CB and Ham Radios

Back-country travelers are using Amateur Radio for wilderness communications because of the greater range. Many have a Citizen Band radio because it is ubiquitous even though the range is limited.

We installed both in Campbell, and while we were at it, we added a small inverter and permanent wiring for the refrigerator.

All of the new gear is powered from the power distribution center we added. See the article.

Citizen Band Radio

Why the large old-school Cobra CB radio? Because it reminds me of the radio I used years ago, and I am fond of analog gear when it fits. I expect others will be happier with a new compact CB radio.

VHF/UHF Radio

The radio is FM-only and covers the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. It has two VFOs and no digital modes. The IC-2730A is a cost-effective radio that covers basic repeater and simplex usage. The maximum transmitted power is 50-watts.

The remote speaker mounted near the ceiling is connected to the radio.

Pure-Sine Inverter

The inverter is for charging equipment and running low-power AC appliances. It is a pure-sine-wave 500-watt inverter.

It has two USB charging ports that are energized even when the inverter is turned off. That saves power while charging USB devices when the AC power is not needed.

The affiliate-free links below list the materials and some tools you may need.

The gallery below has pictures of the installation. They should answer many questions, including wire routing and component placement.

Do you have comments about an article? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Are there any problems or annoyances that you face adventuring?

Please leave a comment below.

Don Anderson