CB radio - does it still exist/anyone got and use one?

[g8crasher]

TrollFinder said:

The ham radio license is in 3 parts, the Foundation or 'crisp packet' licence as you call it, intermediate and advanced, to do the FL you need to do this through a club, many hold a weekend course with exam, this will cost you £27.50 for the exam plus any club fee's.

TBH I would go the cb route, stick to an FM radio, be that a 40 channel or 80 channel, antenna for the car go for a springy whip on a lip mount/magmount, homebase antenna, go for an end-fed 5/8th wave, a sirio 827 will serve you very well.

As a general rule you will find the range on cb better than VHF, due to the way HF (cb) signals propogate, they are less affected by buildings, trees etc.

I have the advanced ham license, but I started out with 20 odd years on cb radio, I look back on it with fond memories.

Hey trollfinder - excellent response, thanks very much indeed. Yes this is similar to what friends have told me, though their knowledge is nothing like you guys here, hence why I am here

Over the last few days I sort of decided to do exactly as you suggest, so I bought a 40UK+40UE/CEPT old Harrier set which only runs FM. Since buying that set yesterday (£40ish used) i then learned a bit more and discovered AM travels a bit better than FM, while being a bit trickier to hear but I will get used to that in no time, but more importantly that SSB can go even further and more importantly has 12W power limit. Ok, everyone I speak to says most people run 100w amps, or 500w in many cases (yikes!!!) but I would prefer not to give anyone a reason to knock on my door or stop my wife and kids in the van (she would have a heart attack!) so for now I am actually thinking of shelling out a bit more money for one of these beauties http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301454909851?_trksid=p20... (excellent reviews on YT, good overview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7Qjrk01Vc )
By doing that, I can do exactly as you suggest (try talking to my wife in her vehicle running the 40+40 FM standard CB) and IF I get range problems I can always get her an old used AM/SSB set to try, and my base can do it all so I can play around. In addition I can do a lot more learning and messing around with that set. And before anyone screams, I KNOW it covers HAM bands!! I intend to remove these from all preprogramed channels on receipt if I do buy it!! I don't want to pi55 around on their frequencies any more than they want me to!!!

How does that sounds as a plan?!

[TrollFinder]

g8crasher said:

Hey trollfinder - excellent response, thanks very much indeed. Yes this is similar to what friends have told me, though their knowledge is nothing like you guys here, hence why I am here

Over the last few days I sort of decided to do exactly as you suggest, so I bought a 40UK+40UE/CEPT old Harrier set which only runs FM. Since buying that set yesterday (£40ish used) i then learned a bit more and discovered AM travels a bit better than FM, while being a bit trickier to hear but I will get used to that in no time, but more importantly that SSB can go even further and more importantly has 12W power limit. Ok, everyone I speak to says most people run 100w amps, or 500w in many cases (yikes!!!) but I would prefer not to give anyone a reason to knock on my door or stop my wife and kids in the van (she would have a heart attack!) so for now I am actually thinking of shelling out a bit more money for one of these beauties http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301454909851?_trksid=p20... (excellent reviews on YT, good overview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7Qjrk01Vc )
By doing that, I can do exactly as you suggest (try talking to my wife in her vehicle running the 40+40 FM standard CB) and IF I get range problems I can always get her an old used AM/SSB set to try, and my base can do it all so I can play around. In addition I can do a lot more learning and messing around with that set. And before anyone screams, I KNOW it covers HAM bands!! I intend to remove these from all preprogramed channels on receipt if I do buy it!! I don't want to pi55 around on their frequencies any more than they want me to!!!

How does that sounds as a plan?!

If it were me I'd stick with your 40 quid harrier, FM works much better than AM over local distances, which seems to be your original need, the radio you have linked is a more serious 'DX' (distance) model, and overkill really for just talking to your mates/wife.

I started out with just basic FM cb's (as a kid !), but progressed to the SSB radio's as my interest in radio grew, and then ultimately to the ham license.

[Hornettrucker1310]

Breaker, breaker 19 for a Roger, come back. My CB handle is the Wildcat, come back. Hi, guys, I am new to the forum, but I have been a CBer for many years and I have mastered the CB lingo, and I absolutely love using the CB to make loads of mates, especially the truckers where I can have a ratchet and a good laugh with them, but you do get idiots who spoil it for everyone else by being fking stupid and thinking that they are tough guys and trying to pick fights with people when pissed on the demon drink or out of their faces on drugs.

[Wooda80]

Hornettrucker1310 said:

Breaker, breaker 19 for a Roger, come back. My CB handle is the Wildcat, come back. Hi, guys, I am new to the forum, but I have been a CBer for many years and I have mastered the CB lingo, and I absolutely love using the CB to make loads of mates, especially the truckers where I can have a ratchet and a good laugh with them, but you do get idiots who spoil it for everyone else by being fking stupid and thinking that they are tough guys and trying to pick fights with people when pissed on the demon drink or out of their faces on drugs.

You'll feel right at home here then....

[Stick Legs]

Just read this thread and can only say that the reason CB died was it was replaced by internet forums?

Never partook, but have all the requisite skills as Merchant Navy Deck Officers have to learn their own SSB radio stuff as well as Morse etc.

I should think CB is due a renaissance as it's retro and techie and accessible.

