UHF CB Channels

For all your general chit chat, caching or not.
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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 13 October 05 3:34 pm

As UHF cb channels are 25kc's apart ch 25 works right in there, And Riblet the only reference is quite a few test done many years ago, when you could turn the radio on without being told to f#$% off by some child or adult with a childs mind, But we wont get that one started!
UHF being what it is a good 6 odd inch bit of wire makes a great aerial, even better mounted in the middle of the car roof giving it equal ground plain, much better than mounting on the corners of the car as this tends to make the signal very directional.
We use a 1 watt handheld in GeoSuzie (I wont drill holes in it quite yet) and find it good as long as you can see the other car ( true line of sight) put a hill in the middle and no talkies, this also goes for repeaters with a handheld if you can see it all good, there are exception but unless there is a cache there climbing hills chasing repeaters is no fun anymore, unless you place while you are there!

Mr Router :twisted:

Hounddog
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Post by Hounddog » 13 October 05 4:25 pm

Mr Router wrote:To Hounddog just fully read your string and we the very thinking have also been around a while to 1973-4 my first radio contacts were made, using one of the first Midland 23ch AM in the country after graduating from a 6ch Realistic, what a step up that was :lol:
And the difference to the ear over distance is quite noticeable on UHF over the channels, even away from the lab :twisted:
Mr Router
Hey you did not live in Mt Peasant I mean Pleasant did you?
1973!! Wow you must have been one of the very first to get onto CB radio in this country. I have a magazine here. It's the April 1975 issue of Electronics Australia magazine which has a picture of a fellow wearing a pirate's hat and operating a Midland radio. The article tells about a small band of pirate operators who were secretly taking over the amateur 11 metre band and how they had to move around while talking to avoid being caught by the RI's.

When I started soon after, there were no more than a handful of operators out there so chances are you would have had to have been one of them.

I started with a Roberts Christmas Tree, and worked up to Bengals later.

73's and Cheers

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 13 October 05 6:07 pm

His name would be Dick Smith, I think ??? Bengal base station now there's a name 23ch crystal locked only, pos mods at that time without add crystals was a massive 7k slide what a bargain.
As for never being done we did not move fast enough, Ri's took dim views on modded gear( in the 80's) so my electrophone with digiscan and 250 watt SBS was worth their hunt, costing me a s$%$# load of money and a fed rec we learnt to be a little more sneaky after that. :twisted:
Now we never play anymore, found something else to do, where is gpx file? hehe. :D
Our furthest contact on UHF cb was Kelso NSW to Euchucha Victoia on inversion 5 watts 6db base colinear. 8)
Furthest on handheld, Bloody big hill at Trunkey NSW to Mt Gernenie(I think that spells it) in the Act 5 watt Royce handheld 3db attached base loaded whip. :shock:
We still no 1 cb action isnt that really wrong :oops:
Cheers and Beers.

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 13 October 05 6:24 pm


Hounddog
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Post by Hounddog » 14 October 05 2:06 am

Mr Router wrote: Bengal base station now there's a name 23ch crystal locked only, pos mods at that time without add crystals was a massive 7k slide what a bargain.
You're the first person I've spoken to that has correctly distiguished the Bengal Base from the Super Bengal and with the digital clock. :)

Yep you got it. 23 channels, SSB, crystal locked and a 7 khz slide on transmit. It a had a big glass back lit channel changer. The control knobs were piggy backed except for the clarifier (which looked piggybacked but wasn't)

I ran it off an archer 5/8 wave ground plane. Those were the days. :wink:

Do you remember the Roberts RCB 55 ????

Cheers.

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 14 October 05 9:05 pm

You have me on the Roberts , about that time Midland, realistic, Ibeta come to mind there were a few Roberts models but a 55 doesn't trig.
When we have time to take and play with some pics of some gear I shall post said, you now have me interested in finding so gear, memories!

Hey and your Bengal should have a tuning gang for the clarifier not a variable resistor?
There are a few of these old tigers still around within blockes of Router HQ.

dajjct
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Post by dajjct » 14 October 05 11:22 pm

Not having much money, only had a 23ch AM that I must have bought with my pocket money back in about 1977 when I was still at school. Made my own anteana that I stuck on the roof with a bit of aluminium rod stuck in a wooden block, and then 4 bits of wire run down the slope of the roof as the ground. Later I made up a bracket to mount the radio on the handle bars of my bike runing it off a small car battery. I was able to mess around with it and convert it to 40+ channels. Longest chat was between Wilsons Prom and somewhere in Tassie. Still got a 40ch AM mounted in the car. Would love to get a UHF but can't afford it. Got a couple of half watt UHF hand helds for bike riding etc.<p>

Enough reminising, cheers and I'll catch you on the side...

Hounddog
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Post by Hounddog » 15 October 05 12:39 am

dajjct wrote:Not having much money, only had a 23ch AM that I must have bought with my pocket money back in about 1977 when I was still at school
We were all cash strapped back then, I too used up all my pocket money to buy my first radio..

Mr Router wrote:You have me on the Roberts, about that time Midland, realistic, Ibeta come to mind there were a few Roberts models but a 55 doesn't trig
I am surprised you don't remember the Roberts RCB55, it was by far the most common radio of the day. AM only 23 channels and 5 leds for a signal strength meter, thats why it was called the "Xmas Tree".

