New to site, lookin for advice

[Crankshaft]

Ok new here, and have read some of these posts about the export cbs etc. I hate them stupid roger beep toys, and almost wish a hord of flea ridden refugees would swarm the houses of every cb shop that puts such things on,lol. My grandfather was a ham himself, and as a kid Id stare at all the toys he had. Thinking of getting my tech license, and work my way in. Looking at the Yaesu line, especially the 8900. Lil overkill maybe, but looks to be versatile for future use. Open to more suggestions. Would be for in the truck, as well as possibly on road trips when in the car. I seen its a 4 band, so only 2 antennas are really meant for it I see. Decent choice? Also, is it legal to use one solely as a scanner to listen, before you have your ticket? Interested in seeing more out there besides robot voiced cb's,lol. I also kind of looked over the 7800 and 8800 dual bands. Would like more incite about kenwood and Icom, etc. too.

[kc0rey]

Currently Icom does not have a good dual bander. I have an Icom IC-207H and it is probably the best dual band radio I have ever owned...It was replaced by the IC-208H which doesn't seem to be a very good radio. Some one may disagree tho-

I also have the Yaesu FT-7800. This has been an awesome mobile radio and it has 1000 memories. The 8800 and 8900 radios are extremely popular but I believe if I needed 6M (and I do) I would want it in all mode. Same with 10 Meters. For the cost of the 8900 plus a couple of hundred bucks I would get a FT-857D. That allows for HF/VHF/UHF all in one rig and all mode (AM/FM/SSB/CW) also.

It is legal to use one as a scaner and not have the ticket. There are pros and cons to this though

[Crankshaft]

Guess I should have said listen in on the bands, rather then a scanner. Ive done some studying here and there as time permits out on the road on my laptop, but learn more hands on. Besides, if I spend the money on a ham radio, then I know Im getting my license, and not blowing it off,lol. Seeing what you said, the 7800 sounds the most promising then, as the other bands wont be alot of use until I have my general some day, though that 857D looks nice. When you said pros and cons, did you mean if I were using it as a scanner, or solely for listening in?

[kc0rey]

As a scanner.
The FT-857D will allow you to use 6M, 2M and 70cm. Plus it gives you from 160 thru 10 Meters to listen too until you do upgrade.. Lot's of Shortwave broadcasts etc.

For $250 the FT-7800 is an awesome deal.

[Crankshaft]

Now I read that with the 8900, you had to use an antenna designed for all 4 bands, as it had just one output, this one have more then one for all those bands? I would sometimes flip to lsb channel 38 on my Cobra 200 and listen in at nite, and have let some others listen to, and hear people all over the place. Running a wilson 5000, and just truckstop coax. Ive always been mindful about not getting on ham bands, and was just looking to try and punch thru the bs out there on the "40". Grandpa would roll over in his grave if I got in trouble over an illegal box. Cant tell you what bands he ran or what level ticket he had, other then he was old school and knew the code well from his days with the railroad. This outlaw box has helped me regain some grasp of what I used to have on radios, but was just too young to absorb alot of what he knew, until he got too far along. Ill have to make it a paperweight I guess and make an effecient setup for cb.

[kc0rey]

As long as you keep to the 40 channels there is a very slim chance you'll get caught............And if you do, you'll first get a warning letter. Could lose the radio tho-

Yes, with the 8900 you'll need a quad band antenna or a combination of duplexers/triplexers.

Don't just listen on 38 LSB.......get in there and have some fun!

[Crankshaft]

I thought I heard them using radio call signs on the low side of 38. Had one person tell me you needed a license to talk on ssb. In either case, this radio is acting up now. I may have it looked at when I reach tulsa. What kind of antenna options should I look at for running on a semi? Not real keen on spending major money on an antenna, seeing I get hired to trim the trees of some cities, free of charge,lol. If the cobra 200 is going to cost some money to repair, may just get a 148 or something and keep the butchers out of it. Xmas is coming and I need to get me a new toy,, always loved eating ham!

[kc0rey]

Yeah, but they are not real call signs.

Antennas, Here is what I ran on my Pete's right mirror:



Mine is a home brewed copy of it but it can be bought for about the same money as building it at:

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

It is the best VHF/UHF antenna I ever used.

[Crankshaft]

Interesting antenna. Im in a century class, so less mirror brackets to mount on, and cant do anything permanent, like drill holes etc. How well does that rig work with the ground plane on one of these trucks? Looks like Ill have to get a different antenna for the low bands, my wilson doesnt cover above 10m. Im looking at either the 857D or the 897D at this point, but having a hard time deciding if the 897 is worth the extra dough or not. Thats where Im standing now. one of those two radios unless someone has a better idea, and then the fatter tube brackets on the century class to mount antennas on, ugh.

[kc0rey]

It has it's own ground plane and does ot depend on the ground plane of the vehicle.

It is also east to install on a mirror using small U-Bolts and a homebrewed bracket.
It would easily work on your Century.