[Morningside]

Stick Legs said:

Just read this thread and can only say that the reason CB died was it was replaced by internet forums?

Never partook, but have all the requisite skills as Merchant Navy Deck Officers have to learn their own SSB radio stuff as well as Morse etc.

I should think CB is due a renaissance as it's retro and techie and accessible.

I think the renaissance is the 4x4 groups. Although it seems quite common now to see a CB aerial not connected to anything.

[Benni]

I see areals quite often on polish vehicles, some cars but mostly the 3,5t vans with "sleep cabin roof spoiler".

Maybe it is a cheap -free?- alternative way for them to communicate with other polish drivers,

or even home where the family lives often for 3-4 months without Daddy while he is on the road.

[unsprung]

Morningside said:

I think the renaissance is the 4x4 groups.

+1

Over here (US), it's definitely noticeable among off-roaders.

Hunters out in the bush or people traveling long distance in multiple cars might choose from among a range of devices. Say: mobile phone, UHF walkie-talkie (there are some that require a license and others that don't) and CB radio. The walkie-talkie units are small and with smart designs.

Regarding the long-distance driver: Even if you're only in one car, and even if you already use Waze, the CB radio can help you keep abreast of road conditions and, yes, "them bears".

But it bears (sorry) repeating what others have posted: the CB radio, although readily available as new, is far less popular than in the 1970s and 1980s. Not necessarily a bad thing, if you think about shared frequencies.

[Dogwatch]

Strange, only the other day I found myself behind a car with a mag mount aerial waving from its roof. No idea what was powering it but it reminded me of the CB era. I had quite a nice set nicked from my car so rather lost interest, ably assisted by all the retards who plagued the airwaves back then.

[Dog Star]

Stick Legs said:

Just read this thread and can only say that the reason CB died was it was replaced by internet forums?

Also cheap mobile calls and in certain circles the internet for getting hold of laydeeez.

[pinchmeimdreamin]

Zad said:

If you get a radio scanner, you can listen not just to the legal CB frequencies, but the "continental" ones too, plus the amateur radio bands, which are quite often more interesting. Amateur bands also have local repeaters, which allows people from a wider area to communicate.

I sold my Scanner years ago when the Police went digital and I couldn't listen to them chasing the Local Scrotes.

[Dr Jekyll]

I think PMR446 is the real replacement for CB, it fills most of the original brief for CB and it's on VHF which CB should have been all along.

What is frustrating is that there isn't any convention of using it for traffic reports. It would be interesting to know what the hold up is or be warned of dodgy conditions ahead, but when CB was used for that it got invaded by idiots.

I've known some people who thought about getting back into CB, but decided it made more sense to get a Foundation amateur licence and have access to a wide range of frequencies and 10W. I'd recommend anyone even casually interested to do the Foundation course, it's a couple of days, it's cheap, it's interesting, nobody seems to fail it and you get to play with some radios.

[DJT]

NinjaPower said:

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

For around £25 you can get the BaoFeng UV-5R. Amazing little device for the money. Supports 0.5 and 5.0 watts. Used successfully on many Euro car trips.

[Haltamer]

DJT said:

For around £25 you can get the BaoFeng UV-5R. Amazing little device for the money. Supports 0.5 and 5.0 watts. Used successfully on many Euro car trips.

Second that - I've used one around the NC500. Range is adequate in car; Though picks up as soon as you have it outside the "faraday cage" - I'm almost tempted to find a vehicle mount antenna for use with one.

[Wills2]

Wooda80 said:

Hornettrucker1310 said:

Breaker, breaker 19 for a Roger, come back. My CB handle is the Wildcat, come back. Hi, guys, I am new to the forum, but I have been a CBer for many years and I have mastered the CB lingo, and I absolutely love using the CB to make loads of mates, especially the truckers where I can have a ratchet and a good laugh with them, but you do get idiots who spoil it for everyone else by being fking stupid and thinking that they are tough guys and trying to pick fights with people when pissed on the demon drink or out of their faces on drugs.

You'll feel right at home here then....

[Evercross]

Ah yes - good old CB radio, with its most attractive feature also being its achilles heel. HF band requiring massive antennas for decent local range yet capable of massive distance transmission thanks to ionospheric 'skip'.

I bought a mint condition Alan 9001 a few years back with the intention of having another go with it after all these years, but the rig ended up staying in the box I got it in until I sold it several years later - for a massive profit!

Some people still prepared to pay top dollar for vintage equipment in good nick because so much of it has been screwdrivered by blockheads.

[Who me ?]

Eggman said:

on't get caught! PMR is limited to 500mW, and iirc the types of radio you're allowed are very closely specified. The penalties are potentially quite significant.

Not sure how many people actually get 'done', but would imagine that if a policeman stopped you thinking you were using a mobile it could turn into something worse.

500mW.
Bit different to what I and mates at a radio place put out one night in the late 70's. This was way back in the days when AM CB was illegal and was being chased. Most of the blokes in our place were on the air, and we had one breaker on air a bit too close to our factory for comfort. At this time, rumour was that enforcement could be heard on the receiver as a burst of static. Third burst and you had company outside your car. We'd had enough and I got made a radio, capable of sending out a tone on CH19 at somewhere near 25W. Then one night we sent out two rapid bursts via the roof top aerial . Never heard him again.