shootin skip

[ccrunner1]

anone else catching CB conversations from around the country today?

[Will]

Who's Skip and who and why did they shoot him and why, in particular, do people with CB radios (truckers?) want to talk about him? What did we miss while we were mourning our nation's war dead?

[02RangerMan]

Well, at least i know what your talking about. However, i steer clear of those 11meter radios. Any other hams in the crowd?

KC5PKX

[snake]

ya, NO5BS (vanity as U might have guessed)


I don't do too much 11 meters (chicken band) but was installing one for a young guy last week- and it was skipping like a big dog when we turned it on and got it all set up.

[177CIOfPureLove]

Well, this is pretty newb, but who is skip? lol.

[AllanD]

Technically it's called Sporatic-E layer Ionispheric refraction propogation

Radio waves get "Bent" back to earth instead of simply running out
to be heard by LGM in some other solar system.

Normal "skip" for CB in a low intensity e-layer skip is 900-1100miles

More intense skip can shorten that distance to 350-500miles.
Any shorter distance than that, but over 50 miles is due to "Back scatter"

Longer distances which tend to fade in and out on a double periodic cycle
are classic multi-hop "skip"

You think skip is fun on CB you oughta try it on 10meter.


AD - N2TBI

[wrecking-crew]

:icon_confused: my brain hurts

[m8r8j]

candyy caneee..............

[AllanD]

You do know what LGM are don't you?

Little Green Men

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[Shran]

KC0KBY here.

[pocket-rocket]

candyy caneee..............

:icon_rofl:

[4LO 4.O]

It was a great weekend for shooting skip, I was talking with guys from Va, all way down to Texas.

OP- what kinda set up you running?

I have a Galaxy DX 959 with a Davemade 4 pill.

308 Ranger got down! and I'm back quite

[ccrunner1]

I have the radio shack brand radio. I know its a renamed cobra but im not sure the model. but heres a link to it.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102604

[ccrunner1]

i still dont think i have it tuned right i catch interference from my truck mainly from windshield wipers. but also from the engine when i accelerate.

P.S. its just hardwired to the battery

[Capt Jay]

KC0KBY here.

90210 here, I mean OU812 or was it.............OK, I'm done.

[4LO 4.O]

That's a pretty good set up, looks like a Cobra 29 NW.

Mine picks up interference from the wipers also. I also have mine hard wired to the battery but grounded to the frame.
On talk back mode mine plays through the truck speakers also.

My experience with CB's is, it's always going to pick up interference.
That's what CB stands for= Constantly Bad:icon_confused:

[LearjetMinako]

:icon_rofl:. This is too much. LGM, skip, Constantly Bad. :D

The TRS use to have a radio fourm. I have a Cobra 75 and a 29. I use the 75 in the Ranger and the 29 is a spare that I'm planning on for a home base station. As for interference, I too get some. With the 29, it can be canceled out with the settings and with a power filter. With the 75, theres no filter settings, but I still use the power filter which helps a lot from the engine whine. When daily driving, I leave the CB off except when bad weather is in the area. But it really helps on the open road just to hear chit chat.

[crawlin91]

bleep bloop

[Jim Oaks]

When I was a kid, my dad had a radio hidden in the end table next to his recliner. He use to fire that thing up, turn the beams on our garage from a switch in the house, and talk from Cleveland Ohio to Seattle Washington. It use to piss off the neighbor because everytime he keyed the radio their TV went blank.

[daniel3507]

i gotta get me a cb set up. this sounds like too much fun to miss

[PickupMan04 FX4 L2]

i was catching skip all weekend in the pickup!

im running a galaxy dx55v with a big ass whip and a modded galaxy 225 kicker... throw it on a meter im doing about 300 watts peak and 200 dead key

[triumphrider-1]

Technically it's called Sporatic-E layer Ionispheric refraction propogation

Radio waves get "Bent" back to earth instead of simply running out
to be heard by LGM in some other solar system.

Normal "skip" for CB in a low intensity e-layer skip is 900-1100miles

More intense skip can shorten that distance to 350-500miles.
Any shorter distance than that, but over 50 miles is due to "Back scatter"

Longer distances which tend to fade in and out on a double periodic cycle
are classic multi-hop "skip"

You think skip is fun on CB you oughta try it on 10meter.


