Three Types Of Radios You Need Right Now. Radio Readiness 101. How To keep Informed These Days.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2021
- A bit of a departure from my normal content, but a video I felt I needed to make. These 3 types of radios can, and likely will help you during these uncertain times we find ourselves in.
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I went to a town in 2014 where there was no cell coverage and every business had a CB radio in addition to a landline phone. The local diner had advertisements on the placemats and listed what CB channels they used. I couldn't believe it. It inspired me to get a CB radio.
Must have been near the sky "ears" dead zone.
Where's that town?
@@Jcrpdx the NRQZ is zone 3 and zone 4 of a electronic limited zone located in west Virginia. Zones 3 and 4 cover 13000 square miles. Within 10 square miles no electronic transmitting devices are aloud including gasoline engines.
@@mustangdemon87 Facinating. Thank you.
@@mustangdemon87 Green Bank Telescope?
Back in the early 70s (1970 or 1971 I think), I took a solo cross country trip from California to Oklahoma. I had a CB radio at the time and I had a great time talking with my fellow travelers along the way. I got information on where to eat, where to get gas, where the cops were hiding out lookin for speeders, etc. I had a great time and I will always remember that trip.
Some of the best suggestions I’ve heard. No high expense but a good combination of radios to have when the need arises. And a bit of fun using them.
1:42 I instantly recognized that one! I bought one of those from Radio Shack new. The telescoping antenna screws into a port right on the top, it's missing on the one you showed. The switch in frequencies you mention is usually around dusk. If I remember right, during the daytime the higher channels (above 13,000 kHz) work well, and they propagate over the horizon until dusk. That's when the lower channels open up, and stations switch to take advantage. Schedules and channel guides do exist, as you mention. BTW, shortwave signals are AM but are sent on channels much higher than the top channel on a regular AM radio, 1700. To give an example, a normal AM station in Philly would be 1060 KYW. That channel is 1060 kHz = 1.060MHz. Channels on shortwave go much higher; shortwave stations can be at 4500 or 8000 (8000kHz = 8MHz). That Radio Shack unit tops out at 29,990!
I have a shortwave radio that also picks up longwave beacons from airports around me. Why are they useful? They have weather reports for aircraft landing and take-off and include weather warnings where necessary. Even if they don't have much air traffic at night, if any, they can be emergency landing field for aircraft in distress. Other radios also include VHF/UHF radio bands for aircraft beacons as well. The weather warnings may include cyclone/hurricane and tornado warnings as well as rain/hail warnings. Shop around.
Great video! I am an Amateur radio operator, NY2CW. I agree with your selection of radio types and give my friends the same advice. Thanks for this video!
Good Job. Been watching a lot of these type videos, and I will say that you come across as a reliable and trustworthy guy, like someone's cousin everyone like. Keep up the good work.
Love the mellow vibe and your outlook. Thanks for the vid. I am a ham since back in the day and the SWLing and the CB was my intro to radio. Take care.
Great advice that's understandable for laypersons--and I thank you so much! Good backups for information and/or communication if anything goes awry, grid down, etc. You rock!
Off sub here but what a cool name Buffy van buren,
Here on the west coast of Canada VHF Marine is also a good option since it pretty much replaced AM CB over here for coastal communications.
same east coast Maine works ok not great up in the woods too
Sadly VHF marine is illegal to use on land (in US).
Great info. Short and to the point. All three are the best option for everyone to have, even of it’s in a closet collecting dust. At the end of the day they WILL be worth every penny when the SHTF.
A Fire and Police scanner is always a good idea and a hand crank am/fm radio just in case you run out of batteries.
Thanks, I just bought a few CB's and installed them. The last time I had on in my vehicle was the year 2000. Glad to have one back in truck.
Great radio suggestions for the average user! Simple, cheap, easy to use!!!
Thank you Eric. Communication is my focus this year. Learning much from you.
