I'm looking to get a CB to use from home. I'm wondering what the difference
is between the base and mobile radios.

They both have the same wattage out from the factory, and I don't notice any
fancier controls on a base unit than you can get on a mobile, but the base
are way more expensive.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

-Lou

Lou,
The difference is the power supply. One uses 12 volts DC,
the other uses 120 vlots AC. If you removed the power supply
from each, base/mobile, there would be no difference.
'Doc

"Dave or Debby" wrote in
:

In the past, one bought a base when he wanted to talk from the house.
Mobiles were used from cars. Walki-Talkies (that's HAND HELDS for you
YUPPIES and Hamsters) were used for people that WALKED AROUND the
block OR in the woods OR for camping. NONE of them ever switched
jurisdictions. NO ONE would of ever think of using a base when
walking around, OR a WALKI TALKIE in the car (unless you were under 15
just experimenting). Because of the advent of SMT technology for the
Hambos, the "walki-talki" has DIED and now EVERYTHING has got to be
HAND HELD ! Hence the hand held CB for the car, which is something
that should NEVER BE even thought of ! Just POKE that antenna in the
passengers eye while driving and see what I'm talking about!!!!
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I thought I'd weigh in on this one.

A handheld is perfectly fine for use in the car. Many are capable of
using an external antenna and microphone. With these capabilities, the
handheld starts to shine a bit. They're still 4 watt radios, and can be
mounted anywhere - which is great in things like small trucks where it
can be tricky to find a suitable mounting location.

One cool solution might be to fabricate some sort of a permanant mount
similar to those used to hold cell phones in the car. You could have the
power and antenna lines located permantently near the mount. In fact, you
could do the same in the house. Now you have _one_ radio that's usable
whether at home, in the car, or out walking around.

I do realize that handhelds don't have all the features of their larger
counterparts. In fact, I don't own one (at least I don't think I do, I'll
have to look around). Still, I also know that almost all of the
"features" on my Galaxy remain largely unused. Yes, I know what they all
do, don't lecture me. I'll leave the finer points of radio operation to
another thread. Though I'm an admitted knob-thumber, I really only use
the volume and squelch reguarly. The primary reason I bought that radio
was because it was pretty damn cool looking for $175. Like, get this: it
has a pot to adjust the dimmer - for those of us who might want it "kind
of dim" as opposed to really dim or really bright. Heh.

The point is, a handheld is more than capable of wearing many hats. I
don't see the rationale behind pigeon-holing it into a defined role. If
you're like me and you've got money to burn on radio gear...then
nevermind =-)


--

Alan Strawinski

http://alan.strawinski.net

The MAIN reason is that Hand helds are NOT for car or mobile operation is
that (a) NO microphone to put up to your mouth, (b) antenna gets in the way
(poke a hole in your headliner), and (c) it was NEVER designed to be used IN
a vehicle !
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Alan Strawinski" wrote in message
. 3.44...
"Dave or Debby" wrote in
:

In the past, one bought a base when he wanted to talk from the house.
Mobiles were used from cars. Walki-Talkies (that's HAND HELDS for you
YUPPIES and Hamsters) were used for people that WALKED AROUND the
block OR in the woods OR for camping. NONE of them ever switched
jurisdictions. NO ONE would of ever think of using a base when
walking around, OR a WALKI TALKIE in the car (unless you were under 15
just experimenting). Because of the advent of SMT technology for the
Hambos, the "walki-talki" has DIED and now EVERYTHING has got to be
HAND HELD ! Hence the hand held CB for the car, which is something
that should NEVER BE even thought of ! Just POKE that antenna in the
passengers eye while driving and see what I'm talking about!!!!
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I thought I'd weigh in on this one.

A handheld is perfectly fine for use in the car. Many are capable of
using an external antenna and microphone. With these capabilities, the
handheld starts to shine a bit. They're still 4 watt radios, and can be
mounted anywhere - which is great in things like small trucks where it
can be tricky to find a suitable mounting location.

One cool solution might be to fabricate some sort of a permanant mount
similar to those used to hold cell phones in the car. You could have the
power and antenna lines located permantently near the mount. In fact, you
could do the same in the house. Now you have _one_ radio that's usable
whether at home, in the car, or out walking around.

I do realize that handhelds don't have all the features of their larger
counterparts. In fact, I don't own one (at least I don't think I do, I'll
have to look around). Still, I also know that almost all of the
"features" on my Galaxy remain largely unused. Yes, I know what they all
do, don't lecture me. I'll leave the finer points of radio operation to
another thread. Though I'm an admitted knob-thumber, I really only use
the volume and squelch reguarly. The primary reason I bought that radio
was because it was pretty damn cool looking for $175. Like, get this: it
has a pot to adjust the dimmer - for those of us who might want it "kind
of dim" as opposed to really dim or really bright. Heh.

