buddies aren't complaining about how bad your radio sounds, 
> doesn't mean they can hear you clearly.

John - If someone wanted a GOOD radio, I'd offere advice on a GOOD 
radio... something like the 2510 or Presidential series.. or a high end 
Cobra.

I know the good radios.  Simple fact is, for MOST people, they don't 
"need" that good of a radio... talking a mile (when trail riding or 
convoying) is more than enough for most folks.

And, of course, $30 isn't much.. if the $30 radio doesn't fullfill the 
user's needs, they're out $30.  The $30 radio will work "sufficiently 
well" in most cases.  I think it is precisely that only the CB 
*enthusiasts* know what a "GOOD" CB is.. that is the reason why I 
suggested a $30 radio from Walmart.  It's like Scouts.  I overpaid for 
my first one.. but as I've learned what I want and what's good and bad 
and what I'd use and not use, I've acquired more and much more 
reasonable rates.

Buy the cheapie.. "live in it" for a while.. then decide.  Find a friend 
with a "good" radio and see what the differences are.

FWIW, my radio will talk a long ways.. but I rarely talk that far.  Only 
when we get REALLY seperated on a trail ride... in town and on the 
highway, the squelch is turned up so high I only hear the trucks n' cars 
right around me... MUCH worse when I'm in a "big city" where there's so 
much static and noise...

> >height, Radio Shack has a 114" Steel Whip antenna that requires no
> This is simply not true... *all* antennas need to be properly matched to 
> the radio.

Yep.  I had to tune my 114" whip on the '72.  I, of course, own an 
SWR/power meter..

> >ratio lower than 1:4 should be avoided, it can damage your set. 
>
> True and an excellent suggestion.

1:3 will "work" but warning lights go off on radios equipped with such 
lights... and yes, transmission is terrible.  You can and *will* blow 
final amplifier transistors if you run high SWR and use the radio much.

also note that you CAN NOT achieve 1:1... sorta.  Because of the 
differences between CB Ch1 and CB Ch40, you can't get 1:1 across the 
band.  You can tune for 1:1 on Channel 19... and keep Ch1 and Ch40 
around 1.4 or so.. or you can "move" your peak efficiency to wherever 
you spend most of your time.. most of my talking is on "FourWheeler" 
Channel 4 when trail riding..

> Yes... your *really* lucky if you can clearly transmit 8 miles Joel... but 
> certainly your efforts to properly tune the antenna paid off!

Hah!  8 miles?  I've talked to HONOLULU clearly... I used to get 
Syracuse, NY and Georgia regularly, too.  <VBG>

Of course, we're probably not counting skip...

throw
> money away.  Save up and buy quality and then you can keep that radio for 
> 30 years.

I believe there's a place for the $30 cheapie CB AND the $200 quality 
units.. both are applicable and useful.. just like the $30 AudioVOX 
AM/FM/Cassette deck (or the Realistic equivalent I bought at a Pawn Shop 
a year ago)... and my $400 Sony Am/Fm/Cass/10disc CD Changer.  I put the 
$30 Realistic in becuase it was better than the wandering stock AM 
radio... it was an upgrade, and at $30, a cheap one.  I then put my good 
stereo in.  That $30 radio is not a waste though.. it's just waiting for 
another "junk" truck to put it into where it'll be better than nothing.

Or my $35 cheapie Camera.. the beauty is - when it flops around on the 
floor while rock hoppin', so what?  The worst I'll do is lose a roll of 
film and a $35 camera.  Sure, the pictures are not as good as the 
Nikon.. but if I damaged the Nikon while fourwheeling?  $$$$.

With CBs, I think you can start off cheap.. and then decide if you want 
better.  You can always take the CB back to the pawnshop... I'm about to 
acquire two MORE Scouts.. and I need two cheap CBs for 'em (*I* can't 
afford a $200 radio in 6 Scouts and 2 pickups... sorry, but the $30 
units work fine in a pinch)

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
ex-super CB Junkie
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout


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Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 11:56:13 -0700
From: Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>
Subject: Re: CBs revisited - John will speak again..
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