28 days ago I came across your channel and 28 days later I have 28 radios. You sir have caused me to get into trouble with the misses. I will forgive but will never forget.
I use to work in telecom. Can't say for sure if it applied to all carriers, however the company I worked for required all cell sites to have a minimum of 8hrs battery backup, including the ones that had generator backup. During hurricane Ike, all techs were issued a CB radio so we could communicate and coordinate priority cell site repairs. Ike knocked out an estimated 80% of all cellular coverage in the Houston Gulf Coast area.
It may very. The tower I rely on has gone down a couple years during a severe storm. Our power was out for 3 days and the cell tower signal didn't return until the 4th day but it wasn't working. It was like you're connected the tower, but the service going to the tower wasn't working. Started working on about the 7th day. Then, about 2 months lateranother storm came and only took the power out for 9 hours but again no cell service until the power came back.
@@ryanzessinger8062 battery backup and generator backup only means that the cell site has power. It does not mean it has service. Don't think people realize cellphones rely on T-1s or 10/100 to make the call. If the storm damaged the local T carrier provider's system that the cell site uses, then it won't have back haul to the MTXO (Cell provider switch). Cell sites are not peer to peer. Your UE (cellphone) sends a signal to the antenna at the cell site, from the antenna the signal travels down to the BTS, where usually some kind of control module routes it out to the T carrier's circuit office, then from there to your cellphone carrier's MTXO. From there it is routed to its destination. (Simple of explanation as I can make it) The cell site can be radiating a signal, but if the signal path is severed you will not be able to make calls or send text. Also, VSWR, the storm probably damaged the antennas and/or the RF lines. Again it could be radiating a signal, but not a usable signal.
The thing that is weird is if it was a legal radio, your range was probably like 5-6 miles? It's better then trying to yell to the guy on the pole over, but that still isn't a whole lot of communication.
In AUS, 8 hours, at most… The amount of traffic on a single tower here is a good day 3-4 hours. The battery life on this system is dependent on huge budget cuts. And now ddos is now another factor on burning power…
Hey Eric the Cb radio is such a great hobby as a 58 yr old male it truly was my generation’s true social media back in the mid to late 70s it was only 23 channels until 1977/78 I was 13 at the time and it seemed like every other house on my city block had a cb antenna on the roof. My first radio in 1977 was a midland 23 channel that was about the size of a wallet with the display on top not on the front can’t even remember the model # and I had a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna. I talked to many people with that setup. By 1980 and entering high school I now had a 40 channel radio and the airwaves were full of people young old boy girl it didn’t matter and because of the Cb radio I met a girl a town over from me talking on her parents Cb that was 43 years ago this February 2023 and in March we will be married 34 years all because of a Cb craze way back. I got away from the base station set up after dating took over and then marriage then kids and their sports but never fully got away from Cb because I’m a local truck driver and have one in my truck which I use daily. A few years ago my wife’s aunt gave me her late husband’s cobra 1000 base station from the 80s and that got my wheels turning again to establish a home base setup. And in fact I did last year when I purchased a cobra 2000 gtl base over the phone at an estate sale in another state. It was the radio I always wanted as a kid but just never had the opportunity to get one. Everyone who knows about Cb radios knows the cobra2000 was always a favorite. So getting back on the base station after being away for over 40 years and talking skip is a lot of fun but most of all because of a CB RADIO 2 teens met, dated, got engaged, got married , had 2 children THE CB RADIO WAS A BLESSING IN MY LIFE !!
My story was similar but never hit as far. I was at a friends house and we used his brother's CB Radio, I'd just left England fir Canada and thought this was fab. We hit chatting with these cute sounding girls fir a few days. We soon agreed to meet as they were from other side if town. We were all on 5 or 10 speed bikes. They weren't the most attractive girls except this cute blonde with braces. My friend wanted to leave and I wondered why, as I was trying to get closer to Blondie, he hit mad and took off so I apologized telling them thanks fur meeting and we'd talk soon. They must have felt rejected as they never really spoke much and my heart sank.I have never forgotten that cute blonde and wonder what could have been? It turns out my friend grew up to be gay. Lessons here us Never listen to your friend if you find someone who interests you!
