Do people still use CB?

[ki6kui]

The last time I used a CB radio, the audio was terrible, and it had very little range. Is this really a useful service any more? Do you use it? Why use it instead of a Ham radio?

I know Camping World tries to sell the radios, but is it only because it doesn't require a license?

[DaveK]

Ken:

I run both a ham rig and a CB in my vehicle. In all honesty, I haven't used the CB in over two years. Perhaps by design, the runs I organize and the runs I am invited on, seem to be mostly or only hams.

I know there are may runs and groups, where you couldn't pry the CB's out of their cold dead hands. For a host of reasons, and many good reasons, there will always be those who prefer the CB over ham (or GMRS or FRS for that matter) and that's OK. On those occasions, I am glad to have the CB. I think that it's popular, at least in part, for the reason you state - no license. Additionally, on the highway, it is useful, if you can turn the profanity filter on, for road information. The ham solution there is an HF rig which allows you to listen to these frequencies.

More importantly, any time I have had the chance to show CBer's how much better the ham rigs perform, they have almost always made the change. Some sooner than others. Heck, thats pretty much why I am here.

[BigDave]

I mostly have a CB in my truck because it was my Grandfather's and I found it in his house shortly after he passed away last year. Since then I got my ham ticket and the CB is more a novelty now. However I was in PHX for an Angels spring training game last month, without any repeater info in my Yaesu, and when I started home on I-10 the traffic came to a halt just outside of town and I was able to turn on the profanity filter and find out why the traffic was stopped, for how far and what the truckers where doing to get around the issue. With that information I checked out my GPS and figured out a way around the mess. That time it came in handy.
For the most part I carry it so I know my Grandfather is always nearby.
If anyone is interested in a base station CB rig that is larger than most HF Ham DX Contest base station rigs let me know. It's a Radio Shack something or the other. It in the closet taking up space at this time.

Dave

[toms]

Most of the Off-Road Clubs still use CB. I think it is a catch 22 thing. Most of these clubs started in the 70's when CB was the best solution. Now when a new member joins, he is the only one with out a CB so must buy one in order to participate. If a new club were to form they might go FRS. I run FRS, CB, and 2 meter in my vehicle and I carry 12 FRS radios to hand out. For the Getting Started Clinics most people do not have a radio and I find the FRS small, convenient and clear. For longer trips I can not depend on everyone in the group having a 2 meter radio so I use the CB. (Sometime not everyone has a CB either - so I hand out FRS to everyone or transmit my traffic twice. I have tried keying both mikes down at once – it sort of worked). I like to have the Ham radio for the trail end and mid gunners if at all possible. On one Mojave Road Trip, half of the vehicles did not make the turn and ended up 2 miles away. Once I realized they were not with me and could not reach them on the CB, I used the 2 meter to call the tail end and have him stop everyone. He them radioed the GPS coordinates and we tracked right back to them. Having any kind of a test is still a barrier for some people and so it limits ham use.

[SteeevO]

Of course people still use CB. and dito on everything tom said about the clubs using CBs. yeah range is limited more limited on a CB due to power output but there are a few things you can do to squeeze some more range out of your CB radio. First off... i find that 99% of the people that have a CB in thier rig havn't hooked up an SWR meeter let alone even know what one is... [[cringe]] also running a QUALITY coax cable as short as possible will help out as well. I Use RG-8x for everything mobile and i swear by it. the most lossy rg-8x listed in my ARRL Handbook is 3.1db/100ft @ 100MHZ (.9db/100ft @ 100mhz) and the most lossy RG-58 is 5.4db/100ft @ 100 MHZ(1.5db/100ft @ 100MHZ)!!!! BIG Difference.

I wouldn't run an untuned antenna with lossy coax running QRP on 10m so why would i want to do it on 11m (CB)?

All i'm trying to say is... that CBs can perform well... you just need to give it the same TLC you would give a ham radio.
I recently broke through a pileup of truckers (being near the milliken truck stop there is alot of chatter) and spoke to one on the 215 FWY in Highland while i was at the 15fwy & foothill in fontana/rancho cucamonga border with a S9+ full queting signal and had people commenting me on my signal and they thought i had alot of money wraped up in my CB... not bad for a $35 CB low loss coax and a tuned antenna.

Oh,.. .and my short answer is yeah i use CB but i wouldn't leave home without the 2m/440.

Rant: Done.

[DaveK]

I think Steeevo is right. Too many people buy the CB and just stick an antenna up and call it quits. Matching the antenna to your radio will certainly help and it does not take a great deal of know how to do it. Most CB antennas today are tunable and this means that they have the ability to be matched to your particular rig. The Firestick Antenna Company has an excellent tech and FAQ section which covers the procedures to "squeeze some more range out of your CB radio" See http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs.htm . While not everyone has the test equipment to measure SWR, many electronics stores will lend you the meter so you can see where you stand.

[OLLIE]

The Forrestry service uses MURS. I like it. One of the biggest reasons there aren't more hams on the trail is just lack of knowledge on the subject. When I lead a run the tail gunner always has a ham radio as well for the reasons Tom mentioned above. I always hand an HT to a non operator to monitor on a run so they can witness the ability of amateur radio. That's usually all it takes to have them sold on the idea.

I just bought an MFJ 259 SWR meter. What a nice unit compared to one of the old inline (between the radio and antenna) units.

[DaveK]

I just bought an MFJ 259 SWR meter. What a nice unit compared to one of the old inline (between the radio and antenna) units.

I have the HF/VHF one and I could kick myself for not getting the one with UHF. Oh well!

[unwiredadventures]

On one Mojave Road Trip, half of the vehicles did not make the turn and ended up 2 miles away. Once I realized they were not with me and could not reach them on the CB, I used the 2 meter to call the tail end and have him stop everyone. He them radioed the GPS coordinates and we tracked right back to them. Having any kind of a test is still a barrier for some people and so it limits ham use.

I was the one at the "tail end" and it was amazing to experience how much better a 2 meter radio performs vs. a CB.

[cruiserlarry]

As with most thing s when you are out on the trail, the more "tools" you have available to you, the better your chances for getting out of trouble.

I have a CB in my rig. It is the most popular form of trail communication, by far. It's very inexpensive, it's monitored by most authorities, and it's the most likely radio you'll find in someone else's rig. Almost everyone has used a CB radio at one time or another, so it's the least intimidating form of communications.

I have FRS / GMRS radios in my rig. These radios are, to me, the "CBs of the new millenium". FRS radios have become the radio of choice for many families who transverse the great outdoors, as well as local malls, and amusement parks. They have become so mainstream that many retail establishments use them for employee communications, too. While FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) share some of the same frequencies, there are big differences in their requirements and performance: FRS is restricted to 1/2 watt output power, must have a fixed antenna (no additional antenna gain is allowed), and doesn't require any license. GMRS is similar to amateur radio in many ways - it requires a license to operate (but no test, just a five year fee), it can utilize more power ( I believe its 45 watts maximum), and can access repeaters for longer range communication.

I have UHF /VHF ham radios in my rig. By far the most reliable and productive radio system, IMO. The transmissions are clear, the range is excellent, and the general level of user is more communications-savvy, as passing a test is required to obtain a license. The quality of the radios is much higher as well, and repeaters are located in many remote areas to help extend transmission range. As ham radio increases in popularity, more authorities are monitoring it in public areas, and its basic principle as a emergency communications system is well tailored to the outdoor hobbyist.

Basically, there is no reason to eliminate one form of communication because you can have the other. All types of radios are useful when you are out on the trail.