Just out curiosity who runs C-B's in there equipment? We run them in all of our gear, and i like it. I think communication is key when you have morons working with you. Besides that i like verbal over confusing hand signals. And the boss says, for what there worth there a big asset. For example we had a job where it was all a cut, no place to loose anything. So we used on road trucks and halled all the fill off site. This meant upwards of 30 on-road trucks coming and leaving site. This is when the C-B really paid off in my opinion. With 30 some odd trucks running around, and we all know truck drivers there was a little bit of confusion. Around here a tri-axel goes for 83 dollars an hour(canadian) and for the cost of a radio, aprox 140 dollars for a complete set up, the cost per benefit out weights the radio. What are you opinions?
the company i work for uses them, handy and annoying way to much **** chat.
We have them in 90% of our equipment. The rollers and open cab machines dont have em, but for the most part they arent the production machines. Comunication is real important. It does get annoying though sometimes with all the ****-chat. Kinda nice on small jobs, but gets really old on bigger jobs with alot of iron running around. Jason
Around here everyone uses VHF, In equipment and in pickups. CB's would be useless for all the bush roads ect.
Most of the companies that I have worked for have had the VHF radios, mostly for there own equipment/trucks. Some of them even had the Push-to-talk Mike phones as well, but I usually put my own CB in. when dealing with hired trucks, it is far easier to keep in touch and I dont have to usually leave the machine to talk to them. I also have found that people tend to be a little more at ease on the CB compaired to the vhf, knowing that the office isint listining.
We use Motorolla hand-held radios with a PTT mike. They work well for our small sites. Used to have the CB's in the equipment but now everyone can take the radio with them from machine to machine if you have to move around. Although a CB is essential in the load-out machine, if you are using a lot of on-road trucks, as stated above. Also have Nextel:Banghead, alas it is a neccessary evil.
I've always made it a point to not employ morons so I don't need them. Once in a while one gets through the wire but rather than buy a bunch of CBs I just fire him and try a new guy.
All very valid points. Interesting to hear, With the good comes the bad. This is how we run our set up, Off road trucks run channel 12, Loaders 13, Hoes run 14 between them and 19 when trying to deal with on roaders, the dozers run 15 but generally are on 12 yelling at the rock trucks for dumping in the wrong spot. Non of the sheeps foots run them, i think a couple of the mini might even have them and the side walk crew runs there skid steers and little dinky toys with them. There is allot of **** chat, but i mostly have my RF gain turned down and volume just enough to pick out the important words. Which brings me to the PTT two ways, the problem with that is were talking allot of phones here, and thats a paid service. Looking at the cost of initial purchase of phone plus activation plus the monthly payment on the phone. Where the CB is exactly that The Citizen Band, an open air wave. Who knows we could be doing it all wrong.
All of our trucks have them and a few peices of equipment have them. It is my personal goal to have them in every peice of equipmment asap.
most decent sites over here have a UHF, in this wide brown land a hand signal is useless unless ur ten feet away and then u may as well talk to him. **** chat can be a problem but on sites where the management or office is listening in there is never an issue. i personally have a 5watt ICOM handheld that has good range, u can never be too well informed!!!
The most experienced operator in thhe world is not going to know what you and I are thinking 100% of the time. Plus, with your high labor turnover, they will have even LES time to familiarize themselves with your personal operating procedures. I just can't see not using radios, even if it saves me from having to climb up and down a machine ONE time.
We run VHF in everything, after running them for 10 years, I am not sure how we'd get along without them. I run a CB in the tandem so I can talk to the loaders at the quarry, and other truckers I know.Any of you VHF high band guys know of a good online store that does programming and sells reasonable equipment?
We run C B’S in all our equipment. It saves a lot of aggravation at times, but on the other hand be a pain in the @$$. When you got truck drivers that listen and do what you tell them it works great. When you got truck drivers who don’t have clue in what you said and 10 different people start yelling at him it’s a real pain. I tell them where I want them and the material and then give them a point with the attachment I have on the machine. We also run VHF but they are only hand held units. They work great for when you don’t want a driver to here something or need to get in touch with the office while out of the machine.
we also run on repeater system- all the hoes have 40 watters and the guy's use 4 what hand held. we have a shared channel with our trucking company so you can either use the radio for site work, or switch to one of the repeater's for long range. cell phones don't work so well here so the radios really pay off. i don't think we would want to try both repeaters and c.b.'s just because of all the **** chat and stuff. out in the gas patch they use both.
