Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-02-2018, 07:04 PM   #21
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Creston
Posts: 18
I installed an inexpensive CB for some of the early Sportsmobile sponsored rally's in the early 2000's. The easy part is to install the radio and find power. My radio was in the "dog house" of my E350 RB50 model. The hardest part is getting the RF out to the antenna. I think that was part of your question. For the Ford 2000 versions, you need to snake the antenna up to the corner of the "roof" where the pop top front corner (I used the right side) meets the original roof. I use some of the flex split plastic conduit to make it look nice and then the really hard part is sneaking the cable outside by loosening the screws to lower the internal roof panel at that corner of the pop top. But you don't want to make it too loose your you might give up the integrity of the canvas and a good water tight seal. I did it several times for CB, XM and another commercial radio. To me, that was the hardest part. Getting a license for 2 meters which I would also recommend, is way easier.
Now that you have a cable (enough for when the top is up) under the pop top, you can stick on your magnetic antenna base and keep it under the top when not in use. If you decide you want to use your radio for a trip or rally, just pull the magnetic mount from under the pop top and attach the whip. If overhead obstructions are a problem, just remove the whip and put it back on when you have overhead room. The antenna base is sitting on a (small) piece of metal/ground plane. Now I have too many 50 ohm coax feeds and hardly use any of them.
Mike Wilson
KI6LIA

__________________
Mike Wilson
2000 4x4 RB50
7.3l PSD
Mike Wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2018, 09:21 AM   #22
Site Team
 
macmcintire's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Posts: 1,537
I installed my CB antennae on the back of my van. But I took my CB out because it was basically worthless. It was only good for short-distance transmissions and the language of the users on the CB was offensive. I got an amateur radio operators license (HAM) instead. That is a much better option.
Attached Thumbnails
20150410_153545.jpg  
__________________
Mac McIntire
2003 Ford E250, 5.4L V8,
macmcintire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2018, 10:33 AM   #23
Senior Member
 
moorefc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: PNW or maybe Baja Sur
Posts: 381
Quote:
Originally Posted by arctictraveller View Post
A few observations about CB / Ham radios. There are a couple critical issues that affect the range of a radio. First is the power output. More power = longer range. Second is making sure you have a good antenna match, measured as SWR..... That kind of power will make a huge difference, especially if your in the woods where signals get absorbed by the trees, or if terrain is rugged and there is no clear line of sight between antennas.

A bit of clarification, and this could be a long discussion. There are many ham and articles on it, but antenna, antenna location, and antenna tuning is the most important factor. Power, less so, especially in the higher frequencies used by CB, 2m, FRS, etc...


Best location is the roof, and then the lower the antenna the less coverage and more directional it becomes (blocked by the vehicle mass and nearby higher objects). Ground planes are very important for non dipole antennas we use in vehicles. We use a half of a dipole, and often we have a quarter or eighth wave antenna, where a full wave monopole would be more efficient, and very long...

