Newbie CB question....

Ham radios don't need to be FCC approved, since hams are allowed to build their own radios, or to modify military or commercial radios so that they will work on the ham bands and are fully responsible themselves that they don't cause any interference (we are about the only one who can do this. Anybody else can only use government approved radios. This is the reason why there are so many questions about radio technology in the ham exams).
BUT we are only allowed to use our unapproved ham radios on the amateur bands. If we use them e.g. on the CB band, we'll get into trouble with the authorities. On the CB bands or on other bands (air bands, marine bands, commercial bands) we can only use type approved radios and, except for the CB band, will need additional licences.
The export CB radios you mention are, if they are made for the German market, also limited in power (4 W FM and SSB, 1 W AM), but have 80 channels.

Jan

 

i have had several radios the best to me for talking was connexx 4400 hp.the most durable i ever had was a cobra 25.like one above said... the best radio is only as good as you antenna and coax setup.$5000 radio and amp and $10 antenna you have a $5010 pile of junk.you have to make sure you have a good swr on your setup.

 

I agree in as far that many people neglect their antenna setup.
But a good antenna doesn't have to be expensive, as long as you know what you are doing. In another thread I brought the example of a fellow ham who lives near my place. He is a radio pro, this means he has a degree in radio technology and has his own business designing, building and repairing commercial radio gear. As a sideline, he has converted the whole truck fleet of a rock quarry company, which owns several rock quarries in our county, from an expensive commercial radio system to CB. Since the antennas are subject to a very rough enviroment in the quarries and the construction sites the truckers deliver the rocks to, he used ordinary heavy gauge steel wire for the antennas, mounted in a quality antenna mount, placed in the possible location on the trucks. Then he tuned each antenna individually, using an antenna analyzer, to get optimum performance. He also wrote down the exact length of each antenna wire for each truck, so if an antenna gets damaged, he can just cut a new piece of wire from stock. I doubt that each antenna cost more than $10, and the largest part of it was the mount.
Now the truckers are well able to talk over 20-30 miles.

In the ham world, he also has the reputation of being a HF DX (long distance) specialist, who has won diplomas for many contests.
He only uses simple wire antennas, no fancy Yagis or other directional antennas, but always makes sure to get optimum performance out of them.

A good antenna is the best and cheapest RF amplifier, both for reception and transmission!

Jan