CB radio - does it still exist/anyone got and use one?
Discussion
Was in a motorway services today and there was a stall for "communications" (phone accessories and whatnot) and on the hoarding above it along with the mobile phone info it also said "two-way radios and CB radios".
It's the first mention of CB radio I've heard for probably twenty years! Is it just a very out of date hoarding or are the Rubber Ducks and Night Truckers still 10-4'ing and Roger dodgering each other out there on the airwaves?
I'm intrigued, and almost tempted to try and get one just to see! (Although I'm guessing a mag mount DV27 antenna isn't going to stick too well to the aluminium bootlid of an MX5
)
Anyone got one and/or use one?
It's the first mention of CB radio I've heard for probably twenty years! Is it just a very out of date hoarding or are the Rubber Ducks and Night Truckers still 10-4'ing and Roger dodgering each other out there on the airwaves?
I'm intrigued, and almost tempted to try and get one just to see! (Although I'm guessing a mag mount DV27 antenna isn't going to stick too well to the aluminium bootlid of an MX5
)Anyone got one and/or use one?
I dabble in it. I keep one in my smart car to stop myself going even more insane on long commutes with noone to talk to.
At the moment the atmospherics are right that CB radio signals bounce off the atmosphere. This means that on the upside you can talk to people in mainland europe on them but the downside is that Italians love broadcasting on our frequencies with high power using SSB which sounds like buzzing on our FM radios, and can drown out a lot of local signals.
There are others still on it but it depends on the area. Hobbyists like me can skip to Europe on a good day and so far I've made 500 miles. I certainly was not using SSB on the illegal 27.555 "freeband" to do that
Truckers don't talk much, btw.
At the moment the atmospherics are right that CB radio signals bounce off the atmosphere. This means that on the upside you can talk to people in mainland europe on them but the downside is that Italians love broadcasting on our frequencies with high power using SSB which sounds like buzzing on our FM radios, and can drown out a lot of local signals.
There are others still on it but it depends on the area. Hobbyists like me can skip to Europe on a good day and so far I've made 500 miles. I certainly was not using SSB on the illegal 27.555 "freeband" to do that
Truckers don't talk much, btw.
ZOLLAR said:
Kentish said:
I managed to get chat with someone in Belgium on the skip once (on the legal band).
Quite exciting the first time you manage to do it.
I've not used or owned one for eons!
Um what do you talk about then?Quite exciting the first time you manage to do it.
I've not used or owned one for eons!
Local talking is mostly either talking about radios or just having a massive banter session. There will be the odd idiot using it as a pirate music station though but even those can be fun. Was working in crawley and ended up with one guy on there taking requests for music and having a good chat in between them.
Things like foxhunts don't seem to happen any more, which is a shame as they sounded like epic fun - those are when you get someone in a car to go hide somewhere, and the others have to find them using their signal meters while they sit in some obscure lorry park taking the piss over the air.
When I was 17 and at college a group of us bought walkie talkies for our cars. Used to have conversations between cars on the way home, during lectures etc.
Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Edited by Accelebrate on Wednesday 23 June 17:06
Accelebrate said:
When I was 17 and at college a group of us bought walkie talkies for our cars. Use to have conversations between cars on the way home, during lectures etc.
Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Not too sure about that as the offence is driving whilst using a handheld device (or something along those lines) im guessing a walkie talkie would fall into that category.Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Edited by ZOLLAR on Wednesday 23 June 17:07
ZOLLAR said:
Accelebrate said:
When I was 17 and at college a group of us bought walkie talkies for our cars. Use to have conversations between cars on the way home, during lectures etc.
Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Not too sure about that as the offence is driving whilst using a handheld device (or something along thos lines) im guessing a walkie talkie would fall into that category.Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q659.htm
Accelebrate said:
ZOLLAR said:
Accelebrate said:
When I was 17 and at college a group of us bought walkie talkies for our cars. Use to have conversations between cars on the way home, during lectures etc.
Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
Not too sure about that as the offence is driving whilst using a handheld device (or something along thos lines) im guessing a walkie talkie would fall into that category.Used them recently on longer trips with multiple cars, less hassle than phone calls. I believe, although I might not be correct, that it's legal to use a walkie talkie whilst driving.
https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q659.htm
Ha - that takes me back.
When CB was 'big' a friend of mine spent hundreds on a set up (when hundreds was a fair bit of money) - He used to call out everytime he passed a vehicle with an aerial on, a few responded, most didn't, but the conversations usually consisted of where you'd been and where you were going.
Seemed to disappear fairly quickly - I can't remember the last time I saw a vehicle with a CB aerial...
M.
