An excellent video Fred. I've been thinking of starting up again as I've more time on my hands nowadays (having retired). So this advice is welcome. It's good to know there are still folks out there on CB.
That sounds encouraging Fred. I remember you mentioning a blog in the video that's helpful in finding nets in various areas, so I'll look into that. Next, just a general (idiot) query about some of the rigs on sale new. I notice some am/fm/ssb radios are being offered with a higher power output (on request}, which sounds very attractive. Though I'm guessing the buyer takes responsibility for where they can legally be used.
Yes thats right. Legal power is 4 watts FM and AM and 12 watts SSB. Radios like the CRT 6900n can be provided with UK spec or export mode which gives you more power. Some radios can be put into export mode by simply holding down an extra button when you turn on. The legal side is down to the operator. In truth it is very rare for Ofcom to act against anyone using non approved equipment on the CB bands. About 95% of people i talk too are using non approved equipment.
My God! This takes me back to the good old days when I used to be on CB FM radio in Sussex. I had a Uniden Uniace 200 way back then. Used to go by the handle of Zanzibar!! Though I was often called Candybar for some odd reason!!?? :-)) I honestly thought CB radio died out all those years ago. From the 2nd November 1981 to Christmas day was wonderful. Then, of course, all the kids got their CB radios and it went a bit pear shaped. They hadn't a clue what or how to do anything and the language went pear shaped too. But we did have 53 great days on the CB before Christmas. How I miss those days...
Hi Yes i rem them days well. It was a golden time as you say before it all went pear shaped. A few of us about on the the old CB but it will never reach those heights again.
I have just bought a full set up as I want to get back in to it.I'am going to buy a pole to hold my silver rod to and then going to get a man to bolt it to my house.I live in fife and there is another lady in my village on CB also thanks for all the information found it helpfully I don't drive so mines is a home set up I got a Rotel 40 ch and swr meter and a power pack and a silver rod which I hope to have up this week.Thanks again,
Great Video, I was into CB during my teenage years set up in my Dads shed with a magmount (Super Modulator 2) on the roof! Ive just purchased a Uniden 200, and a thunderpole voyager ready to set up in my VW T4. I live in the west midlands so hopefully manage to contact some stations.
Interesting! I'm hearing CB groups on my receiver and thinking of getting a transceiver to join in. I just love radio...CB, SW, Marine, PMRS and maybe HF... I love it! Looking to do the foundation course to become licensed...and start my journey. Thanks for your video.
I run a Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB peaked tuned and aligned by Effingham radio. 7 watt dead key swinging 28 watts and a Wilson 5K antenna on my dump truck and that radio kills it guys are constantly telling me they can hear me 5 minutes before I get to the job and we work in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains! Sideband non-skip I've got out over 30 miles of course sideband is better at that but that 980 is awesome 👌 great video brother
First thanks for all the advice you have given me.Now I finally got my Silver Rod on the side of the house which I have been told is really high a friend came to my house and set up my rig we found out that my mic had a damaged white wire so it would not work just as well I had a eco mic as a back-up which worked after I found out it needed a battery plus I had a swr meter which didn't work to well so my friend brought his one up to set my rig up.Looks like I do need a burner so that is my next item to buy which means I have spent £202 for my Rig,Aerial and pole and having it installed on my house and buying a burner which seems not to bad.I'am planning to buy a new CB but only if it makes sense in the future.I will keep you updated on how I do with my new hobbie and thanks.
Great video. I have a base station CB (Johnson Messenger 250) in the Adirondacks in New York State, and I'm getting an A99 today. My great grandfather (Silver Fox) had a CB setup there and I believe his antenna was up on a pole that we still have.
cheers Fred there was loads of useful information in that video. i think that will b really helpful to people wanting to get either back into cb or even people wanting to try it for the first time. plenty of helpful hints and tips there.
Nice video Fred. For anyone reading this in Australia, we use UHF CB radio, even out bush, with nobody on 28MHz anymore. There are multiple UHF repeaters all over the country and a decent one will get your signal out more than 100kms
fredintheshed1 here is one of many databases/sites of UHF repeaters all over Australia. As you can see from the map image there is lots of them secure.tropinet.com/uhf-repeaters/
Yep, yep, the folks here in the UK don't really understand what the advances are of the Australian UHF CB. They are stuck on 27 mc. I still got 6 UHF CB handy talkies I took when I left Penrith, NSW ;)
I do and always have loved the old radios and was an avid collector. I sold up around five years ago because most of the local radio community were unemployed and very anti-work, always swearing and plain lazy. It annoyed me and my girlfriend so much with the bad attitudes, swearing, in fighting and general childish behaviour that we sold the lot. Jumbo’s galaxy pluto, mustangs, Danita, cobra’s, midland and many more. All boxed and mint as new. I still miss the things and really enjoy your videos so keep it up and I’ll keep watching. Take care and keep it alive.