Having used ham radios communicating to the US from the S Pacific, Indian Ocean, and S Atlantic on 20 meters, etc I could transmit between 5 and 100w and it didn't typically make a significant difference. It was the antenna. The longer, higher and better tuned worked the best. Unfortunately, having a practical antenna that is high efficiency that fits our vehicles is very limiting.....
Another perspective is to think of it this way, the other party often does not have high power and you have to hear them..the antenna makes the difference.
On the other hand increasing power is easy...but legality, and bandwidth noise does enter in the conversation..
Apologies for going on....having a radio that allows "off the grid" communication is fun and a great resource.
__________________
Pac NW and warmer places
1995 E250 EB 5.8 2WD on to a new owner
2006 E350 EB Elect Top 2WD
moorefc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2023, 07:56 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2023
Location: Texas
Posts: 279
So in the spirit of Christmas coming up, and things coming back from the dead, this thread, and CB Radio. This thread predates the FCC decision / rule change and general availability of the newer radios. IF you ever travel on organized 4x4 runs many 4x4 clubs mandate CB Radio, although a number had been moving to GMRS. There are a good many times you need to stay in touch with your group when cell signal just isn't going to happen. GMRS requres a license many people are NOT going to do, that puts them back on CB. In 2021 the FCC changed their rules to allow FM mode in the CB band now. As of 2022 AM / FM CBs were available as a BIG push for this was coming from Uniden and Cobra, and I am sure other manufacturers that could easily sell their wares in the EU and south of the US border. More advanced radios have been slower in releasing but at least from President Electronics they now offer at least one model in the US with AM / FM and SSB, and to top it off it is also fitted with a NOAA weather receiver with alerts. The model in question is the President McKinley II FCC, and while it is CONSIDERABLY more expensive than say a Cobra 29 AM / FM transciever which a quick google search finds at under $100.00, the President has hands down a far more extensive feature set, and repuation for quality. There are of course import radios of all sorts but they will lack the NOAA weather radio circuitry and not be FCC Type Accepted in the US. I have my McKinley II FCC scheduled for delivery later this week. I am planning on a fender mount for the antenna and will be using an old school Firestik II antenna, Route the coax into the engine compartment, through a firewall grommet, up the kick panel, tight against the corner where the dash meets the body, up the A pillar and into the Sportsmobile overhead console where the radio will live.

I know the best possible location is smack dab in the middle of the steel roof. But in a Penthouse roof Econoline fan, not a lot of that is left over, and in my case I will be having a 4x4 conversion done and due to parking at work need to keep my total height under 9', so sacrifices were made and the signal will be rather directional... So be it.

Another option would be to get one of those mega magnetic mounts and plop the antenna smack in the middle of what is left exposed of the steel roof, all what, 12" of it?
dbhosttexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2023, 08:16 PM   #25
Member
 
Ned5555's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 63
I hadn’t heard about the FM versions of CB radios, but will have to investigate. I’ve started to give up on the technology because of the crazy bleed over and skip interference from hundreds of miles away.

There is this operator who goes by Hard Drive or Mud Duck who has a crazy overclocked setup in New Mexico and totally blew out any communication for two days I was using CB in East Tennessee. Sitting in traffic on I-40 and stuck listening to him ramble instead of road conditions. From my research, there isn’t much the FCC or anyone can do about him.
Ned5555 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2023, 09:50 AM   #26
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
My radio is from 2005 and has AM/FM SSB-upper and lower, plus 10 and 11 meters. Ham radios that cover the 11 meter band were a common purchases years back by a lot of truckers. It wasn't illegal to own, but there were a few operational issues. My radio is variable in frequency (I can slide between channel frequencies) and I don't think the FCC cares for that. With my radio I can move in and out of the CB frequency range which can put you in a Ham frequency zone which requires a ham certificate. To tell the truth, I've never talked with anybody on FM in the CB band. Most others only have the typical cobra type radios. Also mine is 50-100 watt and although I haven't been up on the regs, my bet it they don't allow it. But I can turn the power down to legal 5 (?) watt levels. I have found running full power really puts on a load and heats up the radio (pulls quite a few amps) if you are a motor mouth and keep the mic key depressed too much.


I haven't researched CB stuff lately but I need a new antenna. Idiots ripped it off during a smog test when they drove the van under a garage door that caught it and ripped it out of the mount. I might need a whole new setup.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2023, 02:49 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2023
Location: Texas
Posts: 279
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ned5555 View Post
I hadn’t heard about the FM versions of CB radios, but will have to investigate. I’ve started to give up on the technology because of the crazy bleed over and skip interference from hundreds of miles away.

