dual radio and one antenna setup

[Loober]

I currently have a HAM radio, but need to get a CB as well as not everybody has a HAM, but i dont want to be rolling around with 3 antennas sticking up like a Mars rover.

My question is can I have one antenna and have a 2 to 1 cable that will connect to my one antenna and split off to each one of my radios. Obviosuly I will not be using both the radios at once just one or the other. Is that even possible to do. Is the antenna plug on HAM radios the same as CB?

 

[tdesanto]

I currently have a HAM radio, but need to get a CB as well as not everybody has a HAM, but i dont want to be rolling around with 3 antennas sticking up like a Mars rover.

My question is can I have one antenna and have a 2 to 1 cable that will connect to my one antenna and split off to each one of my radios. Obviosuly I will not be using both the radios at once just one or the other. Is that even possible to do. Is the antenna plug on HAM radios the same as CB?

I don't think it would work, unless you plan on using your HAM radio on the 10m (?) band.

The antenna has to match the operating frequency.

 

[Loober]

are the cable connections the same on the back of the HAM and CB?

Could i have one antenna mount with the 2 to 1 cable going to both radios and just screw in the antenna for which ever radio i was using, or would i have to run 2 seperate cables?

 

[mr r2fj]

The connections are generally the same, however 2 to 1 will not work because the SWR would most likely be WAY off and you'd risk burning up your transmitter. Sorry man, there's not free lunch here with 10m/CB and ham on the same wire.

Just run two cables/antennas like the rest of us. ;-)

The only possible thing I could see is if you ran two cables to the same location. One for ham and one for cb. Then you'd have one mount. You'd have to switch cables and antennas on that mount depending on what you are using. Not impossible, but hardly convenient.

 

[1leg]

I have a mag mount CB antenna that I use when I need it. I Just stick it out on the hood run the cable around the door piller and shut the door. oh yea hook it up to the CB. Then i take it off before any of my Ham friends See it :wings:

You can't use you 2m/440 antenna with a CB.

 

[gary in ohio]

I currently have a HAM radio, but need to get a CB as well as not everybody has a HAM, but i dont want to be rolling around with 3 antennas sticking up like a Mars rover.

No, In addition to issue with sending the power from one radio directly into another you have the issue that CB radio and ham (I assume vhf/uhf) require different antennas lengths to work correctly. If you dont want a lot of antennas, I dont know why that would be an issue but you can just put the mounts on the vehicle and only put the actual antenna's on when you might need them. Most CB antennas are screw on bases. Many ham antennas will screw off the mounts as well.

 

[proto]

You can mess around with duplexers/diplexers and drive a multiband ham antenna with your CB -- it's just not worth the hassle.

But, you can find a pretty unobtrusive Ham antenna. Something smallish like a Comet SBB-5NMO, which is basically a thin black wire, can be close to invisible. Plant it in the middle of your roof, about 18 inches back from the front edge. With a good ground plane, it'll out-distance a CB with just about any vehicle-mount antenna.

 

[HanzoSteel]

On a different note, does a ham antenna and cb antenna have to be a certain distance away from each other?

 

[Tumbleweed]

I have mine about a foot apart with no problems.

 

[DaveInDenver]

On a different note, does a ham antenna and cb antenna have to be a certain distance away from each other?

Common question. They can be physically fairly close, they won't interfere with each other generally unless you are working 12m or 10m ham. Keep them about a foot, maybe a foot and half apart and you should be fine. It's unlikely you'll hurt the ham, although at 50W or 100W might not make the CB happy. One thing is if both whips are metal, never, ever let them touch while you are transmitting.

 

[gary in ohio]

You can never have to many radios or antennas.

 

[HanzoSteel]

Thats ridiculous, how can you operate your car with all that.