Very welcome
@@FarpointFarms Is there a CB music channel? If so what is it? I am interested in listening only, what should I get?
This video has excellent information. I've been a shortwave junkie for almost 40 years, and it has never ceased to thrill me to find an international station I've not heard before. More so is hearing something from my home country of Canada being aired from another nation.
Glad to hear you liked it!
Hearing a numbers station is pretty awesome and freaky.
Just found your channel, excellent videos so far. Nice to see someone promoting CB's and not downing saying you have to have ham like most of these channels do. You mentioned the president radio having weather band, the Uniden 980SSB has Weather band as well and if you set it up it will automatically switch to it when a major alert comes across and then you just push the button and switch back. Its funny to see you mention the Pro510xl and I seen another video you did on the PC122 growing up my father would use those two models for his friends and modify the crystal circuit by adding a DPDT toggle switch and extra crystals to those radios and it would allow them to split the channels to go either below 1 or above 40 to get away from the bleed over.
I bought a Yaesu FT3D handy talkie.. it is an awesome unit, does more things than I even know how to use yet, overall great grab and go unit, not cheap, but could save your life.
Very informative, well done! Thanks for your time and knowledge, what a great channel.
Much appreciated!
Excellent video!!! I've always loved your channel. Thank you.
Great advice. Those are the three radios I have here on my coastal Virginia homestead. Thanks
Excellent tutorial Erik. If I may add, having a couple extra FM' radios laying around would also be handy to have to pass out the neighbors during the event of an emergency would be smart, having a few or a group of neighbors assigned to specific tasks in the event of a disaster, is key. I have a trauma kit (first aid) which I put together, it contains everything, including some items for field surgery, I e. Sutures, scalpels etc... Although iam by means no Surgeon, but my Neighbor is a licensed DR. and these items in the right hands can save someone's life.
Although to some the idea mentioned above may sound far fetched to some, but when an emergency arrives, it usually arrives uninvited and unexpected.🇺🇸✌️
I guess I don’t understand. It sounds expensive. You buy radios to pass out to people who didn’t buy themselves a radio, and you have a medical kit that exceeds your knowledge and training so that you can pass it to a “DR” (medical doctor?) in an emergency? You’re assuming a medical doctor with emergency medical skills wouldn’t already have a medical kit?
Are you going to provide food, water, electricity, and security to your neighbors too?
It sounds extremely expensive and if you’re dealing with people who didn’t prepare even basic stuff like buying a battery powered radio, then you’re dealing with the type of people who will consume ALL your resources to the best of their abilities. If I lived next to a couple of kids who just graduated high school, sure, I’d assume they are naive and didn’t know to be prepared. Adults with families could have prepared.
Short wave has great Christmas music during the holidays. Am talk news gives great local news. I bought two world band radios for 100 bucks at a second hand shop.
What frequencies?
I am glad I kept scrolling . You hooked me . Straight to point and it's what I needed to find. Honesty. Thank you sir.
I am glad I could help!
Great job man , you nailed it . That
President Lincoln II + in the background,,, I gotta have one , and I’m gonna blame it on you !! I need to go back and watch that video . I don’t miss many but that’s one I obviously did , when we spoke the other day I had no idea you had it cause I was asking you about it . Cya on the live feed tomorrow Lord willing 🙏💪🇺🇸
Very good video! Good selections. I agree that a dedicated NOAA radio isn’t really necessary because there is a plethora of AM/FM radios that include a NOAA band. Not all, but most, weather events are not so sudden that you need alerts (tornadoes being one exception). Things like storms and hurricanes approach slowly and can be seen, usually, DAYS ahead of time. So any radio with a NOAA band will work for that. When I lived in Alaska, back in the 90’s, CB was very popular and my friends and I used it daily. Cellphones have put CB out of sight/out of mind. When the cell services go down, having CB can be a real life saver. Be wise when you use it because it can also make you a target too. You’ll often be opening communications with total strangers who may be desperate for supplies and equipment. FRS is good too. In the 90’s I bought a pair of Uniden GMRS radios and used them for about 25 years before I learned that you’re supposed to have a license to use those bands. I assumed it was FRS. They aren’t the same. FRS is like CB and you don’t need a license. GMRS requires a cheap license (it lasts 10 years, I believe).