The point is, a handheld is more than capable of wearing many hats. I
don't see the rationale behind pigeon-holing it into a defined role. If
you're like me and you've got money to burn on radio gear...then
nevermind =-)


--

Alan Strawinski

http://alan.strawinski.net




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On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 19:31:01 -0400, "Dave or Debby"
wrote:

In the past, one bought a base when he wanted to talk from the house.
Mobiles were used from cars. Walki-Talkies (that's HAND HELDS for you
YUPPIES and Hamsters) were used for people that WALKED AROUND the block OR
in the woods OR for camping. NONE of them ever switched jurisdictions. NO
ONE would of ever think of using a base when walking around, OR a WALKI
TALKIE in the car (unless you were under 15 just experimenting). Because of
the advent of SMT technology for the Hambos, the "walki-talki" has DIED and
now EVERYTHING has got to be HAND HELD ! Hence the hand held CB for the
car, which is something that should NEVER BE even thought of ! Just POKE
that antenna in the passengers eye while driving and see what I'm talking
about!!!!
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only thing that has died because of SMT technology is CB shops
like yours that haven't kept up.

"Dave or Debby" wrote in
:

The MAIN reason is that Hand helds are NOT for car or mobile operation
is that (a) NO microphone to put up to your mouth, (b) antenna gets in
the way (poke a hole in your headliner), and (c) it was NEVER designed
to be used IN a vehicle !
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hmmm...it looks like I did a poor job of making my point in my last post.
I suspect most people got it. Having said that, I'm going to re-state it
in an effort to clear up any possible confusion that you and others may
have:

In my last post, I asserted that a handheld transceiver could fufill many
roles, i.e. base, mobile, hiking/walking operations. I didn't give a
specific example, when perhaps I should have. For this discussion, have a
look at the Midland 75-820 for reference:
http://www.bills2way.com/equip/mid75820.html

I'll address your three points made above using this radio as an example:

(a) The Midland has provisions for an external microphone, negating the
need to hold the transceiver up to your mouth
(b) The antenna on this and other modern handhelds is under a foot
long, unlike the 4 foot monsters on handhelds of yesteryear. It can also
be detached (read - no poking through the headliner or your passengers
eyes). More on that in a second. Keep reading.
(c) Midland has designed this radio to be used in a vehicle with the
addtion of the 18-821 mobile-comm adapter.

The 18-821 mobile-comm adapter replaces the battery pack and provides for
an externally mounted antenna and power source when used in a vehicle.
The existing rubber-duckie style antenna can be removed when the mobile-
comm adapter is attached. Neat, huh?

This, combined with an external microphone, allows the radio to be used
in a vehicle in the same manner as a traditional mobile radio. What's
more, a VOX headset could be added allowing for hands-free voice
activated operation. This is kind of cool, because with it a guy like me
could use it on his motorcycle. Traditional mobile radios aren't
particuarly well suited to operation on a motorcycle because they are
difficult to mount and require that the rider use one hand to key the
mike. Heck, I could put this radio in my jacket pocket.

It gets better. Midland is selling the radio and the mobile-comm adapter
as a package deal - the 75-822 - for under a hundred bucks. Imagine that:
a radio that works at home, in the car, on the motorcycle, or out hiking
for under a hundred bucks. What a deal.

Consumers want versatility and manufacturers are delivering. We have alot
more technology available to us then we did some years ago. We no longer
_need_ 3 or 4 different radios to fufill different roles. Some of us only
_want_ them (myself included).

It's funny - in the process of researching handhelds to try and
illustrate my earlier point, I found this Midland. Neato. I'm going to
buy one now. Finnaly, a way I can use a CB on the scooter


--
Alan Strawinski

http://alan.strawinski.net

Alan Strawinski wrote:

"Dave or Debby" wrote in
:

In the past, one bought a base when he wanted to talk from the house.
Mobiles were used from cars. Walki-Talkies (that's HAND HELDS for you
YUPPIES and Hamsters) were used for people that WALKED AROUND the
block OR in the woods OR for camping. NONE of them ever switched
jurisdictions. NO ONE would of ever think of using a base when
walking around, OR a WALKI TALKIE in the car (unless you were under 15
just experimenting). Because of the advent of SMT technology for the
Hambos, the "walki-talki" has DIED and now EVERYTHING has got to be
HAND HELD ! Hence the hand held CB for the car, which is something
that should NEVER BE even thought of ! Just POKE that antenna in the
passengers eye while driving and see what I'm talking about!!!!
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I thought I'd weigh in on this one.

A handheld is perfectly fine for use in the car. Many are capable of
using an external antenna and microphone. With these capabilities, the
handheld starts to shine a bit. They're still 4 watt radios, and can be
mounted anywhere - which is great in things like small trucks where it
can be tricky to find a suitable mounting location.


