Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

Which CB radio for overlanding?

Leopard

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
163
Country Flag
uk
Hi All

Looking for a good CB radio recommendation for an overlanding vehicle. It'll be mounted on a LC 4.2L TD VX Limited.

Also, hoping to get some advice on antenna as well?

Thanks in advance,

Nigel
 
Not sure a CB is any good for overlanding - or do you mean overlanding in a convoy?

If in a convoy, anything will do - your range is severely limited anyway - and for antenna, a decently tuned stinger or modulator (or similar) will do. Speak to Andrew Prince on here to see if his kit is still for sale.

I'd be very wary though of a CB for overlanding - not too many countries in Africa look kindly on you using radios etc. (spying) and you could get into some serious poo. There are exceptions though, obviously.

Have you considered the hand-helds you can get, if it's just you and one or two other vehicles? You can rig an external antenna for those as well to extend range fairly simply.

For UK and Europe, CB is fine - just make sure you get a Euro-approved one.

Cheers
 
As Gary said, not much use unless you are in a convey. And the range is limited.

In some places they can actually become a liability. If carried openly, they could cause loads of hassle at border crossings. You could try hiding the CB somewhere, but if found you are going to have probably even more hassle. And once in country, if you are using a CB you shouldnt have, you could have problems with the authorities - even if it is just a local cop looking for a way to extort a bribe out of you (and that is getting off lightly).

Some countries also frown up on GPS's and satellite phones.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Never realised that CB's/sat phones and GPS's were such a big deal on these sort of trips.

Having come from Zim myself, we never had problems in Southern Africa with any of the above. Guess it's a totally different ball-game when your passport is purple and your have European number plates on your vehicle.

What are the suggestions on hand-helds? Do you guys usually buy anything or is it worth spending a bit of money on them?
 
Just to clarify, I'm UK-based now and my wife is British, so I will be travelling on a purple passport with a GB number plate myself.
 
Oh good - another Zimbo - that's at least 3 of us now :lol:

Depends on how much you want to spend, really, and what you want to achieve. If it's just plain old line-of-site stuff, I wouldn't get too fancy - lots on fleabay.

Just remember not to get a VHF version (without doing the Advanced Licence course and passing) so you don't fall foul of the authorities - Ofcom take this pretty seriously, as do the Euopean agencies, and their directional tracking stuff is excellent - you won't even know you're being tracked / monitored until you're stopped or there is a knock on your door - Ofcom have same search and seize powers as the police - for ANY radio equipment - so your fancy big telly could get crushed too.

Not worth it really :lol:
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
Glad to know there's other Zimbo's around, Gary! :)

Makes sense. I'm willing to spend a bit of money on a set of hand-helds. Traditionally on the family farm in RSA we have always used Icom, however that's proper licensed CB radios.
I know Icom do some un-licensed models. Anyone have any experience with them? I would look for something that's compatible with other makes of handsets.
 
Too much buck for your bang - look for Midland hand helds or similar on fleabay - there are a few. Also check out Maplin - they also keep some.

Others are Kenwood, President, etc. Icom are just too top-end - and not sure if they do CB stuff?

Cheers
 
There are a few options you could look at.

CB is a good option when travelling with others, I have justed fitted a £60 rig which I bought from Armada, with a £25.00 magmount aerial. I use this for 4x4 Response stuff more than anything, there is zero use of the cb frequencies around here, so the old problem of idiots has gone.

It gives a range of a few miles.

Handheld CB's seem to start at about £110 new, in an ideal world you would have one of each for comms with your passenger when they are out on foot. If you buy one, make sure it has all the UK and EU channels, new ones do, secondhand may not.

The alternative could be PMR446 radios, these start at about £20 a pair upwards, second hand Kenwood TK3101's are an excellent buy, about £40 each. There is no licence needed.

They give a range of maybe 1000m, are ideal for close stuff, but struggle beyond that.

You could sit the Foundation radio licence course, which would allow you to use a 2m or 70cm radio, the 2m band can use repeaters, so a range of 50 - 60 miles is achievable - but....this wouldnt work abroad as the licence is only for UK use.

I have heard that some countries do not allow radio comms. although I dont know how much of an issue it is.

Regards

Pete
 
Is the limit still 4 Watts in the UK?

I believe the same CB radios are 10 watts output.

10 watts

Guess it would be illegal to buy one in USA and bring it to UK ?

Gra.
 
I have 20w in one of these...

president_jackson_2_med.jpg
 
tut tut :shock:

Legal limit for CB is 4 watts :cool:

What you do with your rig is up to you though! :shh:

Remember - Foundation Course for amateur only gets you 10 watts, and only in the UK.

Cheers
 
OK, so you are stuck in the GULP your phone does not want to play ball and your sat connection is lets say stuffed!!!! So what do you do???

20w finds you some friends, alternatively you could kiss your sorry ass goodbye!!
 
Note what I said - what you do with your rig is up to you - as a licensed and regulated Amateur Radio Operator, I can't (and won't) advocate anything different :shifty:

I just wouldn't display it in an open forum though :whistle:
 
Please forgive a CB ignoramus, I can see that 20w will transmit further but does it also increase your receiving range?
 
Graham said:
Is the limit still 4 Watts in the UK?

I believe the same CB radios are 10 watts output.

10 watts

Guess it would be illegal to buy one in USA and bring it to UK ?

Gra.
The 4w radios are usually manufactured at a higher power output, and then restricted on the circuit board. For many, you can find find the 'release' process on the internet :whistle: The background to restricted power is logical (mainlyto do with airwave congestion in the early days), but in emergency/remote country locations the logic simply doesn't apply, and you should use as much power as you can generate.

To pick up another opic in this thread.... if you use a handheld (which are great, but expensive) then make sure you use an external antenna - otherwise the truck acts like a Faraday cage and the signal goes no-where.

From an old (lapsed) HAM 'G8TIU'
 
Cossack said:
Please forgive a CB ignoramus, I can see that 20w will transmit further but does it also increase your receiving range?
Absolutely not. Your ability to receive depends upon the performance of your antenna (including location) and the quality (sensitivity) of your rig pre-amp.
 
No Chas it doesn't. And that can be a problem. If everyone else is 'legal' they can all hear you crying but can't reach back to you. :think:

Chris
 
You can add an in-line amp which increases your transmit power for emergency use, it can be switched off at all other times, rather than a radio modified or designed to transmit at a higher power.

Pete
 
Back
Top