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<body><div>Healeyphiles:</div><div><br /></div><div>A group of us were discussing cross-country driving trips and the subject of car-to-car communications arose... We have used CB radios in the past with mostly good results, and discussed whether the GMRS band offers sufficient advantages to make the switch. One thing that could be improved is receiving range, since CB is purely line-of-sight reception, whereas other bands can and do utilize 'repeaters' that rebroadcast relatively weak mobile signals from a base station. The GMRS band appears to offer a nice middle ground between the unregulated CB band and the full on amateur radio 'ham' bands.</div><div><br /></div><div>(For context, planning the drives to next summer's Conclave for instance will have various of us driving between 500 - 2,200 miles each way, and experience tells us that reliable car-to-car radio is highly valuable.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The question today is can we hear from folks who have made the switch from Citizens Band (CB) to General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)?</div>
<div><br /></div><div id="signature_old" style="clear:both"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">As the long standing and self-appointed communications officer of the group, I have questions such as:</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">(1) Have you tried to use GMRS repeaters as you drive across country? What success and/or issues might you have had?</div><div dir="ltr">(2) Antenna type and placement - where and what type/style? </div><div dir="ltr"> - CB antennas on Healeys are commonly mounted to the rear bumper 'spring bar' mount and still have much of the antenna above the body of the car</div><div dir="ltr"> - GMRS on the other hand operates in the ~460 MHz range. There are antennae on the market in similar lengths, have you used them? Comments?</div><div dir="ltr">(3) Since getting the GMRS license requires no test, I assume there are no stumbles there, but if so please do let us know. For reference I recently got another amateur radio ("ham") license, and had no issues.</div><div dir="ltr">(4) Any recommendations for or against particular radios?</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"> Thanks in advance!<br />===========================<br />Al Fuller<br />714.335.0248 Mobile<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></body></html>