AD - N2TBI

Is this brought about by weather conditions or another anomaly?


Since we're on the subject of HAM radios too, anybody remember a movie from the late 90's early 00's about a HAM radio operator that talkedto his deceased dad over the radio (and time) to solve a serial murder case? Thought that was a pretty good movie (random thought I know, its one of those nights).

[85_Ranger4x4]

Since we're on the subject of HAM radios too, anybody remember a movie from the late 90's early 00's about a HAM radio operator that talkedto his deceased dad over the radio (and time) to solve a serial murder case? Thought that was a pretty good movie (random thought I know, its one of those nights).

Frequency

I just heard the Garth Brooks song he did for that movie today, it is a good one. :icon_thumby: (if you like country)

[triumphrider-1]

Frequency

I just heard the Garth Brooks song he did for that movie today, it is a good one. :icon_thumby: (if you like country)

Thats what it was. :icon_thumby:

What song was it?

[85_Ranger4x4]

Thats what it was. :icon_thumby:

What song was it?

"when you come back to me again"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZsGM6pNhZo

The audio doesn't line up with the video very well, but that is it.

[PaleBlue90]

i have a midland cb with a stubby wally world whip......if my exploder was driveable id be listionin to it. when i get a new car it might go in it...idk yet though

[Roger]

All the noise on 11 meter is why I want to go Ham and get a 2M/70cm rig. Also, with my wife's poor health, it would be nice to be with a club (a few local have phone patch) so I could more readily stay in touch with my wife while wheeling...

CB has its place still. But very limited. Back a bunch of years ago, I ran a set of dual whips and 100w amp in my car (had to upgrade the alternator and battery though). Folks had a base with a bigger heater but don't remember its output...

[daniel3507]

whats the difference between HAM radios and CBs? is one better to have than another?

[4LO 4.O]

Cb radios are limited to 5watts by the FCC.

Which means that you can only transmit about 10 or 15 miles.
Now a lot of people, including myself ignore this and peak and amp them, but still at best you'll only talk consistantly for about 30 miles.

Ham radios on the other hand requires FCC licensing and has a much better aftermarket and you could go worldwide on a ham radio.

A 10 meter modified to work on the Cb band is in between the two.

[daniel3507]

i guess you still have to tune the Ham like you do the CB? thanks for all the help by the way. im looking to get a radio set up in my truck so im wanting a good one

[4LO 4.O]

I don't know much about HAM radio's, but I'm sure they are peak and tuneable.

A great mobile radio is a Galaxy 959, it's more of a 10 meter that will talk with best setups out there.

Make sure you get it tuned though, as the HAM crowd gets pissy when you bleed over on to them, also the FCC doesn't like it either:dunno:

Just make sure you get a qaulity antenna and you'll be good to go, Firesticks are crap but most people will swear there the best.
Get a Wilson 1000 or 5000 and you'll be set.

[Shran]

Oh yeah, you have to tune any radio right or you can fry the transmitter.

[4x4junkie]

Is this brought about by weather conditions or another anomaly?
.

It's brought about by charging of the ionosphere by solar radiation, and is one of many forms of radio wave propagation.

Read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionosphere

When conditions are right, you can easily go worldwide on the 27MHz CB band as well (using a single-sideband radio) :icon_thumby:

[Jim Oaks]

When I worked for the state, our northeast Ohio district transmitted and received on 44.82 and 44.98 mhz. (States on the real high 800+ mhz now...). When the weather was just right, we could hear the Highway Patrol in Wichita Kansas as clear as a bell. We could actually talk directly to them. We would have to switch channels so we weren't interfering with each other. Crazy stuff. It only seemed to happen in the summer though.

[AllanD]

I don't know much about HAM radio's, but I'm sure they are peak and tuneable.

A great mobile radio is a Galaxy 959, it's more of a 10 meter that will talk with best setups out there.