There is this operator who goes by Hard Drive or Mud Duck who has a crazy overclocked setup in New Mexico and totally blew out any communication for two days I was using CB in East Tennessee. Sitting in traffic on I-40 and stuck listening to him ramble instead of road conditions. From my research, there isn’t much the FCC or anyone can do about him.
I am not anti Linear amplifier by any means, althought I don't use one myself. The FCC USED to crack down on illegal amplifiers like the one you are talking about, but they pretty much gave up on that, probably due to other areas of concern and budget constraints by the late 1980s. Even without a Linear setting up your antenna just so, being in the right place with the right conditions and skip can shoot your signal halfway across the globe. I remember when my old TRC-465 was new and I had it in my VW Westfalia, I was camping on Mt. Lemmon Arizona, no linear just stock radio and a 102" whip antenna mounted to the bumper of the van and I was talking to guys in Ohio thinking they were just down the road from me / on the mountain... FM isn't quite as prone to it as AM, and SSB was just wild with it. I've not noticed that much in the way of skip or interference from the guys with multi kilowatt linears in several years now though...

Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb View Post
My radio is from 2005 and has AM/FM SSB-upper and lower, plus 10 and 11 meters. Ham radios that cover the 11 meter band were a common purchases years back by a lot of truckers. It wasn't illegal to own, but there were a few operational issues. My radio is variable in frequency (I can slide between channel frequencies) and I don't think the FCC cares for that. With my radio I can move in and out of the CB frequency range which can put you in a Ham frequency zone which requires a ham certificate. To tell the truth, I've never talked with anybody on FM in the CB band. Most others only have the typical cobra type radios. Also mine is 50-100 watt and although I haven't been up on the regs, my bet it they don't allow it. But I can turn the power down to legal 5 (?) watt levels. I have found running full power really puts on a load and heats up the radio (pulls quite a few amps) if you are a motor mouth and keep the mic key depressed too much.


I haven't researched CB stuff lately but I need a new antenna. Idiots ripped it off during a smog test when they drove the van under a garage door that caught it and ripped it out of the mount. I might need a whole new setup.
I know about all the 10 meter rigs that were modded to run on 11 meters. I do not believe they are "legal" per FCC Part 97 regulations, HOWEVER like I mentioned above, I have never heard of anyone running afould of the FCC on CB or Amateur radio since the late 80s.

Legal limits power wise on CB are 4w on AM and 12w on SSB. I had to look up the updates to part 97 for FM and the power limit there is 4w as well. I suspect that will be adhered to as much as the 4w on AM has been over the years.

The hams will continue to cry and b*tch about CBers running power since they are running legal and CBers aren't, but I still seriously doubt anything will change in that. If CB becomes popular again and it gets to be more of a problem then maybe...
dbhosttexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-06-2023, 05:41 PM   #28
Orv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 619
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by dbhosttexas View Post
I know about all the 10 meter rigs that were modded to run on 11 meters. I do not believe they are "legal" per FCC Part 97 regulations, HOWEVER like I mentioned above, I have never heard of anyone running afould of the FCC on CB or Amateur radio since the late 80s.
They'll bust you if you're out of band or (on CB) off-channel. Otherwise they're not going to notice that you're using a modded rig as long as your signal is clean. Don't fall for the temptation to "peak" the rig by internally adjusting it for max power output, as this is likely to lead to a signal with lots of illegal harmonics!

Where you will run into trouble is selling such rigs. I had an eBay listing pulled once for trying. They know the part numbers of all the commonly-modded rigs and will cancel listings even if the rig isn't modded.

The main thing is to remember that there are land, sea, and air radio services and you don't want to run afoul of the latter two. In Michigan several years ago some truckers got tired of the crowded CB bands and started using marine radios. The FCC and Coast Guard didn't like that at ALL, especially when they started interfering with shipping traffic, and cracked down on them.
__________________
N8SRE
1990 E-250 Sportsmobile w/ penthouse top, converted when new by SMB Texas.
Orv is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Sportsmobile Registry

Biggie

Berta

Hermes

Nimzero
Add your Sportsmobile
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:38 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.