Brilliant, thankyou.Very excited about getting my first CB radio. You sold me on the Grant 2, so will probably spend that bit more,so I have a more multifunctional radio. Also a new Subscriber to your channel. Many thanks :)
Old skool my first radio was a midland 2010 with a sadelta echo chamber then a amstrad with a roger bleep all on with a silver then upgraded to a cobra 148 then went to a uniden 2830 with a antron 99 and a zetagi bv300 amp still have it some were in the loft I think
Sound advice and Info . Young gun... Hopefully.Back in the UK June 2020 depending on COVID 19 And the implications.. Will be doing a lot of wild camping , and will have a SS9900 Set up in the car during my travels.. Hope to QSO. With your station. 73"s best wishes 153-TM -001 .. Not sure what callsign I should use as a visitor. I will square that with 26 -TM -001 Enjoy the hobby...
Another good starter video Fred. I don't think you mentioned SSB though not good if you re mobile. That Radio nasty radio was sold by Amstrad as Amstrad 1000, the 2000 was a better radio as it had a Cybernetics chassis, good old Mr Sugar.
Very true. If the main power grid goes down most people will only have the battery in their cars. No internet, no mobile phone masts. CB will be the only way to find out whats going on.
fredintheshed1 , a Nuclear EMP, E1, E2 and E3 pulse will knock out much electronics in the event of a detonation Fred, older valve technology would stand a better chance but hey, im with you as a ham licensee id uses whatever i have even if it meant sending out sos using a wire antenna and a 9volt battery from the smoke alarm! Keep up the great work and vids my friend 👍
An update video on this topic would be good? It was am when I started out in cb but it caused quite a few interference problems! I thought about going in for ham radio but cb sounds good to get back into the hobby! I used to do dxing on the side bands and got out to many countries around the world with a small burner (amp)!
Hi Fred I’ve watched a few of your videos now and see you often recommend the 6900, does it have any benefits over the president grant or is it just personal choice / value? Cheers
I need our help BIG TIME..I bought that cobra 29LX and the Sharmans power pack as recommended by you.Now the problem is the Cobra came with a power cord for a car lighter but I wanted it for home so my friend cut the lighter adaptor off then we cut and twisted the wires to fit around the terminals on the power pack and we switched it on now the CB powers up for a second the it goes off.Every time we put the power pack on the CB lights up for a second then goes off can you help need help what happening.
Yes you can put up a mobile antenna in a attic if its tall enough. You would need some metal sheet to act as a ground plane. Some people have made an inverted V dipole to run on the roof beams and they work well.
Important to note the US and UK rules for CB radio may differ, in the US CB radio (11 meters) is limited to 4 watts AM with SSB optional and is widely used by long haul truck drivers. There may still be some groups around but most have gone away or are ham operators or GMRS users now. So in the US you are not allowed to use actual Ham radios on the 40 CB radio channels because those radios are not type accepted and are over the power limits.
NP, you'd be surprised how many people here order "export" radios and use them illegally because they output 30 watts or have "extra channels". Same problem we have with those Baofeng handhelds and people using them on those FRS channels
The same in the UK / EU, only approved CB transceivers can be used on the CB bands. A quick look at the shack of Fred means that most kit he uses is illegal (FT-450, DX77 and SS-9900). Also to note is that your NOT allowed to use other modes then EU / UK in the UK. So using the PL (Poland) mode in the UK is illegal.
Nice on Fred. Rig wise I know it's not strictly kosher but a pre programmed CRE8900 or superstar 6900N for £130 are superb value. Might be worth also covering how to setup mobile and how to power a rig in a mobile set up in a future video? 73s Tim
The 6900N has great reports. Pukka Dave (TM061) just got one himself and sounds great. You can hear him on my video here. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QepmAFPNakE.html
Not really sure. It may around sold under a different make like Siro etc. Bit like the old GPA now a silver rod. Most popular are the Gainmaster and Antron 99.
Hello, I have never used a CB but I have just bought one and no idea what I am doing lol. AM/FM ? I now live in Spain and unsure wether to use fm or am. It has 40 EU and 40 UK
I am not really sure what the Spanish use but its more likely to be AM. Best to flick around the EU channels. Might be worth looking into picking up a cheap used Spanish radio. Do you have Ebay Spain ?
