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Quinn · 08-23-2009, 06:46 PM

Anyone here have a ham radio in their Jeep?

This weekend I had an extrememly close call with a falling tree that could have very seriously injured me or even killed me. This prompted me into looking into getting a ham radio in my rig so I could contact someone in the case of an emergency. I was in the middle of the woods in Vermont with absolutely no cell serivce and well out of range of the CB.

A friend and I are going next month to get a Technian's licence. We orderd a book to study from but I have not gotten a chance to see it yet. I have looked at some radios online but most of it is a foriegn language to me.

Handheld or a moble unit with more power? 2m or a dual band 2m/70cm? And then there is the issue with an antenna. There are so many choices, I'm not sure what to look for.

Anyone have any insight?

88fadedglory · 08-23-2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinn

Anyone here have a ham radio in their Jeep?

This weekend I had an extrememly close call with a falling tree that could have very seriously injured me or even killed me. This prompted me into looking into getting a ham radio in my rig so I could contact someone in the case of an emergency. I was in the middle of the woods in Vermont with absolutely no cell serivce and well out of range of the CB.

A friend and I are going next month to get a Technian's licence. We orderd a book to study from but I have not gotten a chance to see it yet. I have looked at some radios online but most of it is a foriegn language to me.

Handheld or a moble unit with more power? 2m or a dual band 2m/70cm? And then there is the issue with an antenna. There are so many choices, I'm not sure what to look for.

Anyone have any insight?

Check the regs carefully. A Ham rig, especially one limited by a no-code license, often doesn't have the basic broadcast range of a CB.

This is partly because the no-code frequencies are more line-of-sight than 11 meter CB, which can skip-talk and penetrate some soils (mostly those without much mettalic ore)

A no-code 2 meter rig runs on 144 mhz which may allow you more power but due to the limitations of your frequency, you would need to use a repeater to get your help. I don't know if they would be available to you or even if they are avaqilable when wheeling.

I have a brother that went for his no-code ticket and I don't think he stuck with it more than a couple years.

Budd

**mcatald** · 08-23-2009, 07:48 PM

WOW. Whadya say?

Quinn · 08-23-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88fadedglory

Check the regs carefully. A Ham rig, especially one limited by a no-code license, often doesn't have the basic broadcast range of a CB.

This is partly because the no-code frequencies are more line-of-sight than 11 meter CB, which can skip-talk and penetrate some soils (mostly those without much mettalic ore)

A no-code 2 meter rig runs on 144 mhz which may allow you more power but due to the limitations of your frequency, you would need to use a repeater to get your help. I don't know if they would be available to you or even if they are avaqilable when wheeling.

I have a brother that went for his no-code ticket and I don't think he stuck with it more than a couple years.

Budd

Budd, I was thinking about getting a dual band rig (2m and 70cm) with aroudn 50 watts of output. This should give me plenty of options for frequencies. From what I have been reading online and also from talking to some hams, this definitely should get a lot more range than a CB, even without using a repeater. I have already checked for repeaters in my area and there are plenty, both 144 and 440.

88fadedglory · 08-23-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinn

Budd, I was thinking about getting a dual band rig (2m and 70cm) with aroudn 50 watts of output. This should give me plenty of options for frequencies. From what I have been reading online and also from talking to some hams, this definitely should get a lot more range than a CB, even without using a repeater. I have already checked for repeaters in my area and there are plenty, both 144 and 440.

Then they've changed the rules since my brother got his no-code ticket. He wasn't allowed access to repeaters at the time (mid-70's). That was why I didn't try for mine.

I'm curious how line of sight, which both 144 and 440 mhz are, will work when you're down in some gully, 20 feet below the ridge.

I suggest having one of those Hams take a mobile rig into some rough country and see how well it gets out. That's the only true test.

Budd

Quinn · 09-29-2009, 10:48 PM

Just wanted to follow up just incase someone else is interested in the future.

I found lots of great information over on the ExPo.http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=47

Prerunner1982 · 09-30-2009, 07:21 AM

Here are a couple of threads I found interesting on another XJ site.

Amateur Radio - Part 1 - Jeep Cherokee Forum xjTalk
My communications set up - Jeep Cherokee Forum xjTalk

They were posted by Mudderoy... he is on here as well. Perhaps he will chime in.

Prerunner1982 · 09-30-2009, 07:21 AM

......................

Quinn · 09-30-2009, 11:47 AM

Sweet, thanks for the links!

Prerunner1982 · 09-30-2009, 12:50 PM

I am interested in this as well, but do not have funds to get involved. I have been interested with this stuff since I was young and my Dad had a CB in his pickup.

flawlesslydisturbed · 09-30-2009, 04:26 PM

My brother has ham radio license. He goes to a flea market called hamfest and has picked up some really cool equipment. He has an old tv tube linear, has blown up two of my televisions when keying his mic. I was always interested but never looked into it. He said something about having to learn morris code.

Prerunner1982 · 09-30-2009, 04:31 PM

Yeah per Mudderoy morse code is no longer required.

flawlesslydisturbed · 09-30-2009, 04:36 PM

Cool. I know he can talk to people in Central Mexico from Southeastern Ohio. That's crazy

88fadedglory · 09-30-2009, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flawlesslydisturbed

Cool. I know he can talk to people in Central Mexico from Southeastern Ohio. That's crazy

CB is limited to 150 miles ... or used to be.

I've talked from central IN and south central CO to Bermuda and Jamaica respectively on 4 Watts AM with my old Radio Shack CBs using skip.

Direct, I've a mobile unit (my brother Dan's pickup) in Denver from Canon City on my base (12 W S/S PEP)

It's all in the antenna . . . .

Budd

Rinkor16 · 09-30-2009, 11:53 PM

I thought about maybe putting a Ham radio in my Jeep too... Reading all about the frequencies and the licensing and different types is making my head hurt