hey nedly pm me i know where you can get what you are looking for plus more
that is just an ignorant comment.... you can NEVER EVER have enough communication.Mainly for safety's sake. We were on a job and another sub contractor had a "goof" up and the over head lines fell to with in 10-12 feet of the ground. An employee was backing up right at the lines and a simple yell on the radio prevented the whole situation from escalating any further. HOw about when a hydro hose blows out of site of the operator and another operator on site tells him on the radio to shut down. Also time is money....we just finished a 9 acre job and it is really nice to just pick up the radio and call to the guy on the other side of the site and tell him you need pipe,bedding,stone,fuel,tools etc. Then there is the truckers that show up to dump and/or load. Sure is nice to just tell them where to go instead of either getting out of the machine or paying someone else to direct em. Radios are DANG PRICELESS!!! oh and ALL of our employee's have cell phones paid in full.
Sooo....I guess what you two are saying to each other is just that you'll have to agree to disagree, right? :cool2
We use two way radios as our situation of course is a little different. Ours goes through a repeater system, but we also use simplex channels for close work. For example, if we are patching, installing a culvert etc. we choose a channel that doesn't go through a repeater. They are a must in what we do for communicating between flag persons, operators etc.
We have two-way radios in the trucks and pickups. The pipe crew has radios in their equipment and with them on them all day constantly, having to constantly and repeatedly give orders over and over, and then bitchin' and yellin', my truckers tend to turn their radio's off. Then I can't get a hold of them when I need to. I give my orders in the morning, or at lunch, and I stick to it. Truck drivers are stupid, you have to keep it as simple as possible so as not to confuse them. If I'm loading, I'll be sitting and ready with a bucket where I want the truck to park. If their hauling to me, I have them dump in front of the machine or beside me where I point to. Simple hand signals when to stop hauling, keep hauling, or switch rock size. Always try to be as consistant as possible and not keep changing things. I'm not afraid to get out and talk to the other operators or drivers face to face, most of the time you have to, like I said, the get confused easily. And yes, there is always the dreaded cell phone. Most of the time I don't answer it anyway, but everyone has one whether they need it or not.
Before going any further, I need to comment... I was surprised to find that what I quoted above, from Reuben, is pretty much what the dictionary has to say about that word. I was surprised, since at least in the place I grew up, ignorant was/still is just as often used to mean "ill-mannered". I get the sense that that's the meaning Lash is using it in as well. I'm surprised that that meaning isn't listed. (I guess you could say was ignorant of the proper definition. I could say I'm surprised by that, but similar things have happened a time or two before..) Now as far as whether radios are of use in any given operation; whether their advantages outweigh their disadvantages, we'll just have to trust each other to be able to make up our own minds on that.
Yes sir ....I would never Be condescending to another member. I was in fact using the word as it is defined.I apologize if you took it otherwise Lash:drinkup. Like I said I am very easy going
guys,:drinkup:drinkup:drinkup
All things in moderation. The most productive dirt spread I worked with had open cabs and peep sites, low-tech and well practiced. The Worst had all newer machines, cabs and a/c. The office decided all hands needed a 2-way and/or a nextel. Poor planning caused alot of direction changes, stop borrowing south pond borrow north pond, stuff like this 2-3 times a day. All the radio and phone communication could not make up for changing the game plan mid-push. 1st Co. still in business not so much the 2nd.
that 2nd co sounds swell, breaker-breaker
All Vehicle's and Heavy equipment on site Must have a 2 way fitted. I use a Kenwood VHF Multi Channel jobby.
I said I didn't employ them. Very seldom I hire one. If I do, I don't spend any time training them. They don't last more than a day. You and I what? You lost me here. Fact is when we do little waterline jobs, (couple thousand feet) I use two operators and a laborer. Guess who the laborer is. (90% of the time its me. I've never understood companies that have superintendents that sit there and watch a crew work. I've never seen the point. When we do crane rental jobs an operator and I will go do the job and I'll rig for him. So don't think I sit in my machine. I will use the horn to get someones attention. That's what their for. I also never said I never ever wished I didn't have a radio. I said I didn't have any CBs and they wouldn't do anything for me. I'm wondering what it is your calling me a liar about? I don't employ morons and I don't have a single CB radio. What do you think I'm lying about? First of all I don't agree with Webster on the meaning of ignorant. At least that's not the meaning I was brought up with. I already said in my first post that if radios work for you then fine. Couldn't be happier for you. You want to argue facts. Here's the facts, Our Yard is about a hundred feet from the base of a mountain thats around a thousand feet high. About a mile in each direction is all any radio will reach. Every now and then you may get a slight signal but its brief and weak. Probably 95% of our work takes place in areas that do not have cell phone service. Town has service but when you get out of town not very many spots do. To talk on the cell phone at our yard you have to go out in the middle of the yard. Once you get more than 5 miles out of town turn it off and save the battery its not gonna work. There are to many hills you have to go over and too many Bays you have to go up and around for radios to work here. There's a company that has radios they will install for around $700 that run through their repeater but the service costs around $1000 a month. Even its so spotty its not worth it to us. We don't do huge site work where communication is a problem. Its simply not worth it to us to spend thousands of dollars on radios and cell phones that don't work. Just off the top of my head I can think of 6 companies that do work here. Not one of them have CB radios in their equipment or rolling stock. I've never been to Pa. I definitely wouldn't attempt to tell you how to run your company. It's always surprised me how many people that don't have a clue about this area and my line of work that try to tell me how I should run mine!
