Worldwide DX Amateur Radio Forums - Ham - CB - HF - VHF - UHF

Hey Guys! First post. I'm trying to get a radio for my jeep that will work on all common bands. Some guys have CB, some have VHF, and some have little frs/gmrs radios. I'm sure some will have HF in the future, but none of my friends have it now. I understand there are some legal issues, and prefer not to get into that. I'm wondering what radios will do what i want. I plan on getting certification for HF and maybe some of you can help me determine what level of cert i will need. I've been told that the FT-857D will do what i want. I'm also looking for antenna recommendations that will work decent on the different bands. I don't need max performance as most people will be within about 20 miles 99% of the time. The mountains and valleys are the killers of the little gmrs radios i have now. Having a break out box design is a huge plus so i can take the face off. I'll probably weld in a bar to secure the radio guts because the jeep is a soft top and is topless most of the time. If anybody can recommend any other radios that may work that would be great. Thanks!

Look out

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http://www.haminfobar.co.uk

Let's turn this one over to Jerry for comment.

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Front/back ratio comes from the antenna. Forward gain comes from the wall socket.

See, that is the problem there. There is no radio on the market that is built to do this and handle the legal part that you do not want to get into. I have seen post like this all over the place and it always gets nasty so look out.

The best bet for your group to do is find one radio that you all can use.

What you are going to run into is an FCC CERTIFICATION issue. Let's talk only about the CB/VHF/UHF thing. Generally speaking, (and I am assuming you are in the US as laws are different in different countries) you CANNOT LEGALLY get or operate a ONE radio-does-all kind of setup. Sure, there can be some exceptions, but the expense would more than it would worth to the average citizen. You will need an FCC- certified, 40 channel CB set & an FRS (VHF) radio, AND a UHF radio, too. AFAIK there is no such thing as a CB set/FRS/MURS combination. There is also GMRS on UHF, and it requires a license. You will also need permission from the repeater owners (if you wish to access them) to get the PL codes. Many of them are what are known as "closed" repeaters.

Now, the FT857-D is an amateur radio designed to be used ON amateur frequencies. It also is NOT certified for use on the above bands and frequencies, cannot legally be used on CB or any of the other services, either. Same goes for what you call "HF". If you DO have an amateur license, then you know all this already. If you are fixing to just buy an all-in-one radio to be used like CB, operate on any frequency you choose, there's gonna be trouble in "river city" so to speak. I'm not here to scold, just to caution you that there ARE some dangers in doing this. Do NOT go ON the ham bands, or begin to use the radio on some "hunting" channel that you may think is 'your private channel" as the legal users of those frequencies WILL locate you and turn you in to the authorities who, BTW, WILL go after you with hefty fines. Again, I am not here to scold, just to let you know of the risks of using HF radio in particular (because it 'skips' a LOT!) "Outbanding" carries risks so you would, I assume, want to know some of them.

CWM

Thanks guys. I guess i'm wondering what certifications i will need for all of these bands, assuming i will buy 3 radios. Maybe after i get certified for all 3 i will decide against going with an all in one type of thing. Is there a good newb thread that describes how to get certified / take classes, etc? I plan on following the laws as closely as possible, but space is my main concern. I wheel with different groups, hence the need for multiple bands. Sometime i wheel alone, so multiple bands would be nice if something bad happens.

1. It's illegal...you know this already
2. It's your decision on what you want to do now that you know it's illegal
3. Yes it is possible to do what you're asking.

Everyone always says, "you're going to get an $11K fine" or some other trouble, but there are ways to do this while not legal, will keep you out of harm's way. Noone who knows wants to go on record talking about it, though.

Since it sounds like you've already made up your mind that you're going to do it, it would probably be helpful to tell you how to stay out of trouble which can be summed up in probably three basic steps:

1. Become familiar with what the frequencies used on the CB/MURS/FRS/GMRS bands are and only use those frequencies. Those are all of the unlicensed bands. Don't go to other frequencies that you think might be "unused"....because they probably are. Program in the frequencies as memories that match the "channels" of each band to your radio so you can't screw it up.
2. Reduce the power output of the radio. For example, don't run 50 watts on a MURS frequency which only allows 2 watts, because everyone will know that you're not running a legal radio if you do.
3. Don't announce over the air to the entire country side what you are doing.

We can discuss some your other questions also, but I have to run right now...

BTW, the best idea is for all of your buddies to get their ham license.

Don't listen to any of these people. Do whatever you want, I'm sure you'll get a warning before the FCC starts handing out any fines. Enjoy it while you can.

If you buy 3 different radios to do this (CB, MURS, FRS), you don't need any license. Just buy regular, certified radios and you'll be fine. If you want to get your ham license, you'll need at least the General license to be able to use HF/VHF/UHF bands...but that doesn't make it legal to use one radio to talk on CB/MURS/FRS/GMRS. That doesn't mean a lot of people don't do it, though. Be informed of the rules and make your own decision.

To get your General license, you'll have to pass two tests: First the Technician license and then the General license test. You can do them both at the same time if you want. Pick up the Gordon West books (one for each license class) and they basically walk you through the material and tests pretty easily. Then just take the practice tests on QRZ until you can pass consistently.

If you can get all of your off road buddies to get their general licenses, you will really have something valuable for communicating while off-road I have a Jeep and have a decent communication's setup for that purpose. It's nice knowing that you can pretty consistently be able to talk to half of the country if you need to.

BTW, for an overhead locking jeep radio mount, check this out:
10301 - Single Compartment Overhead Security Console, Jeep CJ, Wrangler, Unlimited, 1976-06 | ShopJeepParts.Com