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How do you use ssb on cb

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darticus

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New Radio with USB AND LSB. Is this better than regular CB? Whats the difference? Which is better to use Lower or Upper. Do you just listen and try to make a contact like on CB? Doesn't seem to busy on SSB or is this the way it usually is? Thanks Ron
 

kc4jgc

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New Radio with USB AND LSB. Is this better than regular CB? Whats the difference?
The technical: SSB CB Radio

Also, FCC limits SSB on CB max power output to 12 watts PEP vs 4 watts AM. As you can see from the diagram, on a 4 watt signal, 2 watts are "wasted" on the carrier, with 1 watt on each of the sidebands. Twelve watts into a narrow signal is more efficient making for longer ground wave contacts.

Which is better to use Lower or Upper.
.
Neither. As you can tell from the diagram, the tone frequency is only slightly off the carrier frequency, which carries no information. It's the tone (audio from mic) that has the information. The only adjustment you might make is the clarifier to properly tune in the incoming signal.

Do you just listen and try to make a contact like on CB? Doesn't seem to busy on SSB or is this the way it usually is? Thanks Ron
That's about it unless you can make a schedule with a friend.

Here's where my being off 11m 23 years will show. Chances are it won't be like this now.

1- NO HANDLES!! Usually some made up number or if there's a SSB club you join the club will assign you an ID. I was a member of a local SSB club Ocean Front Sidebanders in Virginia Beach, my club ID was Ocean Front 136. Once contact was made, first name only.

2- NO 10 CODES!! Ham Q signals were used, QTH, QTR, QSL, QSO were most often used.

3- Channels 16-18 (some areas 15) and 35-40 are used. While there are no regulatory requirements restricting channels to modes, there was a "gentleman's agreement" that separated channel usage. Back in the day, SSB operators were much more civil and professional than the average late 1970's and after CBer.

When the band is open, watch out for DX stations calling CQ.
 

darticus

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That really helps me out thanks for that info. That just might be the way to go from my house to my store 3 miles away. Thanks Ron

The technical: SSB CB Radio

Also, FCC limits SSB on CB max power output to 12 watts PEP vs 4 watts AM. As you can see from the diagram, on a 4 watt signal, 2 watts are "wasted" on the carrier, with 1 watt on each of the sidebands. Twelve watts into a narrow signal is more efficient making for longer ground wave contacts.

.
Neither. As you can tell from the diagram, the tone frequency is only slightly off the carrier frequency, which carries no information. It's the tone (audio from mic) that has the information. The only adjustment you might make is the clarifier to properly tune in the incoming signal.


That's about it unless you can make a schedule with a friend.

Here's where my being off 11m 23 years will show. Chances are it won't be like this now.

1- NO HANDLES!! Usually some made up number or if there's a SSB club you join the club will assign you an ID. I was a member of a local SSB club Ocean Front Sidebanders in Virginia Beach, my club ID was Ocean Front 136. Once contact was made, first name only.

2- NO 10 CODES!! Ham Q signals were used, QTH, QTR, QSL, QSO were most often used.

3- Channels 16-18 (some areas 15) and 35-40 are used. While there are no regulatory requirements restricting channels to modes, there was a "gentleman's agreement" that separated channel usage. Back in the day, SSB operators were much more civil and professional than the average late 1970's and after CBer.

When the band is open, watch out for DX stations calling CQ.
 

JayMojave

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Hello:

Be advised some cb radios when using LSB or USB Sideband modes, will not have the Clarifier unlocked or better said, able to control both transmit and recive on the ame frequency. This allows you tune in stations a little off frequency or put you dead on the center of the channel.

As these radios are sent from the factory not unlocked, they can transmit off frequency somewhat. The mod to unlock them is simple on most radios.

Jay


New Radio with USB AND LSB. Is this better than regular CB? Whats the difference? Which is better to use Lower or Upper. Do you just listen and try to make a contact like on CB? Doesn't seem to busy on SSB or is this the way it usually is? Thanks Ron
 

LtDoc

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SSB is used the same way AM is, but is just a little bit more difficult to 'tune' correctly. That's because a SSB signal is only about half as 'wide' as an AM signal, so you have to get 'closer' to the correct frequency to hear it right. It really isn't that difficult to use, just a little more knob twiddling than on AM.
It's also about like listening to more than one conversation in a crowded room, sort of. A SSB signal doesn't 'blank out' another one on the same frequency like an AM signal does. It also won't make that squealing noise (hetrodine) like two AM signals on the same frequency do. So, you may have to listen more 'closely', if that makes sense.
There aren't as many SSB signals as AM signals on CB. That's because SSB is a bit harder to use correctly, and typically costs a bit more than just an AM only radio. Once you get used to using SSB I think you'll find that it's a much 'better' mode than AM. Typically, it's more long ranged (bad example).
I much prefer SSB to AM. But, it isn't the best mode to use in all cases.
- 'Doc
 

fischlerpromo

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I enjoyed when I had a SSB CB Radio.