Used to sit in my dad's truck, back in the late 70s, for hours talking on his radio. One of the few things I really wanted after he died. Gawd he'd be mad the next morning when the truck wouldn't start to go to work.
I am 44 years old and back when I was growing up. CB was basically our cellphone and internet as kids now have today. The internet had just been started but unless, you remember how to use DOS and wait forever... It was much faster and more convenient to grab the radio!
GREAT story. CB in the seventies. Good memories. Especially if teenager during that lovely time. Was driving 9 hours each way at 17 to and from helicopters that took me to and from 1 and 2 week shifts on oil platforms in the gulf . Sure did piss off a lot of truckers with my big mouth. I still remember over the radio "HEY THERE HE IS !!" and then try to run me off the road. LOL. Great memories
I've been playing around with CB for the first time today with a crappy little dipole that is way too small for this wave length. I'm also at the bottom of a hill. Still, I was hearing folks from northern Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas and I'm all the way in NC. 11 meter travels well!
Cell phones are only good for contacting people in your address book. CB radio is for everyone so you have a much greater chance for information then modern technology. Great video!
I am a Ham and I agree with you 100%. I got my start in CB radio in the late 70s and still enjoy it today. Many times it has helped me on the road, precisely how you stated it. Thanks for the video.
I’m also a ham licensed since 1990. I will agree that CB radio is a good hobby to get into to test the waters. and I also know from experience that when I come across a traffic jam on the road, I know I have a better chance of getting a hold of someone on CB versus ham radio.
The first time I keyed the mike, I was 12 years old.I'm 64 now, and I have a 23 channel GM original equipment CB,a 40 channel Cobra mobile, and a 40 channel Navaho base/mobile.In all honesty I haven't fired them up in a while (since the early 90s) but this video has rekindled my interest! Thanks!
CB radio is one thing that got me interested in radio and into ham radio. I still have a CB in the shack and one in my truck for the exact reason you said about traffic updates.
All excellent observations. I'm an Extra Class ham, but I have several CBs around, just in case. One thing I'm seeing down on the flatter lands is a big uptick in GMRS radios. A $35 license (no tests and you get it online) from our benevolent government and you covered yourself, your spouse, kids, grandkids, aunts and uncles and the family dog. To me, the biggest thing is that people are putting up repeaters and linking them into networks. As long as there's power, this is a powerful tool. Radios are a bit spendy, but nothing like ham gear. More commo is best commo.
Yeah, I have been noticing more and more truck drivers are roilling with GMRS when driving on highways (note, they are dual riding with CB and GMRS). I do like hitting up reapters in the local area. We have two in our county which hits almost everywhere, it's good to have one when hiking around when cell service is not great. Yeah, the GMRS Net Hub is REALLY neat!
@@Mike-01234 Should always have a decent antenna no matter what, GMRS is real nice. Have both... You'll be happy. I remember when FRS first was coming around & that was fun too.
I'm a ham, but I love CB! Has a special place for me because I grew up using it with my dad. I got his old radio still and use a Uniden 980 SSB as my base station. Sad hams will bash it, but just makes it easy for me to avoid those folks. Thanks for your content!
@Shack Ti 1 ... Nice... My Dad too -explained the whole thing when I was around 5yrs old. CB is a free for all & lot's of fun. When you can't use your cell, etc. Just turn on the CB & there you go!
I am one of your ham radio followers. I just purchased my first CB radio. I have felt that communication is key and part of being prepared is covering all of your bases. Thanks for keeping us informed. I live in Central NC and hope to hear you in the future. Cheers!
My father and I did CB before getting our Amateur radio license. I learned a lot from CB, but I enjoyed the technical aspect of radio. I am now an Extra class licensee. CB is a good starting point for a radio hobby. You can get everything pre made, pre-measured and, pre-built. It makes it very turn key to operate. However since being licensed in the 90's I haven't owned a CB since my 144 Mhz mobile took it's place on my desk about six months after getting licensed.
I still have my old GE CB radio that I bought in 1971, and it still works. It was great for getting road conditions, reporting accidents, finding good restaurants in an unfamiliar town, learning where the cops were hiding out, etc. I'm now thinking about getting one of the new AM/FM CB radios. The FM is a game-changer for CB.
