CB handhelds, why so expensive.

[MrWeetabix]

I'd love an SSB handie which I could take on my travels. Would be great for digital modes when on holiday. Add in a small wire dipole and its all compact enough for hand luggage. I have seen one over the years, th8ink it may have been an ablrecht, but I don't think they're in production any more and those which turn up for sale hold their value well as a result. too pricey for me to justify the purchase really.

[scanhermit]

Hopefully our Chinese friends are cooking something up.

[lambrettadave]

I'd love an SSB handie which I could take on my travels. Would be great for digital modes when on holiday. Add in a spall wire dipole and its all small enough for hand luggage. I have seen one over the years, th8ink it may have been an ablrecht, but I don't think they're in production any more and those which turn up for sale hold their value well as a result. too pricey for me to justify the purchase really.

I find that the older Albrecht/Dragon 201 set's are better than the later 2950 version. Maybe a ft817 type radio night be a better option

[lambrettadave]

Hopefully our Chinese friends are cooking something up.

A few have already been done but they usually command a high price

[scanhermit]

I did some more tests with the stock and tactical antennas. I set up the Grecom scanner (crisper than the 125) on FM in the window. I tested both antennas on low and high power at three positions at distances of 0.4, 0.3 and 0.4 miles. Positions 1 and 3 were of roughly equal height with position 2 between them in a dip. Most of the transmission path was open field to a main road with housing for the last 170-300m.

At positions 1 and 2 there was nothing to tell between either antenna on audio (signal reading not available). At 3 a whine was audible at low power on the stock antenna (less so on high power). This whine was worse on the tactical and the voice quality less good. This position had the greatest amount of housing between transmitter and receiver.

The tactical appears no better than the stock ant over open ground and performs worse when there are more obstacles .

[scanhermit]

I gave the stock antenna a go from Garrowby Hill and I couldn't hit York with it. This is to people with half wave antennas up and I was a good 600-700 feet higher than them. The 22 mile copy by the Ringway Manchester chap must have been a freak.

[Mudslinger]

Was that a clear path to York from there or were there obstructions? A clear path should be achievable I would think, unless something is faulty.

[scanhermit]

I was 700 feet up on the hill with a clear sight line of 12-15 miles. Talking to the same people on PMR, they told me that their lowest noise floor on CB was S3 and I couldn't be heard above it.

I've talked to a couple of the same guys from near the water tower on the south west corner of the York ring road - it's on a 100 foot hill. I managed 2 miles OK but was just touching the noise floor at 4.5 miles. I can hit my scanner fine on 1W over 0.4 mile of mostly open country but only just get through on 4W at 0.6 mile with houses in the way.

On the stock antenna, it just can't make the trip.

[scanhermit]

I think I'll have to go to the expense of the Sotabeams tactical mini. I can't find a fishing pole or flagpole shorter than 110cm packed whereas the tactical mini is 56cm packed down. I can get that in a rucksack or on a bike rack without trouble.

Mind, you'd think they'd include the guying kit for that money.

Edit: I'd better build a working end-fed before I go buying poles

[lambrettadave]

Sounds good, keep us updated and if you can get a photo or teo

[scanhermit]

I've got a telescopic metal window cleaning pole with a plastic head. I can lash it to the fence and put the antenna on a slant to test and SWR it.

[scanhermit]

No antenna built as yet but I've found a cheap pole (£25.48 with postage) that collapses down to the same size as the Sotabeams mini. Won't be as good but should be good enough for a T2LT. Best get the wire and SWR meter ordered.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/lakeside- ... 43&c=khaki

[ch25]

I'd love an SSB handie which I could take on my travels. Would be great for digital modes when on holiday. Add in a small wire dipole and its all compact enough for hand luggage. I have seen one over the years, th8ink it may have been an ablrecht, but I don't think they're in production any more and those which turn up for sale hold their value well as a result. too pricey for me to justify the purchase really.

I use IC-705 for that. Yes, expensive, but all in one. For license holder does it all.
Chris

[dc260]

Xiegu x6100 works well, I have made contacts on it with a telescopic antenna when the conditions are ideal, it also has an inbuilt tuner. Very easy to wideband to the 11m band using sofware

[k40]

I've got an old Hygain 40ch am that worked last time I tried it huge telescopic aerial, but modern batteries don't fit the battery box.
I had one of those magnum or albrect ssb handhelds a while ago I was on a hill calling on ssb with the larger aerial and got someone but they were only 12 miles away, bit of a dead loss.
At the weekend I was foolishly tempted by an midland allen 42 ds that was cheap with case, dry battery box, rechargeable battery box, charger, car adapter and standard aerial.
In my bedroom (I'm fairly high up) none of the locals can hear me unless I connect my outside aerial.
By comparison a bumfeng uv5r from the same place, broke in on a 2M net and a fair few could hear me.
In the modern times cb walkie talkies suck, in the late 70's early 80's when the bands were better I borrowed an AM 6 channel handheld from a school friend and talked to him then got someone at the other side of town 5 ish miles and had a clear conversation, back then there were cbers everywhere so easier to get someone on a handheld.
I have a lot of walkie talkies, even a pair of uniden uhf Australian cb ones on 470mhz.
I was going to edit the post on my phone and add a picture, but I was struggling wading through a sea of intrusive ads, so I gave up.