Re: [A/S] AS and HAM usage

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

Ham radio has a wider distribution of frequencies and many have
different characteristics than the CB band (which once was a small ham
band). The 2m FM ham band is mostly used for talking a lot like CB, but
sometimes there aren't enough hams listening to travelers in many parts
of the country. There both hand held (works better with an external
antenna) and mobile radios are used. The hand held with attached antenna
inside the vehicle can have severely restricted range, with a mobile
radio with roof mounted antenna might be able to reach a 2m ham repeater
for 40 or 50 miles (80 to 100 miles of road sometimes). 2m within a
caravan can work very well.

High Frequency ham radio equipment mostly is better for making longer
distance contacts, not so handy (though its more a matter of lack of
local activity on the ham band you try than lack of capability) for
learning local conditions. Few hams run more than 100 watts on HF
mobile, and when conditions are right on ten, 12, 15, and 18 meters, a
few watts can be sufficient to work the world.

Question is what are your needs? Do you need timely road information or
do you just need to talk to other people? Truckers are more on CB than
ham radio, there are people hamming around the world (though I know I
can't prove it on 2m in the middle of Iowa in the middle of the day most
days, we have to work for a living and distractions are detrimental to
work) all the time, but without road information. There are some VHF SSB
modes that work very well for range, trouble is they aren't as heavily
populated as a traveler needs for help and information.

Trying to transplant CB vernacular to ham radio often results in being
shut out or ignored, works better to learn ham vernacular or use plain
english.

I've only been a ham since 1955, so others may have differing opinions.

73, Jerry, K0CQ