renewing an old hobby

[knowledge-gain]

hi all

i am just getting back into cb radios after being deceived for many years about the need for a license

my need has come about since standard two way radios do not seem to cut the mustard for my usage such a solo backpacking, hiking trips

i also looked at the sim card types and or on 3g network whereas most service providers will be closing 3g in the not too distant future and do not know if it will reflect on two way radios

BT is going to wind down 3G connectivity by 2023 as it looks to increase its 4G and 5G coverage across most of the UK by 2028. https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/15/bt_3g_shutdown/

We’re switching off 3G in 2023 https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-inf ... switch-off

Three announces the end of 3G: what this means for your mobile phone https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/th ... EG98J2obdm

it seems all standard two way radios need to be in pairs which is not a viable option for i

then a light bulb moment hit hard and home to revisit cb radios and viola i am here

i made a thread about my purchase of a vintage Harvard WT 44 Cb Radio Handheld [waiting on delivery] and looking to get back to cb radioing again

yes i know the Harvard WT 44 Cb Radio Handheld is old school and takes ten [10] yes ten [10] AA batteries and that is fine until i can afford a handheld that takes less batteries or rechargeable battery packs [ahh!! their may be a way to make a battery pack for the Harvard WT 44 Cb Radio Handheld]

i have noticed on the map there are several cb operators in the areas i propose to backpack and hike which will add to the fun and enjoyment of being outdoors and have contact for recreation and also emergency situations should there be no signal or battery down on mobile phone

[Admiral]

Hi mate, welcome to TM1.
Modern lithium chemistry based batteries are fantastic as you know, for the same footprint you can get 10-20 times the power of alkalines, and they are rechargeable. Obviously the restriction for 11m portable is the size of the antenna, if you use helicals then you have a range of half a mile, use some metal and you're lugging a 50lb pack. If it's just casual comms for hiking then PMR446 and derivatives are the obvious answer.

[knowledge-gain]

Hi mate, welcome to TM1.
Modern lithium chemistry based batteries are fantastic as you know, for the same footprint you can get 10-20 times the power of alkalines, and they are rechargeable. Obviously the restriction for 11m portable is the size of the antenna, if you use helicals then you have a range of half a mile, use some metal and you're lugging a 50lb pack. If it's just casual comms for hiking then PMR446 and derivatives are the obvious answer.

thank you

however wikipedia have thrown a spanner in the works for [PMR446]

The range of PMR446, just like any VHF or UHF radio, is dependent on many factors like environment (in-city range is far less than in an open field), height above surrounding obstructions, and, to a lesser extent, weather conditions. The antenna type and location, transmit power and receive sensitivity also affect range. However, with PMR446 most of these variables are fixed at manufacturing to comply with the PMR446 specifications. Most of the time the maximum range that a user in a city can expect is a few hundred metres or less.

These frequencies are allocated to the emergency services in Europe, notably the fire brigade in the UK, police in Russia and commercial users in Australia.[7] Interference with licensed radio services may result in prosecution.

it seems one [1] have to be very careful and tread on egg-shells for cross-contamination for frequencies or face possible prosecution for a license-free radio

i am struggling to find a similar map of operators as to thunderpoles cb radio map

are any of the channels monitored in case of emergencies

i see there are different makes and models cheap on ebay making it more ambiguous to figure out which would be best suited

i see there are now 32 channels on PMR466 yet most affordable are either 8ch 0r 16ch