BASIC Radio Question
 

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 15:58:44 -0500, "doug dotson"
wrote:

I never figured out why CB SSB never caught on. I had one back in the 70's
and rarely found someone else to talk to.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

Were you on Channel 16? We had a dozen avid SSB fans on LSB channel
16. Some of them are still there! They've calmed down in their old
age, though. Noone's running 15KW PEP any more....(c;

My CB rig was a Collins KWM-2A and 30S-1 into stacked 3-elem Telrex
beams at 90'. Worked quite well, actually.....

73, "Porky Pig"

FCC said our signals were too clean to be CB rigs....(c;

BASIC Radio Question
 

I never figured out why CB SSB never caught on. I had one back in the 70's
and rarely found someone else to talk to.


I think CB/SSB is making a comeback in the wake of poor range for FRS/GMRS and
no license needed for the CB.
AM/SSB has good range and makes sense for boat-to-boat communications with
radios costing under 200 bucks. In any case, the fact that they didn't "catch
on" just means there's less noise if my friends and I add them.

RB

BASIC Radio Question
 

I never figured out why CB SSB never caught on. I had one back in the 70's
and rarely found someone else to talk to.


I think CB/SSB is making a comeback in the wake of poor range for FRS/GMRS and
no license needed for the CB.
AM/SSB has good range and makes sense for boat-to-boat communications with
radios costing under 200 bucks. In any case, the fact that they didn't "catch
on" just means there's less noise if my friends and I add them.

RB

BASIC Radio Question
 

We use FRS for general boat/boat communications while
cruising in a group, in an anchorage with friends, and ship/shore
comms while ashore, etc. Fills the bill well especially since using
marine VHF for ship/shore is illegal in this useage. Not sure
that comparing FRS and CB is not an apples and oranges thing.
My FRS radios perfrom pretty much as advertised. I used to
have a 5 watt handheld CB. Would want to carry it around much :)

Doug
s/v Callista

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
I never figured out why CB SSB never caught on. I had one back in the
70's
and rarely found someone else to talk to.


I think CB/SSB is making a comeback in the wake of poor range for FRS/GMRS
and
no license needed for the CB.
AM/SSB has good range and makes sense for boat-to-boat communications with
radios costing under 200 bucks. In any case, the fact that they didn't
"catch
on" just means there's less noise if my friends and I add them.

RB

BASIC Radio Question
 

We use FRS for general boat/boat communications while
cruising in a group, in an anchorage with friends, and ship/shore
comms while ashore, etc. Fills the bill well especially since using
marine VHF for ship/shore is illegal in this useage. Not sure
that comparing FRS and CB is not an apples and oranges thing.
My FRS radios perfrom pretty much as advertised. I used to
have a 5 watt handheld CB. Would want to carry it around much :)

Doug
s/v Callista

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
I never figured out why CB SSB never caught on. I had one back in the
70's
and rarely found someone else to talk to.


I think CB/SSB is making a comeback in the wake of poor range for FRS/GMRS
and
no license needed for the CB.
AM/SSB has good range and makes sense for boat-to-boat communications with
radios costing under 200 bucks. In any case, the fact that they didn't
"catch
on" just means there's less noise if my friends and I add them.

RB

BASIC Radio Question
 

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 10:13:31 -0800, JJ wrote:

My vhf antenna is 62 ft off the water (top of mast) and I can reach 25
miles to another sailboat also with top of mast antenna in open ocean.

What you're actually "using" is the CG antenna ht and their repeater
network - not much dependent on your antenna ht as theirs.

It's a combination of both. But since their's is so much higher than
mine, it's the driving factor. However, VHF is not actually limited by
line of sight like UHF and above it. It does "curve" a little and you
can get further than line of sight distance. I just used one of the
line of sight calculators available on the web
http://www.vwlowen.demon.co.uk/java/horizon.htm and it says that for
my antenna hight of around 50' and the CG height of 300' the LOS
distance is only 35 miles. Even if you put a height of 500' for the
other antenna, that's only 42 miles. I *know* I can get further than
that because I do all the time.

Steve

BASIC Radio Question
 

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 10:13:31 -0800, JJ wrote:

My vhf antenna is 62 ft off the water (top of mast) and I can reach 25
miles to another sailboat also with top of mast antenna in open ocean.

What you're actually "using" is the CG antenna ht and their repeater
network - not much dependent on your antenna ht as theirs.

It's a combination of both. But since their's is so much higher than
mine, it's the driving factor. However, VHF is not actually limited by
line of sight like UHF and above it. It does "curve" a little and you
can get further than line of sight distance. I just used one of the
line of sight calculators available on the web
http://www.vwlowen.demon.co.uk/java/horizon.htm and it says that for
my antenna hight of around 50' and the CG height of 300' the LOS
distance is only 35 miles. Even if you put a height of 500' for the
other antenna, that's only 42 miles. I *know* I can get further than
that because I do all the time.

Steve

BASIC Radio Question
 

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 17:31:13 GMT, (Steven
Shelikoff) wrote:

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 11:29:19 -0500, Jean Dufour
wrote:

VHF waves work "line of sight". They may be slightly curved around the horizon but
they won't be much. So, whatever the power of the transmiter is, they won't reach
more than 25 miles before getting lost in space.

Well, not really. It all depends on antenna height. From the Jersey
shore, not only can I talk to the Cape May CG station, but also to
Baltimore and Chincoteague, Virginia. I have fairly reliable
communications with CG stations up to over 100 miles.

ducting...dangerous to rely on for reliable communications...
---------------------------
to see who "wf3h" is, go to "qrz.com"
and enter 'wf3h' in the field

check my blog at:
http://www.bobview.blogspot.com/

BASIC Radio Question
 

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 17:31:13 GMT, (Steven
Shelikoff) wrote:

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 11:29:19 -0500, Jean Dufour
wrote:

VHF waves work "line of sight". They may be slightly curved around the horizon but
they won't be much. So, whatever the power of the transmiter is, they won't reach
more than 25 miles before getting lost in space.

Well, not really. It all depends on antenna height. From the Jersey
shore, not only can I talk to the Cape May CG station, but also to
Baltimore and Chincoteague, Virginia. I have fairly reliable
communications with CG stations up to over 100 miles.

ducting...dangerous to rely on for reliable communications...
---------------------------
to see who "wf3h" is, go to "qrz.com"
and enter 'wf3h' in the field

check my blog at:
http://www.bobview.blogspot.com/

BASIC Radio Question
 

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 03:35:45 GMT, (Steven
Shelikoff) wrote:

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 10:13:31 -0800, JJ wrote:

My vhf antenna is 62 ft off the water (top of mast) and I can reach 25
miles to another sailboat also with top of mast antenna in open ocean.

What you're actually "using" is the CG antenna ht and their repeater
network - not much dependent on your antenna ht as theirs.

It's a combination of both.

there are no CG repeaters in the NY/NJ area accessible to the public.
they are for CG and public safety use only.

But since their's is so much higher than
mine, it's the driving factor.

that's true. it's a function of the sum of the square root of the
combined heights of the tx and rx antennas.
---------------------------
to see who "wf3h" is, go to "qrz.com"
and enter 'wf3h' in the field

check my blog at:
http://www.bobview.blogspot.com/