uri@uunet.uu.net (09/01/89)
Hello, netlanders! Sorry if I hit the wrong group - no evil intention! The question is: can I use SW radio in my car? The frequency diapasone 1 - 30 MHz. Is it OK with FCC, and if not - what should I do to make it OK (if anything)? If the transmitter power is 25 - 100 Watts, what distance can it cover reliably? CB radio - does it need any license? What's the maximum distance it covers? What power is available? ANY info will be appreciated. You may either post it, or (which is probably better) e-mail it to me to: uunet!bywater!arnor!uri Please, e-mail (or post) just the info useful. Flames you may as well leave to yourself. Thank you. Uri.
edg@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) (09/02/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0340m03@vector.dallas.tx.us> <arnor!uri@uunet.uu.net> writes: > > The question is: can I use SW radio in my car? The > frequency diapasone 1 - 30 MHz. Is it OK with FCC, > and if not - what should I do to make it OK (if > anything)? If the transmitter power is 25 - 100 Watts, > what distance can it cover reliably? There are no frequencies between 1 and 30 MHz in which you can transmit without a license. If you want to get an Amateur Radio License, you can transmit on certain bands of this range, within the limits set forth by part 97 of the FCC Regulations. More info can be found on rec.ham-radio. > > CB radio - does it need any license? What's the maximum > distance it covers? What power is available? > CB Radio doesn't need a license these days. Coverage is several miles, depending on the traffic density in your area. CB is covered by part 95 of the FCC regs. More info is packed inside the manual of any CB Radio for sale (new.) I don't think there's a newsgroup devoted to CB Radio. > ANY info will be appreciated. You may either post it, or > (which is probably better) e-mail it to me to: > > uunet!bywater!arnor!uri > Tell us more about what you want to accomplish. Who do you want to talk to, for what purpose. Perhaps we can come up with a suitable solution to your application. -edg -- Ed Greenberg uunet!apple!netcom!edg
msmith@hardees.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (09/03/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0342m06@vector.dallas.tx.us> claris!netcom!edg@ames. arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) writes: > There are no frequencies between 1 and 30 MHz in which you can > transmit without a license. If you want to get an Amateur Radio > License, you can transmit on certain bands of this range, within the > limits set forth by part 97 of the FCC Regulations. More info can be > found on rec.ham-radio. > CB Radio doesn't need a license these days. Coverage is several > miles, depending on the traffic density in your area. CB is covered > by part 95 of the FCC regs. More info is packed inside the manual of > any CB Radio for sale (new.) I don't think there's a newsgroup > devoted to CB Radio. > Ed Greenberg > uunet!apple!netcom!edg Actually, CB Radio, which doesn't require a license, is located between 27 and 28 MHz. I don't know what the channels are exactly in that range, but I do remember that they are not in a purely sequential order, due to the expansion from 23 to 40 channels. Also, many CB DXers (people who go for distant contacts) use either the Upper SideBand or the Lower SideBand (USB and LSB, collectively know as SSB), which allows separate communications to use the same base frequency as a normal AM channel. Mark -- Mark Smith | "Be careful when looking into the distance, |All Rights 61 Tenafly Road|that you do not miss what is right under your nose."| Reserved Tenafly,NJ 07670-2643|rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith,msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu You may redistribute this article only to those who may freely do likewise.
mhw@wittsend.lbp.harris.com (Michael H. Warfield (Mike)) (09/05/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0342m06@vector.dallas.tx.us> Edward Greenberg <claris! netcom!edg@ames.arc.nasa.gov> writes: >There are no frequencies between 1 and 30 MHz in which you can >transmit without a license. ..... >CB Radio doesn't need a license these days. ..... I hate to pick nits but ..... CB is in the 27MHz band, which is (last I looked) somewhere between 1 and 30MHz. Therefore, I would guess, you contradicted yourself. However, this would be more appropriate in rec.ham-radio. --- Michael H. Warfield (The Mad Wizard) | gatech.edu!galbp!wittsend!mhw (404) 270-2123 / 270-2098 | mhw@wittsend.LBP.HARRIS.COM An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist is sure of it!