I was in a club.. The SOB's. Side Banders of Burbank. The sideband freqs we used were above channel 30.

Our clarifier's were modified as well as the frequencies. Instead of having a total of 120 freqs. We all had 240 freqs.
120 of them were above the other 40 in an area unallocated at that time to anyone.
This was in the 70's.

If was a different time but the FCC was still there looking for people running power. I remember my buddy getting busted for running 1K Watts out of his home.

Hell, some FM radio stations don't run that much power....
 

darticus

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The FCC, ITS ALIVE. I remember back in the late 60's early 70's when someone said they saw a vehicle with a direction antenna on it the channels got very quiet for a few days. Everyone shaken' in their boots. We all had call signs for CB back than but we didn't use them we made up handles. I was Nassau. Ron

I enjoyed when I had a SSB CB Radio.

I was in a club.. The SOBs. Side Bands of Burbank. The sideband freqs we used were above channel 30.

Our clarifiers were modified as well as the frequencies. Instead of having a total of 120 freqs. We all had 240 freqs.
120 of them were above the other 40 in an area unallocated at that time to anyone.
This was in the 70's.

If was a different time but the FCC was still there looking for people running power. I remember my buddy getting busted for running 1K Watts out of his home.

Hell, some FM radio stations don't run that much power....
 
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gewecke

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New Radio with USB AND LSB. Is this better than regular CB? Whats the difference? Which is better to use Lower or Upper. Do you just listen and try to make a contact like on CB? Doesn't seem to busy on SSB or is this the way it usually is? Thanks Ron

Use plain english language,just like you would on the phone. It's not rocket science. :wink:

73,
n9zas
 

ka3jjz

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And I was, once a long time ago, the Spectre...

Anyway, a couple of comments are in order. Now mind you this is quite a while ago, but channel 16 was usually reserved as a calling channel (in other words, 'is anyone out there..') and channels 36-40 were reserved for sideband operations. It was a local choice to use either sideband; in the club to which I belonged, we stuck pretty much with USB unless conditions made us change.

How 'busy' it would be would depend on a lot of factors; your antenna, what propagation happens to be doing at the time, any local nets that might be on and so forth. Hard to gauge this from so long ago. The sun has been kicking its heels up lately - 29 mhz FM (the 10 meter FM repeaters) have been reported to be quite busy with European stations of late, so it would stand to reason that 27 mhz might also be enjoying (well, not everyone would agree, I guess) some skip conditions.

At 12w PEP, your antenna is going to play a big role as to how well you are heard (always consider the radio and antenna to be a system rather than individual parts...). SSB used to be a lot more relaxed, quite apart from the so-called 'skip chasers' - I have no idea how things are now...

best regards..Mike
 

kc4jgc

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Hello:

Be advised some cb radios when using LSB or USB Sideband modes, will not have the Clarifier unlocked or better said, able to control both transmit and recive on the ame frequency. This allows you tune in stations a little off frequency or put you dead on the center of the channel.

As these radios are sent from the factory not unlocked, they can transmit off frequency somewhat. The mod to unlock them is simple on most radios.

Jay

Radios with "unlocked" clarifiers used to drive me absolutely NUTS! I'd get a station zeroed in then that one would turn his "unlocked" clarifier to tune me in then I'd have to retune. Not fun when mobile. Clarifiers are supposed to be RECIEVE ONLY! Not transmit. On the ham bands its called RIT (recieve incremental tuning).

gewecke said:
Use plain english language,just like you would on the phone. It's not rocket science.

Right on!
 

AC9BX

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Sometimes those "unlocked" clarifiers are intentional. The manufacturer didn't do it, the owner did as part of radio tweaking. They do that so they can transmit off from the designated channels and out of band. It's not an uncommon mod when someone clips diodes and things so as to expand frequency range.
 

