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After 35 Years........

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Wibler

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Jun 20, 2018
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15
I am having a CB installed tomorrow! Looking forward to getting out onto Interstate-64 and Interstate-69 to see if anyone is on the bands!

r/Mike
 

KK4JUG

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
Messages
4,245
Location
GA
I hope you're not disappointed. CB use is spotty, at best, pretty much all across the country. Trucks on the two interstates might give you something.
 

spongella

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Messages
945
Location
W. NJ
Great idea. Lots less chatter than 35 years ago. One thing that hasn't changed is that when the band is open, you will hear lots of signals. And one thing that has changed, the FCC recently rescinded the 150 mile rule so now you can talk DX. Have fun.
 

Wibler

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2018
Messages
15
As soon as I pulled out of the parking lot at the place where I had the CB installed I heard people on Ch 19. And I asked for a few radio reports on the way home and got good reviews.

Its only been a few hours but so far it doesn't look like the CB Radio hobby is dead after all here in SW Indiana.

r/Mike
 

Michael-SATX

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
910
Location
San Antonio, Texas
"Key Up" : Breaker Breaker for that SW Indiana Man Mike ...

Tell us about your newly installed equipment setup and please give kudos to your radio shop used ?
Vehicle Model ?
Antenna Model ?
CB Radio Model ?
Antenna Placement ?
SWR tuned and tested ?
CB Radio Shop Company ?

OK Good Buddy back at you ;)
 

Wibler

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2018
Messages
15
"Key Up" : Breaker Breaker for that SW Indiana Man Mike ...

Tell us about your newly installed equipment setup and please give kudos to your radio shop used ?
Vehicle Model ?
Antenna Model ?
CB Radio Model ?
Antenna Placement ?
SWR tuned and tested ?
CB Radio Shop Company ?

OK Good Buddy back at you ;)

Ok, here you go.

Tom's CB and Car Audio store in Mt. Vernon, Indiana.
2013 Ford F150
Firestick antenna
Uniden PC68LTX
Right behind the driver, bracket on the metal edge of the bed.
Dunno
Dunno

r/Mike
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
I just returned to CB, and unfortunately here is South Texas, radio, all kind of bands frequencies, is dead. Nobody uses it any more, so I'm a little feeling like an idiot trying to run cassettes tapes in 2018. Seems Internet and Cell phones killed radio for good, at least here in deep South Texas...
 

FiveFilter

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
308
Plenty of truckers still have CB on board. However, many of their radios are turned down or turned off until they see a traffic hold-up or something unusual. Then they'll often tune in CB Channel 19 to find or report what the problem is and what might be done to avoid it.

The CB is not so much a hobby for truckers anymore or as much a means to communicate socially. For that, cell phones and satellite radios and the Internet when parked take care of that. Nowadays, for many truckers, CB is more of a tool to help them with traffic conditions and at loading docks etc. It's still the best thing available for that type of worthy assistance.

Perhaps the biggest problem with using the CB today for any serious purpose are the mentally and/or emotionally ill and/or extremely lonely misfits who are sometimes heard on the air trying to fill the voids in their lives and in the process trying to make everybody else as miserable as they are. Usually you can't hear them but for a few miles unless you take the proactive step to squeeze them out with that wonderful knob called squelch.
 

TheSpaceMann

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
1,333
Plenty of truckers still have CB on board. However, many of their radios are turned down or turned off until they see a traffic hold-up or something unusual. Then they'll often tune in CB Channel 19 to find or report what the problem is and what might be done to avoid it.

The CB is not so much a hobby for truckers anymore or as much a means to communicate socially. For that, cell phones and satellite radios and the Internet when parked take care of that. Nowadays, for many truckers, CB is more of a tool to help them with traffic conditions and at loading docks etc. It's still the best thing available for that type of worthy assistance.