If your thinking about upgrading I would have to recommend looking into what the President CB offers for you. Got an Am/Fm President CB radio an I have to say.. I am very impressed. Would recommend. Small, Compact, many functions, quality sound, And the build quality exceeded my expectations.. I would personally recommend it.
Great video, Eric. Not to long ago I came across your videos. I never had a cb till just a few months ago. I now have 3. President McKinley in my p/u, President Thomas in my car and now a galaxy base station for the house. Really enjoying the hobby and have peace of mind during these uncertain times. Thank you , Erik. 345 Big Chief west Tennessee. 73's
Since I started watching Mower Junkie & you I have expanded my Communications Capabilities. Built a Comms desk in the house with CB & SSB with 3 base station's and 3 Mobile Units. Two in the Truck & 1 in the BobCat ToolCat for when I am moving snow. And a hand held as well.
I always run with a CB and like you it's saved me. From getting caught in a horrific traffic jam to being warned about debris in the road ahead. I also found a set of old Walkie Talkies at a rummage sale that operate on CB channel 13. I bought them for the "what if" scenario. Great video.
OMG, just came across your video on CB radios. I’m 70 now and have sold literally hundreds of thousands CB radios. I was in retail during the switch from 23 channel to 40 channel and later was a distributor in the SE US, for unidentified, Cobra, and Midland radios. We sold both domestically and internationally. What fond memories of those days I have. Thanks!
@@rezzer7918 Uniden and Cobra probably come from the same factory Midland may be different. I would decide on features that you want then find the best deal. Good luck!
@@Bob-lz4bz There are somewhere north of 40 million CB radios in the USA alone. Seriously. That many were sold with new ones being sold everyday. There wouldn't be 8 different CB radio makers if these didn't still sell like hotcakes.
This just makes so much sense. Great intro, I am now subscribed. I have an old system CB, a hand held modern CB pair and a marine band hand held. They are kept charged, but now I am going to dust off the manuals and follow your channel and learn more about how they work.
I got a my Ham license in September 2019. CB radio was a way for me to get into HF without spending a lot of money on HF Ham equipment. And then I became addicted to the radios! I was a teen in the 70s, so I am a huge sucker for those old 23-channel radios with the big channel dials on them. I have several fully-function 23-channel AM and SSB radios that are fun to use and share with others. Definitely a great hobby. Thanks for sharing!
Ah yes, back in the day you had to have a license for CB. (KCP-5156 here). Would talk to my Grandparents every afternoon, they lived about 100 miles away.
Great points! When I’m traveling interstates from state to state a CB radio is immeasurable. Speed traps, road closures, accidents are all tracked by drivers. Granted there’s apps out there like Waze and whatnot but you’ll need to physically read what’s happening versus hearing it first hand on the CB. Good video!
I still maintain a CB in my daily driver and have a shelf of them in my garage. I do also have a 2m/70cm wideband in my daily. Something I do often is jump on 38LSB and see what is out there. I have talked to Italy and Austria from GA,USA as my standing record.
@@torgomax don't know where you live but a truck stop is where you get legal ones. Can get a digital anytone or Stryker 10m and set it to cb band with a yt tutorial.
Just came across your post and love it. In 1976 I worked at a CB/Stereo shop at the peak of CB Radio sales. Still own a few and had a base station in my parents home. This really brought back some beautiful memories, and yes, the CB saved my butt several times while traveling from Michigan to Florida and back. Thank you!!
I used to have a CB in my pick up truck for 16 years I had my truck. I've heard very interesting stuff and even got traffic updates or directions. Great video. I been thinking of getting another one for SUV.
Long ago in the first golden age of CB, literally the era of C.W. McCall, my parents were still alive and I had a job in the other end of the state. I would drive home some weekends and I put a CB in my truck to pass the time during the drive. I got some of the craziest skip messages and got to be friends with several fellow travelers. CB offered an interesting sub culture that was kind of fun. Glad to hear it’s growing again. I still have the radio and think I will get it out.
My ham radio came with the cb frequencies in it. It's a 1951 World Radio Laboratories Globe King 500C. The receiver I use is a Collins 75A-2 which also has the cb frequencies in it. In the 80's we had a bad storm here in Idaho and it knocked out police/fire comms. I had a 6 element quad and an omni-directional antenna up and I ended up dispatching police and fire calls on CH 9 CB radio for 36 hours before the emergency service comms were repaired. You make good points why people should have a cb radio. Thanks for the video.
