How can this even be possible?

[Scoopnrunner]

Hello all. I just purchased a Uniden BC355N scanner with a very short 18" wire antenna and and could barely hear anything in Miami. One of the apartment complex mechanics has a CB radio and looked my scanner and tuned it to 27.025 Mhz and said these guys are transmitting from California. They sounded like they were in the next building. I asked him if he ever talks to them and he said most of them are using commercial grade equipment and wouldn't talk to me if I paid them. He said there will be times when things will sound like talk radio. Other times nothing for days, weeks or even months. He never explained why this is. Can anybody here explain how or why this happens? Should I buy a dedicated CB radio?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PACNWDude]

Atmospheric skip, or tropospheric ducting. Look those up and be amazed. Pretty common with CB/HF radio. But, still amazing when you hear someone that should be out of range most of the time.

 

[DeeEx]

Search online for “Super Bowl Channel 6” and behold the “glory”…

 

[Scoopnrunner]

The ultimate big boys toys, lol.