Mr Router wrote:Hey and your Bengal should have a tuning gang for the clarifier not a variable resistor?
There are a few of these old tigers still around within blockes of Router HQ.
Yep. I remember the tuning gang vividly because I attempted to change it's value and widen the slide. In the end I was just content with disconnecting a cap in series with the gang, doing this gave it and extra 1khz. Almost extra channels . Felt deprived from the PLLs though, not being able to go cockroach.:wink:

Geof
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Post by Geof » 15 October 05 11:35 pm

....so my electrophone with digiscan and 250 watt SBS ...
Are you sure you don't mean 25.0 watt SSB

I had someone tell me they tuned in ¼waves by TXing till the end burned of with their unpteen KW ceramic valve PA :roll: :roll: Just what one needs next door to your Retravision store :twisted:

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 17 October 05 12:41 pm

No I mean 250 watt ! You have not heard of linear amps ????

Geof
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Post by Geof » 17 October 05 5:26 pm

You have not heard of linear amps ????
so my electrophone with digiscan and 250 watt SBS
It sounded like you were talking "barefoot". I'v never heard of anything that grunty from electrophone. Thems were the days.....

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Post by Damo. » 17 October 05 8:16 pm

When I worked at DSE, I used to back away in terror when people like you came in! :twisted:

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Post by Swampy » 18 October 05 9:59 pm

Mr Router wrote:Our furthest contact on UHF cb was Kelso NSW to Euchucha Victoia on inversion 5 watts 6db base colinear. 8)
Now that I have a map to do it - 546km, Mt Wellington near Hobart to Maffra in eastern Vic initially on 9 el yagi then changed to the 4db vehicle whip 'cuz the inversion was dropping. Just like talking to the car next to us through the window.... :lol:

Hounddog
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Post by Hounddog » 19 October 05 1:38 pm

Maybe I should have said the "bad" old days. In our heyday it was a 250 watt linear amplifier running of a 5/8 Station Master from the Coogee Area. I got a report from someone that I was interfering with his TV over 3 Kms away.
I can always remember going away for a holiday to Bermagui on the south coast and leaving the house (and the radio shack) in the care of a house sitter who was also into CB radio. One morning in the caravan park we turned on the CB in the car to work some skip. There was no skip about but, to our surprise and horror, we could actually hear our house sitter having a conversation on SSB back in Sydney. Opoops! I forgot to turn the Linear off. :oops:

Linear amps on UHFCB are very expensive. A 250 watter (a Tokyo Hi power HL250U) will set you back about 1500 dollars and the 120 watt version is not much cheaper. I prefer to go with a commercial radio. Mine is designed to run 25 watts but usually I keep it on low (5 watts) output unless I realy need the grunt. Even with 25 watts I had to thicken the power cabling in the car to to run it safely.

If anyone is interested in buying a high end CB radio I recommend the GME TX3800. A great radio but needs to be programmed by the dealer.
Another cheaper 25 watt radio is the Icom 400 pro, a lot of people have them but I don't think it's quality and warranty is anywhere near as good as the GME.

Hounddog

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Post by Effrem » 20 October 05 1:33 am

Hounddog wrote:Maybe I should have said the "bad" old days. In our heyday it was a 250 watt linear amplifier running of a 5/8 Station Master from the Coogee Area. I got a report from someone that I was interfering with his TV over 3 Kms away.
I can always remember going away for a holiday to Bermagui on the south coast and leaving the house (and the radio shack) in the care of a house sitter who was also into CB radio. One morning in the caravan park we turned on the CB in the car to work some skip. There was no skip about but, to our surprise and horror, we could actually hear our house sitter having a conversation on SSB back in Sydney. Opoops! I forgot to turn the Linear off. :oops:

Linear amps on UHFCB are very expensive. A 250 watter (a Tokyo Hi power HL250U) will set you back about 1500 dollars and the 120 watt version is not much cheaper. I prefer to go with a commercial radio. Mine is designed to run 25 watts but usually I keep it on low (5 watts) output unless I realy need the grunt. Even with 25 watts I had to thicken the power cabling in the car to to run it safely.

If anyone is interested in buying a high end CB radio I recommend the GME TX3800. A great radio but needs to be programmed by the dealer.
Another cheaper 25 watt radio is the Icom 400 pro, a lot of people have them but I don't think it's quality and warranty is anywhere near as good as the GME.

Hounddog
Jimminy Cricket!!

The caravan story rings a bit close to home (I think I know the "Housesitter").

The GME TX3800 is good but overpriced in the market(but if you want remote head its worth it), The IC400 Pro is a much better radio (The quality is excellent and warranty is good too, the service from Icom is brilliant for repairs)IMHO.
I currently run
1. GME TX4400 on a 6.5db Elevated Feed (Work Truck)@2.5watts
2. Phillips 8030 on a 6.5db Elevated Feed (The Excel)@18watts
3. Motorola GM 300 Via a 12db Rojone (At Home)@40watts
4. Uniden Uh011 Via a 6.5db RFI G3 Elevated Feed(Home) @4watts
5. Phillips TX/RX815 rigged as a streaming(receive only) radio
6. Phillips FM91 as receive radio (all sorts of channels in that!)

I have used the Tait series II 2020 and 2015 and wasnt as happy with the radios as I was with my 8030 (for in car use).

BTB the going rate for Tokyo High power HL250U is $2799
And the Tokyo High Power HL130USX is $1399
The TE systems is built for 477mhz rather than modded from 440mhz like the Tokyo High Power.
The TE prices are much more reasonable Lee Andrews at Greystanes usually has stock of both.

Effrem

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