When CB was 'big' a friend of mine spent hundreds on a set up (when hundreds was a fair bit of money) - He used to call out everytime he passed a vehicle with an aerial on, a few responded, most didn't, but the conversations usually consisted of where you'd been and where you were going.
Seemed to disappear fairly quickly - I can't remember the last time I saw a vehicle with a CB aerial...
M.
I used to use CB when I passed my driving test aged 17 in around 1997. Was good for chatting between a few cars on the move!
It seems to have taken off in popularity with the farmers round here recently (and there are a lot of them!), all the tractors you see out and about all have the large 'springer' CB antenna on them.
Most large trucks and pretty much all the logging trucks always seem to be chatting away of them.
There has been many an occasion over the last few years when a few mates were travelling in convoy to a car show or a day out or whatever and we thought 'hmm CB's might be good' but were put off by the large in car units and the even larger roof mounted antenna! So we got a 3 pack of those 0.5watt PMR446 licence free radios that you can buy everywhere. usually sold for camping, sport, outdoor etc... they were utter rubbish. we got a range out of them of about 400 yards car to car and the volume of the speakers etc was terrible.
So I bit the bullet and 4 of these: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProduc...
Yaesu professional handheld UHF 5watt radios! shockproof, waterproof, 10 hour talk time battery life, range of about 7 miles car to car and about 25 out of the car! Programmed in the licence free PMR446 channels and away we went.
They have been an amazing radio for car to car use. mega range, digital encoding built in so no cutting in on your private chat by others, and no daft antenna on the car roof.
One of the best things I have bought for car journeys, its so good being able to chat car-to-car, plus you can do stuff like let one car to get ahead by 5 miles or so on a motorway, check for erm, 'traffic' and then let the other drives behind know that they can 'go for it' whilst keeping them informed!
It seems to have taken off in popularity with the farmers round here recently (and there are a lot of them!), all the tractors you see out and about all have the large 'springer' CB antenna on them.
Most large trucks and pretty much all the logging trucks always seem to be chatting away of them.
There has been many an occasion over the last few years when a few mates were travelling in convoy to a car show or a day out or whatever and we thought 'hmm CB's might be good' but were put off by the large in car units and the even larger roof mounted antenna! So we got a 3 pack of those 0.5watt PMR446 licence free radios that you can buy everywhere. usually sold for camping, sport, outdoor etc... they were utter rubbish. we got a range out of them of about 400 yards car to car and the volume of the speakers etc was terrible.
So I bit the bullet and 4 of these: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProduc...
Yaesu professional handheld UHF 5watt radios! shockproof, waterproof, 10 hour talk time battery life, range of about 7 miles car to car and about 25 out of the car! Programmed in the licence free PMR446 channels and away we went.
They have been an amazing radio for car to car use. mega range, digital encoding built in so no cutting in on your private chat by others, and no daft antenna on the car roof.
One of the best things I have bought for car journeys, its so good being able to chat car-to-car, plus you can do stuff like let one car to get ahead by 5 miles or so on a motorway, check for erm, 'traffic' and then let the other drives behind know that they can 'go for it' whilst keeping them informed!
RetroCosworth said:
How much are CB radios?
you can get a cheap CB and antenna for about £50, but as I said above, occasional car to car, buy some decent UHF 5watt radios between a few of you. they are about £60-80 each. Much more convenient, no big antenna, plus the range and clarity is excellent. No constant crackling and electrical interference being picked up like CB...CB is still good for where you dont mind installing a large antenna.
Edited by NinjaPower on Wednesday 23 June 19:16
Kentish said:
I hooked up with one or two girls using CB when I was younger.
Went for an "eyeball" and then a bit more
I had a CB in my bedroom when i was about 12. I set up an eyeball with a local female cb'er about my age. I hadn't realised she would be bringing her father with her, and they would both be in his CB/PA equipped vauxhall Viva.Went for an "eyeball" and then a bit more
As i stood in the designated meeting spot outside willesden swimming pool i heard a grown mans voice blasting out from a fairly impressive in-car PA system.
"EYEBALL EYEBALL Hedders good buddy etc etc"He was nice and so was his daughter..he would get arrested as a pedo these days
Kentish said:
I hooked up with one or two girls using CB when I was younger.
Went for an "eyeball" and then a bit more
funnily enough i lost my virginity via c.b, used to have a home base set up in my mid teens Went for an "eyeball" and then a bit more
and when a bit older used to go out foxhunting on a saturday night in my m8's van we all use to meet up in kingsmead carpark around 10,00pm with around 20 odd cars sometimes more it went on until dawn
used to be a right giggle
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