[Open Thread] What Radio "Facts", Myths, or Lies Would You Like To See Tested?

[WRYZ926]

The only things I have seen CB amps do is interfere with analog TV stations and light up a fluorescent light bulb. The 4 ft bulbs had to be right next to the antenna though. My buddy would key up his CB with amp next to mine and my CB radio never blew up.

[jsneezy]

1 minute ago, WRYZ926 said:

The only things I have seen CB amps do is interfere with analog TV stations and light up a fluorescent light bulb. The 4 ft bulbs had to be right next to the antenna though. My buddy would key up his CB with amp next to mine and my CB radio never blew up.

That never stopped the CB guys from claiming that myth nearly 30 years ago. The fact that it was also brought up in this thread more than once tells me that at least someone is still spreading it around.

[WRYZ926]

Yep some myths just won't die.

[WRUU653]

20 minutes ago, jsneezy said:

Except they have. I couldn't tell you how many times I was on CB in the 90's hearing guys saying "I'll pull up next to him with my 1000 watt linear amp, key the mic, and blow his radio" every time a couple guys would start bickering over something stupid. It's not something brand new.

I beleive the statments made in question (as noted in this thread) were directly related to not having an antenna installed and keying up. Not rogue CB ruffians in the 90's  

[WRUU653]

13 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

rogue CB ruffians

great band name! 

[nokones]

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

[marcspaz]

3 minutes ago, nokones said:

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

 

Sure does. It's very common for HF in amateur radio.  300, 450 and others.

[nokones]

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

[nokones]

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

[nokones]

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

[Sshannon]

2 hours ago, nokones said:

I wonder what would happen if I use some TV 300 ohm flatwire on a CCR. I'm sure the VSWRs would be a tad off. Does that TV lead-in wire even exist these days?

It does. 

[axorlov]

4 hours ago, jsneezy said:

Except they have. I couldn't tell you how many times I was on CB in the 90's hearing guys saying "I'll pull up next to him with my 1000 watt linear amp, key the mic, and blow his radio" every time a couple guys would start bickering over something stupid. It's not something brand new.

I'm talking about different thing. The 'certain person' claims that there is a group of experts in present day that keep telling us that keying up transmitter with no antenna attached will immediately blow the finals. The statement  from a 'certain person' is a deliberate lie. There is no such group in present day, there is no such claim (immediately blown up finals) being made neither on a regular basis nor sporadically.

I explained how to prove me wrong, should be simple for a 'certain person'.

[pcradio]

I also vote for demonstrating what happens when a 50 watt radio is transmitting next to an HT. Does it "burn up the finals" in the receiver? Does it make some radios go deaf? And my favorite, "Why do Motorala XPR/APX/XTS radios get an approved pass for GMRS usage but various Yaesu Ham radio models does not"

[marcspaz]

1 hour ago, pcradio said:

"Why do Motorala XPR/APX/XTS radios get an approved pass for GMRS usage but various Yaesu Ham radio models does not"

 

This one is kind of easy, if I understand the rules correctly. 

 

Radios like the ones mentioned noted above have been certified for use in the LMR service. As long as it's programed to be in compliance with GMRS rules and not be changed through front panel programming, they are grandfathered in.

 

These are the only 3 requirements I am aware of.  Due to the point that amateur radios cannot be certified, regardless if they meet the other 2 requirements, they won't be compliant. 

[WRQC527]

6 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

The only things I have seen CB amps do is interfere with analog TV stations and light up a fluorescent light bulb. The 4 ft bulbs had to be right next to the antenna though. My buddy would key up his CB with amp next to mine and my CB radio never blew up.

I used to have a stereo system in my room as a teen, and living less than a quarter mile from the freeway, occasionally I would hear CB transmissions come through the speakers when the stereo was turned off. I'm guessing these guys had amplifiers, because most likely a cheap 4-watt CB probably couldn't do that. 

[nokones]

Receivers have finals?

And as for certain radios getting a pass to operate on GMRS freqs, because Part 95, Subpart "E" are pretty clear and say they can.

[WRYZ926]

7 hours ago, WRQC527 said:

I used to have a stereo system in my room as a teen, and living less than a quarter mile from the freeway, occasionally I would hear CB transmissions come through the speakers when the stereo was turned off. I'm guessing these guys had amplifiers, because most likely a cheap 4-watt CB probably couldn't do that. 

