CB radios, useful or not..

[falconbrother]

I was digging through a box of stuff and found a CB radio that I had in my toad when we were motorhome-ing. For a moment I considered installing it in my Suburban but, it occurred to me that in the 12 years that it was installed in the toad I never once found a use for it. There was one time in a snow storm in East Tennessee that I turned it on in hopes of gleaning some information on traffic and road conditions. That turned out to be a total waste of my ears. My wife threatened to grab the steering wheel and drive us into a telephone pole if I didn't turn the thing off.

Are CBs useful anymore or do I line my garbage can with this thing?

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Pangaea Ron wrote:


We used to monitor it regularly, but tired of the inane and offensive dialogue.

Humorous CB:
years ago, when our group had an annual off-road event, we "caravaned" to Glamis (CA) dunes, and used a prearranged CB channel to stay in contact - distance permitting.

On return - we departed piecemeal - and on trying our selected channel, there was "nobody home" (in range) .....but just as I was about to turn it off, we were passing a scales - with a line of trucks.

Two truckers were talking on "our" channel (not 19), and one was asking his buddy where he could score some dope when they got to Los Angeles.

Picked up the mic and said I was in the "Pete" three trucks back, and my co-driver and I were going to come up there and kick his a** for making truckers look bad!
Resulted in major "back-peddling" transmission/s by the guy/s looking to score, and we were rolling in laughter as we rolled past on the adjoining highway.

The family thing:
The language at times is way, way worse than "bad".
The negatives outweigh the positives!

Vile, foul, vulgar - are better terms.....including a guy (1980's)in San Berdo (when kids were still on trips with us) somewhere close to I-15 (Cajon Pass) who broadcasted his special brand of same - with a (home?) mega-watt linear that could 'walk over' any who commented on his special brand of vitriol. "OFF" was the only solution!
Found same on the other coast also - but none "topped" the I-15 guy!

So - the CB spent trips turned off, then (long ago) took up 'residence' somewhere in a box of stuff I have long ago forgotten about.


...:W

[Pangaea_Ron]

We carry one (stowed) for emergencies, but have little faith in it's actual usefulness. There are so many more better options now for both traffic information and communication purposes.

We used to monitor it regularly, but tired of the inane and offensive dialogue.

[Wadcutter]

jplante4 wrote:

Wadcutter wrote:

w8lpn wrote:
It is referring to the limit you can legally talk to someone. It was 150 miles give or take. They removed that limitation but left the power requirements in place so still 4 watts on AM 12 watts SSB. So really no difference except for the wording. Now if you are using amplifiers or on the SSB you can punch out further but thats about it.

With a good antenna and when propagation is right it's like working 10 meters on QRP. You can get a pretty good bounce and work about anywhere. Going to have to wait a few more years tho to make that happen.

Or you could just message them on facebook 🙂

You could. Provided you have wifi or cell connection. Or you could just tweet since that appears the way we're conducting govt business these days.
It's more fun to build your own rig and antenna and making it work.

[jplante4]

Wadcutter wrote:

w8lpn wrote:
It is referring to the limit you can legally talk to someone. It was 150 miles give or take. They removed that limitation but left the power requirements in place so still 4 watts on AM 12 watts SSB. So really no difference except for the wording. Now if you are using amplifiers or on the SSB you can punch out further but thats about it.

With a good antenna and when propagation is right it's like working 10 meters on QRP. You can get a pretty good bounce and work about anywhere. Going to have to wait a few more years tho to make that happen.

Or you could just message them on facebook 🙂

[mr__ed]

rockhillmanor wrote:
I bought a hand held CB when I went full time. Figured it would add to my ICE as a last resort if no cell phone towers in case of an emergency.

The one I bought has a real time NOAA weather radio which saved me many times from driving blindly into a tornado.

For backed up traffic it gives you 'real' people in 'real time', actually there at the scene, to report the hows and whys and where to get off when RV'ing where you didn't know the area.

No holes to drill, no antenna to mount. It came with a magnetic antenna you could just put out the window and up on the roof but never had to use it to get reception.

It rode in the MH laying on the dash board, squelch turned down.

IMHO one of the best things I purchased for the MH.
It's called the Cobra Road Trip 40-channel CB.

X2. I also have a hand-held CB with decent power output. Haven't used it since I owned a Class A MH years ago. The only reason I keep it is same as Rock Hill Mannor's post, some unforeseen emergency when cell isn't working. Not much use for it, otherwise. Years ago, I'd contact truckers for info or just listen to their chatter. Bad language usage put a stop to that! :E

[Wadcutter]

w8lpn wrote:
It is referring to the limit you can legally talk to someone. It was 150 miles give or take. They removed that limitation but left the power requirements in place so still 4 watts on AM 12 watts SSB. So really no difference except for the wording. Now if you are using amplifiers or on the SSB you can punch out further but thats about it.

