CB Radio

[AlphaBravo]

I was thinking of getting into this as a hobby. I was just wondering does anyone on here do it?? And as for a starter pack i was thinking about this:
http://www.thunderpole.co.uk/cb_radio_pack-starter.htm
any ideas people?



Craig

[Felix/FFDS]

My personal consideration - for a communications hobby, go into Amateur Radio   Granted, with today's communications/Internet, global radio communications has fallen by the wayside, but it's still an entertaining, enjoyable hobby to be able to talk/communicate over the radio with people all over the world.

As an added advantage, there is still the thrill of being able to help out in emergencies, when all power is doing, setting up an emergency communications centre and providing a much needed service.

Of course, I'm slightly biased.  My parents were founding members of the PR Amateur Radio Club in 1937, having been amateur radio operators since about 1933.  Throughout the years they were heavily involved in local and international disaster communications, and competitions (basically, who can make the most contacts from the most places in a given time period).  My mother, for example, was awarded a certificate of merit for her communications relaying work during the Texas City Disaster in 1948 - this was in Texas, USA, and she was in Puerto Rico at the time.  Among her "contacts" was the late King Hussein of Jordan (you'd be surprised at how many famous people really don't sound "famous" over the air).

Of course, not everyone takes the hobby as seriously as my parents did (we did move to a hilltop house for better reception).  I spent many weekends dangling from a safety belt as my dad talked me through repairing a rotor atop a 100ft tower (that house had three antenna towers - many people stopped there thinking it was a commercial radio station that was just a little bit higher on the hill).

Today, sometimes the first communications you get from a disaster area are from "ham"  radio operators calling out from an emergency rig.

This is not to say the the CB community is any less energetic, but the ranges involved are much less....

Either way, I think you'll find radio communications an entertaining hobby.

[Pinchaser...]

I have a CB..and to say the least...NOBODY talks on it where i live. the range is only a few miles. I suggest going into HAM

[bbstackerf]

Being an ex - truck driver, I used CBs quite a bit in the past. For most truckers here in the US a CB is almost a necessity to do your job. It is indispensable for getting directions, help when broke down, and even at some delivery and pickup locations you need one to communicate with the loading/receiving people on the docks.

As far as a non professional - unless you're just looking to have a means of emergency communication thats mobile, I would not recommend it. A cell phone is more than adequate. As you said in you post not many people talk in your area. I've never personnaly used a HAM, but understand that you can definitely meet and converse with people all over the globe

Keni

[Felix/FFDS]

but understand that you can definitely meet and converse with people all over the globe

Keni

You don't know what you're missing when you've stayed up almost all weekend trying to get a 15-second contact with a weak station in the middle of Mongolia, while your kid (me) is whining that it's getting late to take him to school!!

Q: How many "hams" does it take to put up a 50 ft antenna tower?

A:

[bbstackerf]

Keni

[BFMF]

My uncle used to be really into the "ham" radio thing when I was younger. I don't know if he's still into it now.

He tried to get me into it when I was younger, but the whole licensing bit turned me off.

Besides, I don't like to talk over the radio or phones unless I really have to, and i'm still clumsy at it when flying.


But instead of the amatuer radio hobby, i've got a little motorolla radio, and a little CB I used to carry in my car. The CB doesn't have much range, but my motorolla radio can reach a few miles, and can be usefull when talking to other vehicles that you're driving along with.

Several years ago, we were driving acrossed Snoqualamie Pass in the Washington Cascaces during the winter. Due to bad winter weather, it took us over 9 hours to drive over the pass(it usually only takes an hour or so). We would be stopped so long we could watch the snow accumalate by the inch. Because it was during the hollidays, there was a lot more traffic than usual. Because we would usually be stopped for more than half an hour before creeping along for half a mile or so, people were building snowmen by the hundreds

But anyway, there were a lot of people who had CBs and the motorolla radios, and we had a lot of fun

[H]

I don't know laws and frequencies across the pond. An exam isn't needed to license CB here (Amateur requires exam and workable knowledge of code). The midwest is known as tornado alley and I acted as a receiving/transfer station for spotters (units with CB out on location to spot any tornado during storms). I made my own CB band antenna, tweaked my receiver (also added an adjustable cut-out for my ANL) and maxed my power (many models rarely hit much over a 3 watt output: not much compared to even a standard Amateur Band unit. Occasionally I managed a contact 75 miles away. There was a time that I wound up in a very confusing conversation; come to find out, I was in Nebraska speaking to two different units in California (ionosphere skip, clear as next door).
I had learned code when I was 9 or 10 but never tested for Amateur (HAM) license. Like Felix says, CB doesn't go the distance but, at least, you can usually understand who your listening to.
 ....  8)

[Marlin]

It's a blast!! But it really depends on how many other people in your town do it as a hobby too.


Don't start with that starter pack, no, bad idea. You won't be able to get outside of your block with that peice of %^#$@

Go with one of these,
RCI 2950 baby!!!!
or
HR2510

I have a 2950 pushing a boomer 600 going into a 101" whip attenna in my truck. With this set up I have talked to England and Austrailia Brazil, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii from here in the states! (New Mexico)

In the house, in have the 2950s big brother and have talked to same above.

[Hagar]

I never had one myself but it's interesting to note that all replies so far are from members in the US. I can remember when CB radio was all the rage in the UK mainly due to CW McCall's novelty hit Convoy & the film based on it. CB radio was also featured in flms like Smokey And The Bandit & the TV series Dukes of Hazzard. The fact that it was illegal in the UK at the time gave it an extra appeal to some people. This was due to the fact that the imported CB radios worked on frequencies that were already in use & they were said to interfere with the emergency services & radio control bands. It was eventually legalised in 1981 but this meant getting new FM equipment & a licence to use it.

As a keen radio control modeller at the time I & my fellow club members were naturally interested in whether the CB equipment would interfere with our hobby. We made friends with a local CB radio club & from experiments found that none of their channels interfered with ours. I remember they used to have special powerful rigs with huge antenna which when used from the tops of hills around here could sometimes talk to people as far away as the US.

I'm not sure if CB radio is still used much in the UK. It might be useful among the professional truckers. Scania would know more about that than me. Otherwise I think that Felix's suggestion is probably better.

PS. Details of CB radio in Britain here. http://www.cbradio.currantbun.com/

[AlphaBravo]

Thanks for all the replies people!! I dont really want to go into 'ham' radio.. as my understading is that the equipment is quite expensive. And i thought that CB would be a fun, easy way to improve my radio skills.. As for the licence.. a CB licence here (UK) is 15 Pounds for a year.. which isnt that much, i thought it would be more.

Craig