CB has changed a bit

[slowmover]

WEF's Yuval Harari: 'Don't Need the Vast Majority of the Population'

There’s no future planned for the Bos-Wash Corridor population.

— Time to get far across the Alleghenies and Appalachians (to US Midwest & Great Lakes region). Florida & Texas will revert to being agricultural colonies beset by malaria (new equivalencies).

A DSP mobile transceiver is more valuable than ever.

Politics is a stroke of a pen. Natural resources are not.

30-40” annual rainfall is the magic zone. (North of the Ohio).



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[trentbob]

I t


I thought of asking you what CB antenna you have and what height is the feedpoint (maybe I’ve asked), as I look at your posts in a similar fashion.

AM-19 exists, in profusity, but for many readers here it would appear to be hit or miss.

Foreign drivers is what I’d suspect for much of what you aren’t hearing. Long range loads out of Cali or the Texas valley on the way to Hunters Point.

Much of the other trucking shifted to 81 and is offloaded near Allentown (as I’ve related). The fleet trucks out of DCs maybe day cabs pulling pup trailers.

View attachment 125915

No sleeper. Super short trailer to make dedicated deliveries. Home every night. Same roads in main.

Swedesboro, NJ, where I got stuck for over a month. NJ-620 at IH-295 in sat pic is one of these newish “warehouse districts” you can study online. Trucks aren’t negotiating their way into the post WWII city with pre-1980 warehousing.

Elimination of competition and foreign manufacture changed trucking to reflect a now limited set of retail outlets (chains). Five national food processors. Etc. Stuff comes from sea & rail ports, the rest by truck.

View attachment 125916

I have always used a hy-gain CLR-2.

I have certainly seen a change in logistics and traffic in my once very busy area. Petro over in Bordentown is pretty quiet, that's less than 5 mi from me as the crow flies across the river. I'm located near Route 13 and the Turnpike connector Bridge where the Wawa truck stop is and it's always empty. That was a banging place at one time and so was Petro.

It put the hot lizards out of business who live over in the homeless camp in the woods near the Wawa LOL. Well it's late on the east coast and I'm off to bed.

 

[slowmover]

Link:
HY GAIN CLR 2 Survivor

That looks like a great antenna to own.

I’m going to wonder out loud if maybe age hasn’t affected it? (Time to examine & refresh?).

I’ve used the Blue Beacon twice at the Bordentown Petro the past calendar year (past noon), and both times on the approach, the two hours I was there, and on the exit — call it 2.5-hrs — I had the radio turned up to keep distant signals on the NJTP listen-able (concern that — were there a wreck or problem I’d just shut ‘er down where I was versus continuing south)

The KW T680 I was driving had a good overall system ($1,200 in gear and several days work to install it), and I’m certain I was hearing five-miles plus. I wouldn’t say “ten”, though I wouldn’t rule it out.

I didn’t lack for radio company. I don’t recall being involved in much past maybe a comment or two, and I’m stumped you can’t hear the guys waiting midday (reefers getting washouts). Some have da juice.

You and I should be able to converse mobile to base over 5-miles. 85W and cophase 7’ Skipshooters are “enough” on AM over that distance.

The exact same situation occurs in both Amarillo, TX and Knoxville, TN where there are local base stations on air at similar distances and we can talk till the cows come home.

The NJTP wasn’t “quiet” in the mid-morning to mid-afternoon hours from IH-278 as I traveled it from N-S. (Normal traffic; nothing unusual occasioning more talk).

IMO, maybe time to raise a SIRIO substitute till a gold-plated overhaul on the CLR-2 is done.

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[trentbob]

View attachment 125944
Link:
HY GAIN CLR 2 Survivor

That looks like a great antenna to own.

I’m going to wonder out loud if maybe age hasn’t affected it? (Time to examine & refresh?).

