Usefulness of CB Radios on E-Bikes?
I am thinking of buying a Cobra Handheld CB Radio for my E-Bike. It is a 40 channel Handheld CB Radio that can run off of 9 "AA" rechargeable batteries or off of the included 12 volt Power Plug Adapter. I just would not want to spend around $100.00 CDN for it then have nobody to talk to. I live in the Toronto area. I do have a built in 12 volt Accessory Outlet as well as a built in 12 volt 3 AMP SLA battery for the 12 volt accessories.
Be excellent for riding in front of a car while talking. You could always just text while you ride like all the drivers in cars around you.
Your range with a handheld CB would be very limited, but if you are looking for entertainment while riding and throwing caution to the wind, then a DVD player with an 8 inch screen would be nice. Don't skimp on the surround sound, you don't want to hear those pesky cars and trucks over your movie.
Do people even use CB radios anymore?!
LOL. I do, especially when making trips into Mexico.
I think a lot of radio operators are now waiting for the next solar maximum. Airwaves during solar minimums are dead most of the time. CB's will get active again soon, in the next few years.
 www.BaseStationZero.com |
| THINKING X-TREME? - Do a Google search for "Alpha Products International" first! |
CB's for private citizens had a short period of popularity before the widespread adoption of cell-phones. (1970's?)
I am an old local-haul dump-truck driver, and its a given that any truck around you STILL has a CB. When I pull into a quarry to get sand or gravel, I talk to the loader and the scale-house by CB.
Plus, when driving it keeps the day from being so boring when you chat to other drivers. In a busy town, you can choke down the reception to a one-block distance so you only hear the other vehicle you are following.
Out on the open road without much in the way of hills and trees, you can adjust a CB to chat with other drivers for many miles away, but, you also hear other overlapping conversations. Thats why there's 40 channels!
Don't use a CB or a cell-phone while driving, please pull mover!!
There are a regular number of unexplained deaths now, records showing at the time of the crash, driver was texting...(will your insurance cover that? I wonder...)
If I hit you with my 40-tons (you will not limp away from this) while you are CB-ing/cell-phoning/texting, I will feel really bad for many days, but, a brothas gotta eat...
Seriously this time, a heaphone setup on the cell phone is not such a bad idea, but the cb is more limited on who you can talk to. Easier to stop to dial on a bike than a car I'd think, and a handlebar mount should be pretty easy. On the bike path, I allway scare the do doo out of the I pod bike riders. They never expect to get passed by somebody that much faster than them, and they can't hear the horn I'm honking.
The really useful function of a CB radio is for group rides. Many motorcycle clubs establish either CBs or FRS/GPRS radios as their club standard, so everyone on a ride can coordinate. I've done rides with 2-8 people on my Honda Silverwing, and some sort of on-bike communication channel is really a good thing, even if it's just between the front rider and the tail end. It's hard to keep a cell phone active for a multi-hour ride, especially if you want to conference in a dozen different riders. Local radio, on the other hand, is ideal.
I can't see much use for them on a slow electric scooter. If we were to ride in a group, we'd be quiet enough to just yell at each other. :)
I already have a Wireless Bluetooth Handsfree Kit for my Bluetooth Enabled Cell Phone, so that area is covered. Remember talking on a cell phone costs money every minute you talk on it. A CB Radio does not cost anymore money to talk on it other then the purchase cost and the small amount it costs to recharge my 12 volt 3 AMP SLA Battery from a wall outlet.
I was thinking that the CB would be of some use. Of Cooarse I will only use it while pulled over till I can figure out a helmet mounted earphone and mike solution.
Well I found the Cobra 38WXST Handheld CB Radio in a Canadian Tire on the Clearence Table marked down from $119.99 to $57.49. So I bought it right away. Here is a link to it;
Its features are:
- 40 CB Channels
- 10 Weatherband Channels (7 US, 3 Canadian)
- PLL Tuning (Phase Lock Looped)
- comes with 12volt Auto Adapter
- uses 9 "AA" batteries (Alkaline or rechargeable), (I have already 9 NiMH "AA" batteries installed)
- AC Adapter and Recharge seperate Jacks. (I already have a AC Adapter that can plug in to run the radio off of AC Power or with an adapter cable plug in to recharge the NiMH "AA" batteries while still in the radio)
- Cobra patented Sound Tracker Technology built in.
- BNC antenna connector with rubber antenna.
- Power Saver Switch (switches from 4watts to 1watt transmit output power to save battery power.
- Instant Channel 9/19 button
- LED backlit LCD screen
Well this Saturday I am heading to a store called Raioworld to pick up a larger telescoping 4' antenna to replace the stock 7" rubber antenna for more talk range. Instead of getting only around 1 mile talk range I should be able to to get around 10 miles talk range with the new antenna. The store is 22km from my home, so the round trip will bee 44km. I am going to see if I can make it on 1 charge. But I will have my E-Bike charger and a 30' outdoor extension cord just in case I need to stop at a coffee shop or mall for a couple of hours to give a boost charge to get home.
Well I will put the project on a back burner. But I did see that the in car Mobile CB Radios from Cobra and Uniden are pretty small. Small enough I might even be able to mount one in my dash and mount an car mobile antenna on the rear fender on the back of my E-Bike. I definately would get more range with that setup, correct. The antenna could be a better 1/4 wave model 6' to 8' high for better range.
Ken Finch
Thanks,
Ken Finch