Hard to say if its worth it as it depends on your area. CB has picked up over lockdown. I made a later video on equipment. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QYq2tl2QW7w.html
Hi Fred, just found one of my old CB radios, and after watching you RU-vid videos need to see if I can get anything out of it. Could you advise on a base station twig?
I bought the Sharmans 5A power supply which was £35.95 from this company I hope this was the right one as I used the link you gave me.I have bought the Cobra 29LX for £112.97 from ebay and I bought the amplifier burner RM KL 203P at £48.99 from ebay which you recommended.It has cost me £197.91 in total but next year I will up-grade to a CRT SS990.Thanks for all your help I will keep you up-dated on how it goes.
Hi Karl. I fully replied on the other comment. The 5 amp supply is safe and perfect for the Cobra but it will not be able to run the 203 amp ;-( You going to need a bigger one for that. Have a look at the link below.
Yea I know that now but I will keep the Amp just in case I ever need it.Or if I buy a bigger power supply in the future.I'am planning to upgrade to the CRT SS9900 after I learn to use my CB again but I won't be buying tthat for at least a year or more.
Following your Maxcom 7E videos, I've since picked one up myself, and have a real urge to get hold of an old Midland Portapak, but not found one yet. I am toying with the idea of building my own 21st century Portapak using a CRT One as seen in this video, somewhat inspired by your mate's bike set up. I am pretty sure all the parts (battery case for 10 AA's, antenna connections etc) can be bought for a few quid on eBay, and the hardest part would be a case to put it all in...but then my wife is a seamstress. Would be interested to hear if you think this would work?
@@CB-RADIO-UK Really That would be perfect, thought I was going to have to make do with one of those 53cm handheld whips! Think I will have a go at this just for fun.
This is the type of mast. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-epNhSYlWFzU.html I cannot find a UK link but i seem to recall they were around £25
Hi, I see the last comment was a year ago. I've just bought a handheld to get back into it. No-one's out there these days.I'm doing a little motorway driving tomorrow, so we'll see if even truckers still use them. sad really.
Yes its not what it once was in its hey day. I live not to far from a motorway and you can hear trucker chat on the FM 19 during the day. Nowadays its often arranged meets on air at certain times of the day. Ive just done an hour on 27.305 USB and they still talking now.
I haven't spoken to anyone yet. I'm not even sure I'm using the right settings. When I had one years ago and there was only an on/off, channel and squelch. these hand heads are fully digital theres too many options. Don't quite know what to do now.
really useful vid mate..... two questions. you recommended that i get the voyager. i went to order it and then found the red devil!! is it worth the extra couple of quid? also as you may recall i currently have a mini springer, that is constantly getting whacked by overhead objects would a shock spring help avoid damage on the voyager or red devil or does it need removing everytime i drive under a low flying pigeon? thanks again for a great vid 73s and 88s
I think the Red Devil is worth the little bit extra with its larger bottom loading coil. The springer will help take the worse out of a knock. The other two's whip will flex but getting hit all the time will eventually snap the threaded mount.
if your high up and get high winds you can not go wrong with a silver rod if you still can get one sigma 4 i could talk midlands to wales on 4 watt 4 am in the morning s9 no trouble but im high up
Hey there, Denver Colorado here. I have the Cobra LX Camo. I have an Antron99 being delivered Monday. Could you tell me what diameter pipe you mounted yours on? I like your vids. Your setup looks awesome!.
When the A99 arrived the box was damaged and the U-bolt kit was gone. I had to wait a week for Solarcon to send a new set. I called the city about height rules. 35 feet at the tip is all I am allowed. A friend is coming next Sunday to put it on my roof. I'm in a wheelchair so I wait and I wait and I ect.........
LOL i meant Buddy on the last comment LOL. Sounds like your on your way. My first Antron had a badly made middle section and i had to send that back so i feel your pain. If your height restricted you may want to consider the FireUp firestick upgrade top section as it makes the Antenna slightly shorter, improves stability in wind and increases signal range on DX. All best from the UK.
Ha ha. I thought the nickname was a silly British thing. I know they can be quite strange, because I are one :). My grandfather came to the states from Carlisle. My last name is Pound (see?) I've always been very proud of my English heritage. I did see your vid about the damaged A99. Thats always been my luck too. I looked for a Fire Up after I saw your vid. I only saw them in the U.K. I need to search further. I am going to make a vid of my old whip ant. I built and the new A99. Prolly get me little radio in there too. I will keep you posted. 73 from The Mile "High" City. Gitz.
