How CB earned itself a bad reputation which still haunts it today

A FRED 2 chat video. How CB radio went so wrong in the mid 1980's which still lingers in some minds even today.

[chriswilby]

Met my wife on cb when we was 14 years old. We are 52 now.

[bueford]

I got my first radio in 1976 Beloit Wisconsin when I was 13 it was a Sears Road-talker 23 channel with a power supply and a trick stick antenna.I would lay in bed and talk to the truckers all night long. It seems to me the waves were a lot cleaner and disciplined back then.Having the 10 code and a licence helped I think. I was proud to be on the CB. I do remember when it started getting sloppy in the 80s. I run a Cobra 2000 GTL now that I had Snake Radio Customs completely rebuild for me with a Hy-Gain Super Penetrator 500 antenna. I have found a lot of small groups out there to talk to. Still fun DXing for me. Merry Christmas.

[markgault]

Conditions were good today and for the first time I managed to get my first long distance contact on FM cb, Someone calling "CQ DX" so I answered and it turned out to be a guy in Germany I managed to talk for around a min then the signal just vanished .I was just about to give up on CB but today has changed my mind. I live in the Doncaster area and the only channel that is used is 19 and to be honest the language is shocking same old crowd talking about the same old rubbish and the music player that comes on almost every day .So glad I stuck it out I will be spending a lot more time listening in on the EU CEPT and USB.

[swadeyboy]

I just listened to this for the first time. Very nostalgic and unfortunately also very true. I started on CB back in mid seventies until 81 when i got busted by the Feds. Was running a Superstar 360FM and a Avanti Sigma 4 all 27ft of it fixed to a scaffold pole on my chimney. You and Steve have inspired me to get back in the saddle. Cheers👍

[scousepie]

Listening to your story brings back so many memories, so many Trolls. If I could equate into todays communication it would be like the internet, I stopped using twitter and Facebook for the same reasons.. things don't change. as they say what goes around comes around. I got fed up with CB back in the mid 80s so I bought a Cobra 148 GTL DX..lol you could go on the SB to escape the loonies. I have just purchased the SS6900 - great rig, I will be setting it up over the weekend.. so look out. great upload FRED.

[James_Bowie]

Yes, my local CB scene is still toxic. The so-called 'calling' channel is dominated for hours on end by two or three guys whom psychiatrists would have a field day with. One of them made it into the newspaper about 12 years ago along with his photo. Some of his unhinged rants recorded from air were quoted verbatim. He hasn't changed a bit.

[NUBBY]

What pissed me off was that when it was illegal I was brave and put up a Sigma 4 base antenna (Google it if you've never see one then you will know why I was brave lol) in my parents back garden (still young and living at home then) and I was lucky really nobody said anything and i was careful about causing any interference by only running very low power 1/4 to 1/2 watt while the TV's was on no 24 tv then, when the TV shut down we all put our power up to 5/10watts and got out miles, but the thing that pissed me off was as soon as it all became legal every other house in my area had a Silver Rod or GPA or some CB antenna on it, and guess what, interference went up, and guess who got the blame cos I had the biggest antenna .

[davidbennett]

Hi Fred just watched your video I’ve been back on the Cb radio now about 2 months I’m down in West Sussex there’s a few on the 19 fm but it’s the same swearing and being a ass so I’ve decided to go on the ssb from home but seams dead unless the conditions are right I go on the 27.305 most days around 4 pm to see if I can hear your group but no joy but will keep checking many thanks 26 delta bravo 034

[jumpit]

Everything you said fred applied up here in North east too.When i think about how many folk there was on there and where they are
CB introduced us to many more friends, some we never met, but we all loved the CB....So Kindred Spirits.
Keep these up Fred, We all associate with your stories :)

[fredbos]

Some of those bullies are still here. Swearing, playing music and " fighting" ... they never learn.
Cheers on the New Year Fred. All the best to you.

[hfvhf]

Seeing yours and Steves videos is what got me interested in CB (and radio in general) again. Until i saw your videos a couple of years ago i didn't even realise the CEPT frequencies and SSB/AM had been made legal in the UK.

[PR]

sadly, it's the same here in Australia too. very much how you said it. tolling, drunken rants and vulgarity. but i have noticed, it's not the teens that are the problem, (in most cases) but alcohol fueled adults that should know better. whilst the level of knowledge and technical ability, along with cheap surplus commercial/amateur equipment is in abundance on CB radio, the level of respect and ethics is not :( . too many have big ego's, thinking that the more power and equipment one accumulates, the more superior they are. they have fooled themselves into believing that this is what the hobby of CB radio is, not understanding it's about people! put simply, egotism, alcoholism and disrespect are mostly to blame.

[alanp]

Really like your honesty Fred. I like the fact you dont sugar coat things.But there is always a glimmer of optimism which is encouraging. Hopefully the mentally challenged section of our community will have moved onto facebook or mobile communications.

[Tobinindustrial]

Welcome to 2020 YT Fred. The CB story you speak of is a universal story that we can all relate to. Since the late 1990's here the radio has settled down completely and there was a lot less trouble for sure. It is now dwindled to just sparse commercial traffic on our highways and byways. My radio has been untra quiet since Christmas rolled in. Thankfully, there is a bit of skip but that is sporadic as well. Thanks for sharing.

[NordicAxe]

Why do people play music? These days?
I mean, who is listening. How much of an audience is there, either to disrupt or to approve????
I did have a chuckle a few weeks back though - two lorry drivers were talking on UK 19, faint to me. Then a powerful breaker came on and called them both w**nkers. When one retorted, his reply was something like “Tonight this is the JJ Radio Show; where no one else gets a go” and then said if they wanted more power he had lots more to give them 🤣
Silly, I know, but I did laugh. I can see why enthusiasts moved away from UK FM.

[gpo]

In Hull in the 90's CB was popular and we got "Rempers" . There were a few people that had their co-ax "pinned" usually a sewing needle through the coax, I knew one guy who stuck 12v off a fully charged motorcycle battery up some b'stards coax and that was a good way to shag a rig up . I used a 100w Zetagi burner and my neighbours security light kept going off . He was a complete toss bag anyway !

[nimrod]

Ever thought of coming over to the Amateur side also? You've got some nice kit what with the Alinco DX-77T & Yaesu 450

[annax]

Beer and radios i have been on air since 1979 (pirate am ssb) in the UK then came 1981 got myself an amstrad 901 and sold it a day later to carry on using my Grant modded cb27 81 now in Italy got a ham licence but still on T5 for DX BTW my grant is still going strong no recapping needed for now 73's and hope to catch you on air soon

[MRMY]

HI Fred. Agree totally. Good points and well made. As an experiment, I just tuned to Channel 19 and timed how long it would be before the first swearword - 12 seconds. And that is at 1400 on a Monday, when nobody sounds drunk, but that is why I can't have the CB on in the car with any kids in it and why my wife won't have CB on in the house, and why I have a full ham licence now so I can enjoy my radio hobby with less swearing. I am not a prude and use swearing to emphasise my frustrations like everyone else - just not every other word and definitely not on a radio. I miss the days of CB when it was fun, and not a potential source of angst. Ironically, .555 and 11m SSB remains mostly concentrated on the reason for our hobby - communication and DX etc.

[indiana]

Met my wife on cb when i was 17 she was 21 i brought a realistic handheld from holiday from usa im 56 now got a ss9900 when i feel a bit better got a guy setting it up for me got thunderpole 18ft half wave
Really a silver rod type the silver rod is 22ft i believe