I was wondering if anyone has heard whether or not the CB will follow the way of the police scanner and go digital. I am making reference to digital transmissions and not display.
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Digital CB Transmissions
- Thread starter Ensnared
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JoeyC
Senior Member
Since CB radio has long passed its heyday, can't imagine anyone putting money or research into that.
Thanks. Well, since there is now satellite radio, digital scanners, etc., I thought I would ask.
Scan-Denver
Member
Not only that, adding more technology only increases the already inflated price of a radio that isn't worth half of what they sell for these days.
Actually, I am happy those four-wheelers (one myself, but I have common sense) don't get on the air anymore. Typically, truckers still provide the fairly accurate reports on the highway. Furthermore, I cannot count the number of times they've helped me get around road blockages on interstates. I would not want to be without my CB. However, as technology advances and circuits become smaller and cheaper, I would not rule that out. From the standpoint of static in the background, this would be eliminated without cranking the squelch. I will remain optimistic, but not delusional. Ha.
rfradioconsult
Member
Most of the rest of the world adpoted NBFM for their 27 MHz CB use. When we lived in Germany in the early 90's we had some German spec CB's.
dugan
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CB for farm use
We still have a CB base station and several portable units. Around the farm we tried VHF and UHF radios, but between the hills and valleys we were often frustrated. The CB's are cheap and give us the coverage we want, so that's why we still use them.
Dugan
We still have a CB base station and several portable units. Around the farm we tried VHF and UHF radios, but between the hills and valleys we were often frustrated. The CB's are cheap and give us the coverage we want, so that's why we still use them.
Dugan
rfradioconsult
Member
What a lot of folks don't realize that given the equilivent radios and antennas with one set using AM and the second set using FM, generally the AM mode with yield longer range.
Well, one advantage to AM mode is hearing lightening strikes in the background. Ha.
James_Bond_007
Member
i would like to see a wattage bump to say 25 watts pep ssb and see cb go entirely sideband with digital voice modes over sideband being allowed. i would like to see manufactures build stable transmitters for cb like ham transceivers have and better receivers like ham stuff has.
making sideband mandatory will double the channels to 80 having highly stable oscillators will eliminate the need for a clarifier and make mobile operation of sideband more safe and practical.
this stuff is cheap to implement now a days and there is no reason to not do something like this.
also it would be nice to see the height restrictions on antenna's eliminated. can you say 4 bay dipole array running 1 inch hard line
making sideband mandatory will double the channels to 80 having highly stable oscillators will eliminate the need for a clarifier and make mobile operation of sideband more safe and practical.
this stuff is cheap to implement now a days and there is no reason to not do something like this.
also it would be nice to see the height restrictions on antenna's eliminated. can you say 4 bay dipole array running 1 inch hard line
also it would be nice to see the height restrictions on antenna's eliminated. can you say 4 bay dipole array running 1 inch hard line
You always come up with the strangest ideas. :roll:
Laughing about the lightening comment.
roadranger
Member
Digital...
may be a good idea, yet slow like Ham Radio. It may not catch on. Thinking more on the texting lines, not talking on digital radios.
may be a good idea, yet slow like Ham Radio. It may not catch on. Thinking more on the texting lines, not talking on digital radios.
W2WDX
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If you want all that why not just get a Technician class Amateur license. Heck you do all of that on 10m with the same equipment and you would be allowed to modify it to your hearts content, legally.
Guys on the Ham bands are building AM transmitters with digital PWM (pulse width modulation) using FETs with 300w (or more) carrier. These FETs cost about a $2 and 24 of them can yield 700w carrier and I don't want to say how much PEP. And these things run about 90%+ efficient no less!
Here's a link: The Official Class E Transmitter Web Site by WA1QIX
Anyway, my point is get an Amateur license. It's so easy now. No Morse test. Just a simple 25 multiple choice test that anyone can study for in a few days. It's a no-brainer, and you don't have to wait for manufacturers to decide what they can or will offer, nor wait for the FCC to change rules in Part 95, which is unlikely. If you want some technology, power or whatever, just build or modify or buy.
Guys on the Ham bands are building AM transmitters with digital PWM (pulse width modulation) using FETs with 300w (or more) carrier. These FETs cost about a $2 and 24 of them can yield 700w carrier and I don't want to say how much PEP. And these things run about 90%+ efficient no less!
Here's a link: The Official Class E Transmitter Web Site by WA1QIX
Anyway, my point is get an Amateur license. It's so easy now. No Morse test. Just a simple 25 multiple choice test that anyone can study for in a few days. It's a no-brainer, and you don't have to wait for manufacturers to decide what they can or will offer, nor wait for the FCC to change rules in Part 95, which is unlikely. If you want some technology, power or whatever, just build or modify or buy.
Even if the FCC gave a crap about CB and modified the rules to allow digital (such as AX25 packet) manufacturers would be the losers having to produce an expensive FM transceiver few if anyone would buy. Why FM? Quieting, being that AM and SSB which lends itself beautifully to digital are inherently noisy and easily interfered with so you need a clear channel, something extremely rare on CB. On the other hand due to capture ratio and incompatibility with other modes it would piss everybody off, bad idea. In case you didn't know, digital modes rely on modem tones or frequency shift keying (FSK) which are inaudible on an AM receiver so getting clobbered by a co-channel user would be a problem.
John, you love to confuse people who are now scratching their heads wondering how PWM turns into AM but we'll let them do their own homework, now won't we? (;->) Anyway you have the right idea, Amateur bands are loaded with all sorts of digital signals so forget CB, it's a basket case to begin with.
As an aside:
"Most of the rest of the world adpoted NBFM for their 27 MHz CB use. When we lived in Germany in the early 90's we had some German spec CB's."
That was in the early 90s when 11M CB was legalized but it went over like a lead balloon. On the other hand the original UHF CB is still going strong, it has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages. Oh and BTW, what is "adpoted"? (;->)
John, you love to confuse people who are now scratching their heads wondering how PWM turns into AM but we'll let them do their own homework, now won't we? (;->) Anyway you have the right idea, Amateur bands are loaded with all sorts of digital signals so forget CB, it's a basket case to begin with.
As an aside:
"Most of the rest of the world adpoted NBFM for their 27 MHz CB use. When we lived in Germany in the early 90's we had some German spec CB's."
That was in the early 90s when 11M CB was legalized but it went over like a lead balloon. On the other hand the original UHF CB is still going strong, it has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages. Oh and BTW, what is "adpoted"? (;->)
rfradioconsult
Member
adpoted
German slang for "stuck with"
German slang for "stuck with"
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