Hams Help for CBrs?

[challenger99]

I know the Forum is entitled Ham Radio, however as a Ham operator you have experience and knowledge in most aspects of radios. What to look for in a radio, antenna, mic; how/where to install equipment and why such tests and adjustment like SWRs is important to both operation and life of equipment.
Therefore, since many RVrs either have or want to install a CB in their rig would there be any objections to allowing fellow RVrs to look for CB help from you Hams on this Forum?
By the way MANY years ago I used a Hallicrafter receiver, home built 1KW with manual VFO as W3ZRQ.

[whodo]

Any and all Radio questions no matter if they are about Ham Radio, CB Radio, Shortwave, etc are welcome to be posted under this heading.

Being a Ham myself, I am sure others would be happy to help answer any and all questions to the best of their ability.

[challenger99]

Thanks Whodo, that is what it is all about!

[utmtman]

I used to be big on cb but with this new motor home I did not want to drill holes to install an antenna since the body is all fiberglass so sold my radio and everything I had to go with it. I have often thought of getting a ham radio but could not afford the cost to get started. Would love to find some way to get into it with inexpensive used equipment if I knew anything about the equipment so I would not get taken to the cleaners, I would give it a shot.
Any suggestions????

[challenger99]

I'm sure one of the Hams will be glad to explain what is involved in first getting a license and then the type of equipment you might use.
From a CB standpoint we have a "glass" motorhome and use a thru the window antenna. Granted you don't talk for distance but for local info or road conditions it does the job.

[utmtman]

We looked at the thru the glass but like the antenna I had sitting on my dash it was good for ten feet in front of the rv and nothing behind and several trucker cb shops told me that thru glass antenna would not be any better. They said unless I could find one long enough to get above the rv itself that antenna was not much good.

[afchap]

My Winnebago coach came with a fairly poor CB antenna on the roof -- at best it tunes to only marginal SWR levels, but it does work for traffic info a mile or so fore & aft.

When I put a dual band (2/440) HAM rig in my motorhome, after some research I went with a Larsen 2m/440 on-the-glass KG-2/70-CX-PL antenna for $99, highly recommended by other HAMS. Only as I was installing it did it occur to me that I was putting it on dual-pane insulated glass, but I pressed on. It is mounted on a high driver side window, high enough that it does stick above the roof of the MH just a little. The only other option would have been to put it on the front windshield -- which I have room to do, but didn't really want to do. I have been very impressed with how well the Larsen works on the dual-pane glass. I don't have a much to compare it to, but I have communicated clearly via both simplex and repeaters all over the USA. It definitely works much better than my handie-talkie !!

My conclusion is that if you get a good quality through-the-glass antenna, it will work pretty well. That said, although I have used CBs for over 30 years, I have never used one with a through-the-glass antenna...

[kd8wdave]

My rig is all fibre-glass with aluminum frame as are most RV's. I have three 2m/440 style antennas mounted inside the rig basically out of sight out of mine. I use an alum round or square panel usually about 12" in diam as ground plane for these ant's. Works fine. One is my APRS position reporting station, one is on the dual band and one is on the IC706. My 'hf' ant is a screwdriver mounted on the rear bumper. Its ground plane is the chassis of the RV. It is tuned for 40m, 20m and 15m and I usually monitor 14.3 mhz when driving, and use the dualband scanner for local repeaters when traveling. None of mine are on the roof because I don't want height problems when I pull my rig into my garage. I have an 11'-3" garage door for the rig, which barely fits under it.

Cheers