I miss the old CB Radio days in Houston. Growing up I had a nice base set up and had one in the car. I would talk skip at night from the base station. As time went on and a lot of the old guys died off, there wasn't much activity.😟 I no longer have a cb. But after Hurricane Harvey and the big Texas freeze I've been considering it again. Thinking of building something with a punch behind it 😉. Great video and great ideas.
Good choices and good reasons. Agree fully. Alot of times we dont "need" them til we "need" them, but then we REALLY need them!
Thank you for all the information. Your videos have been valuable for me.
Great video! With current events in the world, I think it's more useful than ever to be able to get information without the Internet and the traditional media. I find it a pity that so many SW stations have closed, though.
I agree. When I look at the ongoing back n’ forth battles regarding censorship and/or the accusations of censorship, I think a campaign to revive SW radio listening is needed.
Informative video. Thanks for sharing. 🇺🇸
Great advice I have a lot of radios for SHTF and am a fellow InfoWarrior and love the stickers there in your shack! Stay informed and stay safe.
Thank you for these videos sir I really enjoy them.
Great video. Around me a marine VHF is more popular than a CB. But you are really only allowed to monitor the VHF from your house not transmit unless you have a special license. These other radios make a lot of sense. I'll look into getting a four pack of FRS for my next hurricane crew. I like the usb charging idea. Also I need to look into the FM/AM/Short wave option and learn more about that. The only thing I disagree about is the weather radio; I listen to it often.
Eric this was a great video. Thank you for doing this one. I think these items are a must have and alot of fun . I also agree cb is the smart choice. I have multiples of each .All of my stuff runs off of rechargeable aa/aaa and portable solar kits .
Right on!
Great information. Thank you Eric
Very informative! Nice video! So fun to hang out with you and Jenn last weekend!
You too!!
Thanks Eric for your time !
No worries!
I recently bought the president handheld cb because of your video on it, I’m slowly getting back into the hobby, the radio is awesome and I appreciate your knowledge on the topic, thanks again
Great video. I was literally just talking to a buddy about what radios he should have at his place, for emergencies.
These are the ones to get! Shortwave is #1 for getting info, and CB is #1 for trading it. FRS is #1 for keeping in touch at close range.
I'm 2/3rds of the way ready where communications is concerned. I have an HT, a shortwave radio with ssb, need to get another CB. I used CBs in the 70s and 80s both at home and otr as a charter bus driver. Retired now. Own a condo in an HOA which limits the ability to have outdoor antenna but using a wire extended near a window greatly enhances reception on shortwave. CB is line-of-site and the ham radio may depend on a local repeater. Thank you for this video, had forgotten about the CB.
SO many videos on this subject and yours takes the top! Good Job!!! Great Vid!
I appreciate that! Thank you
I've been thinking along these lines for a few years now. Definitely something we all need to consider as we develop our "Friends" list. I'm lucky that my people live within a 10 mile radius.
When the tribulation starts, then the true colours come out . Watch out for the one with the yella streak.
Great advice, I've been wondering if a CB radio was still useful, I had one in my pick up in the 90s. Thank you, love your channel.
I am sure that a CB is useful now like it was back then ,think about it . I am looking into getting a C.B. myself.
I just got my old single side band cb radio out of the garage! Purchased a new cb antenna and going to put it up , if things go south in Ukraine it could go very bad quickly! I have thought about ham several times but never had time! If things go south I believe people will dig their old radios out and cb will be used around the country with the help of hams , cb and gmrs radio users!
Good to go Eric. Great content, stay alert stay alive. Just curious of your MOS and Sig unit. Might have crossed paths back in the day.