Sat here in north west england listening to you guys across the pond. On the mid block LSB channel 38.. Sounds like you guys are sat outside..You all sound grand on the band. CB radio is very good at the moment and will only get better due to conditions. I have had contacts all over europe but yet to contact the good old USA.. Just listening and waving..
You need to do a CB radio product review. I've had and made dozens of diferent 11m antennas over the years,also owned commercially built ones as well. I recently purchased a Sirio Gainmaster 5/8th wave verticle and are blown away with its performance, it easily puts the Antron 99, imax 2000 and other "Fiberglass" verticles to shame, and the coolest part is you dont need to tune it, i have a flat match straight out of the box. Erik, youd be besides yourself as well, the Gainmaster is a bad ass antenna as far as iam concerned, I hear stations ive never heard with using the competitors fiberglass verticles. Great video as always!🤠👍
Erik has done several cb radio reviews , click on and scroll through his channels , you’ll like what you see. That’s great input on the antenna you mentioned , thanks.
I still have my CB radios, only one antenna though. I had my one CB in my car last summer and was bummed there was really no one on the air. This was how we communicated when I was a teenager and it was a lot of fun! Everyone had CB's! My dad got me into them, he was really big into them....
Hey Erik, it's been a long time! Spending some time tonight catching up on your videos that I've missed over the past year or so. I'm installing a McKinley with a 102" whip in my truck tomorrow, but I'm definitely not installing my RM Italy foot warmer! Looks like I just missed your live stream last night, but I'll keep an eye out for the next one so we can catch up. I really enjoy your CB videos, and you're the reason I got back into it after a few decades away and I really enjoy it.
100% Agree! I was an avid non-trucker CB'er back in the 80's and with cell phone popularity, It just got pushed to the side. Last year, while sitting in traffic, I said I miss and want my CB back! My husband thought I lost my mind. But guess who now enjoys CB's in all our vehicles? I will say that the truckers now are a different breed than truckers from the 70's & 80's. I don't know if they don't have radios or if they are just anti-social. That's OK! I still get my highway info when I need it!
When I moved from the northeast to Nevada, I found that the truckers out here are no where near as talkative then east coast truckers. Thought they must be using some new way to talk I couldn't hear.,.wrong..they don't talk. A real disappointment.
I like your videos. I wish CB would come back again also! I've been using CB's since the 80's and also a ham radio operator. I know some hams don't care for CB, but I'll always have a CB radio in my vehicle and at home for the base station. The CB has helped me on the road several times and it's just fun to talk with other people in your area or even on "skip".
I have kept all my CB Radioes that I used in the 80's just for the TEOTWAWKI. And mounted in my cars so I can talk to my friends while we drive down the Highway on camping trips. They just come in handy! Not to mention my handhelds are perfect to carrying while hiking around the camp sites. And yes, my wife is a LIcenses HAM operator. But I still have my CB's as a backup.
Dude! Back in the 80's I bought a CB radio and my handle was "Yellow Fever" I had so much fun! I am going to go out and buy another CB radio I'm glad I watched your video you got me excited again it was so fun. Thx.
You’re absolutely right we had an Internet outage here in the Ohio valley where we live sometime back that affected cell service and a lot of other things. I started thinking about installing a homebase unit(CB)and one in the truck so we could communicate in a situation like that. We’ve talked to people that are with Ohio Homeland security and they believe sooner or later the grid will probably go down for a while if that’s the case, the old way may prove to be the best way.
With the increase in natural disasters, there is a good chance that communication will go down at some point. There was a hurricane in Fl a few years back that took out cell service for over a week. CB radios were still running strong
I’m a retired salesman. I spent over 30 years logging thousands of miles driving to customers, trade shows, etc. I installed my first CB in 1975, and to this day, I will not be without one in my vehicle! Finding a shop that knows about them anymore has become difficult, but I’m keeping my CB anyway!
I am a Ham and have been for ten years, but got my start in CB radio in the late 70s with so many other people. I'm now diving back into CB radio, have an 11 meter end-fed outside and can not believe the amount of SSB coming in from all over the country, I'm in Arizona. I am particularly encouraged by the modern versions of handhelds being released lately. Great video as always.
