bearcatrp
Member
Have looked at ham radios that have the cb hack. Had one back in the 80’s. Not sure what’s out there these days.
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hundreds of CB's in use during a New England snowstorm
- Thread starter niceguy71
- Start date
slowmover
Active Member
Plenty of choices with AM/FM/SSB with onboard DSP (called NRC) and adequate power.
Need post-2021 release date.
Or, Xiegu G90
Compare each-to-each and then to other possibilities.
POWERWERX 30A Supply
One of our regulars with a QT60
And his HQ recording is still closest to how my $1,300 mobile rig with same radio & speaker sounds in my assigned big truck.
Plenty to read at this site.
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bearcatrp
Member
Still have my 40 year old Antron 99 in the garage. I would want a base station. Already have a handheld in my truck.
niceguy71
Active Member
I've got a whole house 11,000 watt Generac and it comes in a nice aluminum enclosure.... but this year the 3 plus feet of snow kept blocking the intake air and the exhaust ports.... ( the exhaust side would melt pretty quickly as it ran steady for 3 days at a time on 2 different occasions ) funny to see this picture in the summer.... the snow has been about 15 inches higher than the top of the generator for a good 6 weeks now.
Attachments
CcSkyEye
Member
I was surprised when my son needed a cb for his truck like I had when I was 16. I was shocked at the amount of radio traffic on there, apparently its coming back in this area.
slowmover
Active Member
Less radio traffic is mainly a boon, not a bug. Today’s radios with DSP (NRC) bring in what was unavailable just four years ago without expensive outboard additions. Effectively greater range.
I removed $700 of gear from the big truck and replaced it with $310 worth that was a step up and easier to install.
I found regulars on-air when approaching the Twin Cities in the afternoons from having been at/near St. Cloud and thence south towards Mankato or Rochester.
Minnesotans better than most (nearly all) US citizens at staying off of AM-19 when not on the road. Employing the Scan feature on my radio revealed a good number of conversations where participants seemed familiar to one another.
And, HQ radio rigs.
I don’t know how much this map applies to my experience, but it didn’t seem a strain to Hear, and Get Heard through those portions of Minnesota.
This was similar to central/western TN & KY or other areas where participation was above normal. Population Density is the second factor against truck traffic..
Ground Conductivity 4 is a marker to note.
The opening post is what most road Travellers miss out on. Poor radio rigs which fail to capture the action as truck drivers define, assess and solve bad traffic problems while on the fly.
Northbound on IH-25 into Pueblo, CO a couple of days ago which piled-up fifty (50) vehicles and has killed five (5). High winds area with sudden heavy dust.
Contemptuous, Unskilled & Inattentive.
Before the dust hit:
1). Too fast for conditions;
2). Following too closely;
3). Illegally jamming the emergency (passing) lane.
These aren’t accidents, nor are they caused by weather.
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How to Re-route given adequate warning (3-5/miles, not 1-2/miles) is well-told in the initial thread post.
This thread to obtaining:
Best Mobile 2025
A general: what should I recommend to friends who want high performance in Citizen Band? Let’s ballpark it at $500 entry. Will last longer than the time they own the automobile. Seatbelts, Concealed Carry, and CITIZEN BAND. This thread aimed at YOU, not the guy who knows even less. However...
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slowmover
Active Member
Saga of a 2024 F350 (a, “Best Mobile”, per that thread):
Dang Ford..Could use some help on my antenna....
I have a 2024 F350 SD Platinum. I would like to put a CB radio in it for traveling with my 36ft 5th wheel. I installed a President Bill 3 radio with a 3 foot hood mounted Firefly antenna. I bought a Ford hood mount antenna kit from Right Channel Radio that was suppose to work good, I thought. I...
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K6GBW
Off Grid Kid
Maybe this was mentioned before but ham radios that are modded to do 11m sound really bad on AM. They do SSB great, but if you have ideas about using something like an Icom IC-7300 on AM 11m you'll sound really muffled and woolly. Those rigs were designed for SSB and the way the implemented AM is really horrible. Sure, they'll put out a signal, but it's really bad. For frequent AM use you'd be much better off with a true CB or 10m radio.