If all else fails a crystal radio. These radios can be very useful just to get some information. It doesn't need batteries and easy to build. I always have one around just in case. The POW camps of ww2 would build them just to get news from home. These type radios where called foxhole radios. Lots of time simple can be better.
My recommendation for a newbie or a experienced radio operator for CB . I would recommend the cobra 79 ltd .. it's got one of the best receivers.. it's got noise blanker to cut off the static.. and a built-in SWR meter as it is important to get your antennas SWR correct to prevent transmitter damage and to get your signal out there
Thanks so much great information. I will be definetly grabbing all three.
So far I have a Baofeng UV-5R with a Nagoya NA-771, and a bit of coax for a make shift external Antenna (using the NA-771), an Eton Elite Executive, and a Uniden 980SSB and a Antron 99, and a magnet mount antenna, I also want to get an HF Ham Radio.
I like listening to ham bands so SSB was a requirement for my SW receiver.
I've been listening to a bunch of CW, while the EEE doesn't have a CW mode, you can just use LSB or USB to be able to tune into a frequency that has people talking in CW and use the fine tuning to bring it in properly. you can also listen to the CB band.
Going to also be buying a foldable solar panel, and a solar panel kit.
While FRS radios are inexpensive and readily available from the hardware or sports store, a GMRS radio can be attached to a mobile or base station antenna and with the higher wattage (Handhelds up to 5 watts; Mobile up to 50 watts) be able to communicate over much longer distances or through a repeater. This is important in that SHTF scenario. Preparedness is golden. And yes, a FCC license is required to operate a GMRS radio but your immediate family can operate under your license.
Good video. GMRS is a solid option though a license is required. the license covers your family has similar performance to 70cm Ham band can set up base and mobile stations up to 50 watts ,can use repeaters and interoperate with FRS a good option if you need a little longer range. There are many options out there radio service and radio wise. It all comes down to what your communication needs are. CB wise it may worth holding off a little bit to see what the addition of FM does.
Excellent summary!! Thanks from just up the road!
I will always have a CB in my inventory. I have a dozen of them on the shelf in the garage. They range from regular factory ones to +100w barefoot ones for emergency broadcast use.
Thanks for the video. Have all as listed. My Bearcat 980 does have weather as well. The SSB is quite entertaining in that I can sometimes pick up NC and SC randomly and other distant places. Weather and day or night quite listening varies greatly.
The 980 is a great little radio!
I liked that you got to the point, no fluff, no sales lines, no BS. I recently dug out 2 old cb’s I had from 80’s. Hooked them up to 110>12dc, and a mag antenna. Seemed to still work! Was thinking getting into HAM? I sub’d, going check out some of your older stuff. I have forgotten alot. Peeked my interest. Thanks
Glad I could help.
Thank you, very interesting and informative.
Cb has always been a must. I fix them as well. It will be a usefull tool for a long time.
Always great advice and videos Eric!
Being the "comms guy" of the family, I got into Ham (and licensed) about a year ago.
Still needed something for family to communicate, so then followed GMRS.
My CB is also on my desk, but I need to get it set up fully. Wanting to play more on it to get community setup and hear the locals.
73's to you and yours!
Cool stuff! I got a Chinese Tecsun radio a few years back that I pull out every once in a while for fun. Unfortunately, it does not have sideband. I've also considered investing in a CB radio for a a while now. Would you rather recommend a new shortwave radio that includes sideband or should I try something different and go with a CB radio?
A shortwave with SSB is great for listening to Ham radio communications but honestly I don't use that mode as often as I do the AM band. HdData makes a great SSB unit for a decent price. AS for CB, GO FOR IT! You'll love CB with SSB for sure!
New listener. Liked today’s vid. Looking to gain more knowledge on comms for everyday readiness and/or shtf. Thx and looking forward to the next video.
Stay tuned!