I’ve used the Blue Beacon twice at the Bordentown Petro the past calendar year (past noon), and both times on the approach, the two hours I was there, and on the exit — call it 2.5-hrs — I had the radio turned up to keep distant signals on the NJTP listen-able (concern that — were there a wreck or problem I’d just shut ‘er down where I was versus continuing south)

The KW T680 I was driving had a good overall system ($1,200 in gear and several days work to install it), and I’m certain I was hearing five-miles plus. I wouldn’t say “ten”, though I wouldn’t rule it out.

I didn’t lack for radio company. I don’t recall being involved in much past maybe a comment or two, and I’m stumped you can’t hear the guys waiting midday (reefers getting washouts). Some have da juice.

You and I should be able to converse mobile to base over 5-miles. 85W and cophase 7’ Skipshooters are “enough” on AM over that distance.

The exact same situation occurs in both Amarillo, TX and Knoxville, TN where there are local base stations on air at similar distances and we can talk till the cows come home.

The NJTP wasn’t “quiet” in the mid-morning to mid-afternoon hours from IH-278 as I traveled it from N-S. (Normal traffic; nothing unusual occasioning more talk).

IMO, maybe time to raise a SIRIO substitute till a gold-plated overhaul on the CLR-2 is done.

Yeah I don't know if you have seen me post about this before but I sold my Galaxy DX 2547 SSB about a year ago. It was Juiced up pretty good, by coincidence, by someone in Delran just south of Bordentown. I got a pretty penny.



I've had many, many CLR-2s over the decades, the last one which was in bad shape had the cap blown off the top and lost one of the radials and I brought it down using that mast for a Discone.

I've always used a R75 to monitor 11 meters. When that finally died, I had one of the first, I actually had to install the DSP myself LOL. I got a eton Elite 750. I actually do monitor truck stop activity at Petro. It's not the same as having an actual CB radio, it's just not something that I occupy a single radio with being that have scaled down since everything police around me is encrypted including Trenton, Hamilton and Bordentown. All of Burlington County and my own County of Bucks..

So I have to confess that post virus I am totally out of operating on 11 m and I'm not active on 10 m. Mostly stick to 2 m repeaters. Not all that much interested anymore.

Being first involved in CB in the mid-60s as a kid I am finally non-active now.

If we did enter a new phase with a whole new crowd, again, I would consider getting back in the mix

 

[slowmover]

I’ll argue (next three days, non-stop; cogently) we are in that new phase. Socially (politically).

Rumblings of that are heard across AM-19.

The game changer in mobile is NRC. DSP-integrated filtration in the 5555N V2 and 955 V2.

I wouldn’t wait. Having one to go into the mobile (given a base station substitute) is right up your alley. (Links at other thread).

The CRT-7900 V2 also (all with same board; but 955 for the TX audio win).




https://www.walcottradio.com/stryker-sr955hpc-10-meter-radio-with-single-sideband-p-2347.html

Be sure it’s V2

It’s been very easy for the bad actors to put their thumbs down on critical points. Arson has taken out (95) food plants already.

CB is a weathervane.

 

[slowmover]

And I can’t say I know what you mean by CV-19 having changed anything. I never stopped going where I would, never was “tested” (there’s no test for that which doesn’t exist separately), or wore a mask, much less took the Death Jab.

But the statistics show that unexpected death rates among working age and younger Americans are up, and serious plus fatal auto accidents are up across the country to rates not seen in more than ten years (decline in mental acuity).

This latter part has been obvious to me and my truck driver friends since Feb 2021. Accidents that shouldn’t happen, do, and they’re more serious as well.

CB Radio to be needed just to get across town

You’ve my promise that with a good install you’ll communicate with the very few who are needed. As that’s my experience.

The premise of threads like this is the uncanny discovery of others in the 1970s. Well, . . . it’s back. With a new suit and a fresh haircut.

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[trentbob]

And I can’t say I know what you mean by CV-19 having changed anything. I never stopped going where I would, never was “tested” (there’s no test for that which doesn’t exist separately), or wore a mask, much less took the Death Jab.

But the statistics show that unexpected death rates among working age and younger Americans are up, and serious plus fatal auto accidents are up across the country to rates not seen in more than ten years (decline in mental acuity).

This latter part has been obvious to me and my truck driver friends since Feb 2021. Accidents that shouldn’t happen, do, and they’re more serious as well.

