Disappointed With CB Radio? You Shouldn't Be!

The radio:

The antenna:

The Thunderpole TX took the CB radio world by storm earlier this year and the subsequent release by PNI of the Escort HP82 proved just as popular, but today I’ve got another incarnation of this incredible radio from Moonraker in the form of the Jopix CB-514.

[dw]

Glad to hear someone else refer to it as an early form of social media because that was exactly what it was - way before the term was coined of course. A number of us at school had CBs and would spend hours talking to each other, but just as importantly, widening our social networks and making friends further afield that we'd never have got to know had it not been for the radio. It also taught us a lot about the tech which was right up my street. I still have a real fondness for CB and whilst I really ought to get off my backside and do the Foundation licence, it does offer the opportunity to carry on playing with radio after all these years.

[dktr]

CB radio was something amazing 20 years ago, with a base antenna on every roof, every channel crowded, everyone knew each other and could recognize by just a short carrier push. I passed the amateur radio license exam 3 months ago and those emotions before the radio came back ;) 73! SP4OX

[Hultis-Funkbude]

The same self-made problems here in Germany too. Bad comments just because radio operators are too stupid to operate the devices correctly. 73 from Germany, Sascha

[Savagetechie]

I remember when I was little, we used to sit outside the front door with an old midland handheld (it took something like 22 AA batteries) had a rubber duck antenna on it while channel 9 was constant traffic reports you could just flick around and hear so much.

That would have been late 80s early 90s 40 channel rigs

[Davidlyle]

Not too many years ago my friend was hooking up his CB to communicate with other 4 wheelers. His first contact was with a woman who offered to sell him weed. 😬 The idea would have been inconceivable in the activities hay day but an awful lot of the channels were pretty much clear at the time. I actually didn’t spend that much time on the channels myself except for experimenting but there aren’t big crowds. I really do think that the nice little rubber duck that the radios are coming with are probably better suited to close contact. 🤷 If you didn’t buy a pair with someone specific to talk to it’s probably a good idea to order an antenna with more gain when you buy the radio.

[togeika]

I’m in the USA, Minneapolis, MN. I have a tram antenna outside and have tried an inverted “V” dipole. Running a CRT SS6900V converted to 11 meter, with a K-Po power mic. I hear skip from down south and out west but no local traffic. On GMRS, the best chance of hearing traffic is on the repeaters. Since I mostly listen, have ordered a dedicated Uniden scanner to monitor GMRS/CB/MURS/ham railroad. If I hear anything I want to respond to, I can turn on the Tx radio.

[rogerburchell]

You are quite right ... people need to get out there and play about with the old cb ... been on since 1979....then moved over to 27/81.... everyone and their dog was on channel lol...again as you said long gone days now ....nice handheld...i have a DNT 40 channel with a four foot telescopic antenna from years back ...also my ex xyl had a TRC 1001 handheld....thanks for the video ..👍

[gtretroworld]

I have made some great contacts on one of these, even had it on the end of a 3 element Yagi with incredible results. Absolutely impeccable fun if used correctly and a great excuse to get out and about…Superbly put video Lewis which I’m sure will be helpful.

[glennwillems]

i remember getting into CB radio back in the previous century... I was 13 years old. The year was 1981. The radio was a Ham International Viking. Homebrewed an antenna for it- a full sized dipole and worked into Switzerland with 2W on FM channel 34 :-) I moved on, got my degree in RF Electronics and now I'm a broadcast engineer with a full amateur license as wel. 73 de Glenn ON4WIX

[tim.iteland.]

I was a cycle courier in East London in 2001, I had a half digital / half analogue Motorola handheld unit . Amazing system, I could even radio into base in hackney while doing 90mph on a train near Slough . Via repeater beacons . Amazing system and very clear audio .

[davesmeg]

I used to spend hours on the air back in the day. But people moved away or sold up.
I did tune in about 3 years ago and the only activity I could hear were the mic keyers on 1 9 in Liverpool running 1KW burners, playing music 24/7.

[jamesslick]

This comment is in the context of the US. (I don't know much about the non-"ham" HF/VHF/UHF radios available to the general public in Europe). 27 Mhz CB should be considered a hobby in the realm of Shortwave Listening. "CB" is shortwave. Invest in a GOOD antenna (For ~27Mhz!) and perhaps an upgraded mic and try to go for DISTANCE. If you just want to talk to your friend down the street, get an FRS (Like "regular" CB, there is no license required), or for more POWER go to GMRS (a "license" is required, but there is no test, so more of a tax than a license) I make contacts and "shoot the breeze" on both CB and GMRS. They are like being a ham without a test. CB for Distance, GMRS for local. ( FRS/GMRS is really a UHF-FM version of "CB"). Radio is a fun hobby, but investigate HOW you want to get into it. And use the right gear (ANTENNAS particularly!!)

[DR]

I have just sold my SSB rig and bought one of these. I want to get out portable and mobile more and prefer FM modulation. I know people will say FM bands are quiet but i dont here much local SSB anyway, it is mainly skip. I have also worked Canada on FM and Eastern Europe on the mids so SSB not the be all and end all it is made out to be. 👍

[StalinTheManfSteel]

I've never given up on CB, ever since i was a kid, It's where i started and obtained a Novice licence at 15 and upgraded to General the next year. I have grey hair on my head now and was listening to the free band region yesterday then i was on 29.000 mhz listening to AM activity, boat anchor stuff! 8-)

[sputumtube]

I noticed that these CB radios are all FM (frequency modulation). The CB's of the early 80's when I had a Midland 240M in my car had both FM and AM (amplitude modulation). What happened to the AM frequency. It's almost 40 years since I had mine!

[andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Fond memories of my own CB radio in the early 1980’s and attending monthly gatherings. 👍😀

[AJ-qngd]

I’ve got a President Randy 3 which I put a telescopic antenna on and easily get 15+ miles across water, it also receives skip from USA and Europe really well one evening was picking up conversation from all up the east coast of the USA and Canada, that was on the stock antenna !

[brianweston]

I would warn anyone in a city getting back into CB not to bother, due to cheap switch mode power supplies on everything all you get is noise of about signal 7-9. The handheld should be good out in the open. Better for you and a mate to use them out and about.

[TheSpitfiregoggles]

I've heard similar comments about using HTs on the amateur 4m band..."don't bother with one of those, you'll get nowhere, you need 100W ssb to a beam" etc., etc...and yet, I've had contacts out to 25 miles with the helical that came with the radio!
I've got back into CB in a small way, with a second hand TTI rig from Newark Hamfest last year and a £10 Sirio DV27, getting contacts out to 30 miles plus. Looking forward to getting a handheld again as I'm more likely to be active with it. A big part of the problem in getting contacts is lack of activity in some areas and a shift away from monitoring the calling channel to having local chat channels which is fine, but how do you know about them if you're new to the hobby or area?

[MattJonesGR]

I remember my Harrier CBX and Hygain 5 I had with the 5K mod