I'm old school and CB can go a long way if the conditions are right!
My station routinely reaches stations across the country and when I'm lucky in other countries as well!
Definitely the go to for emergencies!
SSB CB could be used for cross country communication with a little help.
SSB = Single Side Band. You sound like Donald Duck, but it has great range.
@@ericsmith1801 that's true and funny
how do i do what you do
I do like the idea of the sw receiver option. I currently installed a CB antenna with a Bearcat 980. Also have a base GMRS set up and soon to have a base ham antenna.
Looking to cover the "big 3". Living in RI, I might also get a cheap marine radio and possible a MURS to have as backup... just to have it all.
A CB antenna is a poor choice for SW unless you are listening from 25 to 30 MHz..
Very informative. Great point on sw listening. I'm surprised that you're not amature opperator. But great point again about listening. Keep them rolling
Hi Eric, Great Video! Don't forgot MURS. I am going to install a GMRS repeater at the new base. I wish you were my neighbor. I am in the Foot hills of the Great Smokey Mountains in E. Tn. I have enjoyed the CB Hobby since the 1970's. It is a blast to play with.
Depends on the area of the US you are in regarding CB versus Ham for emergencies. Where I am in Southern California we have a large network of ham repeaters and alert radio amateurs who are involved with volunteer programs tied with our county's(San Diego) Sheriff's department. But in areas like you if there are more people who have CB than Ham then it would make sense to own a CB for that reason as well. Either way having a reliable means of communications in case of emergencies is very important.
I was thinking the same thing. Seems a little over-simplified to say "lots of CBs sold. CB is best." The best radios are the ones with helpful people on the other end.
This is true , as me being a licensed ham for almost 50 years can attest to, but the drawback is the License. CB radio shines when it comes to being able to communicate locally to neighbors and family that live close by without requiring a license. Either way, both are great and I thank you for your input. Don, wb1o Greater Boston area
The nice thing about CB is you can find decent ones dirt cheap on ebay and you don't need a license. Just grab one and go. Ham is a bit more work due to needing to mess with getting a license and higher cost of equipment. Then again ham has other benefits so I suppose it depends on how involved one wants to get into it.
There is both in that are. Lots of CB's. But information from a ham
I just stumbled on your channel. Great work spreading the word on essential comms. I highly recommend getting into amateur radio for those who don't mind a little studying to get licensed. The emergency communications capabilities you get are worth the investment in time and money.
Unfortunately I live in a building that does not allow antennas so using my CB radio is out ugh. I do have a short wave radio. So that’s good.
@@Multiplemom3452 where there’s a will there’s a way….
@@Multiplemom3452 LOts of us have antenna restrictions but we find ways it's fun to find ways to get around the overlords. Lots of videos on stealth antennas if your interested.
If there’s a national emergency 🚨 no one is going to worry about if you have a license or not🤷♂️🏴
@@johncrouch8988 That's true, but operating amateur radios effectively requires practice and investment in real gear (not an inexpensive Baofeng HT). You can't practice/train during non emergency windows. It's a bit like buying a firearm, keeping in the box, never training with it, and thinking you'll be an effective high speed operator the one time you need it.
I enjoyed your video, very informative.
Greetings from Mitchell County, NC! Just started my education into HAM radios this week...presentation on SHARES last night! I've subscribed and look forward to future videos and those past!
Rock on! Thanks for the subscribe
Great minds! I would suggest, if at all possible, one gets a shortwave reciever with all 30 bands. I enjoy sandbagging on the ham bands and in an emergency those communications could be invaluable.
I have a eton elite 750 with some scrap speaker wire for a antenna. I listen to Hams all over the western US along with many over seas SW broadcasts. Listening to the Hams yak encouraged me to get my Technician license, working on my General now
I’m a longtime radio buff. I have multiples of all the radios he mentioned + Amateur (Ham) radios and a General license to use them. Cell service is great until it’s taken down and 99% of people will NOT be prepared if that happens. Good video, appreciate your viewpoint very much!
