At 09:43 PM 12/17/99 , you wrote:
>Here's a CB I found, but could someone explain to me what all these features
>are?
>
>79-290 Midland AM/SSB
>$148.00
>40 Channel AM & SSB with Detachable Control Panel
SSB has been explained but be aware that the other party has to have an SSB
unit also. Most people with mobile CBs don't get this feature and the ones
that do don't use it much.
>12 Watts SSB, USB and LSB
Output power in sideband mode (upper and lower sideband)
>4 Watts AM
Output power in AM mode (AM is the normal mode that all CBs have and like
other CBs is the max legal power)
>Frequency Controlled PLL
Integrated circuit that is responsible for tuning the frequency of the
channel you select. All modern CB units use this (as opposed to transistors
in older units).
>Variable Squelch
Lets you blank out background noise and/or weak signals. All CBs have this.
>10 Channel Weather
Lets you tune to NOAA weather radio broadcasts. Handy when you're on the road.
>Last Channel Recall
Like on a TV, lets you recall the last channel you talked on with just one
push of a button.
>Loc / Dist
Local/Distant switch. Think of it as a preset (as opposed to variable)
squelch. IMHO, more of a selling point than an actual useful feature. I've
always set this to Dist and kept it there.
>Mic Gain On/Off
Provides a slight amplification to the signal from your mic. It does NOT
produce any more output power. Kind of like a built in power mic (which
IMHO is a useless rip=off).
>4 CB Channel Memories
Just what it says. You can store four most used channels into memory for
one button recall (as opposed to turning the dial to switch between channels).
>Coarse and Fine Tune
Older or cheaper CBs may not broadcast on the exact frequency of a
particular channel. Coarse tune lets you receive off-frequency broadcasts a
little better, Fine tune cuts interference from these off-frequency
stations when you don't need to hear them. Again IMHO this is more of a
selling point than an actual useful feature. I've always set this to the
Coarse setting and had no need to switch.
>Dual Watch
This is how the government tracks you when you talk on your CB
:-) No,actually, I don't have a clue what this is. Let me know if you find out
>NB
Noise Blanker. Cuts out or at least subdues background noise such as
interference from your vehicles electrical system. Again, this is something
you will probably leave off 99% of the time. All modern CBs have this feature.
>CB Band Selector
Lets you switch between AM and SSB modes.
>These Midland CB's seem to have a helluva lot more bang for your buck
>compared to others.
Midlands are good units. The only suggestion I would make is to think about
whether you really want a unit with SSB. If you're just going to be using
it on the road for traffic/smokey reports or to chat with other drivers in
a convoy, you will probably never use SSB mode. Save some bucks and get
just as good and feature packed unit without SSB. Also, be sure to get a
good antenna and make sure it is installed and tuned properly.
Mike Crumley 97 V6 Auto
mail to: mcrumley@airmail.net
"If the whole world depends on today's youth, I can't see
the world lasting another 100 years."--Socrates
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Feb 06 2004 - 11:47:58 EST