C.B Radio
These are considered the "old style" of radio and have been around for years. They are commonly used by trucks and by 4wd clubs etc. they operate on a frequency roughly around the 26/27mhz range. most vehicle mounted units put out 5 watts and this translates into a range from anywhere from 1km all the way up to 50km or more.
PRS/UHF Radio
these radios are relativly new. they are more commonly used in 4wd clubs and a lot of other places as well. these radios operate on a frequency around 476/ 477 mhz. most vehicle mounted ones are also 5 watts but ranges are generally less than the older cb. however they are alot clearer than the older cb's. allthough with the use of a repeater, range can be extended onwards of 150kms!
handheld units can also be brought but generally have alot less power. some as low as .5 watts!. these can be good if moving from a vehicle of for talking someone through a tricky section. although you can get handheld units that have 5 watts of transmit power as well.
so as you can see from the frequencies listed above, the two different styles of radio cannot communicate to each other. So you ask, which one do i buy?
it really depends on what everyone else has and what your club uses. most people these days lean towards the PRS/ UHF units, however some do still use the CB Radio. If you still cant decide then Uniden do make a unit that has both styles intergrated into one!
So what to look for buying a radio?
for a vehicle mounted one, consider things like where can i mount it? does it have 5watts of transmit power? does it have a scan function? and also little things like what side the mike plugs into etc.
for handhelds the most important thing is probably the transmit power. its probably best to get one that has as much power as you budget allows. other things to think about are how long will it last on batteries? does it matter if i drop it in the mud?( obviously a cheaper one would be a better option here
) is it easy to use (ie big buttons).
so what does all that jargon mean on the box?
Scan: searches through all the channels and stops on them if they are active.
Duplex: this allows the use of repeaters. this extends the range considerably of your radio. if you are in canterbury then have a listen one night on channel 1. you will hear alot of people talking. if you push "dup" button then you can make use of the repeater and your transmission will be broadcast out as far as Darfeild, Oxford and Amberley.
CTCSS/ DSC: this is basically a tone that is sent with your transmission. it allows other radios that have this tone turned on to hear what you are saying. its usefull if you only want selected people to hear what you are saying.
Aerials:
you must get an aerial for the right frequency you radio produces. ie, you cant use an aerial designed for cb with a prs unit and vise versa. there are a few different styles of aerial like steel and fibreglass. some people have different opinions on whats better but at the end of the day, as long as its designed for the radio you are using then it should be fine.
also have a think about where your going to mount it. ideally the top of the roof is the best place but for 4wding this is really un practical. usually youll see them mounted to the bull bar, on the guard or on the back of the truck. think about what sort of track etc you go on. do you go driving close to trees that could easily rip it off (99% of us do)? also i would recommend the use of a spring to allow the aerial to bend down in case it does get tangled up in something.
when running the coax (aerial cable), try to keep it away from alternators, starter motors or other big electrical things. they can all interfear with the signal and give really poor performance of your radio. also make sure no sharp metal bits cut into the cable when passing through the firewall into the cab.
i think thats about me for tonight. if anyone can think of anything else that can be added then please add to this topic.
. You have written here about PRS and CB, but what about VHS? Dosnt anyone use these? Because it would be really handy to have one that can get emergency services, forecasts, AND, be able to talk to everyone..
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