Retired OTR trucker. Going on 78 now, and I've had a CB just about since they first came out. My first one was a 23 channel Pace - 123. I've still got one in my pickup.😁
You're absolutely right! As a trucker, my CB saved my butt more than once. Most days I heard little traffic but, when I needed it, it was there!!! I wish more people would get and use CB's
I had a cobra back in the late 70`s and wore that radio out,,,Present day i still travel with a CB in a truck with GPS and all them bells,,,But you cant beat the ole CB radio
Good video! And great reasons for having one. I recently got a Midland MXT 275 GMRS radio. In the last couple months while sitting at an intersection waiting for the light to change a few people have roll down their window and ask what my handle is?
I would say the 3rd reason is the most important reason..for you, it was Hurricane Fran....for us here in the Northeast, it was Sandy....sandy knocked out power for days! I was fortunate enough to not lose power. However, I remember seeing lines for gas at all the local stations, eggs, milk, bread, and water completely wiped off the shelves. It would be great if more people had a CB to communicate things better. I've had one in my daily driver since 2014. It has helped me avoid multiple accidents, and bad roads that weren't plowed over the years. Definitely more useful than modern crap in my opinion.
First time listener enjoy your channel, used to play with CB in the early 70s now when I go up to the UP in Michigan with a jeep I always have in the jeep
I am 59 been a trucker most of my life, I don’t own any vehicles without a CB. I have stykers in my semi’s, I have a few galaxies in my cars and pickups. Great advice
@@FarpointFarms I thought it was and is a great way to communicate. I also have a galaxy home base unit. Used to be in 10 11 and 20 meter ham radios lol. Ou never know when it might be needed lol.
A little while ago before I moved, there was a point where I was getting skip in northern Canada from guys in the Southern US, including places like Texas and New Mexico. It was thrilling, although I don't think my little mobile installation in my 4x4 could reach those guys who were probably using linear amps and stuff. Even so, there was just something awesome about hearing voices from folks thousands of klicks away and bring able to understand even some of what they said. So cool. Now I live in a much flatter area than before, I'm thinking I might just set up my CB radios again
In 1975 I was living in Amarillo Texas and had just put a CB in my car. It had a clip on Antenna Specialist antenna attached to the drip rail on the roof. Not even a permanent install and the CB was plugged into the cigarette lighter socket. My point is this was not an expensive setup. I was waiting for my wife to come out from a Dr appointment and I was listening to skip. Conditions were good and I could hear people talking about traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway! That's the Chicago area. I called out and got an answer and told the guy where I was in Texas. That lasted only a couple of minutes but that's all I needed to get hooked on radio. If conditions are favorable you don't need a huge linear to work skip.PS- I just remembered the brand of radio it was a Robyn I believe it was an off brand radio..
In Australia all CB radio has now migrated to a 40 channel UHF system with repeaters in certain locations. Its quite popular with truckers I believe The 27mhz band was to be shut down but has not been. Not sure if anyone uses it, maybe in remote or outback areas.
