CB comm system

[circuit_explorer]

just bought a set of CB's from a guy online.

set included:

2 x Cobra 35 ST handheld
1 x Cobra 36 ST handheld
1 x Cobra 37 ST handheld
1 x Cobra 38 WXST handheld

i bought this to have a communication system

havent had opportunity to test length/strength, but does any one else have any thoughts or use using a CB's as a communication system between different camps over short ranges?

[circuit_explorer]

I paid $100 for the five handhelds and thought I got a good deal. The 38WXST is by far the best of the lot. Scan/Weather/Light

How are the older models? I intend to have them to hand out as a communication system. What's the range you've seen with handheld CB's?

[gary in ohio]

range on just about any handheld is the same.. a couple of miles maybe a little more based on terrain. Keeping the radio in batteries is going to be the hard part. Most CB handhelds are battery hogs.

[circuit_explorer]

hi gary -- thanks for the reply -- been playing around with the cobra a bit and getting what I'm told is called "skip"; transmissions from deep into the states. kinda fun to listen to the chatter. haven't been able to communicate with them, but I'll keep trying.

[4x4junkie]

IME, handheld CBs have a very poor range due to the frequency band they use (27MHz) not lending itself well to a short antenna on a small handheld unit. A hard-mounted unit inside your vehicle will yield far better results simply because your vehicle can act as a RF ground plane for a larger antenna (if your units have jacks for an external antenna and microphone, you can use them to get much better range out of it that way).

If you need handheld units for communication, I think a set of higher-end FRS (462MHz) units might actually give you a bit better range, especially if you have to use it from inside a vehicle (those out-of-state "skip" signals on CB sometimes can prevent you from hearing your buddy locally as well, something you won't have to deal with on FRS). FRS radios are also extremely miserly on batteries compared with a 27 MHz CB unit (it's pretty much a requirement you use NiMH rechargeable cells in a CB. Like was said, they'll typically chew through a set of 8 alkaline cells in a matter of a couple hours).