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Top Reddit reviews mentioning Portable CB Radios:
If you are someone who ever hikes even small amounts, amounts much smaller than this, please, please consider investing in an emergency beacon like this one (Amazon link). When turned on, the beacon reports your position found from GPS through satellite. In other words, even in terrible weather in the middle of nowhere, you'll get the message through. It is an investment, but will very likely save your life if anything happens. I know there is definitely a feeling amongst hikers, sailors, etc, of "I don't need that" or "it's cheating" or "it's too heavy." But, I would never go on a major hike without one.
Often those who do these sorts of hikes are young and don't have a lot of money; if you are a friend or family member of one of those people, definitely consider pooling money together before they embark on a trip. This woman would absolutely still be alive today if she'd had a way to call for help that did not rely on cell service. These tools have gotten so good, so reliable, so lightweight, and so inexpensive that there's not much of an excuse not to have one anymore, especially if you are at risk (an older woman with a back problem on her own on a treacherous section of trail = extraordinarily at risk).
It’s not always the best strategy. this poor lady followed the ‘stay put’ advice and never moved for nearly a month while hiking the Appalachian trail, but ended up dying. She was one mile from the trail the whole time.
If you’re ever traveling somewhere and fear getting lost, it’d be a good idea to buy one of these GPS emergency beacon that can be located anywhere in the world.
I carry a PLB. You just register it with NOAA with your name, address, and emergency contacts and that's it. Several years later you need to send it in for a new battery and checkout.
I've always believed it's an insurance policy on group hikes or backcountry ski or mountain bike trips if somebody gets hurt. I could also help an injured total stranger I find on the trail. 100% of everybody carries a cell phone nowadays, but casual hikers apparently don't know they frequently don't work in the mountains. If somebody does get hurt, have everybody try their cells first before activating the PLB. Different carriers, who knows? They might work.
Downside is there's no two way communication. You can just call for help, but you can't tell them if you're lost, broken leg, having a heart attack, etc. I read somewhere PLBs have a stronger signal than InReaches, SPOTs, etc. so they're less likely to be blocked by trees overhead.
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https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-channels-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/
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If you are planning to attend races even semi regularly, consider buying a scanner and programming it yourself. I now own a BC125AT for $93. Works flawlessly.
Just throwing it out there, but I've found these sticks to be crazily awesome compared to a normal RTL device for ADSB. They have a filter and preamp.
I tested one with a non-ADSB-specific RTL antenna on top of my truck on the second floor from the top of a parking garage (concrete above and below me) in south Denver and heard planes in northwest Nebraska.
I have this KOSS headset, it works great for races at Charlotte, I don't know how much louder Bristol will be.
Heads up, they get pretty sweaty.
I use this scanner with the drivers frequency programmed
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A1VSO9M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
11 metre is ham radio speak for the old CB band. It's still around and you can buy walkie talkies for this band. For example on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00N43KM5S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5rjECbNNEE934
They are heavier, more expensive, and eat through more batteries than GMRS, but the different frequency range of these radios would penetrate through woods better. 10km is still a stretch even for these radios.
This is a great little scanner. It won't do digital, so it's not a great solution for some of the major urban centers. But for most of the U.S., it works perfectly.
Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00772MR0K
I know some SDRs can be connected to a Android tablet, and some dongles start at like 30 bucks. But if you just want a scanner there are a ton out there. Here is one on Amazon for just over 100 bucks. https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-channels-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=asc_df_B00772MR0K/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310312694364&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12023356358943720141&hvpone=&hvptwo=&...
Actually the BC125AT at CA$199 there does do CTCSS. Don't know why they don't list it in the description, but you can download the user manual and take a look at the features. Don't know if you'd find it significantly less clunky than the 72XLT though. Can't speak to alternative brands or where to source in Canada, but comparison point is US$109 (pre-tax) shipped from and sold by Amazon US.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00772MR0K
The anchor point for the upper end BCD436HP digital handheld is the lightning deal price from Amazon US from a month or two ago that a number of us jumped on of US$320 before state/local tax and is now US$429. Significantly pricier, but not totally cost prohibitive if you want/need DMR (+$60 more) or P25 Phase 2 capability Both are a reality here in silicon valley, although there's still more than enough analog to keep most people informed / occupied / satisified. YMMV.
Not sure what your budget is, but this is easily exactly what you're looking for if you want to talk to each other.
https://racingelectronics.com/collections/scanners-accessories/products/re3000-gem5-pkg
You could try to save some money by buying the headsets then getting the scanner from amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_-1GgFbT4BX2SY
This is the gold standard outside of the RE brand. Others on here will recommend a BaoFeng for like $40, but technically you need to be licensed to operate it. Either way, as others said, you need to program these yourself. RE broadcasts a signal at the track that programs it for you.
Edit: Not sure if you're aware only because you didn't mention it, a scanner receives more than the radio broadcast you can also listen to the drivers/spotters/teams/track officials.
I have the green Radarbox one on a Pi 4b running PiAware with the $10 1090mhz antenna from Amazon. Works perfectly.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K47P7XD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_p-n9Eb4BCNE8K
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HQJKMBD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z-n9Eb1076H50
Go to faa.gov, you can search any plane by it's N-number (tail number). You can also search by many other ways. Want to see who all has Gulfstream G650's, it will list them all.
What myself and others are saying is that everything about tracking his plane is available to everyone and is not private. Elon, as much as he thinks, can't control what the FAA has publicly has available to the public.
