Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

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alze
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Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by alze »

Hiya,

I'm considering a simple home base rig. My lad (well hes 22) has seen my CB in the Bongo and is really interested in it. As we cant always be in the Bongo for using the CB, I was thinking about making a simple home setup - the issue is we rent currently and cant attach antennas and the sort to the house.

I've seen 'fred in the shed' on youtube (great videos imho, even tho I'm a newbie!), using an 'umbrella stand' with his antenna, but also lashed to his house. I live in vertically challenged house (bungalow ;) and the height to clear is about 7m~8m's from what I can estimate.

Can i setup a decent aerial to get that height without affixing it to the house ? What kind of range should I expect on legal wattage (based on clear line of site). Can anyone suggest a 'entry level' setup that will get us dx'ing from home to the locals (which there seems a surprising amount of in/around Bournemouth !).

Many thanks in advance,
Al.ze.
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by The Collector »

Bournemouth is full of oldies and therefore more likely some of them will be reliving the old days too!

There are a couple of topics on the go on here (2 topics down - "inside or outside" and a couple more down "Thunderpole Excalibur booster") and on a different CB-related section that are based on low-profile aerials etc, so have a mooch around and see if you can gleen anything off them that's of use to you.
108EH002
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by 108EH002 »

alze = if you are going to run 4w/12w try and get the biggest/best antenna you can get the highest :thumbup:

Do you have a washing pole in the back garden to take a temporary pole ?

It is not deemed a permanent fix like drilling /or lashing to the main building,and no planning is needed.
Plenty are talking worldwide on 27.555 usb,
Some are too far up their own @rse to admit it,
Many happen to know otherwise dx-ing test free,
Showing a complete lack of respect for the law.

27.555 Usb
alze
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by alze »

Cheers guys ! There is one fantastic concrete post for the washing line, but its around the other side of the house sadly ! How long can i make the cable between antenna and base station ? I reckon an estimate to that location would easily be 10~15 meters just to reach the base then + how ever high I could get it.
Failing that, there is a fence where the other end of the washing line goes and is 'obscured' somewhat by trees, which would make the antenna slightly less noticeable, but then I would worry about how much the trees will effect the signal.

Many thanks for the positive advice, its appreciated :)
Al.ze
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by 108EH002 »

Alze = The radio 15 -20m away from the antenna will be fine,but you really need to get something like RG213U coax (thicker) compared to standatd RG58U.

Mind and get 2 RG213 PL259 plugs for the 20m of 213.

An antenna like a 5/8th wave vertical antenna,is really what you should go for to put up on a pole for homebase.

If you want to transmit/receive further = the bigger antennas work better than the smaller ones.
Plenty are talking worldwide on 27.555 usb,
Some are too far up their own @rse to admit it,
Many happen to know otherwise dx-ing test free,
Showing a complete lack of respect for the law.

27.555 Usb
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by The Collector »

I don't think the trees would make much of a difference when dry, but when wet they may block the signal a bit.

We had issues with SKY TV years ago as the dish pointed "through" the side of a broad-leaved neighbouring tree. When the leaves got wet, our signal pixellated something rotten at times. They sent an engineer out for free and he kindly hacked a few branches off the offender and voila!, signal restored.
If it can do it to RX of a satellite signal , then it may affect TX of a CB somewhat too.

My own aerial is inside an old conifer, but as I rarely use the radio, I couldn't tell you if it makes a difference at all when wet vs. dry.
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ch25
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by ch25 »

108EH002 wrote: 26 Aug 2019, 22:33 Alze = The radio 15 -20m away from the antenna will be fine,but you really need to get something like RG213U coax (thicker) compared to standatd RG58U.
No need for that. RG58 is just fine.
20m of RG58 is 1.1dB loss
20m of RG213 is 0.6dB loss.
6dB is 1s unit.
Nothing to be worry about at 27MHz.
Chris
Last edited by ch25 on 27 Aug 2019, 23:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by dt307 »

ch25 wrote: 27 Aug 2019, 18:24
108EH002 wrote: 26 Aug 2019, 22:33 Alze = The radio 15 -20m away from the antenna will be fine,but you really need to get something like RG213U coax (thicker) compared to standatd RG58U.
No need for that. RG58 is just fine.
20m of RG58 is 1.1dB loss
20m of RG213 is 0.6dB loss.
4dB is 1s unit.
Nothing to be worry about at 27MHz.
Chris
thought it was 6 db an spoint ....my bad

1.1db loss might be the difference to some 1 hearing you play "I'm a Barbie girl" over the lad down the road thats mic keying lol :D
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ch25
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by ch25 »

You are right. Fat fingers :) 6dB per 1s unit. Corrected.
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by 108EH002 »

In the last week I have changed my old 213 as it was playing up the last month (re-done the plugs and still the same)for some brand new 58 and the signals went back up.......but not to where I/others had txd/rxd like before = my mate 9-10 mile away said a big difference as the 58 wasn't as good as my 213,other's much further away said the same = more than a fraction.

I swapped the new 58 for new 213 I got from a mate and the signals are back to normal for me,signals that others and myself are more used to..

Db gain for antenna is just a theory as all installs are unique in their different locations at different heights/different length of coax/rf choke or not,and what radio is used.....etc = I can only go with what other's have told me what their radio's signal meters said i was to them (some on new hf radios aswell) before and after tests on air.

And going by the signal meter on my DX-70 signals are slightly stronger,and the clarity of lower signals just above the noise being rx'd is far better with 213 compared to 58 for my Imax 30ft up..
Plenty are talking worldwide on 27.555 usb,
Some are too far up their own @rse to admit it,
Many happen to know otherwise dx-ing test free,
Showing a complete lack of respect for the law.

27.555 Usb
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by The Collector »

I've always worked on the theory that for anything other than a car aerial or patch leads that need to bend, always use the thick stuff whenever possible ;)
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ch25
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by ch25 »

The Collector wrote: 28 Aug 2019, 18:49 I've always worked on the theory that for anything other than a car aerial or patch leads that need to bend, always use the thick stuff whenever possible ;)
Thicker is better? I wonder how often you hear that xD
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by The Collector »

All the time from 'er indoors lol. ;
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by alze »

I've ordered all the bits - whilst cheaper, not cheap.. but anyhow, all being well, things should be happening on Sunday :)
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Re: Considering a 'home-base' rig, but I'm renting..

Post by The Collector »

Well done that man.
Let us all know when you're up and running and we'll see if there's anyone local on here for you to try and contact.
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