CB handhelds, why so expensive.

[Mudslinger]

I have just ordered a 120cm Telescopic from Thunderpole as they are now back in stock.

It was cheaper through ebay as for some reason the postage was a lot cheaper than direct on their website.

[scanhermit]

Oooh let us know how you go with it.

I've just noticed on Knight's website that they say they make sure all CBs they sell are tuned. I got my TX from Thunderpole so maybe...<dramatic music>...it's not tuned!

[scanhermit]

I think I've found a use for the tactical antenna - airband on my Grecom PSR295 seems better on it.

[Mudslinger]

I went out for a while earlier. There doesn't seem to be much difference between the standard TX rubber duck and the Thunderpole Telescopic.

That rubber duck is very good.

[scanhermit]

I've seen YouTube shootouts where there's a dB between stock and telescopic at the receiving end. Were you not getting even that?

[Mudslinger]

It was hard to say, as the station I could contact only had a 4 bar s-meter and he said I sounded the same on both. The other station couldn't hear me on either antenna.

On receive both stations gave the same readings and had the same receive quality, even the weaker one.

More testing needed.

[scanhermit]

If you have a rig at home, could you go say a mile or two away and have someone watch the needle for you?

These appear to be fair tests over short distances (about 1/2 a mile).

[scanhermit]

Spamming with vids, same chap. There seems to be a clear signal gain with the telescopic over a longer distance. (2.2 miles)

[scanhermit]

In German but the S readings are clear enough. Testing from 9:20

https://youtu.be/Uc3nFbCkR64?si=oTwdGvKRzQGI1XjR

[lambrettadave]

Have you tried the tactical antenna yet ?

[scanhermit]

I did indeed. At a mile or less local contacts said that signal and audio were better on the stock antenna. I did some audio tests with my own scanner - older post reproduced below:

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 submitted an honest review based on my testing to the thunderpole website but they didn't post it. My review didn't say "it's a load of rubbish" or anything abusive - I did my best to test it against the stock antenna as a reference.

Incidentally, the stock antenna got me two miles from a hill with a reasonable clarity but one person at four miles couldn't hear me above a hash level of S3. I suppose with the telescopic I might just be lifted above the hash.

[Mudslinger]

I was out on the hill yeasterday. A station that I was chatting to noticed a very slight improvement between the rubber duck on my TX and the telescopic. But it was very hard to tell. He was 7 miles away.

I had an easy 33 mile contact on my Yaesu FT-4X on PMR but couldn't make the same contact with the CB.

[scanhermit]

Thanks for the report, mudslinger. I'm jealous if you're getting 7 miles on the rubber duck - 2 miles appears to be my limit. When I do get this bloody T2LT completed it'll be interesting to see where I get with that.

[lambrettadave]

I was out on the hill yeasterday. A station that I was chatting to noticed a very slight improvement between the rubber duck on my TX and the telescopic. But it was very hard to tell. He was 7 miles away.

I had an easy 33 mile contact on my Yaesu FT-4X on PMR but couldn't make the same contact with the CB.

Does the TX actually put out 4 watts on battery power.
A few sets only do 2 watts