Oh they use it. With current propagation the last several months, no problems getting down under and into the mini grass(hawaii) On a daily basis pretty easily considering i don't have a beam up. You will find them on lsb between 36 and 40 as your swinging into greyline here in the southwest. Above 40( 41 through 45 are of frequent use too. International call frequency is 27.555 usb, throw a cq out there and move them off is the common practice. Keep in mind we are still on the upswing of the solar cycle, we have several more years of super good propagation on 11 meters(cb bands) As for what i call local dx( anything in the states, i am in Vegas) am'ers like to run 6/11/28 the most, but you can find it everywhere, and of course 19 is always a mess. I dont dx on am here, not on purpose anyways. For ssb, 38lsb is like 19 am, nothing but H&D all day everyday, its always a mess. I am at the base of a mountain directly to my east, so i have a big dead zone usually running from the middle of the east cost extending down through florida and the caribbean for me here. My primary is a 955hp with some moderate help on a 5/8th wave Ground plane at only about 18 feet to the base of it, as i am limited on what i can do here with antenna's, but no matter what i run here, i can never bore a hole through that mountain. But any other direction i can talk to anyone i can hear unless the frequencys a mess and it always is on the hot channels, lots of big stations behind me in california that i cant hear (too close) roll right over me a lot. But a lot of those guys are hamsters and the like running their 7300's and henry 2k's or better with long john beams and the like. That's the dx situation for me here. As for more activity on 11 meters than the 10 meter ham band? That's because most all of the hamsters are running down on 11 meters and the free bands! lol Most of the time you will only hear them running ft8 if anything up there, most don't run phone there because they are always down on 11 meters slumming with us "cb'ers", or the local ones, the sad hams(that's a whole other can of worms) are too busy jamming up our local GMRS repeater all the time( yeah i got a GMRS license too) If your ever rolling through Vegas looking for local info, good luck with that. 19 here is the "local base station" channel, and everyone there runs loads of power, and their are all gonna tell yah 17 is the trucker channel lol. If the skip isn't laying your S meter into the corner during the day, when the night time comes all those dudes are gonna lay the swat on yah. Most of the regulars there are running an average of 1 to 1.5 kw at all times, lots of big radios in Vegas. I know of one in particular that can run 6k when he grabs third gear. Vegas is a rough radio town!!
@@acidreign8551 Very interesting. I am close to Sydney and have bought a CB radio for the car I have not installed yet. It will be used when I travel to the Central/North coasts and Southern Highlands area using the freeways mainly. I think CB in these areas is basically UHF. Australia being such a large country I can see where the 27mhz band would be very useful. A friend of mine who was in the police told me they used shortwave in remote areas of New South Wales to compliment where the VHF (now mainly UHF digital) would not cover. They used to publish propagation charts to help the operators. I would assume that emergency services in these areas now would also have access to satellite phones etc.
great reasons to have a CB. I don't currently have one in my vehicle but i might put one back into one. I have found that the amount of people on the CB channels is far far less now than there were in the 70s and even 80s. Lots of truckers refer to them as their "back up" radio because they only seem to use them to get info on a back up in traffic.....as you mentioned. I've had a number of radios since the 70s and i think my favorite was my Pace 2300 with a pair of 102" steels on the back. My little linear helped it reach out a bit....lol. i might just have to get a power converter and get back into it. Thanks for the reminder.
4th reason ,, we’re in a really bizarre sun-cycle !! I’ve been talking into Europe every morning for 3 hours on 50 watts (RMS) the last several weeks . Right now I’m making contacts to the New England states on a basic tuned and aligned Grant XL doing 5 watts RMS and about 15 peak. 73’s Erik , hope all is well on the Farm
I've owned a couple of the Radio Shack units over the decades. They work well, and sound good. That said, I found that it's a good idea to reinforce the solder joints of the small circuit boards that sit perpendicular to the main printed circuit board. They fit through a slot in the main board, and connect to the main board with solder joints which connect the traces in that 90 degree junction. If you look at the board, it'll be easier to see what I'm talking about. Those joints would crack due to not enough solder from the factory (at least this was the case when being used in R model Mack trucks :) )... but it's a good bullet-proofing mod to do to those radios, and any other which have those 90 degree sub-boards as part of the design. Other than that, I never had any problems with those models. I was a radio tech in the USAF, and went to truck driving when I got out, so it was a natural thing for me to start modding and repairing CB's. :)
I really enjoy your coverage of C-B radio. They are so handy for the many reasons you mentioned. I ran C-B in my school busses back in the early 70's with great results, could get to parents at home at route pick-ups, and after basketball games. Today I've set up a base station and several mobiles for the reasons you mentioned. Keep up he good work!
i have a connex 3300hp cb and i hit canada and florida abunch and in oklahoma its so much fun im only 17 years old and i have one in my 1st pick up im so happy i got in cb radio its such a fun hobby too have with a grandparent that your radio is always making him mad we just laugh
Back in the 70s I had a Cobra 139 base with single sideband, and a Teaberry 5X5 mobile with 40 channels and a Big Mama antenna. My handle was Cannonball. I wouldn't mind having another one. I started out with a Midland mobile with a 103" whip antenna. Those were the good old days.