uri@uunet.uu.net (Uri Blumenthal) (09/05/89)
From article <telecom-v09i0342m06@vector.dallas.tx.us>, (Edward Greenberg): > Tell us more about what you want to accomplish. Who do you want to > talk to, for what purpose. Perhaps we can come up with a suitable > solution to your application. Well, maybe I'm too bold, but I consider it as a sort of permission to post some more stuff on this topic. I need to have a reliable link between: 1) My car and home. Radio is more convenient than cellular phone for me. The distance could be 50 - 75 miles (up to 100, I'd say), the area has a lot of hills. 2) The common CB connection. I'd like to be able to receive usual CB reports on the road (well, like those renown "smokey reports" :-). As well as to broadcast the info I have. 3) Access to the "road SOS channel" - I think it's channel 9, which is constantly monitored by police, so in case of real trouble you can call for help (if you still can call, of course :-). Mostly, that's it. Somewhen ten years ago I played for a while with DX stuff, but it was in other country, and everything (well, except the ether :-) was different. So my "old" knowledge doesn't help a lot. Thanks to everybody who replied to me already with good advices, and to all those who will do that. Thanks for no-flaming. Regards, Uri. (uunet!bywater!arnor!uri) <Disclaimer>
edg@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) (09/06/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0343m07@vector.dallas.tx.us> msmith@hardees.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >Actually, CB Radio, which doesn't require a license, is located >between 27 and 28 MHz. I don't know what the channels are exactly in >that range, but I do remember that they are not in a purely sequential >order, due to the expansion from 23 to 40 channels. Also, many CB >DXers (people who go for distant contacts) use either the Upper >SideBand or the Lower SideBand (USB and LSB, collectively know as >SSB), which allows separate communications to use the same base >frequency as a normal AM channel. >Mark Smith | "Be careful when looking into the distance, |All Rights You've got me. You're right. With the exception of CB, there's noplace to use a "Short Wave" transceiver without proper licensing, and CB really doesn't qualify as short wave. They still have power and antenna limitations, don't they? -edg -- Ed Greenberg uunet!apple!netcom!edg [Moderator's Note: Power and antenna limitions in CB? You've gotta be kidding! I *know* what the rules say, but gawd a'mighty! At least here in Chicago some of those boogers are running a thousand watts if they're running a hundred milliwatts! And they get on the so-called 'high channels', meaning illegally squatting on the upper (usually, sometimes lower) side of 27.415 all the way to 27.805. Some of them even get all the way up in ten meters running power talking skip all day. The worst offenders are now starting to pollute the rest of the spectrum. They go to 'swap meets' and come home with some piece of junk then sit on forty meters tuning up and fooling around. Their idea of humor is to feed their power mike into a reverb unit and then b-rr-eak break break break break for a radio check check check. If it is true what 'they' say, that a real man ought to be able to tune and peak his radio, then we have a bunch of little infants here. PT]
edg@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) (09/07/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0348m07@vector.dallas.tx.us> arnor!uri@uunet.uu.net (Uri Blumenthal) writes: >Well, maybe I'm too bold, but I consider it as a sort of permission to >post some more stuff on this topic. Don't be shy. You're welcome here. > I need to have a reliable link between: > 1) My car and home. Radio is more convenient than > cellular phone for me. The distance could be > 50 - 75 miles (up to 100, I'd say), the area > has a lot of hills. The key here is reliable link. If you're doing business, you can apply for a business radio license and find some frequencies to use in the 30-50 range as well as 150-174, 450-470 and up. (All these numbers are megahertz.) You can also contact a communications reseller and rent both radios and space on a "community repeater" which will provide more reliable communications. If you're not a skilled radio