Never hear anyone on 19

[J20]

Was it at least good music?

It was so over Driven I couldn’t tell lol

 

[trentbob]

I'm in an area where the the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-95 and I 295 All Connect. I'm right near the turnpike Bridge between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in Bristol PA with many many truck stops in the general area. For years the CB radio was so busy on 19 and other channels. There are trucks everywhere here due to the nature of the industry in the area. Now you here absolutely nothing. Nothing. Channel 19 is as quiet as Channel 9. It's been that way for about a year now and before that happened we would just have the mentally unstable morons talkin with much profanity and playing music and so forth that you just had to shut the radio off it was useless. Even they are gone now. You also don't see any CB antennas on 18-wheelers anymore. I don't know what the hookers use at the truck stops anymore as it was a very valuable tool for them.

 

[RodStrong]

When traveling, the only time I hear much of anything on Ch 19 is when there's a big traffic jam and guys are whining about the delay and talking trash.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

I'm in an area where the the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-95 and I 295 All Connect. I'm right near the turnpike Bridge between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in Bristol PA with many many truck stops in the general area. For years the CB radio was so busy on 19 and other channels. There are trucks everywhere here due to the nature of the industry in the area. Now you here absolutely nothing. Nothing. Channel 19 is as quiet as Channel 9. It's been that way for about a year now and before that happened we would just have the mentally unstable morons talkin with much profanity and playing music and so forth that you just had to shut the radio off it was useless. Even they are gone now. You also don't see any CB antennas on 18-wheelers anymore. I don't know what the hookers use at the truck stops anymore as it was a very valuable tool for them.

The Lot Lizards are still around in the South and Southwest!

 

[Wally46]

I'm one of the lucky ones. I live in a town with many factories in the area and two bridges that trucks use to come into Iowa from Illinois or vise versa. Some of the factories actually use CB channels to communicate with the trucks. I scan all 40 channels and always hear conversations etc going on. There are also a bunch of us locals that hang out on 17. But yeah, I can drive on Interstate 80 for many miles and not hear anything. Sad

 

[sprite1741]

When the skip is in every channel is blasting. Channel 6 usually starts out first. My scan locked on channel 6 last week for about 30 seconds of mayhem then it faded out. I think they were in so. Cal. Had an opening 3 weeks ago to Seattle and BC for several hours one evening. No sunspots now so it's rare but still happens. Get off 19, unless your at a truck stop, that's the only place I hear that channel often unless skip is in. For locals during no skip, keep scanning all 40.

 

[hippieman556]

i hear it from time to time but not like it used to be

 

[sprite1741]

Skips in today, Georgia, Florida, Brazil, Dominican Republic talking to west coast. Every channel is blasting. Yea someone on here said CB is dead. LOL. Channel 19 busy today. 10 meter ham too.

 

[Rt169Radio]

Skips in today, Georgia, Florida, Brazil, Dominican Republic talking to west coast. Every channel is blasting. Yea someone on here said CB is dead. LOL. Channel 19 busy today. 10 meter ham too.

Do you use AM or SSB to get skip talking?

 

[sprite1741]

I was busy today so mostly listening to ssb. My point in posting is CB is not dead. Get on. Not that it makes much difference but the FCC rescinded the 150 mile limit. Skip or local enjoy the radio.

 

[Citywide173]

The strange thing is that every truck I see has a CB antenna.

Check the 10 and 12 meter bands...lots of illegal freebanding going on over the roads

 

[FiveFilter]

The CB is still a very useful tool on the road because a lot of truckers still use it as a tool for reporting road blockages, wrecks, equipment failures, etc to each other.

However:

It is no longer much of a social network to alleviate loneliness as it might have been years ago. That has been taken up by the Internet.

It is no longer as much of an entertainment tool to alleviate boredom. That has been taken up by not only the Internet, but by satellite radio and TV.

It is no longer as much of a tool to report problems to and to get help from the police. That has been taken up by the cell phone.

Nevertheless,the CB is still an important tool for truckers to communicate among themselves. I witnessed this last week, when a wreck obstructed a major Interstate going over a swamp, which backed up and/or stopped traffic for hours. But I heard on Channel 19 about an alternate route about 10 miles away that could avoid the terrible delay if you chose that route before getting mired in the traffic. Those who had a CB tuned to 19 heard about it and saved themselves a lot of time and frustration. Among those was Yours Truly.

 

[LEH]

I put my CB in the car for a recent road trip, almost totally dead. I've got a Cobra 29 LX and it has a scan feature for the 40 channels. Not much activity.

I hope we won't see too many other states adopt the Delaware law that pretty much ends CB talking. Unless your public service or a business that uses radio dispatch, you cannot have a mike in your hand while driving. The strictest 'distracted driving' law in the country. Apparently the law dates from 2011 and hasn't been changed since then.

 

[FiveFilter]

I wonder if it occurs to lawmakers that having a passenger or passengers in the car represents perhaps the biggest distraction known to man, or woman, or those with an X on the gender line.

 

[Dann]

I drive a big truck, I always have my radio on 19. lots of new young drivers don't have a CB. Its all about cell phones and tablets. Some companies don't order new trucks with the CB package anymore. Most of the time you will hear drivers chatting while running together. Old school drivers still use it.

 

[N0ZQR]

I hear a lot of drivers are starting to use Marine radios, is this true?

 

[nd5y]

I hear a lot of drivers are starting to use Marine radios, is this true?

Some have been doing that for decades.

 

[N0ZQR]

That said, what channels do they primarily use. Or is it every one?

 

[02blackss]

Cb is completely dead In Canada

Depends where you are again....I take the highway every morning..410/401 areas in Mississauga (trucking area) And the CB is buzzing with activity....Channel 19

 

[KD0PEZ]

From what I've gathered, not many truck drivers use CB anymore. It could be the newer ones think it's an outdated tool. Or the truck itself lacks the groundplane required. Some have grown tired of the crap sometimes heard on the airwaves, or the skip that interferes with when they just want to talk up the road a few miles.

CB is now known as a "backup radio", because the main time you hear it used, is when there's a back up.