In car CB vs hand held?

[BiLLz0r Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close BiLLz0r]

I've been thinking about getting a CB this year. Our 120 has had 1 installed before but the previous owner removed it but left the antenna and wiring (I've since removed the antenna and coax and have it in the garage).
It'll only be used for communicating on trips with other cars in the convoy and for recoveries if needed. Since the range required isn't great, would a simple hand held radio be better in my case (and cheaper as well)?
Do you only have the fixed in car models if you need more range?

[Slarps Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Slarps]

a CB is a line of sight tool so if you are out of sight of your group, such as around the ridge you may not get a clear signal and unable to contact them with the hand held. the antenna will just give you that peace of mind that you should be heard.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

I've been thinking about getting a CB this year. Our 120 has had 1 installed before but the previous owner removed it but left the antenna and wiring (I've since removed the antenna and coax and have it in the garage).
It'll only be used for communicating on trips with other cars in the convoy and for recoveries if needed. Since the range required isn't great, would a simple hand held radio be better in my case (and cheaper as well)?
Do you only have the fixed in car models if you need more range?

Range depends on the wattage of the unit, plus the terrain your in.
They both have + & - , here are some, INCAR + batteries don't go flat, Can change the range of the unit due to terrain by changing the antenna. INCAR - Not as transportable as handheld.
HANDHELD +, handy for guiding fellow 4wders in difficult situations, transportable, can be used in any car. HANDHELD - , Batteries can go flat mid use,
The best way would be to have both, a good unit for in the 4wd and a mid priced handheld for when your out of the 4wd

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Some of these previous threads may help :-

https://www.google.com.au/#q=hand+he...pradopoint.com

[big-trev Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close big-trev]

If you purchase a quality hand held you can get them to fit a remote Ariel,also Twe,ve Volt in car charger.If you buy a Twin pack deal you have the best of both worlds.
I have both fixed and hand held.Find the hand held comes into its own when backing the camper or boat as the better half can talk to me and guid me much easier.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

When I have travelled with people who use hand helds its always a hassle, you need them in the middle of a convoy and even then hearing them can be hit and miss. You may be surprised how much range you ay need for convoy communications, on dusty roads even a small group can be spread out over a few klm's.

Cheers Andrew

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

I have a handheld 5 watt GME , not real useful even in a convoy , unless you can strap it to the ceiling of the car . Go the in car , it's probably cheaper and more useful

[Bazza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bazza]

As Andrew said earlier, hand-helds can be a pain in convoy use, but with the right unit and a bit of work, they can work as well as an "in-dash" unit. I had a second vehicle that used to come with us on some camping trips. I fitted that vehicle with a good external antenna and connected it to one of my Icom hand-helds. It has the ability to connect to an external antenna and has a plug-in microphone. This works well, as it gives you 5watt power and good range, and can still be portable.

Bazza

[fatty boy Member Find all posts View Profile Close fatty boy]

Are all 5w handheld the same?
I mean, would 5w icom handheld get better coverage/reception than others without the option of external aerial?

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

When I have travelled with people who use hand helds its always a hassle, you need them in the middle of a convoy and even then hearing them can be hit and miss. You may be surprised how much range you ay need for convoy communications, on dusty roads even a small group can be spread out over a few klm's.

Cheers Andrew

Now AJ, it was a miracle I made that GTG... The fact I only had time to acquire an handheld UHF... sorry for the hassle


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[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

My research showed that a well set up handheld (one that was useful on the trails) was as expensive as an incar unit. I'd only go the handheld if you wanted the convenience of being able to take it out while guiding someone through a tricky section... But for that scenario a cheap unit from an auto store would do the trick.
I'd say get an incar unit and a cheap handheld. Some places even sell that combo in a reasonably priced package.



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[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Now AJ, it was a miracle I made that GTG... The fact I only had time to acquire an handheld UHF... sorry for the hassle


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Actually you weren't one of the ones I was thinking of In particular we did a high country trip and one couple only had a hand held, they were also in the habit of stoping or taking a different route for no reason and then unable to contact us. Similar things have happened on other club trips.

Cheers Andrew

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

I've had thoughts of going down the path of an in car UHF. To date I have used the Uniden UH076SX-NB 5W. I also have installed an external aerial and on long trips I simply remove the small aerial and plug in the external one. I have never put it side by side so to speak with a in car unit to compare but I do believe I get ample distance and performance for convoy situations.

Although it does sit in the centre console cup holders in its cradle I would much prefer to have that space for drink bottles. I also have a cheap Aldi set to hand out when needing guidance in a 4wd situation or if one of our group does not have a radio.

After using the portable for a few years now and having CB radios in other cars my preference would be to have the in car unit and this 5w portable that I can also use when bush walking as well.

To summarise If it's affordable have both, if not in car with a cheap portable to start.

Hazza

[BiLLz0r Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close BiLLz0r]

Thanks heaps for all the answers everyone.

Based on the above I will look at 2 options:
1) A decent in-car unit and a cheap hand held later.
2) A decent hand held that can be hooked into a cradle for car charging and connection to external antenna (since I already have that part).

Price will come into it once I seriously start looking.

Next question (I'm sure it's everywhere here and on the net but models and brands change). What's some good brands to look at. I've really only come across GME and Icom. 70% of people in mags seem to have GME.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

My handheld GME was $300 and I got it cheap , but to go to one that can take an external aerial with a cradle and all the gadgets , then you may as well get an in car and a cheapy , oh yeah and they are not that small