Make sure you get it tuned though, as the HAM crowd gets pissy when you bleed over on to them, also the FCC doesn't like it either:dunno:

Just make sure you get a qaulity antenna and you'll be good to go, Firesticks are crap but most people will swear there the best.
Get a Wilson 1000 or 5000 and you'll be set.

Modern transisterized ham trancievers make between 100w and 200w right out of the box.

"peak and tune"? No. not necissary, it can help on some,
but not by enough to justify doing it in most cases.

Remember for Hams amplifiers are legal up to 1500w on many frequencies...
Ponder that for a moment....

Also remember that Ham amplifiers aren't sold by
the same type of "snake oil salesmen" that sell CB amps,
they are made by major manufacturers and produce the
quoted power.

but understand that power doesn't really help is the band isn't "open"
Also remember that Hams make it a point to use tuned antenna.

a typical 2m/70cm tranciever (144mhz/440mhz) will put out 45w/35w
and because of the nature of the FM "Capture effect" the receiver will
only hear the strongest signal (unless two signals are almost equal in strength then you get a "doubling effect")

So there isn't the constant noisy "hash" of interference.

Amateur Tranceivers aren't cheap junk like many CB radios.
But they are priced accordingly.

I originally paid $900 for my Icom dual band transciever.

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[4LO 4.O]

^^ Great reply AD, very informative.

From what I understand, you don't have to know morse code for ham test anymore... I have been wanting to get into the ham scene, I might just go for it.

[mentalbreakdown00]

lol, me too. I have a radio shcak cb that was given to me with an antennae, and coax. I just don't know where to get a good mount. Also seeing as I don't want to drill any holes I don't know what to do. My friend has the s/r meter once I get it in, but he doesn't know where to get a good mount either, the radio shack people are useless here. Last note we had a few cb "shops" around here, but they have gone the way of the do do..

[4LO 4.O]

Do you have any truck stops around? they useally have some universal mounts.

If not, then there's Sparky's CB shack, Clay's Radio sho, cistom Radios. com all on the net. Then there's E-bay.

[mentalbreakdown00]

Yeah thats all good, but i'm lost never done anything with cb so they could have 100 mounts in the store and i'd be scratching my head. I really have no clue on what i'm dping, besides mounting the cb itself and power and ground.

[AllanD]

^^ Great reply AD, very informative.

From what I understand, you don't have to know morse code for ham test anymore... I have been wanting to get into the ham scene, I might just go for it.

Yeah, the code test is gone.

I only ever took one code test for 5wpm Code back about 2 years
after I got my tech license to upgrade to the now defunct "Tech-Plus"
license.

Several years later when the 13wpm code requirement was dropped to 5wp for general I upgraded to general, they I was one of the "slow code" Extras
in the six week "window" after they dropped the code requirement alltogether
but before they introduced the new (allegedly harder) Extra theory test.

I've always been pure hell on multiple answer tests.

when I originally got my license I aced the Novice test,
dropped ONE question on the tech exam and even though
I only studied for the gen theory on the ride to the exam
(45min drive after a night of only 4hours sleep) I sat for
the general theory and dropped two only questions

I simply memorized the entire question pool.

They say it's impossible... mabey for them:)

AD

[5speedin2.3]

I run a Cobra 25 thats been peaked, tweaked, tuned and it has a swingkit. I also run a Boomer (Palomar) 600 one driving four and a Wilson 5000. All with Belden RG-8X coax.

I also have a very rare Astatic Minute Man II mic and a Road Noise 2018 echo mic.

I plan to get my ham ticket soon and get an RCI 2950 to run with my current setup.

[4x4junkie]

I also have a very rare Astatic Minute Man II mic .

Excellent mic. Hang on to that gem :icon_thumby:

It's too bad they quit making those (they were very popular 15-20 years ago), the one they replaced it with (D104-M6B) I don't think sounds as good (seems "tinny" compared to the old M6)

The holder for the little 7V battery was always a huge PITA on them though (years ago I replaced mine with a holder for a single "N" cell that I got at a Radio Shack)

[5speedin2.3]

Excellent mic. Hang on to that gem :icon_thumby:

It's too bad they quit making those (they were very popular 15-20 years ago), the one they replaced it with (D104-M6B) I don't think sounds as good (seems "tinny" compared to the old M6)

The holder for the little 7V battery was always a huge PITA on them though (years ago I replaced mine with a holder for a single "N" cell that I got at a Radio Shack)

Yeah, the battery is a pita. Its a 7volt mercury battery that costs around 7-9$ to replace.