I agree with you on that that is why I have a real CB radio something that does have a kicker build in a general HP 40W and I've used it multiple times and it has saved my hide multiple times dealing with pileups on the highways and byways and I will continue to always have a CB radio setup in my car no matter what people say everybody should have a CB radio setup in their vehicle and in their big rigs as well and CB radio communications will always be there anyway keep up the amazing videos on RU-vid
I like the way you talk, humble and true talk. Got my first radio the other day, PRESIDENT MCKINLEY, not much going on here though ( East Tennessee), and a Stryker SR-A10MM setup.
In a recent move I found all my old CB stuff. So i decided to get back into it. Been having fun listening to the skip. I can't really talk since I am stock power with mobile antenna. But still fun to listen to. My friends and I used to use our radios when we took road trips. I want to set up a base station again. I have found a few local guys talking skip I was able to talk to and trade call signs.
'Absolutely, CB has so many interesting facets. Keep preaching because you are so right that it will be key when the excrement comes in contact with the ventilating system.
What a thrill. The fact as a 13 yo in early 70s was able to speak to people in NJ from CT with just some wire on my roof and a cheap radio shack base station.
Wonderful, isn't it? I was driving through San Antonio in the rain one afternoon when the urge hit me to turn on my Robyn SD510 and Palomar 200W box. I talked to Kingston, Jamica like we were neighbors.
A overwhelming majority of the citizenry take it for granted their cell service will always be available at their disposable. As well, voice communication is becoming less of a communication practice. Elon Musk as guest stated in the context of a popular podcast recently that voice communication could / would be eliminated by AI in the not so distant future. This video is most visionary on your part Erik. In with the old, out with the new
Failure by design... The over subscribed model is designed to generate excess revenues used to bid on tying up more spectrum with government "over"sight...
I’m a semi retired truck driver. I’ve been around CB radio almost 35 years. I got rid of my radios a few years ago, because they were collecting dust in my garage. I still dive trucks on my retirement job and have been thinking of getting another one. I get on a plane, fly to where the truck is, deliver it, then start the process again. Whatever I get has to be small, lightweight that I can carry in a suitcase as well with the antenna. What kind of outfit would you suggest? I was thinking handheld, with a short magnet mount. What do you think? I enjoy your videos on all types of radios
I bought a Midland 75-822 and a magnetic base antenna several years back. I use it on long trips and it was a lifesaver more than once. And I can remove it or connect it anytime. The WX frequencies are handy too.
My first “rig” was a base price Midland mobile unit (23 Ch.) along with the RadioShack/Tandy power converter for home use back around ‘77. Cobra was also a solid rig also back then. RadioShack, you mentioned and Sears also sold very good equipment.
The Midland 23 was my first also. Around 1972. Combined with a five or six foot whip. Got out twenty miles easily on four watts from my car. Smokey and the bandit. Also had to apply for FCC license in those days. A lot of fun times
PING........ remember the old Browning's Golden Eagle Mike's remember well when things changed over to 40 channels my father all his brothers and myself are all retired truck drivers
Even though I am an Extra class ham from 1986 when the tests were much more difficult I agree that CB radio has its place for sure. Propagation sometimes only occurs on the lower frequency ham bands depending on the solar cycle. Driving on the road CB is superior to amateur radio in many cases. I learned that the hard way one time.
The comment you made on cell towers failing is not an old but possible issue. Hurricane Ida in 2021 knocked out the cell towers in my local area so we couldn't look up any information online or on the phone unless we drove to another area (which wasn't possible immediately due to trees blocking roads for the first few days). CB would have been a great tool to have to talk around town and see what was going on. It took about a week or so for cell service/data to come back.
You are correct, my grandfather taught me this in the 70’s, communication, you can’t see over the next hill, but you can talk over the next hill, or to the guy meeting you coming the other way!
Back in the 80's I always had a CB in the car, this was how we communicated with each other, and also with the truck driver who always knew the traffic conditions. I miss those days. And when the cells go out, this will be it
I drive a lot. Nobody seems to be using CB's anymore. I literally hear nothing anymore on the channels. To the point I bought another unit to test mine to make sure it worked. It did. Sadly, gone are the days of drivers talking anymore. There was always the one guy that keys his Mic up and causes a serious disturbance to the rest of the telecommunications world with the power he was was throwing out. But all memories..