I have a shortwave receiver with only ONE band; but it is a very wide band! 100 KHz to 30 MHz.
@@thomasmaughan4798 👍
We should talk about Antennas. Home Station antennas. How to install them and good name brand you would recommend.
Erik has a three part antenna series he posted, he covers the basics regarding base station antennas. Surf around his channel under videos, youll fibd it.
Thanks for the video brother!
Thanks for the vid. Very helpful.
Living on the edge of "tornado alley" weather radio is higher priority, but good weather radios are cheap. Can usually get them with a TV station promo for under $30.00.
Heck, you can just pick up a Baofeng UV-5R for $25 which allows you to tune in on weather stations.
Don't leave out a dedicated NOAA Weather radio!
Good advice!
With at least an alarm capability and if desired an auto-activate audio option when the alarm goes off.
But keep your eyes open. Some of the units with an standby/alarm function drain a LOT of battery power even when in standby and the alarm isn't sounding...which isn't good for battery life...so find one that uses very little power when it is in standby. When on battery-only power, it should be able to run for days in standby before needing battery recharge or replacement.
It's also nice to have one with standby that runs on AC adapter or battery and automatically switches to battery during a power failure.
Personally, I prefer radios that can use a user-replaceable high-capacity rechargeable lithium cell.
I remember some old multiband shortwave radios that also included the weather band.
Sadly, the NOAA is shutting down the transmitter in my area. It covers 2 large cities. Sign of the times I guess
@@Leo_Davis_ I wonder if they will keep the hardware in place to be brought back up in the event that a disaster takes down land lines and cell towers.
Yes . For what is coming you are spot on.
Also hyper inflation is coming so be prepared. UK, USA, most of Europe.
I'm also looking at battery storage systems.
Great information, so thanks for posting. ✌️
Glad I could help!
Good advice….I personally like 2 meter ham radio. Of course you have to be licensed but with the right set up on simplex frequencies you can reach further contacts because of the wattage
I agree with 2 meter..... but during emergencies having a ham license is irrelevant. "Use all means necessary"
I haven't heard ANY ham. But my bologna won't shut the hell up. 😁
I see that Polaroid behind you. I still have a 32" Polaroid TV I used to use as a PC monitor and TV because it has picture-in-picture. But not just a small box in a corner of the screen. You can also split the P-n-P 50/50 on screen.
Excellent information. Direct and to the point. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good point and I'm covered!
I think having a shortwave set up is good for a SHTF situation. In that scenario,licensing will not be problematic. ONLY in that scenario. I would confine myself to listening in any normal scenario.
Great video man! Everyone needs to have some type of radio in their house. Unfortunately not everyone thinks about the fact that cell phone system can be knocked out
Radio stations and television can be knocked out also, the first thing the US does when doing an operation like in Iraq and Syria is shut down the radio stations (either through power outages or bombing). In the USA, fewer and fewer stations actually broadcast any form of local news at all.
@@tenfourproductionsllc no mainstream tv cable or radio stations have any news anymore only the propaganda they want you to hear and its usually how bad this country is and how cops are nothing but murderers but whats really funny is that alex jones has been right more times than hes been wrong thats why he has been banned on social media yet he's on ham radio everyday lol 😆
GOOD JOB ERIK!!
Cb radio by far the mpst useful in my opinion!! Great list!
Hey Eric the fcc has allowed CB Radio to have FM as a modulation mode. Great videos, keep it up. 390 in Ky out!
Ever heard of the FM Capture Effect? Its going to spoil alot of the fun for AM users.
@@forgetyourlife yes as an engineer i have, as a long time cb'er folks have used fm for years below 26.965 mhz to talk skip across America and beyond. My personal opinion is that FCC should have set aside some channels above or below the traditional 40 channels for fm mode.
