Cb radios with extra channels are they legal to use

[Blink962]

I always see people with CB radios with extra channels for sale what do they mean by extra channels and are they legal to use with extra channels to my understanding those extra channels goes into the ham band correct me if I'm wrong are these radios really technically legal to have and to use that is my question.

 

[troymail]

Chances are the answer is no.... particularly if the mods go into Ham frequencies.

 

[jonwienke]

Receiving transmissions on "extra" channels isn't illegal, but tranmitting is, unless you are a licensed ham and your license covers the frequency you are transmitting on.

 

[troymail]

I believe simply modifying a CB radio to do other than it's FCC approval authorizes is illegal in itself.

 

[buddrousa]

But then would the transceiver have to type accepted for that frequency (band)?

 

[buddrousa]

Troy it was in the 70's

 

[Blink962]

No these radios are new it looks like it just came out of the box I do see radios currently have extra channel features on them.

 

[mmckenna]

No these radios are new it looks like it just came out of the box I do see radios currently have extra channel features on them.

In the USA, the FCC is very clear. There are ONLY 40 channels assigned to the CB radio service. There are no "Extra Channels".

While some people do choose to modify their radios to add additional channels, AND there are "export" radios that are not necessarily legal for use in this country, they are not legal for use in the CB radio service.

Some of the frequencies are assigned to Part 90 commercial use. Some are used by the military. Some are 10 meter amateur band. Some are stuck between other services.

If you are following the FCC rules, then these are not legal. If you choose to ignore the rules, then that's a choice.

FCC Part 95, Subpart D: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-i...b6fae38b4ce&mc=true&node=sp47.5.95.d&rgn=div6

Here's the 40 "legal" channels:
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-i...true&node=sp47.5.95.d&rgn=div6#se47.5.95_1963

 

[swen_out_west]

Receiving transmissions on "extra" channels isn't illegal, but tranmitting is, unless you are a licensed ham and your license covers the frequency you are transmitting on.

The extra channels usually refers to the space between 12 meter and Ch 1 or Channel 40 and 10 meter (ie: the commonly used extra channel of 27.4350). So even licensed Hams aren't really authorized to transmit on those. Or even the R/C freqs within the CB band. Ie:27.195

The lower extra channels in particular used to be Civilian Air Patrol and got a lot of people in hot water.

 

[buddrousa]

Which are still not legal to use as CB. Just like the people running amps on their CB radios. Most people do not know if you use a beam antenna on CB channels the max height is 20 feet.

 

[spongella]

Some CB radios include the NOAA weather channels but probably that's not what they are referring to.

Back in the old days ops used illegal "sliders" (basically an outboard VFO) which allowed them to transmit on frequencies between the 40 channels; so they "slid" between the channels. CB channels are mostly spaced 10 kHz apart (a few are 20 kHz) so I guess they figured there'd be less QRM there.

 

[prcguy]

I was visited by the FCC in the late 1970s and they asked to see the radio I was using at a particular time and date. They tested the least modified one I pointed to, which was not the one I was using, and found the extra channels and slider. It was putting out less than legal power and I was fined for not using my call sign, which was the main reason they were there.

I asked about the extra channels and slider and since they did not catch me on an unauthorized frequency they could not add that to the fine. I was also operating mobile in my driveway and they could not fine me for my base antenna being 60ft in the air, which was also illegal to transmit with.

Having the mods or extra channels in your radio is not an offence if you don't transmit.
prcguy

But then would the transceiver have to type accepted for that frequency (band)?

 

[rbomba]

Sure it's illegal to transmit on the radios with all the "extra channels", however a simple YouTube search will produce numerous videos of guys showing how they modified a Stryker or Galaxy or Uniden. Some websites nowadays even sell radios tweaked and modified giving you the extra channels.

The problem with CB is that you're only allowed to transmit from 26.9650 - 27.4050 MHz. The allure of the export radios with additional "channels"; which are nothing more than a 10 meter radio that allows you to snip a wire and move a jumper and "abracadabra" you have a CB radio that also transmits into the Freebands. It also gives the individual too lazy to get his/her amateur license a way into frequencies not previously available. A quick YouTube search again shows that freeband is still jammed packed with guys calling CQ. I mean, along with 38 LSB, 27.555 sideband is also the unofficial international DX calling frequency.

Yes it's illegal....does the FCC care really? If you don't intrude into the Ham Bands or interfere with anything else in the freeband area, Probably not...