Be the guy that starts talking. Get on 19 or 14, or 28 and talk. No one answers? Tell a story, tell a joke. Keep talking. Someone is always out there, but they never key up.
Also a ham. Funny story with last years snow storm. We were down for over four days (others had it worse). One ham community (220MHz) I found out the gas station that had power AND gas near me. I mentioned to the other ham community (2m) near me (on one of their nets) it might be a good idea to do a quick check-in around lunch time to see the status of the different club members exchange information like what stations had power AND gas and if they needed anything for heat, etc. and was told that they wouldn't want to get into any trouble on the pecuniary front. I still don't understand how looking out for folks could get us into trouble. Nobody that I knew of was getting paid for the info. They were just looking for fuel too.
This is where clubs can and ought to be more educational. You cannot run YOUR business on ham radio but you can order pizza (the classic example of what you could not do, now you can). But CB is a no questions asked medium.
@@thomasmaughan4798… A lot of misunderstanding about the law regarding cb radio usage and conducting business. Conducting business is fine: Relating information or instructions to coworkers, “Hey Billy, send a mechanic out to jump start truck #12.” “XYZ Trucking, back your trailer into dock 3.” and things like this. ADVERTISING/PROMOTING your business is a no no: “Hey folks… c’mon in to ‘Billy Joe Jim Bob’s CB shop’ for all your CB needs… “ And similar.
I agree 💯💯💯 old school technology at it's finest I talk skip every day and local talk yea cellular etc..is ok but I call it convenient cb is alot of fun also
Recently dug up my Cobra 23 channel CB radio from our old 1976 Caprice Classic. It was actually wrapped in shag carpet! LOL. Still have an amazing magnetic trunk antenna too. Thing still works great and is now a base station with a solar battery system! Looking at a more modern 40ch model for the car. Thanks!
Proud owner of realistic navaho trc 458 with sigma venom in my house and yaesu ft 450 both with same antenna and cobra 29lx in my car with hustler mag mount antenna
I have my cobra 2000 cb base station with an a99 antenna my every day cb radio on my personal vehicle and my work truck one in my garage with another a99 and 5 spare cb radios.
Get a Sirio Gainmaster 5/8ths wave verticle, you'll toss your A99 in the trash. My Gainmaster out performs the A99 in every aspect, I'll never use an A99 or a Imax 2000 ever again!🤠👍
When i drove over the road, always had a CB in the truck. Nothing elaborate but tuned proper & could talk on a hot humid day for 25-30 miles. On side band, was in KC,Mo. & talking to guys in Baltimore. I think every vehicle made should have one. Don't have to use it but nice to have when something comes up.
Just picked up a Wouxun KG-S72C as my first CB radio. This little handheld was more than enough to make me realize that the last 20 years of me doing a blue collar job that requires a lot of driving throughout the day without a CB was dumb. I use Waze, and it’s great, but it’s not the same. Sometimes just knowing what lane to be in quickly is a big deal, and I’ve already had those moments.
Waze is great for areas that have good cell coverage, where I live it does not work. On long drives I like to scan the channels and see what is going on
I'm an amateur radio operator and don't have anything against CB radio. If I had a car, I would have both a CB radio and a UHF/VHF Ham radio in it. I may get a CB radio just to see what's going on those channels. 73 from KC2TEL.
As I trucker of almost 20 years, todays truck drivers are just collecting a paycheck. To us older guys it's a lifestyle. And that includes CB's. Tbh, a lot of todays drivers don't even speak English.
I would love to see the CB channels used as this is a fun hobby and teaching the basics of radio operation is fun. One of the challenges is people do not have a CB radios. I picked up a CB radio about 5 years ago and have only made contact once. Even channel 19 has no traffic any more (I live outside DC). 2 weeks ago we had the AT&T outage, I did not think to check the CB, but there was traffic on my HAM radio. Someone pointed out below that when you are traveling, there may be someone listening and this is why I have the CB. Finding local repeater when traveling require you research before traveling. Thanks for the great video!
I started watching some of the truckers channels on Utube just to find out some things about trucking going on now in different states and realized that CB’s were still being used on the Interstate highway’s and then thought about the other reasons you brought up. I’ll be getting one soon, after some research….. it’s been a long time!
