CB radio and DXing
- Thread starter Astrak
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nd5y
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n4voxgill
Silent Key
about four years ago. cycles have really been bad.
Hi Astrak and all,
DXing with a CB is illegal unless you're only listening. At this point in the sunspot cycle openings are infrequent and unexpected so all I can say is tune around and see what's happening. You'll have better luck on the ham bands where you can hear something besides bedlam and you can look up callsigns on www.qrz.com to see where they actually are, CBers are vague or outright lie to cover thier tracks.
DXing with a CB is illegal unless you're only listening. At this point in the sunspot cycle openings are infrequent and unexpected so all I can say is tune around and see what's happening. You'll have better luck on the ham bands where you can hear something besides bedlam and you can look up callsigns on www.qrz.com to see where they actually are, CBers are vague or outright lie to cover thier tracks.
tbone164
Member
Too general of a statement
The statement about CBer's being vague or lieing was to general of a statment. I have been a CBer for 23 years and just because some do it doesn't mean we all do. That would be like saying all Ham's are obnoctious. I now several and this is not the case. Some are like that and really act like they are above talking to a CBer, but it wouldn't be fair to asume all are that way. Just a thought, hope no one takes this the rong way, just the way I see it.
The statement about CBer's being vague or lieing was to general of a statment. I have been a CBer for 23 years and just because some do it doesn't mean we all do. That would be like saying all Ham's are obnoctious. I now several and this is not the case. Some are like that and really act like they are above talking to a CBer, but it wouldn't be fair to asume all are that way. Just a thought, hope no one takes this the rong way, just the way I see it.
I cut my radio teath on CB then went on to become a HAM, it can all be fun,
As noted before, the cycle is down but sometimes it surprises you, I had some fun a few weeks ago on 10 meters (just above CB). Mostly state side.
Generally speaking the bands are in the toilet right now.
Jay
As noted before, the cycle is down but sometimes it surprises you, I had some fun a few weeks ago on 10 meters (just above CB). Mostly state side.
Generally speaking the bands are in the toilet right now.
Jay
elk2370bruce
Member
10 has a few openings today. Heard a PY3 about 1430 EST with a 5-8.
Hi T Bone and all,
Go back and read me more carefully this time. The topic is DXing on CB, not the general behavior on the band.
Then you brought it up, I don't assume a thing when it comes to CB. >MY< 23 odd years as a CBer terminated when obnoxious became the rule rather than the exception. The rat overpopulation experiment was a microcosm of what happened to an overpopulated (with what we called potty mouths) CB, they ate each other and thinned the ranks to a few die hard foul mouthed truckers and freebanders invading other services including federal and military, even the 12 and 10 meter ham bands. If you don't like the average ham's low opinion of CBers, CBers shouldn't have brought it upon themselves.
Having said that I'll not be drawn into a fruitless off topic discussion, I have just a bit more respect for the readers who have earned it. My point was and is there are better things to listen to, far greater challenge and enjoyment DXing the HF bands that BTW are just hopping with activity. The trick is when to tune in, Christmas day was as usual a day to remember. All the ham bands were active with stations rolling in from everywhere, even the radio gods were smiling.
"Generally speaking the bands are in the toilet right now."
That's what far to many think so they don't bother tossing out a CQ. "Generally speaking" the higher frequency bands open up for daytime "short skip" here and there while the lower frequencies "go long" late in the evening. Then there is that peculiar grey line propagation where DX follows the terminator. Winter lowers the noise level considerably so there's lots of activity and good DX if you know where to be and when. Well, CB is good for ONE thing, it makes a good "beacon band" so you know when 12 and 10 are open even if nobody else thinks they are. (;->)
Now just wait for New Year's Eve and the following day when the bands explode! I remember one particular explosion in Rockport MA 1970-71, The Night Of The Slime-O-Tron on 3885 AM went down in ham history as this strange device blew up on the air at WA1HLR. Yup, if you know where the action is you'll have more fun than listening to the scanner while watching the ball drop in NY or the fireworks over Edenburgh.
Go back and read me more carefully this time. The topic is DXing on CB, not the general behavior on the band.
Then you brought it up, I don't assume a thing when it comes to CB. >MY< 23 odd years as a CBer terminated when obnoxious became the rule rather than the exception. The rat overpopulation experiment was a microcosm of what happened to an overpopulated (with what we called potty mouths) CB, they ate each other and thinned the ranks to a few die hard foul mouthed truckers and freebanders invading other services including federal and military, even the 12 and 10 meter ham bands. If you don't like the average ham's low opinion of CBers, CBers shouldn't have brought it upon themselves.
Having said that I'll not be drawn into a fruitless off topic discussion, I have just a bit more respect for the readers who have earned it. My point was and is there are better things to listen to, far greater challenge and enjoyment DXing the HF bands that BTW are just hopping with activity. The trick is when to tune in, Christmas day was as usual a day to remember. All the ham bands were active with stations rolling in from everywhere, even the radio gods were smiling.
"Generally speaking the bands are in the toilet right now."
That's what far to many think so they don't bother tossing out a CQ. "Generally speaking" the higher frequency bands open up for daytime "short skip" here and there while the lower frequencies "go long" late in the evening. Then there is that peculiar grey line propagation where DX follows the terminator. Winter lowers the noise level considerably so there's lots of activity and good DX if you know where to be and when. Well, CB is good for ONE thing, it makes a good "beacon band" so you know when 12 and 10 are open even if nobody else thinks they are. (;->)
Now just wait for New Year's Eve and the following day when the bands explode! I remember one particular explosion in Rockport MA 1970-71, The Night Of The Slime-O-Tron on 3885 AM went down in ham history as this strange device blew up on the air at WA1HLR. Yup, if you know where the action is you'll have more fun than listening to the scanner while watching the ball drop in NY or the fireworks over Edenburgh.
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