With a good antenna and when propagation is right it's like working 10 meters on QRP. You can get a pretty good bounce and work about anywhere. Going to have to wait a few more years tho to make that happen.

[mowermech]

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Now that the distance limit has been done away with, it is even more versatile. .

please expand on this.
thanks,
bumpy

I wish I could, but I think I deleted the email I got from the ARRL discussing the rule changes. I'm pretty sure it wasn't in QST magazine, it was an email: I just checked, it is gone.
It is always possible I did not understand all that I read. Your best bet is to go to the FCC website and check it out.
Keep in mind that for Hams and CBers, in a true emergency situation the rules can be bent or broken as the situation requires.

I found a reference: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2017/04/fcc_reforms_part_95_rules_for_personal_radio_services.aspx

Scroll down to Citizen's Band Radio Service. IIRC, the changes went into effect 1 Sep 17.

I see distance limits are eliminated/extended? but power was not increased. I never knew how far my radio was getting out before but I guess this might affect some antennas??

bumpy

In the early 1970s, I had a Midland SSB CB in the house, on a regulated power supply, connected to a Starduster Antenna on a 20 foot mast on the roof. The radio had the legal limit of 12 watts PEP. (12 watts output at 100% modulation.) Back then, the HF propagation was really good, and I made a "skip contact" in Australia.
A Moonraker 6 quad beam antenna on 4 or 12 watts will quite literally allow you to talk to the world.

[bucky]

Bumpyroad wrote:

bucky wrote:
They have their uses, but if the the profanity and racial arguing by truckers have not slowed considerably since I last listened they are not family friendly.

gee, I see this complaint often on here. I can honestly say that my CB is on everytime I drive up I-85/95 and it has been years since I heard profanity. it has happened sure, is it regular, no. but how do you know it has not slowed if you stopped listening?
bumpy

Valid question. Maybe your ears are not as sensitive as my DWs are. I did specify family friendly. I used CBs since about 1970. When we moved last year I found a SWR meter when cleaning out the garage :).

[Bumpyroad]

w8lpn wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Now that the distance limit has been done away with, it is even more versatile. .

please expand on this.
thanks,
bumpy

It is referring to the limit you can legally talk to someone. It was 150 miles give or take. They removed that limitation but left the power requirements in place so still 4 watts on AM 12 watts SSB. So really no difference except for the wording. Now if you are using amplifiers or on the SSB you can punch out further but thats about it.

how about another thread on how we can juice up our CBs.
thanks
bumpy

[w8lpn]

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Now that the distance limit has been done away with, it is even more versatile. .

please expand on this.
thanks,
bumpy

It is referring to the limit you can legally talk to someone. It was 150 miles give or take. They removed that limitation but left the power requirements in place so still 4 watts on AM 12 watts SSB. So really no difference except for the wording. Now if you are using amplifiers or on the SSB you can punch out further but thats about it.

[Bumpyroad]

mowermech wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Now that the distance limit has been done away with, it is even more versatile. .

please expand on this.
thanks,
bumpy

I wish I could, but I think I deleted the email I got from the ARRL discussing the rule changes. I'm pretty sure it wasn't in QST magazine, it was an email: I just checked, it is gone.
It is always possible I did not understand all that I read. Your best bet is to go to the FCC website and check it out.
Keep in mind that for Hams and CBers, in a true emergency situation the rules can be bent or broken as the situation requires.

I found a reference: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2017/04/fcc_reforms_part_95_rules_for_personal_radio_services.aspx

Scroll down to Citizen's Band Radio Service. IIRC, the changes went into effect 1 Sep 17.

I see distance limits are eliminated/extended? but power was not increased. I never knew how far my radio was getting out before but I guess this might affect some antennas??

bumpy

[Bumpyroad]

bucky wrote:
They have their uses, but if the the profanity and racial arguing by truckers have not slowed considerably since I last listened they are not family friendly.

gee, I see this complaint often on here. I can honestly say that my CB is on everytime I drive up I-85/95 and it has been years since I heard profanity. it has happened sure, is it regular, no. but how do you know it has not slowed if you stopped listening?
bumpy

[bucky]

They have their uses, but if the the profanity and racial arguing by truckers have not slowed considerably since I last listened they are not family friendly.

[mowermech]

Bumpyroad wrote:

mowermech wrote:

Now that the distance limit has been done away with, it is even more versatile. .

please expand on this.
thanks,
bumpy

I wish I could, but I think I deleted the email I got from the ARRL discussing the rule changes. I'm pretty sure it wasn't in QST magazine, it was an email: I just checked, it is gone.
It is always possible I did not understand all that I read. Your best bet is to go to the FCC website and check it out.
Keep in mind that for Hams and CBers, in a true emergency situation the rules can be bent or broken as the situation requires.

I found a reference: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2017/04/fcc_reforms_part_95_rules_for_personal_radio_services.aspx

Scroll down to Citizen's Band Radio Service. IIRC, the changes went into effect 1 Sep 17.