WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Purchased a new vehicle recently and am looking at purchasing a UHF CB for it.
1. Do I have to have a license to use the CB.
2. What make of CB do people recommend. I have used an ICOM hand held for quite a while and have no issues with it.
Help and advice is appreciated.

Hi Herbie,
1. No, there is a generic license for CB you only have to purchase the hardware
2. I personally have a GME, however ICOM, and uniden should do the job as well.
3. Yes Amateur radio is a lot more fun

TY Tyranus

GME and ICOM are both good makes of radios, i use an Icom IC-400pro mobile and a Icom IC-41s Personally i think their great sets but they could be better, i try to steer clear of uniden, though theres alot better equipment out there, eg motorola and tait.

nra555 wrote:GME and ICOM are both good makes of radios, i use an Icom IC-400pro mobile and a Icom IC-41s Personally i think their great sets but they could be better, i try to steer clear of uniden, though theres alot better equipment out there, eg motorola and tait.

I agree. Uniden gear I've used is poorer at rejecting intermod than most other CB radios I've used (translation: if you drive through the CBD with it on, you'll get bombarded with pagers, taxis and other junk)

GMEs have had a downside in that the receive-only channels and Selcall could only be programmed by a dealer but I don't know if the newer models are now user programmable.

All newer radios don't work on ch22 and ch23 due to (widely ignored) new regulations that make these data-only channels. Just something to watch for when picking a channel to use.

I was looking at the ICOM IC-440 with everything that is needed in the hand piece. Is that a good thing or a bad thing. To me it's not a bad thing, because you don't have to look down to change channels or anything like that.

I only got that feature with my amateur radio, and so far it hasn't annoyed me but then it is quite handy to be able to just punch the frequency into the mic.

I have heard alot of negative feedback about the 440's, mainly the frequncey coverage (450-520mhz or something along those lines), and not beeing able to use them as a 25w commercial radio.
the software is easy to get, though another downside with the 440 they havent developed software for it yet, cables are also fairly easy to get too.
The ch22 and ch23 thing is easerly disabled with the software also, you cant use it for telemetry anyway, its too congested with voice comms.

I do love the remote mic idea, though im yet to find a remote mice radio im happy with, I tend to find flaws easerly with everything from the uniden model to the motorola syntrx.
I would like a Motorola XTL500 with a W3 or O3 remote mic, but like everything /\/\, they have the price tag to suit.

I was a naughty boy at the 4WD and camping show today when I purchased an Icom IC440

I spoke to the guy about the installation process and he told me it wasn't as involved as the information I received from another place. All up $550 including the install. I'm happy. I'm so happy in fact, that if I was a lady and I smiled I would get lipstick on my ears.

Position everything
hook up power
hook up aireal
hook up external speaker
and mic clip

what hard about that?

nra555 wrote:Position everything
hook up power
hook up aireal
hook up external speaker
and mic clip

what hard about that?

Let me put it to you this way, if you were in my shoes when being told about what possibly may have to be done to get the CB installed, you would have been gobsmacked as well.

Man, I just purchased a new car and the guy said most of the interior panels needed to be taken out to get the wiring sorted. His words were to the effect of, "you don't want to be around during the installation process."
The guy at the 4WD show put me at ease.