OK buddy. The fire up kit is only a basic 11m firestick antenna thats been slightly cut back. Before Thunderpole began selling them people made there own and that where the idea came from.
when i decided to get back into the hobby i got all the little bits but tbh uk40 cb is rubbish around here and the antenna might aswell been a coat hanger. i wish i would of saved the extra cash and went for the multimode but hey you learn. and as i said earlier you would get most you money back of a multimode anyway if cb aint for you.
Yeah i kinda wish i started with the Grant 2 and SSB. However it was a learning curve getting back on the air so i prob was not ready. People want to dip their toes in the water without massive outlay and the little CRT One radio is a great buy for around £46 del on the Bay.
i bought one of those for 38 quid. wasnt when i first got back into radio. it was further down the line and just liked the look of it. tbh it was one of the best 40s ive ever used.
US use AM as their main CB band and UK use FM. Some US radio's do not come with the UK 40 FM band. President and Cobra make radio's for the UK but are normally branded EU.
Hi Fred! Thanks for the information. Great help . I to would like to get back into the CB scene . I am a licensed amature radio op but find it too crusty for my liking and a bit pricey too. Looks like you get a lot of CB radio for your cash. Anyway thanks 73
Hi David. Many of the people on my video's are licensed but like to drift on to the dark side. Its a lot more relaxed but we still try to make it proper radio on SSB without all swearing you can pick up on FM. Multiband 10m radio's like the CRT 6900 and 9900 offer a big bang for the buck and work surprisingly well on DX.
Hi Fred yes they sent me a link i’ve managed to login but they said I should put a little bit of information about myself but I cannot do this for some reason thank you forgetting back to me.Ivan
Ok i guess i may take a while for the reg to be activated. I think they like a bit of information before they issue a CT number. I seem to recall that taking a few days to come through.
Hi Fred I’m hoping you may be up to help me I’ve registered on the Charlie Tango website and I message back asking me to introduce myself and told him little bit about me but for some reason I can find a way of entering the text sent can you help me please mate thanks in advance.
Fred- loves the video. Thank you. My brother lives about 70 miles away. Is there a handheld CB device that I can use to talk with him. Also, could I have. Third handset for another person near me to join any conversations?
Hey Fred. This is a yank over here in United States. I wonder if you could steer me to someone that would send me a UK FM CB radio? Of course I would pay for the cost of the shipping if it’s even feasible. What are you call 27/81 I think
fredintheshed1 I used to be on back in the 90's and 2000's / I had multibands I used to go mobile up on the hills around Macclesfield and Stockport and towards Bolton way all over there , u showed a home base fidelity I had one lol , I've had kenwood multiband, ,reacently I had a land rover a couple years ago but saved my cb radio am in Suffolk now ,it is a CRT S MINI am & fm and basic when I used to do green laneing
Oh I also I had a siror I think a 3000 , very good , back in the day ,I am thinking of putting it into my van just need a mag mount I have a small spring Ariel , but might get another siriro lol good videos amazing set up
The 4000 and 5000 are the pick of the bunch for Sirio. The CRT SS6900N with full USB and LSB is a great budget radio. SSB is where the action is when the skip is in.
I have not had a CB for more than 20 yrs and at the time I didn't have it long so I'am a complete novice you said about a small burner can you suggest one for me.Plus about getting a handle I joined the Official Charlie Tango DX group on facebook you spoke about applying for a CB handle.What happens if they give you a handle you don't like or want as I'am a big cigar smoker and well known on a few cigar pages on facebook so I was looking for a handle like CIGARMAN or the Mad Scotsman as I'am known as.Can you advise me on these two questions.Plus if I buy a burner do I still need the SWR meter.I will more than likely pick your brains further.Thanks.
No prob Karl. Firstly i would apply for a free Charlie Tango call sign number. Its not a handle buddy. If you want to use a handle then you can make one up yourself. A SWR meter is important to fine tune your antenna as if it is too high (say over 3.0) you can risk damage to the radio when you transmit. A small burner amp will boost your signal from 4 watts up to a claimed 100. However in reality prob more like 60 + . I will add an ebay link after this comment but look to spend around £50.
I put on my CB today but nothing the power pack was on but no power to the CB there is a fuse in the back of the power pack and I wonder if that is the problem anyway I have decided to buy all NEW so I have just saw your comment about a Multiband SSB Rig can you suggest one and a power pack to honest I should have bought new from the start.I will try and find if it is the fuse which is causing the problem.Once again thanks for all your advice.OR should I buy a better power pack as the one I have looks old with no information on it.
