HF/VHF/UHF Radio?

dadunkindude · Mar 12, 2009

All,

I'm looking for a radio that can broadcast/recieve frequencies in the HF/VHF/UHF range. Specifically, I'd like to find a radio that can do the following:

Transmit on the CB frequencies 27-27.4 MHz (for trail running)
Listen to 121.5 MHz (old Emergency Beacon freq)
Transmit in the 144 MHz range (SAR Communications Frequencies)
Listen to 406 MHz (new Emergency Beacon freq)

I'd like to only have one radio in the car, can anyone help?

jack.allwardt · Mar 12, 2009

That's a tall order, as you're most likely mixing AM and FM protocols (CB, 121.5, and 406 being AM, most commercial radios are FM.

I'd check into the aviation/pilot shops (sport's pilot shop, for example) for a monitor on 121.5/406.

But, I'd spend some time on the 'net and see what's available. Even if you get two radios (transceivers) you could combine them on a common control head/mic/speaker.

Good luck!

gnihcraes · Mar 14, 2009

CB radio for that band.
Amateur Radio with proper license for the other bands, transmit and listening.

You will have to use two radios at the minimum. Depending on if you want to transmit/receive at the same time on any of them.

Kelly KB0UQT

Tony1911 · Mar 16, 2009

Hmm. Aren't there multimode rigs that cover more or less the whole HF band and VHF plus UHF areas too? Not sure if there are any radios that cover all frequencies mentioned in the original post though...

And of course transmitting at CB frequencies with that multimode/HF rig would be illegal. I don't know if anyone would care, though.

Oh yeah. In Finland, at least, PMR446-radios are competing with CB-radios for trail use. So you might end up with two radios in any case. The cheapest PMR446s are rather cheap, though. (I think 30€ per one or 50€ per two-pack is the cheapest price I've seen.) These would all be handheld radios, so you can just toss one into the glove box. The range with these things is pretty pitiful, so some larger trail rides are using PMRs for driver/spotter communications and CBs for intra-vehicle communications.

gnihcraes · Mar 17, 2009

Sure, you can get a radio that would cover most bands, if you have the professional license from the FCC to do so. The cost of the radio though is $$$$

CB radio in your country is similar to FRS here in the USA - and is not really considered CB radio. CB is 27mhz range AM - FRS is 450mhz. UHF FM (usa)

Tony1911 · Mar 18, 2009

AFAIK nobody asks for a license when you buy radio equipment. It's just that operating said equipment outside of an emergency situation is illegal.

And yes, a single radio that covers wide frequency areas would be expensive.

And CB radio in Finland uses frequencies in the 27MHz area. AM, FM and SSB. A system similar to your FRS would be the PMR446 radios - although I don't know for sure if you guys have as strict limitations on the devices as we have? Maximum transmission power .5W, no aftermarket antennas allowed, 8 channels (CTCSS available in some radios though)... As you can probably guess from the name, they're not quite on the 450MHz frequency area since that is reserved for other use, so not compatible with your FRS, but similar, no?

gnihcraes · Mar 19, 2009

Ok, didn't know you actually were using 27mhz in finland. Same as ours then. Yes, our FRS is strict, I believe only .5 watts also, but there are other GMRS radios and a mix of the two being used now, which have a 5 watt limit I believe. It's supposed to be licensed, but I don't think anyone that purchases the radios actually applies for it...

HF/VHF/UHF Radio?

dadunkindude

jack.allwardt

gnihcraes

Tony1911

gnihcraes

Tony1911

gnihcraes

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