CB Radio to be needed just to get across town

You’ve my promise that with a good install you’ll communicate with the very few who are needed. As that’s my experience.

The premise of threads like this is the uncanny discovery of others in the 1970s. Well, . . . it’s back. With a new suit and a fresh haircut.

.

Sounds compelling, you know right now what's getting me the most is the price tags for new equipment. Retired on Social Security and a couple of modest pensions I am getting crushed. I don't have a dime for a new piece of equipment, I see everyone having plenty of money to buy all this great stuff but it isn't as if I didn't plan and three years ago I was doing great in retirement. Not anymore, so as I sort out all of my obligations and thank God I'm not in any debt whatsoever, I'm going to look into some of this new technology, I would enjoy it, but first I have to make sure I have enough hot dogs in the fridge to live on.

As far as how you say the China virus is affecting things, it really has, I've worn a mask when I was forced to even though the box it came from said it didn't prevent or protect from any disease. I've gotten the jab four times. Tested a few times and luckily have not suffered any side effects or cognitive impairment that wasn't already there LOL.

We have seen an increase in fatal wrecks. I think it's a psychological reaction to the very high price of fuel. People feel entitled to drive like maniacs because they paid for the privilege. The increase number of fatal crashes is not because they were accidents it was because people are just driving crazy.

Well I'm off to bed with an early day tomorrow.

 

[Citywide173]

I had to make a trip to New York State yesterday and didn't hear a lot on the 996XT scanning the CB frequencies the whole way. I did, however stop into a Love's on the NY/MA border and look at their display case. They had the President Thomas FCC on display for $109. It's a nice looking, compact radio so I decided to investigate it a bit further when I got home.

It's the first mobile AM/FM CB offered here in the US and has pretty good reviews. I found one on Amazon for $99 and additionally found a $20 mail in rebate that is good on purchases through tomorrow. The added plus is that it's the tax-free weekend here in MA, so I saved that as well. I'll install it before the trip to Baltimore later this week and see what happens. I know it's going to be a while before FM catches on, but why not be prepared?

 

[redbeard]

I’ll argue (next three days, non-stop; cogently) we are in that new phase. Socially (politically).

Rumblings of that are heard across AM-19.

It’s been very easy for the bad actors to put their thumbs down on critical points. Arson has taken out (95) food plants already.

CB is a weathervane.

wat

 

[W8HDU]

For better or for worse, I purchased a QYT CB-58 for evaluation. The evaluation purpose is for comms while working in dense forest as well as hunting. Probably not the environment most in this thread would be interested in.

The pros; 27 MHz propagates better than UHF in a dense foliage. The cons; the efficiency of this radio's antenna seems "optimistic" at best. I plan to do a field test on 27, 151, and 451 MHz to see how well it works. I can say with certainty that 451 does not work well in the woods due to the absorption factor of pine needles. Also 4 watts on (8) AA batteries seems like a recipe for power pack changes often. But, I'm going to be fair with the evaluation.

Sidenote: we always used 451 for our hunting trips, but in 2019 found that some other hunters found out we were using them, and were monitoring, and following us around. Encryption fixed that, but the foliage always attenuated our signals. The low band itinerant radios all worked great, albeit three times as heavy.

 

[Ensnared]

It seems to be better than 20 years ago, much better nets now.

Yes, the clueless four-wheelers no longer have radios, for the most part. Hence, depending on when and where, you are more likely to get accurate information from truckers.

 

[Ensnared]

My 1975 setup A 1963 Radio shack TRC 5 with a cup of crystals a Hallicrafters S38 and my flag ship was
a Ray Jefferson 23 Channel that also did 22A when you got the knob between 23 and the dot !
My Dad made me a box out of Paneling to make it feel like a Golden Eagle. Hey as a kid it was cool ~
The Ray Jefferson had a relay to switch to transmit and the power Mic would pic it up an make a Clank noise
on the air.
Well it was not a Browning Ping but more a clank~
View attachment 125843
My first contact radio Pre1970

View attachment 125848

Pete N1EXA

Bet this one would "get out." LOL.

