Are CB radios in use anymore?

[Spud]

Short skip

You're probably right, however skip conditions could have played a part in this also. Remember someone transmitting at the top of lookout mountain is going to get greater distance (even at the legal 4 watts) than someone transmitting in their car/home in the city.

A properly tuned radio and antenna along with excellent coax will produce excellent results !

Skip that short on 27 MHz would be very rare, even though it can happen. It is more likely during sunspot maximums (one is due to occur in another 3 or 4 years).
It was most likely line-of-sight path and it would also be rare for the station to be running only 4 watts. Running higher power is not a major issue like it used to be. Acting like a bucolic buffalo on the radio is still a problem that is frequently heard in the CB band though.

I got my start in two way radio on the CB back in 1967 when virtually everyone was licensed and legal on the 23 channel system. (Issued call was KOT3226). Still monitor and occasionally operate on there.

The CB band is usually very quiet in Fort Collins except for the conversations that can be heard on I-25 and Hwy 287 from here up toward Wyoming.


The spud