@@barrysallade3788 Given the compliance rate of Citizens Band, I have a doubt the FCC would be obeyed had they done so. It is a good idea of course but unless citizens sort out which are going to be FM channels it is going to be a bit noisy.
I see the dual band ham radio mounted. I knew you wouldn't let your ticket expire. I love CB as well, but in my area it's mostly quiet. I'm still going to get a CB, but I'd never let my ham license go.
In a SHTF scenario, a license is worthless but the radio is priceless
@@zerohour5747 As you keep saying. Are you not intelligent enough to get a license now and build a network of han to communicate with and learn from?
I think instead of an FRS or gmrs radio if you get a $20 baofeng and it will cover all those frequencies plus ham and more combined with a little bit more power than a frs radio. Me and a friend use them working in Columbus and we could get about 2 mi range out of them in the city and 3 or 4 miles out in the open farmland because they have better antannas and more power! Great video brother
I understand, but the learning curve is much greater with a Baofneg vs. a regular GMRS radio.
@@FarpointFarms oh you're absolutely right I was thinking from the perspective of somebody that's familiar with radios good point buddy 164 in the buckeye 👋
whoah. I thought CB was gone. I go round sayin "breaker one nine you got your ears on?" and "bring it back" and such from my hitch-hikin days in the 1970's. Literally did not know they still had it. Gonna look into these three radios, thank-you kindly sir.
Man when the phomes and internet go down the Cb is gonna spring to life again people are gonna want to communicate and find out information .... Its funny how emergencies will make people revert back to other means of communication
CB will range issue - look into Ham Radio
If it is a solar flare then you might as well learn smoke signals.
@@adjustmentmade7371 the cheapest HF ham radio will run you around $300-$400, a CB radio you can get the coax, antenna and radio for under $100.
@@jatpack3 not if things are packed in a Faraday cage.
@@IUSSHistory with 4w of power and a 102" steel whip I was able to talk to Nome Alaska in the late 90s early 2000s which is around 3500 miles.
I have a couple of old CBS out in the garage I have been contemplating putting back into use. One an old Cobra 29. With the side mic jack and a President Jackson. It of course has the extra bands, sideband, and I had a modulation kit put in it years ago. So it dead keys at about 8 watts, and swings up to 45 watts when talking. I need to have it checked out, because it gets hot just by turning it on and not using it.. I can’t find anyone local anymore to is qualified to work on it. There is a CB shop about an hour away, that I would trust to work on the Cobra, but not my President Jackson
"and I had a modulation kit put in it years ago. So it dead keys at about 8 watts, and swings up to 45 watts when talking. "
LOL. Really? How is that power measured?
@@thomasmaughan4798 the technician showed me the difference on his equipment. I had no reason to doubt him because I had been on different channels before in a truck stop and guys on the highway were cussing me to turn off my kicker. I’ve never used a linear. Always ran barefoot.
@@haroldyeager6124 "I’ve never used a linear. Always ran barefoot."
An audio compressor increases the *average* transmitted power of SSB radios; has no effect whatever on the power of AM radios but will sound somewhat louder (approaching distortion).
Because actual linear amplifiers are illegal on the citizens band, people that want them are susceptible to fraud. One fellow proudly showed me his kilowatt linear amplifier, it had a single vacuum tube with a rated plate dissipation of about 40 watts; half of that is the best you can get into the antenna. Well, 20 watts is certainly more than 5, but not by a lot. That's 6 db, and 6 db is one "s" unit.
.
Thanks for the info, good and practical advice.
Glad it was helpful!
Eric, excellent video as usual. I really enjoy your channel because you provide excellent information in an unvarnished way and you don't talk down to people unlike that smug, condescending A Hole on the "NotARubicon" channel. I have a quick question, since the FCC has authorized FM frequencies for CB use in the U.S., if you have a CB with FM capability does this eliminate or reduce the need to have other FM frequency transmitters like FRS or GMRS?