Yes they were using illegal amplifiers if that was happening. CB radio is restricted to 4 watts. My buddy would scramble everyone's TV signals that were nearby when he would key up with his amp running. But that was back when hardly anyone had cable TV and only rich people had satellite dishes (the big ones).

[back4more70]

15 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

 rogue CB ruffians

more like rogue cranberry muffins, am I right?

[jsneezy]

12 hours ago, axorlov said:

I'm talking about different thing. The 'certain person' claims that there is a group of experts in present day that keep telling us that keying up transmitter with no antenna attached will immediately blow the finals. The statement  from a 'certain person' is a deliberate lie. There is no such group in present day, there is no such claim (immediately blown up finals) being made neither on a regular basis nor sporadically.

I explained how to prove me wrong, should be simple for a 'certain person'.

Except it wouldn't be spoken of in this thread if the myth wasn't being spread around by someone. 

[WRQC527]

In this ARRL image, we can see what happened when a Baofeng UV-5R was keyed without an antenna. This is dangerous stuff. Not to be taken lightly.

[WRQC527]

13 hours ago, axorlov said:

I explained how to prove me wrong

I don't think it's an issue of how to prove you wrong. The issue is that there is no desire to. Big difference. 

[wrci350]

11 hours ago, marcspaz said:

Radios like the ones mentioned noted above have been certified for use in the LMR service. As long as it's programed to be in compliance with GMRS rules and not be changed through front panel programming, they are grandfathered in.

I think *that* is a myth.

If it's not, I have yet to see where in Part 95 E that it says it's automatically OK to use a Part 90 radio on GMRS.

What it does say is that a radio must be certified under Part 95 E to be "legal" on GMRS.  It also says that a radio can be certified under "another part" (like 90) AND Part 95 E, but it specifically forbids a radio from being certified under 95 E if it can also be used on amateur radio frequencies.

So "opened up" ham radio transceivers are explicitly NOT OK to use on GMRS (per FCC regulations).

As far as LMR radios?  Pretty sure that there are some older models that were certified under Part 90 and pre-2017 Part 95 and those are grandfathered and still OK on GMRS.

If there are newer models that also have Part 95 certification I haven't met them.   

[Sshannon]

20 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

I think *that* is a myth.

If it's not, I have yet to see where in Part 95 E that it says it's automatically OK to use a Part 90 radio on GMRS.

What it does say is that a radio must be certified under Part 95 E to be "legal" on GMRS.  It also says that a radio can be certified under "another part" (like 90) AND Part 95 E, but it specifically forbids a radio from being certified under 95 E if it can also be used on amateur radio frequencies.

So "opened up" ham radio transceivers are explicitly NOT OK to use on GMRS (per FCC regulations).

As far as LMR radios?  Pretty sure that there are some older models that were certified under Part 90 and pre-2017 Part 95 and those are grandfathered and still OK on GMRS.

If there are newer models that also have Part 95 certification I haven't met them.   

That is how I interpret the regulations also, but I did see an online copy of a letter from the FCC saying that part 90 certification could be accepted (I don’t remember the exact wording and unfortunately I didn’t save a copy).

[marcspaz]

1 hour ago, wrci350 said:

I think *that* is a myth.

If it's not, I have yet to see where in Part 95 E that it says it's automatically OK to use a Part 90 radio on GMRS.

What it does say is that a radio must be certified under Part 95 E to be "legal" on GMRS.  It also says that a radio can be certified under "another part" (like 90) AND Part 95 E, but it specifically forbids a radio from being certified under 95 E if it can also be used on amateur radio frequencies.

So "opened up" ham radio transceivers are explicitly NOT OK to use on GMRS (per FCC regulations).

As far as LMR radios?  Pretty sure that there are some older models that were certified under Part 90 and pre-2017 Part 95 and those are grandfathered and still OK on GMRS.

If there are newer models that also have Part 95 certification I haven't met them.   

 

That is literally what I said... you just worded it differently. 

[wrci350]

19 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

That is literally what I said... you just worded it differently. 

I'm not following you.  Perhaps I misinterpreted you, but you seem to be saying that *any* Part 90 radio is automatically OK to use for GMRS.

The way I read the rules, a Part 90 radio *can* be OK to use on GMRS ... but only if it has also been certified under Part 95 E.  That's not automatic, and most current Part 90 radios do not have Part 95 certification.

What am I missing?