Hi Mate. When you choose a SSB radio you need to decided if your going to run a small in line amp (burner) or if you are going to use straight power from the radio. Also most SSB radio's are not UK legal so thats another choice. Either way your going to be looking at around £200 - 300 with a new PSU. Staying legal and buying new is harder than you think. Prob the President Grant 2 is the best choice. Its gives just 4w FM and AM but 12 Watts SSB. In truth to get the best out of this set up your prob going to need a small amp (illegal) which will set you back another £50. Thats top end. A good started radio is the CRT 6900N or the Alinco 135. These are 10 meter radio's but have useful channel displays. They are powerful enough not to need a additional amp. Finally the most powerful is the CRT SS9900 or Anytone 6666. As in my latest video you will see that these are more of a 10 meter ham radio than a cb so there is a learning curve. Finally you could go "all out" and spend your £300 on a used HF radio like the Alinco DX77 in my videos. No channels but you can save the 40 channel freq in memory.
No problem. I would say that one of the best starting legal CB,s is the Cobra 29 LX-EU. As well as FM AM it has all the euro channels programmed in as well. Only down side is that being legal you will find that you will need an amp at some point. I will send you some links on the next few comments.
Well I got a full replacement CB and we had it up and running but all I'am getting is static and yes it was set the right way we are getting nothing we followed the instructions page by page and still nothing we thought it might be my metal shed so we took it in doors but still nothing .We think it must be where I stay I'am getting nothing so now I have all this brand new gear which I now have to sell at least I will get most of my money back I'am planning to sell it all on facebook cost me well over £200 but I will take a slight loss so selling for £200 and postage of £20.
It's a Silver Rod and it clears the house ok remember I bought it with the old Rotel CB.Plus I have found out there is not many people up here using CBs much.
Hi my man I’m looking for some sound advise and you look clued in. I have never been in to cb but in this day and age of fines for using mobiles I want to install a cb in my MX5 for road trip coms car to car. I want something small like the crt one but have 0 clue on set up. Clear 2 mile range is my objective but I don’t want a massive areal turning my mx5 in to a radio control car😂. I know height is key but since range is not my objective I was thinking of concealing the thunder pole on the hollow spoiler of my car. John Mor if my fb and Mx5megajohn is my Instagram.
Hi. CB antennas need air space to work properly. If they are too close to a solid object part of the signal gets reflected back to the radio causing a high SWR. This will really shorten the range and can cause damage to the radio. Finally CB antennas work best vertical so in a spoiler not so good. For car to car over a short range ( not 2 miles though) you might get away with a PMR radio such as the Baofeng UV5R
I sent back the Cobra t'onight by recorded delivery cost me £14.75 which the seller will refund he is also replacing the CB with another when it arrives.I will keep you updated when I get my replacement.
He sounds a decent sort. Hopefully he will run a test on the new one before sending it. I think once you get a fully working radio you will be pleased. Its a lot of radio for the money, looks good as well. Dont forget to tune around the euro bands when the skip is in.
His talking crap. most new radios have a SWR meter built in but you have to fine tune the antenna for the best SWR. If it goes over 3 power will be feed back to the radio and can cause damage.
I am not sure on those. A SWR meter and patch lead is around £15 and well worth the money. Not only is it to protect your radio but if your setting up a mobile radio it will help you find the best place for the antenna. The lower the SWR the more power your transmitting.
@@CB-RADIO-UK can you recommend an antenna to go on my sprinter van and would i be best with a mag mount or a bracket ? would i also need a spring and would it be best on the roof or mirror etc ?
I’ve been a Cb fan from the 70s on the old am. I went and got my first legal radio I’ve been trying for a C T call sign but couldn’t get any sense from them and gave up I love Cb radio but it’s not very good in my area they’re just a lot of idiots who don’t take it seriously.
Hi me again we think it's the CB to blame it's not powering up as the new power pack is working my old Rotel so we know it's not the power pack to blame.
I bought the cobra 29lx and the Sharmans power pack as recommend.Now the problem is the Cobra came with a power cord for a car lighter but I wanted It for my home so my friend cut the lighter adaptor off then he cut and twisted the wires to fit around the terminals on the power pack and we switched it on and the CB powers up for a second then it goes off and nothing.Have we done something wrong.
Yeah just seen the other message. This is not a common fault. Basic things first. You have a standard 3 pin Uniden style power plug that goes in the back. They can be stiff. Pull it out and check that the 3 pins on the radio are not bent and that the plug is going right in. As the radio is new i would contact the seller and tell them of the problem asap. It sounds like it may have a fault.
We thought there was a problem.Yes it was stiff the three pins are not bent so there must be a problem I have already contacted the seller he is phoning me tomorrow.