While your response was very rational, and to the point, as much as I'd
hate to say it, I sort of agree with DebbyDave's conclusion, although
not for the exact same reasons.

My experience with handhelds, both CB and ham, shows performance that
was not as reliable or robust as radios designed for permanent mounting.
Most handhelds can be run from an external power source, but they lack
the power line filtering to block things like alternator whine from
being superimposed on the transmit carrier. Noise blanking is also
seriously lacking on the receive side as well. It is also harder to work
an awkward small handheld radio while driving, and the potential for
driving distractions increases.

Another point is that while there are CB handhelds which are rated at a
full 4 watts, they often fall a bit short of that value. Typically 2.5
to 3.5 watts is the usual norm for output power. More power out means
greater battery drain, so they often keep that in mind when designing a
handheld radio. Handhelds are designed to work best on battery power,
and many of their circuits were trimmed back to facilitate longer
battery life.

The price of a full featured handheld CB is also usually more than an
equivilent mobile CB. So unless you have a specific need for the
portability of a handheld, you would be better served with a mobile rig.

Dave
"Sandbagger"

Dave Hall wrote in news:3F547F14.5CF7
@worldlynx.net:

DH While your response was very rational, and to the point, as much
DH as I'd hate to say it, I sort of agree with DebbyDave's
DH conclusion, although not for the exact same reasons.

That's ok. I enjoy looking at things from different angles, and
appreciate the response.

DH My experience with handhelds, both CB and ham, shows performance that
DH was not as reliable or robust as radios designed for permanent
DH mounting.

I've never had much grief with handhelds that I've owned in the past, but
such is the nature of anecdotal evidence. One guy thinks something is
great based on his experience and expectations (valid) and another
doesn't think so based on _his_ experience and expactations (still just
as valid).

DH Most handhelds can be run from an external power source, but they
DH lack the power line filtering to block things like alternator whine
DH from being superimposed on the transmit carrier. Noise blanking is
DH also seriously lacking on the receive side as well.

I've had alternator whine issues on both mobile and handheld radios (in a
vehicle of course g). In fact, I've noticed that Galaxy DX959 of mine
is a bit susceptible to it. I corrected the problem on it by running
power straight to the battery. As a funny side note: On two occasions
I've been able to forsee and alternator's demise by a sudden and
substantial increase in alternator whine. Maybe it's not so bad! (just
kidding)

You know, I never noticed that handhelds didn't have NB circuits. I
suppose this is because it's largely unnecessary when being operated on
battery power. I would HOPE that handhelds - like the Midland I used as
an example in a later post - would address these filtering issues on
radios that are being marketed as being suitable for mobile operation. I
suppose the only way to find out is to buy one and try it out, eh?

DH It is also harder to work an awkward small handheld radio while
DH driving, and the potential for driving distractions increases.

Now THAT is an excellent point that totally escaped me. Come to think of
it, one of the things I like about my Galaxy is it's big S/RF meter. It's
easy to read while driving. You're right - the controls on handhelds are
much smaller, and the tiny LCD display on newer models is hard to see
while driving.

DH Another point is that while there are CB handhelds which are rated at
DH a full 4 watts, they often fall a bit short of that value. Typically
DH 2.5 to 3.5 watts is the usual norm for output power. More power out
DH means greater battery drain, so they often keep that in mind when
DH designing a handheld radio. Handhelds are designed to work best on
DH battery power, and many of their circuits were trimmed back to
DH facilitate longer battery life.

I never thought of that either, though I've admitedly never checked the
carrier power on a handheld. I suppose one could pop the handheld open
and perform a proper alignment, if anything just to see how the radio
performs from the factory. It shouldn't require a full alignment. If it
does out of the box, then it's a safe bet that the manufacturers quality
control is suspect. At any rate, while you're in there you can try and
get the carrier power up to 4 watts. Another interesting test would be to
see if handhelds that are otherwise cabable of modulating a 2.5 watt
carrier 90% could do the same on a 4 watt carrier. None of this ever
occured to me. Of course, if you're going to go through all the trouble
of popping a handheld open to to make it suitable for mobile operation,
then perhaps you'd be better served just picking up a known good mobile.
Great points, Dave.

DH The price of a full featured handheld CB is also usually more than an
DH equivilent mobile CB. So unless you have a specific need for the
DH portability of a handheld, you would be better served with a mobile
DH rig.

You're right about that, too. I suppose this is why I haven't bought any
handhelds in recent years. I haven't needed the portability of one. (Side
note: I found two old Realistic 3 channel handhelds in my garage
yesterday. I didn't think I still owned any!) I'm still considering the
purchase of a modern one for my motorcycle.

Thanks for the reply and for shedding a different light on things. The
original poster now has ALOT of good information to make a decision with.
That's what it's all about, isn't it?

