CB manufacturer's publishing/marketing input wattage. Intentional deception?

[FPR1981]

I remember it well. I was a teenager, and arguing with a local guy who telling me that 4 watts of output power was the legal limit. And why? Because all of the Realistic CB's I saw were advertised as a "5 watt citizen band radio."

The old man replied, "That's five watts IN! Not out!"

Later in my life, I'd see radios advertised on the box and in literature as "7-watt citizen band" radios.

I couldn't fathom why these companies would even cite input wattage as a marketing or promotional point. It's virtually meaningless, for the sake of practicality. Further, it's misleading, because no one gives two shints how many watts of input power a CB is. I don't care if it's two, five, seven or nine. It's irrelevant to me and most consumers.

That begs the question, do you think manufacturers do that crap on purpose?

 

[mmckenna]

It wasn't the manufacturers. It was the FCC.

The FCC used to limit the transmitters by input power. After years of this, they simplified it to limit by transmitter output.

I remember having one of those magical 5 watt CB hand held radios.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

It wasn't the manufacturers. It was the FCC.

The FCC used to limit the transmitters by input power. After years of this, they simplified it to limit by transmitter output.

I remember having one of those magical 5 watt CB hand held radios.

I think they still have a maximum dissipation limit on the final device. So you wont have a design with a 50 watt final with the drive tweaked down.

 

[iMONITOR]

With today's CB AM transceivers (stock out of the box) isn't the typical output wattage to the antenna around 3.5 watts?

 

[mmckenna]

With today's CB AM transceivers (stock out of the box) isn't the typical output wattage to the antenna around 3.5 watts?

Likely. I know the last one i purchased was doing about 2.5 watts.

Like most low priced radios, they minimal amount of alignment they get is done as the go down the assembly line, and the goal is to make sure they don't exceed the FCC limits. Very little effort made to meet the requirement, just not to exceed them.

But most know that it's not about the wattage output, it's more about the antenna system. I never worried about mine only putting out 2.5 watts. I put my effort into a permanent mount antenna that was tuned correctly.

 

[n7lrg]

I had heard similar so when I bought my Pres McKinley off the web the dealer had advertised he also adjusts the power and modulation for I think $29. life is good here.

 

[ladn]

Later in my life, I'd see radios advertised on the box and in literature as "7-watt citizen band" radios.

The 7 watts (I seem to remember Midland was guilty of this) refers to audio wattage (somewhere in small print), not RF power.

 

[DaveC1964]

I remember it well. I was a teenager, and arguing with a local guy who telling me that 4 watts of output power was the legal limit. And why? Because all of the Realistic CB's I saw were advertised as a "5 watt citizen band radio."

The old man replied, "That's five watts IN! Not out!"

Later in my life, I'd see radios advertised on the box and in literature as "7-watt citizen band" radios.

I couldn't fathom why these companies would even cite input wattage as a marketing or promotional point. It's virtually meaningless, for the sake of practicality. Further, it's misleading, because no one gives two shints how many watts of input power a CB is. I don't care if it's two, five, seven or nine. It's irrelevant to me and most consumers.

That begs the question, do you think manufacturers do that crap on purpose?

Well marketing does that stuff. They know people will buy the one with the bigger number. It plays to FOMO. It was like that for old CRTs too they gave the diagonal measure of the picture tube itself not the viewable area allowed by the bezel frame (they actually got sued for that eventually). The radios is technically "5 watts" in some way just not 5 watts of RF output at the antenna. It is misleading but hey, marketing.

 

[n7lrg]

I also remember advertisements in a CB mag in the 70's for power supplies that said they would make your CB put out more power as they had higher voltage.

 

[spongella]

I remember CB radios always advertised as "5 watts input." Output depended on the efficiency of the transmitter. I've worked on a number of older CB radios and was able to adjust them for 4 watts output.

 

[spongella]

The 7 watts (I seem to remember Midland was guilty of this) refers to audio wattage (somewhere in small print), not RF power.

That reminds me of when I visited a motorcycle shop a few years back to look at a new Chinese-made motorcycle. The engine size (cc's) looked a lot smaller than the advertised displacement (cc's) specifications - after some detective work I found they were using the crankcase oil capacity instead!

 

[WB9YBM]

I also remember advertisements in a CB mag in the 70's for power supplies that said they would make your CB put out more power as they had higher voltage.

Yeah, I remember when the power in the car dropped below the "ideal" 13.8V (like when lights, fan, & etc. were all turned on to maximum while standing at a red light--especially if the car was left in "drive" instead of put in "neutral" the transmission would drag the engine RPM down a bit plus brake lights were dragging down the system a bit too). The lights on my CBs would get dimmer, and on talk peaks (transmit) the power meter wouldn't swing anywhere near as it would do when the car was running at proper (driving) RPM.

 

[WB9YBM]

The 7 watts (I seem to remember Midland was guilty of this) refers to audio wattage (somewhere in small print), not RF power.

Midland wasn't the only company that did that; yes, i remember seeing that fine print too.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

At least we arent seeing CB radios sold with 150 mile range on the packaging. Heck, Midland could claim 1500 mile range.

 

[a417]

At least we arent seeing CB radios sold with 150 mile range on the packaging.

on 3 AAA batteries, at that!

 

[FiveFilter]

1500 "skipper" miles