C.B. Radio

[Jaws]

still plenty of CB shops about and on the motorway services
I have an old rig secreted somewhere.

Is that a medical condition ?

 

[autoswan]

I had am/fm cb`s in early 80`s it was great fun and met lots of nice girls off it. It went dead on the airwaves after a few years so been in a box in attic since then, maybe collectors items one day . Audioline, Amstrad and another well known make at the time cant remember which, also couple of hand helds up there too. Happy days.

 

[wingman]

I had an illegal CB in the late 70's/early 80's. Cost me a fortune on the black market. Got so interested in the pastime that I went on to spend even more dosh on a Ham International multi mode rig. Had it linked to a linear amp and DXed to the States. Anyone remember Sigma 4 aerials?

Sadly, there were complaints about TV interference locally and I had to knock it on the head. I was so worried that the radio authorities (we even had the official's name Eric Gotts???) would DF and catch me and get a huge fine, that I went 'legal'. Along with 4 other CBers, I studied and passed the RAE exam.

I felt like a traitor to CB, but happy that I was now legal. Soooo my handle - Buccaneer became call-sign G6OPZ. Hasn't got the same romance has it! Later, I did the morse and have the present call-sign of G4XXT

Never realised that there were some 'Hams' on here. Sadly, the hobby faded for me. I still have a 2m rig (a Yaesu 290R) and a 10m rig still in the box! Also have a multi band receiver, but I sold all of my lovely other Yaesu HF gear (FT- 101) to support the flying bug.

Alas, it has all passed me by now and I can't remember all of the reg's and bands. All is 'packet' radio now I guess, so I'm well behind. I used the think that RTTY was the dog's nads!

Sorry to hi-jack the walking-talkie thread.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane lads,
James

 

[Jaws]

Far from it James.. Packet was something I was heavily in to for a long while I admit ( used to run GB7TDG and if you google it I am still listed as the sysop ) but it has more or less died a death in this area..
Mind you, canna remember the last time I had a 2mtr contact ! The last in the log book was 2004 .....................

But just today, on HF, had a nice chat with a couple of German stations and about 5 or 6 contacts around the UK, from Liverpool to Southampton

 

[reader]

I accept DStar and DMR are not everybodies cup of tea Jaws but we are lucky in having a few repeaters in our our area. (GB7WC and GB7DV being close) You can work simplex as well.
Its a bit like DAB you either have it or you dont unlike analogue where you can hang onto a very weak signal. You can connect to various reflectors to "work the world" and it has lower noise levels than HF. DMR is Morotolas digital version and is run on the DMARC network. If you are interested will send you some links with info off forum so we dont bore people to death.

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[Jaws]

Yes please Reader.. always good to get new info !
Sounds a bit like the good old bad old days of playing repeater DX but who gives a foofoo ! Its all good fun at the end of the day

 

[Steve]

I remember them being quite popular at one time, there was a CB magazine called 'Breaker'. I don't think us Brits ever really took to the American style lingo used - 'breaker 1 - 4 for a copy' and other such stuff.

Paul

Oh yes we did, breaking was very big around here....when it was ilegal then when it went to FM sort of died a death.
Catch you on the flip flop good bubby. 10 10 till we do it again, were down were gone.

 

[Jaws]

Gotta agree with you Paul
When it was big in this area ( 1978 to early 1990 ) if you never spoke the lingo no one bothered talking to you !
We had a BIG club here with around 150 members ( I was chair for two years ) and extremely active
We organised lots of camping trips, a weekly fox hunt ( that went on for a good few years ) by-weekly meetings, a sub committee that dealt exclusively with TVI problems, another that dealt with bucket mouths ( swearing was an ABSOLUTE no no.. even very mild stuff like bugger or sod was just not allowed or indeed used ), and a team of DF'ers to locate those that repeatedly err'd plus other goings on

For some reason once it went legal we had a massive influx of truckers who just could not stop swearing ( and yes, it was truckers passing though the town and parking up for the night .. Many of those parked up had a visit from the lads who explained the wrongs of swearing as so many families had units in their living room .. If the driver got stroppy ( so I am told ) antennas seemed to develop all sorts of strange faults.. a lot of which involve cutters, pins through cables and occasionally the nearest river !

 

[Easyliving]

Oh yes we did, breaking was very big around here....when it was ilegal then when it went to FM sort of died a death.
Catch you on the flip flop good bubby. 10 10 till we do it again, were down were gone.

I remember someone brought a CB into work once. We were coming out with stuff like 'pick a window - make it a nice big one and jump out of it' - comedy gold!