hacker, this is a good bet since you'll have a communications solution tailored by professionals to your needs. Make sure you shop around as both quality of service and price will vary greatly. If you just want to talk to your wife, cellular or old style mobile telephone will do the trick and will be cheaper. Amateur radio is a complex means to an end. If you're not interested in the code and tech stuff, it's lots of work to gain access to a very limited subset of the spectrum. And both you and the party you're communicating with need to be licensed. Also, you're not allowed to do "business". > 2) The common CB connection. I'd like to be able to > receive usual CB reports on the road (well, like > those renown "smokey reports" :-). As well as to > broadcast the info I have. Just get a CB Radio and have at it. They can be had for under $100 these days, and can be instaslled with cigarette lighter cords and magnet mount antenna. As I was corrected earlier, you don't need a license, although you do need to follow the rules, which many individuals don't do. > 3) Access to the "road SOS channel" - I think it's > channel 9, which is constantly monitored by police, > so in case of real trouble you can call for help > (if you still can call, of course :-). Some police monitor 9 and some monitor 19, the trucker channel. Usually they post signs. Again, the CB mentioned above will do the trick cheaply. If I've made any more mistakes, I'm sure the net will point them out :-) :-). -- Ed Greenberg uunet!apple!netcom!edg
paul@devon.lns.pa.us (Paul Sutcliffe Jr.) (09/11/89)
In <TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 343, message 7 of 7>, Mark Smith wrote: +--------- | Actually, CB Radio, which doesn't require a license, is located | between 27 and 28 MHz. I don't know what the channels are exactly in | that range, but I do remember that they are not in a purely sequential | order, due to the expansion from 23 to 40 channels. +--------- I'm taxing my memory for this, so I may be giving invalid data, but anyway: The original 23 channels were .01mHz (10 Kc) apart, and ranged from 26.985mHz (channel 1) up, except there was .03mHz (two empty channels) between channels 22 and 23 (at 27.225, I believe). We CB'ers used to refer to them as 22A and 22B. Most 23 channel transceivers were crystal controlled -- there were a half-dozen-or-so crystals to make up the 'set'. Some more 'experienced' CB'ers would hook up a DPDT switch to get 22A and B. Later, channels 24 to 40 were assigned up through 27.405mHz. I seem to recall the old 22A & B frequencies being officially assigned as channels 24 and 25, but I'm not sure about that anymore. Then came PLL (phase lock loop) technology (along about the time of the 40 channel sets). The PLL circuit synthesized the 40 frequencies, but actually 'knew' a much broader set of frequencies. I remember having used my external speaker/PA switch to allow 'below channel 1' (under 26.985) and 'over 40' (27.415 through 27.805) dialable from the channel changer. - paul PS: disclaimer: I haven't touched my CB radio in at least 10 years. -- INTERNET: paul@devon.LNS.PA.US | How many whales do you have to UUCP: ...!rutgers!devon!paul | save to get a toaster? [Moderator's Note: Actually the first 23 channels were 26.965 through 27.255. They were 10 kc. apart, with '3-A' at 26.995; '7-A' at 27.045; '11-A' at 27.095; '15-A' at 27.145; '19-A' at 27.195; '22-A' at 27.235; '22-B' at 27.245 and 23 at 27.255. The so-called A and B channels were really not for CB use at all. They were garage door openers; radio controlled airplanes and similar. When CB was expanded to 40 channels, channel 24 and 25 were squeezed into 27.235 and 27.245 respectively, meaning 24 and 25 are actually 'lower' than 23. Channels 26 through 40 follow evenly upward 27.265 through 27.405. And yes, those PLL chips were really something, weren't they! With a little luck and a golden screwdriver, those guys could get the thing to oscillate all the way up to ten meters. But the feds started raising cain with Uniden and Motorola, among others, and forbade the further manufacture of the chips which could be programmed like that. Everything had to be done in ROM from that point (around 1980) onward. Are any CB radios still coming out with those programmable chips? Probably not. PT]