communications help

[vitola231]

Hello, up here in canada. This summer one of our trips will be overloading to east coast, 4,000 ish km round trip. We will be in two separate vehicles and I wanted to arrange some vehicle mounted communications. I had read with interest about midland two way radios on here that were sponsored but as it turns out they are illegal up here. CB's I have no interest in, this as I know it leaves me with either handhelds or both myself and my brother can get amateur radio licences up here and buy reasonable radios. I figure if were going to pay for equipment we may as well pay some more and have stuff we will use other times.

My questions are 1, with a amateur radio can we just choose a frequency and chat away with each other vehicle to vehicle, I know this is over simplified question and i'm sure there will only be specific frequency we can do this on?
2, any insights on how a Icom IC2730 will be for this purpose plus just general use? It seems to tick all the boxes for me, remote mount face, can act as a repeater? duplexer? something like that, get a fairly normal vehicle mount antenna.

sorry for real amateur questions, pretty much decided on getting the license but I want to make sure we can ramble on to each other without disturbing anyone else or tying up frequency etc and I really don't know anything about this stuff, 2m, hf, vhf, uhf, why a boat radio license is different than for radio in car. Propagation:Wow1:

thank you to anyone taking the time to help.

 

[Frdmskr]

1 yes so long as it's within your license class

2) could work.


Not sure where you live but look up the RAC Radio Amateurs of Canada and they can help you get a license and find a local club or Elmer to help you succeed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vitola231]

thank you for the reply Dan, I'm in London Ontario. Great to know we can chat away. I have found a club in london but they're not so active, found people that give exam also. The radio is a good starting point I think, I feel I can get normal radio and slowly but surely get smarter and smarter with antenna.

 

[Hilldweller]

https://wp.rac.ca/144-mhz-2m-page/

You'll know what that info means after you pass your Technician test. We chat on 146.55 within our local area on rides.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Do they have similar license classes in CA? Here in the US a Technician license gives you almost all privileges above 30Mhz so that's the way most people go.
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For your needs, talking between vehicles, I wonder if the Icom might be a bit of overkill? Depends on whether you really want to get "into" the hobby or just have a radio to talk on. A decent dual band HT (handheld) can put out 5w of power and can probably communicate just fine up to several KM in simplex mode (i.e. not going through a repeater.) You can get a BaoFeng HT for under $50 I believe, and you may be able to find a used radio for a similar price (I got a used Yaesu FT-50r dual band hand held for about $75 and it works great.)
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Here in the US I think the national 2 meter Simplex Calling Frequency is 146.55 but I know a lot of off road users seem to like 146.46.

 

[Hilldweller]

...
.
Here in the US I think the national 2 meter Simplex Calling Frequency is 146.55 but I know a lot of off road users seem to like 146.46.

146.52 here and in Canada

 

[Frdmskr]

Car to car a short distance (less than a mile or so) or around the campsite = HT
Car to car over longer distances or a base camp set up = VHF/UHF mobile radio with car antenna or base antenna
Remote area way off the grid = HF Mobile preferably with good antenna for 20/40/75

Just my 2 cents

 

[vitola231]

thank you. Kind of similar classes, but if you get say 80% plus you can access more lower frequencies, 70% is a pass. Don't quote me on this but I think our handhelds are limited to 2 watts. For the life of me I still don't know why canada doesn't just use american standards for everything seems pointless to have our own standards when it would be cheaper and easier to use standards of the country thats 10 times our size and our neighbour. In my case I'm finding the Icom to be about double the price of what I need which actually seems like a good deal to me. Also, oddly enough, the Icom seems to cost the same in CAD here as USD in the us. Always kind of interested in HAM but never really went further than a curiosity and the cool antennas they run in Africa and Australia, this trip is a bit of a catalyst. Years ago I was competing with HARP for the most amount of antenna with my shortwave radio, I had wire everywhere. When I drive along great lakes I always have radio on AM and feel a twinge of joy when I pick up an American chanel, its silly I know, what with satellite radio and internet radio nowadays but I find it great. So, figure with this trip I should finally start out. I have some time.

 

[Frdmskr]

For the life of me I still don't know why canada doesn't just use american standards for everything seems pointless to have our own standards when it would be cheaper and easier to use standards of the country thats 10 times our size and our neighbour.

Because then you'd really be our 51st state and not nearly as much fun to pick on and visit

 

[vitola231]

or or, how about 64 states hay? :victory: that sounds pretty good doesnt it? maybe I'm supposed to say ay. you can have our oil and we will move down to Texas, Florida California etc where its warm. I don't think we won that little war, I think the americans said "hay, what are we doing, its freezing up here and the people talk funny, lets leave and just not let them south" never forgive you for that! maybe we could get some of your money to:wings:

thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards this unit and a larson antenna.