You're wall to wall and tree top tall

Paul

 

[Reallyretired]

You could always do the full licence Reallyretired. Like Polar bear I have the facility for UHF/VHF & HF in the van along with Digital the latter I am using using more if close to DStar or DMR repeaters as you can work the world with no noise
-- ----- -.. .-- --.-

I only use radio for the local 4x4 response group, which is why I took the foundation exam, there are around 50 and rising of us in the Sussex group who have some sort of licence, mainly Foundation. I may do the intermediate and Full licences some time, but no real pressure until I'm in the minority on 10w.

http://www.sussex4x4response.org

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[Jaws]

10w can work the world if propagation is right !

 

[Polar bear]

I have worked dozens of countries on less than 5w qrp cw and phone over the years from home and mobile.

 

[tonka]

I have worked dozens of countries on less than 5w qrp cw and phone over the years from home and mobile.

BUT. have you ever got. G1FTJ ........


private joke.. !!!

 

[Jaws]

I am one of those who not only has a god awful 'fist' but a cloth ear too !
Scrapped through the morse test ( Mablethorpe ) and have not touched a key in anger since.
Apparently the morse I send is, and I quote, at the speed of a novice ( about 12 to 14 wpm ) with the spacings of a 30wpm man'
It is VERY clipped to say the least...

 

[John.]

Just found this old thread had a great time with the illegal am rigs in the early days.
Lived in Warrington (red city) thought all the lingo & code names were great

Favourite place name was crushed baby (Prescott)

Best rig a President Addams. 240 Chanel Side band.
Best twig a 5' fire stick fastened to the rear bumper of my Renault 16 TX.

Handle Renno

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[cruiser]

I had the old am in my truck. then we all went fm. and then all the kids got on it . and then you got a lot of truckers who as jaws said verbally abused it. but I have still got my old midland in the spare room. I did put it in the m/h but never got used.

 

[John.]

[QUOTE="and then all the kids got on it . [/QUOTE]

"What's your twig what's your twenty & what am I throwing at you"

I know exactly what you mean that's why I packed it in

 

[TheBig1]

I have a couple of old rigs tucked away in case I ever need them in case of national disaster etc however based on the fact modern technology has long since exceeded their capabilities, I doubt they will ever be needed again

likewise I was "out there" on AM in the old days and side bands. however the death of CBs was long before the mobile phone as some think, it was allowing thousands of kids to play with them. it went from a useful tool and social outlet to a pathetic cacophony of the dross of life. pretty much the facebook or twitter of its time

 

[DanielFord]

I now always have ours on now. Shouted out to a few motorhomes I have seen with aerials.
Much better now that the kids aren't on it. Mind you, in the 80's I was a kid

 

[Bluestar]

Used to have an "illegal" rig but gave it up when it went mainstream/legal

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[bernardfeay]

When there are two Motorhomes travelling we always have walki talkies. They work very well within a short range.

Of course there are times when other people talk on our channel. Our response is always "stay off this channel, we are extremely important people".

 

[TheBig1]

we have a set of walkie talkies that we use for the dogs. turn one on and set to voice activated and leave it in the van. take the other with us, always turned on. if the dogs start barking, we know straight away and return to the van

one of our old dogs was rather nervous so we started doing it when he had to be left for an hour or so. simple and peace of mind knowing that all is quiet in the van as we get a coffee etc

 

[Irishrover]

Not CB but used to operate a pirate radio station in the 80s and 90s. DLR 106fm. We ran a homebrew SW rig on 6220khz. It had a pair of 6146B valves in the output ( circa 90 watts ) We sent QSL cards all over the world verifying reception reports! Fun days indeed!

 

[Bluestar]

Not CB but used to operate a pirate radio station in the 80s and 90s. DLR 106fm. We ran a homebrew SW rig on 6220khz. It had a pair of 6146B valves in the output ( circa 90 watts ) We sent QSL cards all over the world verifying reception reports! Fun days indeed!

Rock and Roll

 

[wingman]

My grandson likes things 'radio' and as he would be responsible with it, I bought the him a CB rig for Christmas (probably re-living my youth through the kids!).

Set it all up for him with an old antenna, SWR meter etc and nuffink!! Not a soul on there.

Question is, would there be any point in wrestling it back off him and using it in the MH?

PS. Also have a 'Ham' licence, but never go on the air these days.

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[busby]

I remember them being quite popular at one time, there was a CB magazine called 'Breaker'. I don't think us Brits ever really took to the American style lingo used - 'breaker 1 - 4 for a copy' and other such stuff.

Paul

We truckers did,,,very very useful for traffic information etc etc. BUSBY.

 

[cruiser]

I used to have one in my truck when I worked for a company called texas. [now called [ homebase] I was called the texas tranvesite.

 

[busby]

I used to have one in my truck when I worked for a company called texas. [now called [ homebase] I was called the texas tranvesite.

Say no more,,,BUSBY

 

[cruiser]

thanks busby. I will not tell.

 

[TheBig1]

I used to have one in my truck when I worked for a company called texas. [now called [ homebase] I was called the texas tranvesite.

some things change others you may need a little help for

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