If you’ve got the dough for one a “shack in the box” ham radio covers all possible bases, but they’re expensive. If you just want to receive on the cheap, nothing beats an SDR.
Well SDR needs to come with instructions, NOT an easy radio to figure out!
Not every one is allowed to use them…..
@@jimnorrish5507 Yes, but anyone can monitor. And in times of emergency anyone can, I encourage all to get the license and practice, but having it is a lot better than not.
I love listening to weird little short wave transmissions, specifically out of South East Asia, at night time.
There's a whole world of clandestine stations out there. Numbers stations are spooky...lol
I think KCNA (North Korean News Agency) still transmit news (read 'propaganda') on HF using Radio Teletype. A computer with sound card and a HF receiver and you can decode it. There's also a LOT of 'digital' modes, with everything from FAX to Slow Scan TV to various other modes that let you send and receive written text rather than use voice. Just the software (free) and a computer is all you need. AX25 packet radio is still used a lot, but there's also HellSchrieber, Piccolo, RTTY in various forms and speeds and a host of others. What's potentially useful is that some modes sound like atmospheric noise or just random noise of some kind, so it's got a certain level of stealth, if you don't know it's there, you often won't realise it's actually sending information. Hams use many of these modes on a routine basis, mostly on HF but they will work on 2m FM or even US style CB (27mhz) though its technically illegal. Obviously after the SHTF that's no longer an issue. So, you could, say, set it on a particular channel you and your contacts use, connected to the computer and leave it unattended while you're out doing whatever you need to do, then you can come back and read anything that came through and respond as needed at your leisure. AX25 packet 'mailboxes' will work well too, but there are many other modes to choose from. Google 'digital modes' and see what pops up.
Great video two up 👍👍. The only thing I would add is most CBers don’t know that 80% of the ability to reach out and talk to somebody is the antenna. And they should have an SWR meter to tune the antenna to the new location on the car or a new vehicle.
great point on the antenna
Lots of good info, I would definitely want sideband on a general coverage receiver. I can cover everything from 160 meter to 10 meter including CB and twom and 70cm with my kit. The downside is with the coming solar minimum, coverage is not going to be quite as good as it has been. I should get a newer export radio with FM capability though. For those that dont have a CB, garage sales and auctions, I have picked up a bunch of 40 channel side band radios for under $20 each over the years. Current rig on the bench is a Motorola MoCat 40.
Great tips!
Thanks. I'm new.
how about a video on top 10 channels and best times for those channels? maybe set a time and channel and see if you can contact some of the followers on this channel. Or even a jump contact to reach you sounds fun to me.
Sounds like a great idea!
The scan feature is very, very important to me.
Very very very
@@DonnieDarko727 So your think it's more important to you, than it is to me. OH YEAH! Well bring it on bro!
Love them info wars stickers brother!!!! We are the resistance!!!!
Shhh.. there is no sticker, you must be mistaken,
@@FarpointFarms lol i saw NOTHING at all😉👍🇺🇸
You aren't the resistance, you're the nutjobs attacking our nation's electrical grid. Y'all are the reason we'll need these!
Fun channel. Thanks. I think I need to find or buy some radios. Good excuse to tidy up/ downsize.
I remember and sorely miss listening to Art Bell, he got me many many miles down the road!
You could pick him up on skip on like 2-3 different stations, would fade in and out. Miss those days
Art Bell. Great show.
You should have mentioned antennae requirements for each option.
.If telephone lines and cell towers are down, then power lines are likely to be affected. I favor using alkaline batteries in my GMRS/FRS handhelds. Keeping a box of 24 AA cells on hand is a good idea. Also, I suggest adding an inexpensive scanner to monitor local public service frequencies. I know that the switch to digital trunk networks has put a lot of agencies out of listening reach without expensive equipment but at a minimum it can be used to monitor RACES nets on the 2 meter ham band during emergencies. Great video.
Thank you for the video on different types of shortwave radios.
You are welcome!