Couldn’t agree more. With the exception of some older (30-40 years older) HF rigs, AM TX audio is usually pretty underwhelming. My older Alinco DX-77T and SR8T sounded really good on AM. My newer IC-7300 and FT-710, not so much.
slowmover
Active Member
My newer IC-7300 and FT-710, not so much.
QT80 and comparable run rings around older (sometimes, newer) HF gear.
The Citizen Band goal has always been, “Hear, and Get Heard”.
SSB is a great test of a mobile rig. Critique source of what to work on where deficiencies exist. Mobile-to-Mobile.
AM is where the rubber meets the road.
Power takes back seat to Clarity. Only need, “enough”.
Solving the problem at hand it’s hard enough to get defining information, rapidly. Overcoming the deficiencies of the other mans radio rig is the whole game.
Adequate power combined with CB RX & TX DSP is THE ticket.
All else in the way of features & functions takes a backseat to this. It’s a need, not a desire.
CLARITY IS KING.
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QT80 and comparable run rings around older (sometimes, newer) HF gear.
The Citizen Band goal has always been, “Hear, and Get Heard”.
SSB is a great test of a mobile rig. Critique source of what to work on where deficiencies exist. Mobile-to-Mobile.
AM is where the rubber meets the road.
Power takes back seat to Clarity. Only need, “enough”.
Solving the problem at hand it’s hard enough to get defining information, rapidly. Overcoming the deficiencies of the other mans radio rig is the whole game.
Adequate power combined with CB RX & TX DSP is THE ticket.
All else in the way of features & functions takes a backseat to this. It’s a need, not a desire.
CLARITY IS KING.
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Some of those old Ten-Tecs had good sounding AM as well.
slowmover
Active Member
Round Two Major Storm
cdllife.com
“ . . Very high snowfall rates and potentially damaging wind gusts will make travel nearly impossible from the DelMarVa Peninsula into southeastern New England,” wrote the National Weather Service of the storm that has blanketed the east coast until further notice. “
As above, my next-door neighbors wife broke her hip during the worst of our weather on January 23rd. Still isn’t back home as of today.
The ambulance and fire truck ready to pull free the former made it out of here without incident. But the fire truck popped a chain loose and slid into a ditch a few miles from its destination.
We had the Good Old Boys out along our isolated road with skid steers and pickups to get folks moving as well as clear the worst of the sleet which iced over.
Everyone on the desired FM CB living here could have made better decisions in regards trying to go to the store. TV of bad advice, etc.
D/FW city roads cleared up several days before us.
Folks needing food or maybe even medications could have had them shared for another day or so. Instead of risking vehicle and self.
Men younger than me volunteering to work with CB in truck could have had headaches reduced for tools, supply and locations. We could also have rounded up food & drink to shuttle their way.
What’s old is new again.
My hat is off to the OP and his willingness to be of aid. I’ve been one of those truck drivers exempted from travel restrictions and expected to make it to my destination (or a rendezvous).
— The big truck in the image above has its own lift gate. No need for a forklift to deliver palletized goods. Can be shoved off onto pickup beds with a pallet jack.
AM-19 plus what channels in use by the locals would solve most communication problems per above.
Redneck Roundup Rendezvous Point.
And that trucker is back out of there, pronto, having off-loaded 46,000-lbs of goods in a parking lot or (better) rest area within an hour or two. Mayor, County Commissioner or Sheriff signs off.
Boys and Girls, that’s the meaning of Citizen Band Radio
Snowmobiles up north or UTV’s down here.
Something easy to get out of a ditch, ha! (House-by-House distribution).
For vehicles open to the elements:
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East Coast blanketed with travel bans as winter storm makes travel “nearly impossible”
A major winter storm has blanketed the East Coast with travel bans as large amounts of snow and high winds make travel “nearly impossible.”
cdllife.com
“ . . Very high snowfall rates and potentially damaging wind gusts will make travel nearly impossible from the DelMarVa Peninsula into southeastern New England,” wrote the National Weather Service of the storm that has blanketed the east coast until further notice. “
As above, my next-door neighbors wife broke her hip during the worst of our weather on January 23rd. Still isn’t back home as of today.
