OB Approved US Comms - An Introduction to your communication options

[M Rose]

The Mobilinkd TNC is connected to the Kenwood (TM-71A) through a 6-pin connection to the radio's 'DATA' port. The cable is available from Mobilinked. You connect the tablet to the TNC via bluetooth. I have the TNC stored in my center console of my Land Cruiser and power it via the 12v plug in the console. The TNC is programmed to turn on when 12v power is applied and turn off when 12v power is removed. I stuck the TNC in there 3 years ago and haven't touched it since.

I use APRS Droid to control and see the APRS messaging. Unfortunately, it is not an iOS app.

The new TNC3 works with IOS, where as the TNC 2 is Android/PC...

 

[Jay Arisso]

Love this forum! It cleared up a lot of the questions I had. I'm a newer HAM user, so I really appreciate this... Thank you!

 

[Jeremy M.]

Great post, after making the transition from CB to Ham I wish I had done it years ago.

 

[Justinwrains]

Great information thank you

 

[HaVeeBear]

The club I ride with is using CB with no plans to change, so I'm going to install CB in the cab , but I would like to avoid having to install multiple antennas. Would I be able to use a CB antenna (which is longer) with a GMRS or HAM transceiver? Or, is there a mount that can host either antenna (one-at-a-time, not at the same time)? is a specific coax required from the mount to the rig for either type of radio?

Great info on this thread. Thanks!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Cb antenna wont function for gmrs

 

[M Rose]

The club I ride with is using CB with no plans to change, so I'm going to install CB in the cab , but I would like to avoid having to install multiple antennas. Would I be able to use a CB antenna (which is longer) with a GMRS or HAM transceiver? Or, is there a mount that can host either antenna (one-at-a-time, not at the same time)? is a specific coax required from the mount to the rig for either type of radio?

Great info on this thread. Thanks!

First a 1/4 wave CB antenna is 102” a 1/2 wave GMRS antenna is apx 14”. So the CB antenna won’t work for GMRS (or vice versa).
GMRS, Amateur Radio, and CB all use the same coax, so nothing special needed there. You could get a NMO antenna mount to run several different antennas from one single mount, but you are going to have to get a switch to change between radios.

you don’t mention what your rig is. Last option (and probably the one I would do in your situation) is get a mag mount CB antenna and a mag mount dual band 2m/70cm 5/8 wave antenna. The dual band antenna will work for both GMRS and the VHF/UHF portion of the amateur radio bands.

 

[Downs]

The club I ride with is using CB with no plans to change, so I'm going to install CB in the cab , but I would like to avoid having to install multiple antennas. Would I be able to use a CB antenna (which is longer) with a GMRS or HAM transceiver? Or, is there a mount that can host either antenna (one-at-a-time, not at the same time)? is a specific coax required from the mount to the rig for either type of radio?

Great info on this thread. Thanks!

You'll need more than one antenna. Install an NMO mount and get an NMO CB antenna. I have a Browning BR-140 which is a CB antenna with a NMO base. It's a whip style antenna and I've drug it through some heavy underbrush and it's take being bent quite a bit.

I do typically use my dual band HAM radio antenna for GMRS. It's not perfect but gets the job done.

When I'm up in the Ouchitas in really tight quarters with trees I remove that Dual Band ham antenna and put a UHF commercial band 6 or so inch 1/4 antenna on for GMRS use. That keeps it from getting damaged by trees.

Antennas take up very little space. I put mine between the edge of the body and seat on the driver's side of my XJ and you don't really notice they are there. With the NMO antenna mount you can screw them on and off in very little time so swapping as needed isn't a huge deal.

First a 1/4 wave CB antenna is 102” a 1/2 wave GMRS antenna is apx 38”. So the CB antenna won’t work for GMRS (or vice versa).

38 inch GMRS antenna would be more like 2x 5/8ths wave. A 1/2 wave GMRS antenna should be about 12ish inches long.

 

[M Rose]

The club I ride with is using CB with no plans to change, so I'm going to install CB in the cab , but I would like to avoid having to install multiple antennas. Would I be able to use a CB antenna (which is longer) with a GMRS or HAM transceiver? Or, is there a mount that can host either antenna (one-at-a-time, not at the same time)? is a specific coax required from the mount to the rig for either type of radio?

Great info on this thread. Thanks!

You'll need more than one antenna. Install an NMO mount and get an NMO CB antenna. I have a Browning BR-140 which is a CB antenna with a NMO base. It's a whip style antenna and I've drug it through some heavy underbrush and it's take being bent quite a bit.

I do typically use my dual band HAM radio antenna for GMRS. It's not perfect but gets the job done.

When I'm up in the Ouchitas in really tight quarters with trees I remove that Dual Band ham antenna and put a UHF commercial band 6 or so inch 1/4 antenna on for GMRS use. That keeps it from getting damaged by trees.

Antennas take up very little space. I put mine between the edge of the body and seat on the driver's side of my XJ and you don't really notice they are there. With the NMO antenna mount you can screw them on and off in very little time so swapping as needed isn't a huge deal.

First a 1/4 wave CB antenna is 102” a 1/2 wave GMRS antenna is apx 38”. So the CB antenna won’t work for GMRS (or vice versa).

38 inch GMRS antenna would be more like 2x 5/8ths wave. A 1/2 wave GMRS antenna should be about 12ish inches long.

Yes… you are right… but he also mentioned Ham which I assume is 2m. So needs a dual band which generally is about 38” long for a 1/2 wave on 2m, with a trap at 12”

 

[Downs]

Yes… you are right… but he also mentioned Ham which I assume is 2m. So needs a dual band which generally is about 38” long for a 1/2 wave on 2m, with a trap at 12”

a 1/2 wave GMRS antenna is apx 38”

I'm just reading the words you wrote man. That's all.

 

[M Rose]

I'm just reading the words you wrote man. That's all.

Fixed it