PLA Forums
Other Stuff That Has Little To Do With PLA => Techinical Shit => Phreaking, Hacking, Social Engineering, Lock Picking => Topic started by: Tenorclefninja on August 11, 2008, 05:12:02 PM
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New to radio here and just wanted to know if anyone here can recommend a good starter digital cb. I was going to pick up a few analogue at a flea market but was told they are not used as much today. If I am incorrect in that statement please correct me. Also any interesting information about radio in New Jersey would be helpful. Thanks.
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You can hijack fast-food resturant drive thru's with digital CB radios:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyLrus1yKvI
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Really?!?!?! IS the crystal from a toaster over good enough...or do I need one from an actual toaster?
My own mediocre attempt at humor has been highly amusing to myself.
As much fun as I am sure that fucking with drive thrus is, I actually am interested in radio.
I wonder how many morons actually tried that shit.
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I actually am interested in radio.
You'd be better off getting into ham radio then. 40 channel AM CB you're not going to find much except truckers. Some areas have a population of regular CB users. You can spot the antennas on the cars or pickup trucks and on people's houses. Verticals are popular, and cubical quads are popular directional CB antennas. Some of these could actually be ham antennas to the untrained eye. You'll mostly hear stuff within a few miles around depending on how good your antenna is. "Skip" or hearing/talking long distances on CB isn't happening very much right now due to the solar cycle. Wait 3 or 4 years and the skip will be rolling in. Things should be noticeably better in a year or two. The 40 channels using AM aren't the best to work skip on. Typically when radio conditions permit, there are so many stations bouncing off the ionosphere that you just hear (or see on the meter) the noise floor rise and you can occaisionally pick out a station here and there, like ones running huge amplifiers. Sideband is where it's at, more specifically the freeband which is the areas above channel 40 and below channel 1. I recall hearing stations on 27.705 LSB a lot a few years back. Oh, to transmit anywhere outside the CB band (below 1 and above 40) is illegal. Transmitting more than 5 watts input (I think that's right) is illegal. However, you will find many radios that can easily break both of those rules. Just go to any truck stop and you'll find them.
As I mentioned earlier, if you're really interested in radio you should study and get a ham licence. Hams can legally operate 1500 watts on most frequencies in the US and you get a heck of a lot more than half a MHz to work with. Even when the solar cycle is down there's frequencies that'll get out on ham. You can talk around the world no problem.
I wonder how many morons actually tried that shit.
A lot. You'd be surprised.
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I actually am interested in radio.
You'd be better off getting into ham radio then. 40 channel AM CB you're not going to find much except truckers. Some areas have a population of regular CB users. You can spot the antennas on the cars or pickup trucks and on people's houses. Verticals are popular, and cubical quads are popular directional CB antennas. Some of these could actually be ham antennas to the untrained eye. You'll mostly hear stuff within a few miles around depending on how good your antenna is. "Skip" or hearing/talking long distances on CB isn't happening very much right now due to the solar cycle. Wait 3 or 4 years and the skip will be rolling in. Things should be noticeably better in a year or two. The 40 channels using AM aren't the best to work skip on. Typically when radio conditions permit, there are so many stations bouncing off the ionosphere that you just hear (or see on the meter) the noise floor rise and you can occaisionally pick out a station here and there, like ones running huge amplifiers. Sideband is where it's at, more specifically the freeband which is the areas above channel 40 and below channel 1. I recall hearing stations on 27.705 LSB a lot a few years back. Oh, to transmit anywhere outside the CB band (below 1 and above 40) is illegal. Transmitting more than 5 watts input (I think that's right) is illegal. However, you will find many radios that can easily break both of those rules. Just go to any truck stop and you'll find them.
As I mentioned earlier, if you're really interested in radio you should study and get a ham licence. Hams can legally operate 1500 watts on most frequencies in the US and you get a heck of a lot more than half a MHz to work with. Even when the solar cycle is down there's frequencies that'll get out on ham. You can talk around the world no problem.
I wonder how many morons actually tried that shit.
A lot. You'd be surprised.
I believe the 5 watt limit was lowered to 4. Most stock Cb's wont put out morethan 4 watts nowadays. But you're right, there are plenty of illegal cb's out there. Btw: I would still like to catch you on echolink sometime...
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Thanks for the serious advice. I researched the Ham license a bit and it doesn't look that bad. Too bad I didn't think of this before HOPE. They licensed for free I think.
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I believe the 5 watt limit was lowered to 4. Most stock Cb's wont put out morethan 4 watts nowadays. But you're right, there are plenty of illegal cb's out there. Btw: I would still like to catch you on echolink sometime...
I stand corrected. 47 CFR 95.410 was revised October 1, 2007 and AM is limited to 4 watts carrier power and sideband 12 watts PEP. I'll PM you again sometime about Echolink. Do you have an area repeater that has it you can reliably get into? IIRC for some reason I couldn't connect up to you direct.
Thanks for the serious advice. I researched the Ham license a bit and it doesn't look that bad. Too bad I didn't think of this before HOPE. They licensed for free I think.
The ham licence isn't very expensive. I got mine for free ;-) In the states, ARRL & W5YI sponsored exam sessions cost $14. The overwhelming majority of exam sessions are sponsored by the ARRL so you won't find many that cost any different than that. According to the HOPE wiki, the ham exam was ARRL sponsored and did in fact cost $14. Google some study guides. Make sure they're using the most recent question pool. You can even hit up your local library for some study books. It's really not that hard for the starter Technician licence. Just remember, there have been 5 year olds who have achieved the highest ham radio licence class in the US.
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I am a ham also.
No more code to study
Easy theory
Gobs of frequencies to gab on
You name it, it's there.
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I am a ham also.
No more code to study
Easy theory
Gobs of frequencies to gab on
You name it, it's there.
That was beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye.
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Wow that must be some tear that took three weeks to make!! Post pics!!!
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Wow that must be some tear that took three weeks to make!! Post pics!!!
I gave you +1 for an almost win post.
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Thank You Lord.
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i gave um0mz +1 for last night