AC9BX

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There's a bit of confusion about the power levels for CB. For CB in the USofA the maximum 4 Watts is mean carrier power. For 100% modulation with 4 Watts of carrier power the unit would have to produce 16 Watts. For SSB the maximum is 12 Watts peak envelope power. The mean power is measured for a period of time, typically 30 cycles at the lowest modulating frequency while peak envelope power is measured on any single cycle of RF output. Most modern CB sets can produce around 20 Watts. But these radios are not designed to maintain steady 100% modulation. The FCC restricts manufacturers to a total power dissipation of the output devices to 10 Watts. At their best these radios will make full power undistorted for normal voice communications. If you were to transmit a stead tone they could only get to about half power in AM without distortion or failure. Yes, the total power output is higher in AM than in SSB. But when generating two sidebands and a carrier in AM the radio's available power has much more work to do compared to making only one sideband.
 

OCO

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Factory locked (non variable transmit frequency) with RIT would have been fine if all radios came from the factory transmitting within a few hz of each other. Clarifier "unlocking" (which was actually locking transmit and receive together) if done correctly put the radio on exactly the same frequency for both transmit and receive. Poorly done to a non regulated voltage source, there would be a shift on transmit, that caused the ops to keep chasing each other.

The main benefit to experienced SSB ops was the ability to get roundtable type operations going without having to retune the receive to each participant. As with everything else in life, done in moderation it shouldn't have been a problem (although illegal from the early 70's on), but when done to move +- 10 khz, they typically weren't as stable and as has been stated, led to things like operating USB on the lower half of a channel or operation in the RC channels...At least that's how it was back when I was around CB (but that was when you needed a license).:D
 

k8krh

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ssb

They use ssb on chnl 36-39 usually lsb, a few use usb but general use lsb, rest of channels AM...with 12 watts on ssb you can talk 40 to 50 miles with a good antenna...antron or Sorio 2016 at 25 feet does the job..
Get a good radio and have fun working skip unless you have a radio now....AM language is a bit rough, and sometimes plain nasty.., ssb isn't to bad at all..just make up a number for your call..have fun
DOCTOR/795
 
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JayMojave

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Hello All:
Now that a great amount of CB radios are really modified Ham Radios having better receiver sensitivity and selectivity, and a cleaner transmit signal. Staying on the center slot is a lot easier than it was many years ago.

I mobile to work listening to the skip just start to roll in from the east coast areas and seldom have to adjust the clarifier. As I switch up and down on my base ham Radio the SSB CB Channels and listen in on the free band, seems just about everyone is tuned into the center slot. Not like when I ran a Johnson 350 back in the 1960's.

Jay in the Mojave
 

comoman

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As the new generation of SSB enthusiasts grace the airways with their presences you will notice more foul language, bashing and badmouthing others because they know they can get by with it. It's kind of like the internet. Everyone is cloaked with distance and an anonymous location. I can remember the days when there weren't as many trying to talk at the same time. We use to have channel masters and a five minute talking limit. That's when the linear amplifiers started getting really popular. "Well if you're not going to let me talk then I'll just turn on some power and see who can talks over whom." I doubt the FCC will ever be able to get a handle on this situation. In 45 years of 11 Metering I have never used an amplifier to talk. There are a few guys that bleed on all forty channels every day the skip is rolling. Totally disrespectful of other and the fact they are running 2k plus watts and 120% modulation. If someone want to be rude and talk over me when they can hear me then I let them have it rather than getting into a hissy over the airways.

73's
 
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gewecke

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I don't miss cb at all, but then we suffered less than others since we operated "split frequency" or opposite tx and rx of each other.;). 73, n9zas
 

borderpolman

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CB SSB

Have set up CB SSB radio at the cabin and having great time chatting with regular folks who have similarly rediscovered 11M. CB has been abandoned for the most part by those who used to abuse it so its actually nice to hear folks from around the north east when the conditions are good. What I dont get is why only 32 to 38 has SSB on LSB only traffic when there is actually all sorts of quiet channels that could be used.
 

mrweather

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What I dont get is why only 32 to 38 has SSB on LSB only traffic when there is actually all sorts of quiet channels that could be used.
Probably tradition. Unwritten rules from back in the day had sideband on the upper channels (and sometimes channel 16). Not sure why LSB is preferred over USB.
 
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