How many truckers are running VHF ? Is CB dying ?

ljh505 said:

Not an OTR driver/trucker, but I usually carry a basic AM/SSB CB and a 2 meter simplex radio in the vehicle when traveling the interstate highway system. Will run both simultaneously, CB Ch19 and ham 146.52 simplex if the vehicle has two antenna mounts, otherwise one or the other depending on weather/mood. CB for bad weather for staying alert to road conditions. Sometimes if I get super bored I'll work skip on 38 LSB, but operating a clarifier while driving is a pain.

For something in the vehicle for local travel (< 500 mi) I find myself more and more gravitating to the GMRS linked UHF repeater system here in the Albuquerque/Tucson corridor. https://swcrs.org/ and system map attached. It's a bunch of GMRS repeaters using wideband deviation that are linked with AllStarLink technology, but it's a sparate network from the ham VHF/UHF AllStarLink system. I'd say half the users are CBers who got a GMRS callsign, and the other half are hams who got a GMRS callsign. If the FCC lowers (has lowered?) the license fee from $70 to $35 there will likely be more people moving over.

Anyway, if you have a linked GMRS system in your area, give it a try. UHF linked repeaters may be where things are headed. I understand they've been the thing in Australia for a long time.

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ljh505 said:

The hams only had it starting in 1947 when the 29.7-30.0 MHz segment was re-allocated from the hams to gov't. And 27 MHz was an ISM band already. So, the hams were given a piece of an ISM band for 11 years, 1947-1958, and then it got taken away. If you want to complain, go tell the gov't you want 29.7-30.0 MHz back, as that was the original "theft" of 300 kHz. Quit complaining about the 27 MHz band.

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ljh505 said:

Not an OTR driver/trucker, but I usually carry a basic AM/SSB CB and a 2 meter simplex radio in the vehicle when traveling the interstate highway system. Will run both simultaneously, CB Ch19 and ham 146.52 simplex if the vehicle has two antenna mounts, otherwise one or the other depending on weather/mood. CB for bad weather for staying alert to road conditions. Sometimes if I get super bored I'll work skip on 38 LSB, but operating a clarifier while driving is a pain.

I'm not sure that MURS with a 2 watt limit on VHF and FM modulation has much utility. There aren't a lot of "type accepted" or "certificated" MURS mobile radios; Wouxun MURS mobile radios like the KG-1000M are selling for north of $300. The northwestern Canadian LADD VHF frequencies would be the prototype for trucking, those are required to be licensed and are 30 watts. So not sure what to do with an unlicensed 2 watt VHF radio in the mobile environment. $300 is a lot of coin for a 2 watt radio. I run a $140 2 meter rig at 35 watts typically on 146.52 simplex, can boost to 80 watts to complete a conversation if range gets spotty. The idea behind MURS was to legalize the practice of people taking their VHF "colored dot" business band HT radios on hunting trips, etc., not to create a new unlicensed mobile radio service for trucking. The Alaska Trucking Association had to get a FCC license for 12 channels of VHF at reasonable power (up to 75 watts) for use up there, similar to LADD. But again it is not an unlicensed service like CB or MURS or FRS.

For something in the vehicle for local travel (< 500 mi) I find myself more and more gravitating to the GMRS linked UHF repeater system here in the Albuquerque/Tucson corridor. https://swcrs.org/ and system map attached. It's a bunch of GMRS repeaters using wideband deviation that are linked with AllStarLink technology, but it's a sparate network from the ham VHF/UHF AllStarLink system. I'd say half the users are CBers who got a GMRS callsign, and the other half are hams who got a GMRS callsign. If the FCC lowers (has lowered?) the license fee from $70 to $35 there will likely be more people moving over.

Anyway, if you have a linked GMRS system in your area, give it a try. UHF linked repeaters may be where things are headed. I understand they've been the thing in Australia for a long time.

Click to expand...

Rebel Outlaw said:

Since you said that you run both CB&VHF I am curious about the Antenna. Do you have an NMO mount and you switch coil&whip between the two or do you have a CB antenna in the middle of the roof and the VHF on the fender?(or other location?)

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ljh505 said:

Not an OTR driver/trucker, but I usually carry a basic AM/SSB CB and a 2 meter simplex radio in the vehicle when traveling the interstate highway system. Will run both simultaneously, CB Ch19 and ham 146.52 simplex if the vehicle has two antenna mounts, otherwise one or the other depending on weather/mood. CB for bad weather for staying alert to road conditions. Sometimes if I get super bored I'll work skip on 38 LSB, but operating a clarifier while driving is a pain.

I'm not sure that MURS with a 2 watt limit on VHF and FM modulation has much utility. There aren't a lot of "type accepted" or "certificated" MURS mobile radios; Wouxun MURS mobile radios like the KG-1000M are selling for north of $300. The northwestern Canadian LADD VHF frequencies would be the prototype for trucking, those are required to be licensed and are 30 watts. So not sure what to do with an unlicensed 2 watt VHF radio in the mobile environment. $300 is a lot of coin for a 2 watt radio. I run a $140 2 meter rig at 35 watts typically on 146.52 simplex, can boost to 80 watts to complete a conversation if range gets spotty. The idea behind MURS was to legalize the practice of people taking their VHF "colored dot" business band HT radios on hunting trips, etc., not to create a new unlicensed mobile radio service for trucking. The Alaska Trucking Association had to get a FCC license for 12 channels of VHF at reasonable power (up to 75 watts) for use up there, similar to LADD. But again it is not an unlicensed service like CB or MURS or FRS.

For something in the vehicle for local travel (< 500 mi) I find myself more and more gravitating to the GMRS linked UHF repeater system here in the Albuquerque/Tucson corridor. https://swcrs.org/ and system map attached. It's a bunch of GMRS repeaters using wideband deviation that are linked with AllStarLink technology, but it's a sparate network from the ham VHF/UHF AllStarLink system. I'd say half the users are CBers who got a GMRS callsign, and the other half are hams who got a GMRS callsign. If the FCC lowers (has lowered?) the license fee from $70 to $35 there will likely be more people moving over.

Anyway, if you have a linked GMRS system in your area, give it a try. UHF linked repeaters may be where things are headed. I understand they've been the thing in Australia for a long time.

Click to expand...

ljh505 said:

Truck has an NMO on the roof of the crew cab, and a 3/8x24 on the tailgate. Typically run VHF or UHF on the NMO mount, and CB / 10 meter 102 inch whip on the tailgate with a MFJ tuner. The 102 inch whip is pretty broadband, over 2 MHz wide, so it sort of works from 26.9 up to 29.6 MHz. Stands at 13 ft 4 inches from asphalt up to the tip.

Passenger car has a single trunk lip NMO mount for either VHF, UHF, or a Larsen NMO27C low-band for CB. Have to choose a band before rolling out.

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Rebel Outlaw said:

Hey Slowmover, while on the subject, what do you use on your big truck? Dual antennas on the mirrors or a single one in the middle of the roof? I know that with some of the trucks it is a task to get good performance for many reasons(still have try though)!
73.

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ljh505 said:

I'm not sure that MURS with a 2 watt limit on VHF and FM modulation has much utility. There aren't a lot of "type accepted" or "certificated" MURS mobile radios; Wouxun MURS mobile radios like the KG-1000M are selling for north of $300. The northwest Canadian LADD VHF frequencies would be the prototype for trucking, those are required to be licensed and are 30 watts. So not sure what to do with an unlicensed 2 watt VHF radio in the mobile environment. $300 is a lot of coin for a 2 watt radio.

Click to expand...