Perhaps the biggest problem with using the CB today for any serious purpose are the mentally and/or emotionally ill and/or extremely lonely misfits who are sometimes heard on the air trying to fill the voids in their lives and in the process trying to make everybody else as miserable as they are. Usually you can't hear them but for a few miles unless you take the proactive step to squeeze them out with that wonderful knob called squelch.
Some of those crazies gave gone on to ham! :) https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/14747
 

KG4EMJ

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
109
Location
Central Kentucky
Good to hear. I was watching a video last night where a guy installed his first CB into a new Jeep Wrangler he just bought. He then make an 1,100 mile trip across much of the nation and he said that he got very very little response on channel 19. That sounded to me like the CB hobby is dying. From what you're saying, maybe it's still alive in certain regions of the nation.

So, what are truckers using to communicate with other drivers out on the road these days?
 

swen_out_west

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
236
Location
Upper Mojave,CA/NV
Perhaps the biggest problem with using the CB today for any serious purpose are the mentally and/or emotionally ill and/or extremely lonely misfits who are sometimes heard on the air trying to fill the voids in their lives and in the process trying to make everybody else as miserable as they are. Usually you can't hear them but for a few miles unless you take the proactive step to squeeze them out with that wonderful knob called squelch.

To add to spacemanns comment. Around Ridgecrest, CA they have moved on to being licensed Hams and putting up illegal simplex repeaters and jamming licensed GMRS that interfere with their lawlessness/mentally disturbed behavior trying to turn the GMRS/FRS band into CB.

Broadcasting White Supremacy rhetoric, racial slurs and language that makes this retired Navy Sailor blush with shame at 8 watts out of a 50 foot 6 db antenna on FRS channel 3 so the entire city of Ridgecrest, CA and surrounding areas up to 15 miles away can hear them.

Yes: I have filed complaints with the FCC, even got kicked off of MyGMRS.com when I informed them about the listing of some of them on their site, so would be more than happy to share their call signs via PM if you want them.

Point being is I hear these comments like you made regarding CB'rs and even hear the wannabe renegades make them, but before you criticize the CB, police your own. Of the illegal activity on PRS (CB/FRS/GMRS) and problems of the sort you pointed out I would be safe to say over 75 percent of it is by licensed Hams.
 
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swen_out_west

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
236
Location
Upper Mojave,CA/NV
Now to stick with the tread, welcome back. Yes, it is sporadic at times and you will find that drivers pretty much ignore you unless of course you say something that they just have to come back on,.

Ex. I was driving across the country (2500 mile trip one way) and both times I had very few comebacks, I had a bunch of skip from TN, (it appears CB is alive and strong down that way). I was in Salt Lake and came on 19 with the comment 'You would think with all these Mormons in Utah, it would be better driving through Salt Lake.'. I had 5 drivers come back to me and had a 15 minute conversation with one, lol.
 

FiveFilter

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
308
I sometimes call out on Channel 19 about a cop working radar at or near a specific mile marker just to liven-up an otherwise dead band. I'm not really condoning speeding or trying to protect those who do, and with 75mph limits there's probably not much of it going on with the truckers anyway, but sometimes I get bored. Occasionally I'll get a response asking for specifics such as what type of cop it is, but usually no response. That's OK with me.

Of course, I always note on 19 any traffic hazards I see or something that is causing a backup. Again, I get an occasional question or a "thank you driver," but usually only the crickets seem to voice a response. Again, that's OK with me.

Even radios and their proud antennas need a little exercise once in a while, and I aim to give it to them.
 

KK4JUG

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
Messages
4,245
Location
GA
I have a Cobra everything-in-the-mic CB but it usually stays packed away in the car. I quit using it because it got in the way since there was almost no one to talk to anymore. I'm retired and in the last decade or so I've probably done over 100K miles throughout the country. At first, I kept the CB accessible. When I finally woke up and realized there was almost no one out there, I put it away. I can drag it out if I need it.

On a side note, I also have a ham radio and it's not much better. Before I start out on a trip, I program it with the appropriate frequencies that I find in RepeaterBook (2m and .70m only). It's not the greatest source but there are many sources out there. Anyway, the repeaters are out there but come-backs are rare, maybe one in every 10 or 15 repeaters. Even then, I don't get to talk long because at highway speeds, you can be out of range very quickly.

Thank goodness for satellite radio.
 
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