The BC75 may have been replaced by this one:
I had the 75 (lost it!) and the 125 is a nice step up. I can hear the local airport, but the controllers only occasionally. (Line of sight with the transmitters is hard at ground level!) The BC125/BC75 have a simple (very simple!) app to set up the frequencies you want to program in each band. There is a web site called Radio Reference with all sorts of info about various scanners and frequencies, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BCD436HP-HomePatrol-TrunkTracker-Programming/dp/B00I33XDAK
I bought it used from a friend that had purchased all the additional licenses for all of the protocols. In my opinion that would be the way to go. Lot of guys are offloading this model for the newer more flashy one.
Uniden Bearcat BC75XLT Handheld Scanner: 300 Channels, 10 banks, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, NOAA Weather, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety
https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC75XLT-300-Channel-Handheld-Emergency/dp/B00A1VSO9M
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https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BCD436HP-HomePatrol-TrunkTracker-Programming/dp/B00I33XDAK/
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This is a great analog handheld that is inexpensive: https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-channels-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1WVMDUQL8D90&keywords=uniden+125&qid=1653751300&sprefix=uniden+125%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1
Check https://www.radioreference.com/ to see if this will work for you.
This is the one I use! Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_655MY0DP4X9Y6BB2F4N1
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https://www.amazon.com/CTC-50M-Original-Comet-Window-Feed-Thru/dp/B005OEB3IA/
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My area switched to p25 and I bought a BCD436H. All I had to do basically is give it my zipcode and tell it what I want to listen to and it did the rest. Works for me.
Sorry about the ridiculous link…. Anyway, it’s an ADS-B receiver that plugs into your computer so it can receive and decode the location information being transmitted by planes! It’s a system they use to help avoid each other in the skies, and also for ground control to know where they are. Kind of an enhancement to only having radar.
If you’re into plane spotting, you basically need this, or something like it. Just start googling stuff about ADSB receivers. Have fun and good luck!
If she’s not immediately going to be a pilot but just had an interest in aviation, literally any handheld scanner would work and it saves her from inadvertently transmitting on the frequency she’s listening to.
Something like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00772MR0K
Having said that, I figure I would throw out this blurb about scanner legalities since I noticed you asked about pounds so I’m assuming you’re in the UK…
> Just like with any issue like this, whether or not you can listen to air traffic control legally depends on where you want to do so. While in some countries such as the United States and Japan, it is perfectly legal to listen to the airband frequencies, in other countries – such as United Kingdom and Germany, it is illegal. > > That said, even in countries where listening to air traffic control is technically illegal without a license, there might be cases where it’s tolerated. For example, in the United Kingdom, it is not uncommon to see people listening to airband scanners openly even at airshows.
It will. However, it will only ever tell you what your swr is. This one will do that and allow you to check your power output up to 100 watts. https://www.amazon.com/Astatic-PDC1-100-Watt-Meter/dp/B004ULN610/ref=bmx_dp_t05hwc5o_3/143-7671292-0102466?pd_rd_w=1SfY5&pf_rd_p=67f6f457-17c9-40ed-bc2a-61a7b5360a34&pf_rd_r=ZA7G6BZDMCYX5MCQEZPA&pd_rd_r=8045039c-73b9-4996-a085-5c9f4ebb...
You should be able to pick up train frequencies with a simple scanner. I used to be a photojournalist in Massachusetts and the train frequencies around here weren’t trunked or encrypted. (Just in case you’re not familiar, trunked frequencies need a trunk tracker scanner which are more expensive and encoded ones need the code. A lot of police departments have switched over to encoded frequencies which you need to file and FOIA request to get)
This is a pretty basic scanner that I used to have. It’ll take you an afternoon to program in all the frequencies and tags because you have to use the dial and buttons but it’s only like $100 and it’ll take AAs rather than a rechargeable battery and it’s got a headphone jack.
And the website Radiorefrence.com is your best friend if you’re looking for scanner frequencies and info. For instance here are the train frequencies here in Massachusetts.
But if you’re looking for something simple to get your feet wet, it looks like the app Broadcastify offers live train frequencies. I haven’t fully explored it but it’s an option.
Hope this helps!
Another thing to consider, if you're not, is an ADS-B specific SDR.
I have a couple of these which have a filter and an amplifier in them, and they seem to work well for me.
Before the great plague, I tried one of these on the third floor of a concrete parking garage in the Denver area, with the 18-inch-ish standard SDR antenna, under the next concrete floor above me, and picked up airplanes in northwest Nebraska. I can only imagine that things would be even better with a proper antenna!
Something like this should work. Go in around lunchtime (when it’s really busy), order food, get a table, and eat lunch while scanning for the frequencies. Make sure to use a headphone, so the staff doesn’t freak out that you’re listening in. Once you get the frequency saved, you can listen to it whenever you’re in range, which can be quite far away.
Source: I used to do this. The drive through can be quite interesting. You can hear customers ask stupid questions, and the employees will crack jokes with each other.
Looks like You got everything pretty good with the lil will. Go down to your nearest highway jump to channel 19 and ask for a radio check. For new cb’ers I like to recommend Farpoint Farms YouTube channel. He taught me everything I know. The hobby only grows from here keep up the good work. First order of business buy a meter on Amazon for 20 bucks learn how to check SWRs. It’s going to really Help you understand your radio
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1baTDOc6yBGNjIOKWUV57TD1qM_sGtmD
Astatic PDC1 100 Watt SWR Meter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ULN610/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K4MD5VTSCFPRGPM79256