I put an end on the mic when I got it. It was new in the box and I only paid $13 for it. I only used the mic for a few months, now I use the echo mic.
Its going to sit in the box again till I feel the need to use it. Or maybe sell it for some ridiculous price.

[5speedin2.3]

The radio is now mounted to the back wall between the seats.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck1/IMG_1352.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck1/IMG_1353.jpg

[5speedin2.3]

Sorry for being a picture whore. Maybe I should make a thread for radio pictures/setups. :dunno:

The Cobra 29XLR also has the works done to it. I use it as my base radio with a little Palomar150A and an Antron99 about 40ft in the air.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/IMG_1914.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/IMG_1921.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/IMG_1922.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/IMG_1923.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/IMG_1930.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/ATT00019.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/ATT00029.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/daniel_k2006/Truck2/ATT00039.jpg

[lone-wolf]

On the boat we keep receiving signals from Georgia. From PEI to Georgia is a pretty good piece. They're so annoying we've got to shutoff the CB.

[ccrunner1]

i really need to get mine tuned properly.

wow this is probably the longest thread i ever started

[Scrambler82]

ccrunner1,

R U going to become an Amateur Radio Operator (HAM) after all this...

such inspiration.

There is one thing, IF you intend to do it legally you still need to take "the test".

Luck to ya

Oh ya, remember HAM VHF/UHF Radios usually work with an FM Signal and are a LOT quieter than CB which uses an AM Signal and the best part is a HAM can run 1500 watts LEGALLY.

[Bill]

You don't tune a radio. Well, not the radios we use today. You "tune" the match to the antenna. CBs don't use a lot of power and will likely take quite a bit of mismatch before being damaged, and I'm inclined to think you would have to leave it keyed up for an extended period of time to damage it. However, a good match to the antenna allows the maximum power to reach the antenna increasing overall performance.

Power ratings: Part 95 regulations limit RF output to 4 watts carrier power for AM, or 12 watts peak envelope power for SSB (sideband). That is a 4.75 db gain, which is better than any of the commercially available BASE antennas available. Mobile antennas have a net loss. Additionally, there is gain and improved signal to noise ratio in a SSB receiver. About 9db total gain using SSB over AM. That is a difference of 4 watts to 32 watts. This assumes the receiver uses a narrower filter for SSB than it does for AM. A narrower filter reduces noise.

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Documents/cfr/1998/47cfr95.pdf (see page 564)

Total output power for Amateur Radio (Part 97) varies depending on license class, band, geographic location, or in some cases, a combination of band and geographic location.

Generally, power output is limited by peak envelope power, but effective radiated power is used in some circumstances. Effective radiated power is transmitter output, minus feedline loss (loss in the coax), plus antenna gain.

http://www.w5yi.org/page.php?id=142

It is safe to say the best mobile CB installation has an effective radiated power less than 4 watts.

[AllanD]

On the boat we keep receiving signals from Georgia. From PEI to Georgia is a pretty good piece. They're so annoying we've got to shutoff the CB.

I refer to that as "Coastal tropospheric ducting".

Happens all the time year round on 10meters.

particularly if you live near the coast, the 10meter band is usually open from New England and NY NJ to Florida in the late morning.

when I lived in NJ I could hear the operators in Florida and the US Virgin Islands working the operators in CT and MA, but I couldn't hea CT or MA myself.

CT or MA is a hard place to work from Northern NJ because it's too close
to work by ionispheric propagation modes.

some old time hams will deny that 10meters or CB will propagate by what are traditionally "VHF/UHF" porpagation modes, but when I point out that the original "UHF connector" was invented it was invented for 29-30Mhz Radar!

The British "Chain Home" radar made famous during the battle of britain operated on 29Mhz.

so if you can reflect a "low" frequency radio signal like that off of distant aircraft the idea that the signal can get trapped under a thermal inversion isn't at all "Far fetched"

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