29.620 Newport News

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GROCKSHD

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Hello all,
So I installed a 10/12 meter radio in my Jeep and have been hearing transmissions on 29.620 MHz in the AM mode. It sounds like truckers or a logging/trucking business. Is there anyone in the area that has heard such traffic on this frequency.... or is able to?
 

KF4ZTO

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Are you sure they're on 29.620 and not 29.625?

Chances are they're operating modified 10-meter equipment (really 11-meter freeband gear, usually covers 25.615-28.305 MHz, but more and more radios now cover 25.615-30.105 or 24.265-29.655 MHz (or some variation on this). The radios are sold as "10-meter" or "12 and 10 meter" radios to circumvent FCC regulations regarding type-accepted CB equipment. The RF Limited Magnum 1 radio you're using is an example of that type of equipment. It covers 24.890-24.990 MHz and 28.000-29.700 MHz if you select one option on the radio's menu...but it also covers 25.615-30.105 MHz if you select the other option. There is basically no enforcement of these rules, combined with the fact that the legal 40 CB channels are often congested...truckers are looking for a clear frequency.

That's why I ask if they're using 29.625 and not 29.620. The 2x.xx5 "channelization" is quite common with modified CB/export/"10 meter" equipment. Often the radio simply has a channel display and a band switch (with no frequency display) so the people you're hearing probably have no idea they're operating inside 10 meters. The fact that they're running AM in the FM voice portion of the band further supports this.

Assuming they're not using callsigns its safe to say they're probably running illegal broadbanded "10-meter" equipment. I've heard truckers talking on 25.835 MHz in Richmond several times, 26.735, 26.775 and all sorts of frequencies above CB channel 40.

In places like Latin America and Eastern Europe/Russia, 10 meters is often completely overrun by out of band CB-like traffic.
 
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GROCKSHD

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You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I'll try 29.625 next time I hear them.... The signal is very strong and I never get a response when I try to call. I've been able to talk with another ham on 29.600 FM with My Magnum 1 so I know I can get out there and be heard... Maybe they just go silent when they hear a callsign being used....
 

KF4ZTO

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Definitely try 29.625 next time and see if they get back to you. Chances are they aren't even aware they're operating in 10 meters. Some people would encourage you to try and chase them down below 28.000 MHz (or, in this case, maybe easier to chase them above 29.700 MHz??) but that can often have mixed results...

On a 10 band radio covering 25.615-30.105 MHz, with 25.615-26.055 MHz being the de facto standard "Band A" and the legal CB band being "Band D" (0.450 MHz per band), 29.625 MHz is Channel 37 on "Band I". I have a feeling these guys were using the real CB channel 37 and decided they wanted a clear or "private" channel so they just flipped the band switch up several bands.

I also imagine their antennas aren't very resonant 2+ MHz away from the center of the CB band...so if the signals are strong they're likely quite close to you and/or are running considerable power. Probably a combination of the two considering how far away they are from where their antennas are likely tuned for. Since most CB antennas are cut "long" (out of the box resonate lower in frequency), and a lot of people never actually bother to tune their antenna, you could be hearing people potentially stressing their finals pretty well too.

The real question is, how do you condense that into "flip that band switch down 3 or 4 bands and your radio will last a lot longer and perform better" and would the truckers/logging operators in question actually care? I'm sure there are dozens of clear frequencies below 28.000 MHz too...usually when I hear truckers operating out of band, they're using frequencies below CB channel 1, the most popular ones being the channel 19 of each respective "band" on their radio. So that's 25.835 MHz, 26.285 MHz, 26.735 MHz (extremely popular), and 27.635 MHz. Going "up two bands" from CB channel 19 puts you on 28.085 MHz (yes, I've heard lots of truckers on that frequency as well).

Another popular thing to do is for truckers to have a "company channel" and use that (instead of channel 19) as the starting point. It's possible that channel 37 is the logging/trucking company in question's "company channel" and that's why you're hearing these folks on that particular frequency. It's a lot easier to ask the person you're talking to go up or down a certain number of bands than it is to ask them to go up or down a certain number of bands and then change channels. Assuming the people you're hearing are using different models of radios, there is the potential for folks to end up on different frequencies...so the "QSY" method is generally something like "hey, go up 3 bands" .... and the channel selector is never touched, just the band switch.

See a 25.615-30.105 band+channel frequency chart here:

https://www.bellscb.com/cb_radio_hobby/Stryker_10-band_frequency_chart.jpg
 
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jwt873

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Back in the late 70's, early 80's, during the CB heyday, you could hear regular CB chatter spaced every 10Khz from channel 40 at 27.405 well up into the 10 meter band.

I've never heard any up in the FM portion of 10 meters, but that doesn't mean they won't go there.
 

KF4ZTO

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Back in the late 70's, early 80's, during the CB heyday, you could hear regular CB chatter spaced every 10Khz from channel 40 at 27.405 well up into the 10 meter band.

I've never heard any up in the FM portion of 10 meters, but that doesn't mean they won't go there.

When the band is open, even know I can hear traffic every 10 kHz up into 10 meters. Lots of the SSB operators use 5 kHz steps, especially in the 27.500-27.700 MHz range. I use heavy activity on the 11 meter "freeband" as an indicator of 10 meter (and VHF low band) openings.

OP, did you end up hearing the logging trucks on 29.620/29.625 again?
 

GROCKSHD

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I haven't heard them recently, but haven't spent too much time listening for them... I do suspect it might be the loggers down the road from me. I'll try tomorrow and drive by the worksite to see if they are there.
 
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