Is CB Radio worth considering for a HAM?

[k9rzz]

If you've got 40 meters in your vehicle, don't forget the MID CARS Net on 7,258khz as well as EAST CARS, SOUTH CARS.

MidCars Amateur Radio Service 7.258 KHz

 

[mike_gain]

KF5UFA pretty much said it all. However, if you take long trips buy a $10 cb from the flee market of any Hamfest. If you don't see any on the tables check the boxes under the tables. Always piles of cb's.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

KF5UFA pretty much said it all. However, if you take long trips buy a $10 cb from the flee market of any Hamfest. If you don't see any on the tables check the boxes under the tables. Always piles of cb's.

You can also pick them up at garage sales or on eBay. Picked one up with sideband in great condition last summer for $20 at a local garage sale! Guy said it was packed away in his closet for over 35 years!!

 

[KC2GIU]

I tend to use the CB (11M) just as often as my 2M radio.

The locals in my area talk about their farms, what tractors are stuck out in the fields, who is going to bale the next pastures, what the weather is and yes of course what rig and antenna they have.

Most of the time, we use LSB (Lower Side Band) in the from 25 to 29. The legal limit to transmit on side-band is 12W. This way, we can actually hear each other over those running the skip show.

My Solarcon A-99 (The Radio Shack version) does well for CB (11-meters) and Ham 10-meters.

For CB use, I know my neighbors and regional people better. For Ham use, I know of a few people in the area. More people are on CB in my locale vs. Ham frequencies.

When I lived up north near Niagara Falls, 2-meters was the busiest of any band I knew. Talked 2-meter skip to Michigan often too. Talked with plenty of Canadians as well. Getting down south, CB is the answer as there are way fewer Hams.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Actually, the legal limit on CB is 4 watts. SSB gives an effective 12 watts because of the way it works, not because you can run more transmit power.

 

[PrimeNumber]

I tend to use the CB (11M) just as often as my 2M radio.

The locals in my area talk about their farms, what tractors are stuck out in the fields, who is going to bale the next pastures, what the weather is and yes of course what rig and antenna they have.

It all depends on the local users, doesn't it? I wish we had more of that kind of chatter around here.

BTW I have an A99 too, and while they're great CB antennas they may be even better on the ham bands. Mine works well on 10, 12, 15, and 17m, and part of 6m to boot, all on a 450D's little 3:1 internal tuner.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

It all depends on the local users, doesn't it? I wish we had more of that kind of chatter around here.

BTW I have an A99 too, and while they're great CB antennas they may be even better on the ham bands. Mine works well on 10, 12, 15, and 17m, and part of 6m to boot, all on a 450D's little 3:1 internal tuner.

Heard some ops also tried lengthening their A99s to help them function on 20M!

 

[gewecke]

My scanner receives cb if I wanted to listen when on the road but no desire to ever transmit there again, and I have my choice of radios which have far better coverage. :wink: 73, n9zas

 

[HelixArray]

I always monitor CB when I travel, via a scanner I find most convenient for myself. Interstate traffic jams or interchanges is where it's worth the money to monitor in my opinion. Information on what's ahead holding up the road and when the lanes opens back up... that's almost a guarantee to hear in my experience monitoring CB. The raunchy jokes and the vocal road rage breakup the monotony as well.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

I always monitor CB when I travel, via a scanner I find most convenient for myself. Interstate traffic jams or interchanges is where it's worth the money to monitor in my opinion. Information on what's ahead holding up the road and when the lanes opens back up... that's almost a guarantee to hear in my experience monitoring CB. The raunchy jokes and the vocal road rage breakup the monotony as well.

Just by having a CB in the vehicle, I was able to avoid being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for over 3 hours! A trucker informed me that there was an oil spill which was stopping traffic on a major roadway for over 4 miles, and I was able to jump off the last exit before the tie up, and bypass the entire fiasco!!

 

[HelixArray]

^ You can't beat that type of info. I was never that lucky, the last HazMat I was behind, I had to follow the sheep as well, down the detour for an hr+ or so. During that detour I did hear a civil conversation for 40 minutes between two older truckers, it was more like a ham session to be honest. It is what it is.

 

[K5MPH]

O yes C.B. Radio still has it's place in the Radio World......

 

[SouthernRoller]

I fully agree, if you can overlook some of the language being used on the air. I myself drive a truck daily and use my CB radio many times throughout the day, from entering and exiting quarries, travels up and down the interstate, bear and traffic reports. And of course just the general rag chewing with fellow drivers.

 

[KJ6NWU]

CB still has its place. Since it is HF, it can give you better long-range coverage. Also, no license required, so if you want to talk to your unlicensed friends, they don't have to break the law. The biggest problem with CB is the regular CB'ers.

KJ6NWU

 

[DaveNF2G]

CB still has its place. Since it is HF, it can give you better long-range coverage. Also, no license required, so if you want to talk to your unlicensed friends, they don't have to break the law. The biggest problem with CB is the regular CB'ers.

KJ6NWU

Better long range coverage than what? On the HF ham bands, it is actually legal to talk between stations that are more than 150 miles apart and you can use more than 4 watts to do so.

 

[KJ6NWU]

Better long range coverage than what? On the HF ham bands, it is actually legal to talk between stations that are more than 150 miles apart and you can use more than 4 watts to do so.

I mean better long-range coverage than other non-ham critters such as 2-Watt MURS, 5-Watt GMRS, and half-Watt FRS.

KJ6NWU

 

[K7MEM]

I mean better long-range coverage than other non-ham critters such as 2-Watt MURS, 5-Watt GMRS, and half-Watt FRS.

KJ6NWU

I'm not sure how good of a comparison it is, trying to compare 11 Meter and UHF/VHF coverage. However, when they do compare them, they rate the range of a 2-watt MURS about equal with a 11 Meter AM at 5 watts.

But I do get your point about talking with your friends and still staying legal. That might be a consideration to some.

Martin - K7MEM

 

[SpockVulcan]

NO

Didn't even read the post, but no. Please let CB die, not even truckers use it anymore, and the people that do are illegal amplifying morons, not worth your time or money quite honestly.

I know only very little about CB radios, so I'm wondering if getting one is even worth consideration now that I've got my HAM license?

If I understand it correctly about CB:
- No license required at all.
- CB has 40 fixed channels with no privacy codes.
- Limited to 4 Watt max output.
- There are no repeaters for it.
- Can be good for urban and open-road environment but not good in city.

Despite its limitations I can understand its popularity due to its "just buy and use" operation. So, what's the bottom line on CB? Is it worth considering for a HAM, or save my money on some HAM stuff instead?

Also; I've seen a couple of handheld HAM radios that can be modified for different worldwide band coverage as well, including CBs. These are the Magnum 1012 - Albrecht AE 2990 - Dragon SS 301.

Any experience with these or other handhelds? Anyone selling them with the mod-options built-in?

Thanks.

 

[KK4JUG]

Didn't even read the post, but no. Please let CB die, not even truckers use it anymore, and the people that do are illegal amplifying morons, not worth your time or money quite honestly.

Maybe where YOU live.

I resent the name-calling. I occasionally use CB. I have a standard-wattage unit. I've never owned an amplifier and, though I may not be the smartest guy on the block, I have a graduate degree.

 

[PrimeNumber]

But I do get your point about talking with your friends and still staying legal. That might be a consideration to some.

Very definitely. I got tired of biking across town every day to check on a couple of friends in the weeks after Katrina. CB is perfect for this.