The ambulance and fire truck ready to pull free the former made it out of here without incident. But the fire truck popped a chain loose and slid into a ditch a few miles from its destination.
We had the Good Old Boys out along our isolated road with skid steers and pickups to get folks moving as well as clear the worst of the sleet which iced over.
Everyone on the desired FM CB living here could have made better decisions in regards trying to go to the store. TV of bad advice, etc.
D/FW city roads cleared up several days before us.
Folks needing food or maybe even medications could have had them shared for another day or so. Instead of risking vehicle and self.
Men younger than me volunteering to work with CB in truck could have had headaches reduced for tools, supply and locations. We could also have rounded up food & drink to shuttle their way.
What’s old is new again.
My hat is off to the OP and his willingness to be of aid. I’ve been one of those truck drivers exempted from travel restrictions and expected to make it to my destination (or a rendezvous).
— The big truck in the image above has its own lift gate. No need for a forklift to deliver palletized goods. Can be shoved off onto pickup beds with a pallet jack.
AM-19 plus what channels in use by the locals would solve most communication problems per above.
Redneck Roundup Rendezvous Point.
And that trucker is back out of there, pronto, having off-loaded 46,000-lbs of goods in a parking lot or (better) rest area within an hour or two. Mayor, County Commissioner or Sheriff signs off.
Boys and Girls, that’s the meaning of Citizen Band Radio
Snowmobiles up north or UTV’s down here.
Something easy to get out of a ditch, ha! (House-by-House distribution).
For vehicles open to the elements:
.
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niceguy71
Active Member
We got 36 inches of snow today.... People were stuck on route 3 ( big highway near me) for over 5 hours... Route 495 also was unpassable for many hours ... Most streets in my town have not seen a plow in over 20 hours.... The plows plowed the snow .... and the wind put it right back.... Very heavy wet snow... Within a few hours the plows could not move it.... Soon the town was full of stuck plows calling for help.. My town is in a 50 mile area that got the 36 inches... The rest of the state got 20 to 24 inches so they are going to try to send huge front end loaders from all over the state to my area tomorrow.Round Two Major Storm
View attachment 197462
East Coast blanketed with travel bans as winter storm makes travel “nearly impossible”
A major winter storm has blanketed the East Coast with travel bans as large amounts of snow and high winds make travel “nearly impossible.”
“ . . Very high snowfall rates and potentially damaging wind gusts will make travel nearly impossible from the DelMarVa Peninsula into southeastern New England,” wrote the National Weather Service of the storm that has blanketed the east coast until further notice. “
As above, my next-door neighbors wife broke her hip during the worst of our weather on January 23rd. Still isn’t back home as of today.
The ambulance and fire truck ready to pull free the former made it out of here without incident. But the fire truck popped a chain loose and slid into a ditch a few miles from its destination.
We had the Good Old Boys out along our isolated road with skid steers and pickups to get folks moving as well as clear the worst of the sleet which iced over.
Everyone on the desired FM CB living here could have made better decisions in regards trying to go to the store. TV of bad advice, etc.
D/FW city roads cleared up several days before us.
Folks needing food or maybe even medications could have had them shared for another day or so. Instead of risking vehicle and self.
Men younger than me volunteering to work with CB in truck could have had headaches reduced for tools, supply and locations. We could also have rounded up food & drink to shuttle their way.
What’s old is new again.
My hat is off to the OP and his willingness to be of aid. I’ve been one of those truck drivers exempted from travel restrictions and expected to make it to my destination (or a rendezvous).
— The big truck in the image above has its own lift gate. No need for a forklift to deliver palletized goods. Can be shoved off onto pickup beds with a pallet jack.
AM-19 plus what channels in use by the locals would solve most communication problems per above.
Redneck Roundup Rendezvous Point.
And that trucker is back out of there, pronto, having off-loaded 46,000-lbs of goods in a parking lot or (better) rest area within an hour or two. Mayor, County Commissioner or Sheriff signs off.
Boys and Girls, that’s the meaning of Citizen Band Radio
Snowmobiles up north or UTV’s down here.
