CB Milage Limit

[W2EKG]

Get Big Antenna.
https://swling.com/blog/2017/05/fcc-to-legalize-cb-dxing-and-boost-frs-power/

 

[fourstringburn]

Well there is a 15dB gain limit on amateur amplifiers so that does actually limit the high end to some degree. That's why you only see grounded grid amps on the market now as their gain is much lower that grid driven amps.

Correct, I forgot about that. Although that may change here soon in the US or at least it was being kicked around.

 

[BJ radionut]

Correct, I forgot about that. Although that may change here soon in the US or at least it was being kicked around.

Well let's hope so...sure would be nice to see a new generation of Solid State amplifiers for Amateur use come out of that. I would like to see a 1 or 2 mosfet KW++ rated amplifier commercially built and type acceptance produced...sure would change the market...instead of these ones being built now...Though the MFJ 1300/1306 amps have proven to work nicely...it would be nice to see legal limit plus with some extra head room...so one does not have to run full out to get to Legal Limit US/Canada.
Plus I think the Market Pricing would improve somewhat (come down) versus where we are now due to greater variety and more manufactures producing similar products.
Yes a 1KW amp now for $3k USD, I think is a little steep!
Hope for the best
All the Best
Gary

 

[StrangeBrew]

Seems to me like that gain limit would keep the new LDMOS stuff out of the ham market, anyone know if this is happening?

 

[Mustang 131]

I'm not offended, just disappointed in your view. I did not realize that I was dealing with supreme being that knows all. I know people who will never posses the amateur level license because they can't grasp the concepts and I don't believe you actually have a amateur license.

We'll I guess your wrong on all counts.
But to each there own.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Seems to me like that gain limit would keep the new LDMOS stuff out of the ham market, anyone know if this is happening?

All the manufacturer needs to do is swamp the input with a hefty ceramic chip attenuator to keep overall gain with the 15dB limit. I installed a 100 watt/10dB chip attenuator on the input of my Larcan 6m amplifier as it only requires less than 10 watts to achieve full output of 1200 watts. That way I can drive it directly from the 100 watt exciter and not worry about smoking it if I forget to reduce power. It also helps with the input matching as well.

 

[Rick330man]

Reminds me of the song by the Beastie Boys: you've got to fight for your right, to paaarrrttyy!

Maybe the Beastie Boys were into ham radio?

Maybe ham radio operators have collections of hood ornaments next to their radios?

I'm glad to see the mileage limit gone. I've operated legally 4W/12W for four decades, and I am fine continuing to do that. The real issue on 11 meter CB is lack of enforcement of the prohibition against linears. People can and do run illegal amounts of power on there because lack of enforcement means there is effectively no risk to doing so.

In my area, we use CB as a back up for house to boat communications because (1) you're typically not allowed to have a marine VHF in the house and (2) it doesn't take much on a boat to travel a few miles beyond digital cell phone range. All of the dirty signals I get down here come via skip. Enforcement of the prohibition against linears on 11 meters would probably eliminate the problem, still allow folks to talk their skip and allow us down here to use CB as a reasonably reliable means of backup radio communications.