I'm real confused at how a simple question about the use of radios can turn into such a battle of testosterone. Let me remind you both that printed statements have no emotion attached and it's very possible that one or both of you have misinterpreted the intent of the other. I've worked for a number of companies that have used radios and I can attest that they are real time savers when things go wrong or changes have to be made during a day's work. I can also understand that in very fringe areas, repeater type radios and cell phones wouldn't work, but a simplex type radio such as a CB should work unless there is a very high magnetic field in the area. The range would be very short though compared to repeater radios. Toughen up the skin there a bit guys, let some stuff bounce off.
I don't have any CB's in the equipment 'cause I generally work alone. But I do have one in the truck to talk to the scalehouse op's and loader op's in the gravel pit's and yards. They work great at the small yards where you could just as easily drive up and talk out the window. But at the bigger pits where you really need them the scale house and loader op's turn the CB off because of the constant chatter from the contract trucks. Every day from startup to shut down it's what the Redskins are doing wrong. Same chatter every day. All day. Every day. All summer too. ointhead
The company I work in we use Nextel. Hasnt failed us yet.
This is the emotion for the following content; CHEERFUL ( GOOD POINT STEVE)HA,HA Lash...Man you need to relax a little,we are all friends on here :drinkup I never in anyway intended to upset ya. Like I said I will argue facts not opinions.I would honestly care less if radios work or don't work for you. Hey I agree,If the Con's out weigh the pros's then ya you would be stupid to use the radio's. Whether you agree with Webster's definition of ignorant or not it is what it is.Webster and every other institution defines it the same and that is how I used it in that post. Now as far as the topography in northern Pa,You cant walk more then 100-400 yards in any direction here with out coming to the base of a 700-1000 foot tall mountain. We are completely entombed in mountains.Actually with the exception of the water and bays sounds like we have the same topography as you IN NO WAY DID I EVER TELL YOU HOW TO RUN THE COMPANY YOU WORK FOR. READ MY OTHER POSTS OVER AND OVER AND OVER IF YOU HAVE TO. Where you came up with that is way beyond me. I would never tell anyone how to run their company.That's Their business (and I don't want to give up my secrets:falldownlaugh). But with that said I am a very open person and I (personally )have a strong desire to 1 improve myself,2 my family and 3 my business. So when someone says something to me that is intended to help I am all ears. I then examine myself,my family and/or my business and determine whether any or all of those could or could not benefit what is said to me. If any of the three can benefit from the advise I make the appropriate changes. I don't like to sit still,I like to be going forward. I think that is why I probably like this site so much because it is a wealth of information. To sum this all up; I NEVER intended to "fire you up" I utilized the word "ignorant" as it was defined Our topography is the same I NEVER told you how to run the Company you work for. As to not create any more animosity I wrote this all with a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!
ON a technical note: A couple of times in this thread I see "VHF" mentioned. VHF is the international standard for Maritime Ship to Ship communications: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_VHF_radio http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm In Australia you would be breaking the law by using the designated VHF frequencies for non-maritime operations. (depending on just what channel you used) So was the use of "VHF" meant to say UHF or are you using VHF frequencies outside those designated by IMO and USCG?. I ask this because pretty much any VHF radio purchased in Australia has the maritine frequencies only installed.
You need to look a little deeper into Wikipedia, Squizz: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF From the article, here in the states, it breaks down like this: I'm not sure which, but I think the VHF radios referred to earlier would be in one of the frequency ranges I bolded.
our company uses c-b`s in all the loaders in the gravel bank, it is also useful when we plow snow , it can also make a boring nite in a parking lot more enjoyable if you have someone to talk to , or yelling at the boss in the plow truck when he messes up !!
