Boston Mangler said:
ok guys, take it easy on my ignorance on this
what are the differences between the 2m radios and the CB's?
i "thought" 2m's were essentially CB's just much more powerful and required a HAM license.
but now i see people installing CB's AND 2M radios in their rigs. why is that? are the 2m's programmable so you can enter the CB stations?
are 2m radios hams?
thanks
Good question Mangler, here it goes;
CBs do not require a license, Ham radions(2m, otherwise known as VHF, do). Although it is a fairly straightforward 35 question multiple guess.
CBs operate around the 11m wavelength,Ham radios operate on others(HF 160-6m,vhf 2m,uhf 70cn)
CBs are limited to 4 watts, Ham radio have much higher limits. The one in my truck has 50 Watts.
CBs operate point-to-point, VHF/UHF can operate through a repeater which will take your signal, boost it and retransmit.
Most 4 wheelers tend to have cb, so I have a cb in my rig to talk to them while wheeling. Also have a handheld(cb and 2m) to use while spotting or checking out a trail on foot
I prefer to use the VHF/UHF bands if others in my group have that capability.
VHF/UHF generally has much longer range with a ham rig.
I alos have my 2m radio setup to broadcast my position and receive other position reports while on the trail.
It is also possible to hook a vhf/uhf rig up to a computer and send network packets to a repeater that has a internet link.
Overall, the vhf/uhf radio is much more versatile, BUT I keep a cb around because more of the people that I wheel with have them,