 

[W8HDU]

An update on the CB-58 radios by QYT. I'm returning the two I purchased to test out. I hoped they would have had some success given that the UHF radios we use in the woods typically lose range due to the foliage. Anyway the reasons.

1. Radio claim certification (from QYT) for N.A. but none exists.
2. One radio died 18 hours into testing. Would be sitting on the bench in receive mode, and then just turn off.
3. One setting in the programmer is to turn off the "beep" the radio makes when changing functions. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
4. Memory channels had strange frequencies in them, such as 26.9550, 26.9450, and 26.9350. Memory channels can not be deleted by the user by the radio or programming software. You can not overwrite a memory channel.
5. Memory encoder sometimes stumbles over saved channels. With 8 saved channels as you step up it may go from M3 to M4, but then drop to M1 forcing the user to have to try again to get up to 8. Going down despite turning the encoder down, it stops at M1, and doesn't flip over to M8.
6. In FM mode, CTCSS (PL) tones work right. In the DCS mode, the programmer puts in DCS-23 (131N) the service monitor reported 546. DSC-001 (023N), and the service monitor reported 546. I set the radio to DSC-073 (452N) and the service monitor reported 452.
7. The squelch opens on the first radio radio in FM mode at 1.24uV (-105.1 dBm). The test was repeated again with a 700 Hz tone modulated 2 KHz deviation. Same result. Second radio was sligthly worse. In AM it seems to pick up more noise forcing squelch to be turned up ridiculously high.
8. On stock antenna, 33% of the 4 watts forwarded is reflected. Mfgr claims antenna is 27.195 center cut. Third party antenna purchased which had 3.6% reflected out of 4 watts forward.
9. One radio was pretty good on stability +23 hz on channel 1, -2 on channel 15, and -49 on channel 40. The other had a low of -238 on channel 1, and -307 hz on channel 40.
10. No clear instructions on menus or settings. No support from manufacturer, nor replies to inquiries. Question about speaker/mic also ignored.

Conclusion. Best to pass. While I think there is a need in the CB community for a good hand-held CB, this ain't it. I had high hopes.

 

[slowmover]

Thx for the effort & write-up.

 

[merlin]

My first official CB radio was the General MC-11A. Original 25watt, 24 channel. Add a D-104 and HiGain's Supermag at 40 foot
it was an unbeatable talker.
Migrated to Heatkit Apache and R-390, now I was global.
Went from that to all mil-spec high power stuff, enough to put channel 6 to bed.
My old handle, the Starduster Redondo.
Wow, blast from the past.

 

[W8HDU]

Do any of the old timers remember a radio called the "Citicaster" or something like that. Small, lunchbox style, tube type 23 channel radio. In the early 70s it was rare then. Only knew one CBer with it. Most of us dregs of 11 meters, (nickname the hams gave us), were relegated to the Lafayette, and Johnson radios. If you were lucky, a Cobra.

 

[swlqsl]

He probably had a Browning CB. The Golden Eagle was one of the models. I remember the distinctive ping when the transmitter was keyed.

Love the Browning Golden Eagle... We had one when I was growing up in the 70's when I hear one today It brings back memories still...

 

[N1EXA]

Love the Browning Golden Eagle... We had one when I was growing up in the 70's when I hear one today It brings back memories still...

Love my Eagle - Very Old School Sure beats some plastic box sitting on the desk !

 

[redbeard]

Love my Eagle - Very Old School Sure beats some plastic box sitting on the desk !

Bet it has an interesting ping with that +3 on it. I love those mics and their sound.

 

[W8HDU]

Bet it has an interesting ping with that +3 on it. I love those mics and their sound.

I recall in the late 70s someone made a little PCB which you could stuff into a radio to mimic the "ping" because it was sort of a status symbol. Later the fake "ping" turned louder and longer, as ops tried to search for an identity. Now it seems to be reverbs. I heard a guy on from somewhere in Mississippi with on on channel 14 and it was hard to understand him as he was shouting with the reverb and talking fast.