Welcome to the Forums terratrac300.:drinkup
Thats why I asked.
The channels used around here go from 150.xxx to the high 162.xxx. I think the wikipedia article is a bit misleading, That seems to apply.... Although some channels in this range may be marine, others are not... Some railways may have channels in this range, but so do some bush road channels in bc... As far as I know the other ranges could be right, or close to it. I wouldn't count on information from wikipedia.
Sorry Reuben, you don't make the cut. Your Arrogant Drivel has gotten to be to much. After Steve said I should get tougher skin and let you call me ignorant I went and looked at your last 20-30 posts. I didn't find anything that I figured was worth my time so You hit the ignore list. If you weren't so ignorant you would also have known that the Marine Industry goes with VHF, Sideband, and Sat Phones. Not CB radios. That was the question that started this thread. Who here runs CB radios in their equipment. My answer is still, Not Me! I would appreciate it if you would put me on your ignore list. I can't think of a thing I would ever say that you wouldn't already know.
Enough! You've already been warned. This thread will be closed if this stuff continues. The only reason its still open is because this is an interesting aspect of the industry we have not really discussed much in the past. Don't spoil it for everybody else.
I agree enough is enough, the bickering was detracting from a rather interesting topic. Now let's see if we can get this thread back on track. The 2-ways that we use on site are UHF similiar to this one - http://www.motorola.com/Business/US...le+Radios/On-Site+Small+Business/XU2600_US-EN All our radios have the remote microphone/speaker so they can be mounted either in a machine (on the B-pillar of the rops) or on your belt and not have to remove the radio to communicate. These radios require an FCC license. (Here is the brochure - http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles...e Radios/_Documents/Final_XTN brochure_06.pdf ) I run a small dirt operation - 2 dozers, track loader, artic, track-hoe, roller and sometimes the on-road truck mixed in. The 2 ways work very well for communication between trucks both on the loading side and the filling side. Taking time to get off the machine to tell the driver where to dump or playing the construction version of "charrades" is just a productivity killer. There are only 5 on the dirt crew, 6 when I have the chance to sit on some yellow iron. I like the "private" 2 ways we have rather than a CB with constant chatter. Our current site is close to I-65 and a truck stop. I purchased 6 radios 2 years ago at a cost of $1800. At first I had buyers remorse but I guarantee you they have more than paid for themselves over the last 2 years in my operation. I reduced my monthly Nextel bill by 2 phones at a cost of $50 each per month, which over 2 years is $2400 so yeah they did pay for themselves.
Just to clarify when I mention radios I am refereing to all radios used for communication,vhf,uhf,am,fm,CB,and even the two way radios you can buy at Radio Shack,Gander Mountain etc. For the most part business freguency's in the area we work in range from the 140's-160's.I would assume that it is the same everywhere. of course we do have to be licensed by the FCC. We got our radios off of EBAY.You can buy radios like the ones in the link I posted. You just have them programmed to the channel you are licensed for,(most places ask for your license). Or you could find a freq not being used in your area,(you can look that up somewhere on the interent I am sure),and find someone that will program them without demanding proof of a license.(easly done by the way). The only thing I dont like about using the high freq radios is anybody with a scanner can listen to your conversation so you have to keep the "talk" to the point and non personal. CM1995.. YA I agree,our radios/CB's/cellphones paid for themselves in less then a year also. http://cgi.ebay.com/6-MOTOROLA-RADI...4|66:1|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:25
wow....with such a heated topic you would think we're listening to the CB. Most of our cranes on the parking deck jobs have CB radios mainly so they can position the trucks where they want them to make the pick. When you have 1000 seperate pieces with 100 different drivers usually in a downtown type area your gonna have communication problems. We need all the help we can get.
I don't run cb's in my machines(dozer, excavator and haul trucks) but we do have the 2 way raidos in them as well with some different channels to be on depending on which crew you are with. The guys in the quarries on the loaders do have cb's so its easier for the truck drivers comming in to let them know what they need for material loaded. If i am in the excavator doing stuff alone I just leave the radio off as I don't need it on the earth moving channel and hate listening to the plants and redi-mix trucks talking all day. One thing I am trying to get is a portable radio for myself that has the 3 different crushing freqs., sand plant freq. and the earth moving stuff on it as well. That way when I am working with the differnt crews I can maintain radio contact. Trbo