Something easy to get out of a ditch, ha! (House-by-House distribution).
For vehicles open to the elements:
View attachment 197464
.
The police are pulling anyone on the roads over and sending them home... ... Sad thing is thousands of regular guys with pick up trucks that are going to their customers houses to keep the snow from building up in their driveways.... For people that don't know ... You can't just let the snow pile up as you have to keep it down to a plowable depth... The private plow drivers we're all told to go home and get off the roads..... so when they do allow people back on the roads they will have 3 to 4 feet of snow in those driveways. And their ain't no pick up trucks going to move all those drifts.... I moved snow to make a path for my dog today ... It's shoulder deep in some places.
The governor declared tomorrow as another state of emergency...
I wonder if all those cars stuck on the highways had, had CB's if it would have helped....
Probably not most were nurses and correctional officers and people that just had to go to work.... Most never made it, many tries to put up in hotels.... But the hotels are full to capacity with illegal immigrants... We have linemen from other states here to help and have no place to stay . The CB was fun to listen to today
slowmover
Active Member
I get it that folks might think this some kind of Hee Haw “funny”.
Where we live is on an immediate flood plain.
LOS TX problem.
But . . you get this afternoon fun project a half-mile from our gate and it’s now in LOS to nearly all road traffic going north or south to the two cities which bracket our location.
Relay Ready
Won’t tie up more useful vehicles.
That’s one of my favorite CB videos. Funny describes both the work and the irony.
Redneck Rendezvous might mainly be another cold one being shuttled while nearing the house on a cool 97F evening (earlier high had been 107F) having mowed the setback on the long driveway to the road in summer.
That little C25 and antique antenna got out pretty far.
A trailer behind it could carry tools and fuel.
Again, not tying up working vehicles.
One of my neighbors has started into restoring a small MASSEY-FERGUSON diesel tractor. Perfect example of type. Old-style generator has been replaced with nifty-sized alternator.
Mag Mount with quarter wave. On the hood or to the deck of the monster-sized bush hog to which it stays hitched.
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slowmover
Active Member
I’ve not ever regretted having CB in a vehicle. Ever.
The best one possible is always just right.
Local Conditions & Difficulties might not be solved . . but that’s at the level of co-operation.
My family vehicle able to communicate with family base station is the worthy reason for Radio.
Thanks for the update.
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RFI-EMI-GUY
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2013
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I saw that and was inclined to bolt a CB on my Craftsman LT1000 tractor. But it would be silly. I have only <1/2 acre. I have a friend George in Chicago with small tractor like the picture, same color, a pretty nice one with PTO etc.. His Dad used the tractor for all sorts of work including grooming the ice on the lake behind their house for ice skaters. The CB did him no good the day the tractor fell through the ice 10-15 feet. So I happened to drive by, an ambulance was in the driveway tending to him. I went to look, the headlights were still on under the ice. After he got himself warmed up he right went back out, dove in the icy water and put a chain on the axle to drag it out. This guy was otherwise very intelligent but also pretty gutsy. It was that hot weather in summer of 1995 that took the old man out when simply out inspecting a fence.
That's the best reason to get into radio. Whether CB, GMRS, MURS, or Amateur, having family comms that aren't reliant on infrastructure that's liable to disappear when most needed is something that just about everyone should look into. Around town, in the neighborhood, or across the ranch, a quick radio call can range from convenient to lifesaving.
Having fun is just a nice bonus.😎
slowmover
Active Member
Musta had a Philippines Grant on it, huh?
slowmover
Active Member
Folks think they know, What is CB?, when in truth their exposure to it has been as a toy . . and then Hollyweird has programmed them to dismiss it as same.
Doesn’t help at all the paid interference on-air nearly all day, every day.
A quick radio call becomes ordinary . . and one not only isn’t willing to be without it, he’s become accustomed to maintaining its viability with a regular, “Where's everyone?”, it gets too quiet.
In a location where it’s normally 3-4/regulars — and suddenly 26 are on-air — that familiarity goes a long way to easing everyone else aboard.
“This here’s Tractor Talk with your Central Florida Four PM host, RFI Guy” . . . .
That 45” of mowing will fly by.
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