 

[troymail]

Is going 60 MPH on a 55 MPH road illegal? Sure. Will you get pulled over? Maybe. Maybe not... until you do.

Is it ok to break the law just because no one is looking?

 

[jonwienke]

Sure it's illegal to transmit on the radios with all the "extra channels", however a simple YouTube search will produce numerous videos of guys showing how they modified a Stryker or Galaxy or Uniden. Some websites nowadays even sell radios tweaked and modified giving you the extra channels.

It's not even illegal as long as you don't transmit.

 

[alcahuete]

Is it ok to break the law just because no one is looking?

No victim, no crime.

 

[KK4JUG]

No victim, no crime.

That's not the point.

 

[mmckenna]

No victim, no crime.

The problem with this attitude is that you wouldn't necessarily know there wasn't a victim.

Very easy to drive around with a CB on and hear guys with their "peaked and tweaked" radios splattering all over the bands. Just drove through Southern California and ran across that. Thought it was a truck near me on the highway. Nope, some guy yelling "auuuuuudiooooo" into his mic and coming across all channels.

And there is no magic that keeps the signal completely inside the CB band, it splatters up and down the spectrum. There is military and Part 90 frequencies adjacent to the CB band.

Assuming there is no victim when some CB users aren't smart enough to understand what their radio is doing is not a good argument.

 

[alcahuete]

That's not the point.

It might not be your point, but it certainly is my point.

Mmckenna, IlTrue, however, if the FCC really cared they would do something about it. I was mainly referring to the speeding analogy that was posted, i.e. doing 60 in a 55. Is it illegal? Sure. Does the CHP care? Not one bit. If the enforcement branch of the agency that polices the California freeways don't care, why should I? So I regularly go 5 MPH over the limit.

The FCC always claims that their agency is so underfunded and understaffed. Have you ever been to their buildings in D.C.? There are people slinking all over the place doing absolutely nothing...cubicle after cubicle...secretaries for the secretaries of secretaries.

They have more resources than they know what to do with. If folks on the CB band were interfering with important adjacent military or business frequencies, the FCC would do something about it. How long does it take to tack down a signal? Half a day tops? But they don't. They have decided long ago that the CB band and everything around it is a complete wasteland. How about all the huge power players on Channel 6 and Channel 11 every single day? Impossible to track them down? Many of them are running as much wattage as commercial AM/FM radio stations, yet nobody can find them? They modified the rules just a few months ago to match what was going on in the first place, because they realized how stupid many of the rules were in the first place.

Am I going to tell somebody to run extra channels in between and around the normal channels? Am I going to tell somebody to run huge linears that splatter all over the band? Of course not. As a ham, I have a personal obligation to uphold the sanctity of the bands. At the same time, I'm not going to bury my head in the sand. At some point, reality comes into play. It is illegal. The FCC will do nothing about it.

 

[KK4JUG]

It might not be your point, but it certainly is my point.

Mmckenna, IlTrue, however, if the FCC really cared they would do something about it. I was mainly referring to the speeding analogy that was posted, i.e. doing 60 in a 55. Is it illegal? Sure. Does the CHP care? Not one bit. If the enforcement branch of the agency that polices the California freeways don't care, why should I? So I regularly go 5 MPH over the limit.

The FCC always claims that their agency is so underfunded and understaffed. Have you ever been to their buildings in D.C.? There are people slinking all over the place doing absolutely nothing...cubicle after cubicle...secretaries for the secretaries of secretaries.

They have more resources than they know what to do with. If folks on the CB band were interfering with important adjacent military or business frequencies, the FCC would do something about it. How long does it take to tack down a signal? Half a day tops? But they don't. They have decided long ago that the CB band and everything around it is a complete wasteland. How about all the huge power players on Channel 6 and Channel 11 every single day? Impossible to track them down? Many of them are running as much wattage as commercial AM/FM radio stations, yet nobody can find them? They modified the rules just a few months ago to match what was going on in the first place, because they realized how stupid many of the rules were in the first place.

Am I going to tell somebody to run extra channels in between and around the normal channels? Am I going to tell somebody to run huge linears that splatter all over the band? Of course not. As a ham, I have a personal obligation to uphold the sanctity of the bands. At the same time, I'm not going to bury my head in the sand. At some point, reality comes into play. It is illegal. The FCC will do nothing about it.

Your argument strengthens mmckenna's point. Users should adopt amateur radio operators' attitude and police themselves so that it minimizes interference with others.