Thanks, dude.

--
Alan Strawinski

http://alan.strawinski.net

Alan Strawinski wrote:

Dave Hall wrote in news:3F547F14.5CF7
@worldlynx.net:

DH While your response was very rational, and to the point, as much
DH as I'd hate to say it, I sort of agree with DebbyDave's
DH conclusion, although not for the exact same reasons.

That's ok. I enjoy looking at things from different angles, and
appreciate the response.

Me too :-)



DH My experience with handhelds, both CB and ham, shows performance that
DH was not as reliable or robust as radios designed for permanent
DH mounting.

I've never had much grief with handhelds that I've owned in the past, but
such is the nature of anecdotal evidence. One guy thinks something is
great based on his experience and expectations (valid) and another
doesn't think so based on _his_ experience and expactations (still just
as valid).

Of course. The standard disclaimer (YMMV) applies. Such is the nature of
subjective criteria.


DH Most handhelds can be run from an external power source, but they
DH lack the power line filtering to block things like alternator whine
DH from being superimposed on the transmit carrier. Noise blanking is
DH also seriously lacking on the receive side as well.

I've had alternator whine issues on both mobile and handheld radios (in a
vehicle of course g). In fact, I've noticed that Galaxy DX959 of mine
is a bit susceptible to it. I corrected the problem on it by running
power straight to the battery. As a funny side note: On two occasions
I've been able to forsee and alternator's demise by a sudden and
substantial increase in alternator whine. Maybe it's not so bad! (just
kidding)

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine. He normally had a bit of
the typical high pitched whine in his background audio. One day the
noise changed to a lower pitched, and much louder, hash sound. Shortly
thereafter, his battery was dead, and it turned out that the alternator
was shot as well.


You know, I never noticed that handhelds didn't have NB circuits. I
suppose this is because it's largely unnecessary when being operated on
battery power. I would HOPE that handhelds - like the Midland I used as
an example in a later post - would address these filtering issues on
radios that are being marketed as being suitable for mobile operation. I
suppose the only way to find out is to buy one and try it out, eh?

In the name of battery conservation, circuits like noise blankers, are
usually removed. Especially since they are normally used to suppress
ignition noise. I would guess that simple ANL type noise gate diodes
would be easy enough to add to it. Although they only tend to "smooth"
noise, rather than eliminate it.



DH It is also harder to work an awkward small handheld radio while
DH driving, and the potential for driving distractions increases.

Now THAT is an excellent point that totally escaped me. Come to think of
it, one of the things I like about my Galaxy is it's big S/RF meter. It's
easy to read while driving. You're right - the controls on handhelds are
much smaller, and the tiny LCD display on newer models is hard to see
while driving.

DH Another point is that while there are CB handhelds which are rated at
DH a full 4 watts, they often fall a bit short of that value. Typically
DH 2.5 to 3.5 watts is the usual norm for output power. More power out
DH means greater battery drain, so they often keep that in mind when
DH designing a handheld radio. Handhelds are designed to work best on
DH battery power, and many of their circuits were trimmed back to
DH facilitate longer battery life.

I never thought of that either, though I've admitedly never checked the
carrier power on a handheld. I suppose one could pop the handheld open
and perform a proper alignment, if anything just to see how the radio
performs from the factory. It shouldn't require a full alignment. If it
does out of the box, then it's a safe bet that the manufacturers quality
control is suspect. At any rate, while you're in there you can try and
get the carrier power up to 4 watts. Another interesting test would be to
see if handhelds that are otherwise cabable of modulating a 2.5 watt
carrier 90% could do the same on a 4 watt carrier. None of this ever
occured to me. Of course, if you're going to go through all the trouble
of popping a handheld open to to make it suitable for mobile operation,
then perhaps you'd be better served just picking up a known good mobile.
Great points, Dave.

The thing is, if you want the handheld to perform well AS a handheld on
battery power, it would probably not be a good idea to raise the power
output. If, on the other hand, you use it more as a mobile, then it
might be a better idea to pick up a mobile radio more suited to the
task.


DH The price of a full featured handheld CB is also usually more than an
DH equivilent mobile CB. So unless you have a specific need for the
DH portability of a handheld, you would be better served with a mobile
DH rig.

You're right about that, too. I suppose this is why I haven't bought any
handhelds in recent years. I haven't needed the portability of one. (Side
note: I found two old Realistic 3 channel handhelds in my garage
yesterday. I didn't think I still owned any!) I'm still considering the
purchase of a modern one for my motorcycle.

Thanks for the reply and for shedding a different light on things. The
original poster now has ALOT of good information to make a decision with.
That's what it's all about, isn't it?


That's what this group is supposed to be about. I know we've sort of
lost sight of this recently. We need more topics like this to get back
on track.

Dave
"Sandbagger"