Anyone use CB radios in their cars?

[M_a_t_t]

They seem cool and I was curious, so I picked up a used setup for the mercury. I've only been out once since and it was just around town. Didn't pick anything up on channel 9 though.

[redneck]

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Channel 9 is emergency only. However, it’s not used very much anymore by police or emergency responders. Truckers use channel 19 and it is the most popular of the the 40 frequencies for general public use.

Cell phones and app’s have replaced the cb for monitoring road conditions.


They are still handy to have though.






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[freebeard]

I had one in my van in the 1970s. Never could understand a word said on the squawk box.

[M_a_t_t]

Well.

That's probably why I didn't hear anything despite being a few miles from multiple different exits.

[redpoint5]

I've got one on the truck, but hardly ever switch it on. Last time I used it was probably 10 years ago. A trucker asked if anyone knew how to get to the WalMart on Lancaster. I gave him directions, and then he asked if I was the yellow truck because he was right behind it. I told him I was the yellow truck and told him I'd take the exit and to follow me. That way home was just as good as the way I was going to take.

[MeteorGray]

I put my 55-inch Wilson 500 magnet-mount antenna on the roof of my Mazda3 or a 63-inch Wilson 1000 on the roof of my F250 diesel when towing an RV trailer on long trips.

The 11-year sun-cycle that allows the CB radio signal to travel far and wide is beginning to come into play.

On a trip in South Louisiana a couple of days ago, I was hearing radio conversations all up-and-down the East Coast, from Philly to Florida coming from many channels.

Normally, I have my CB on Channel 19, the truckers' channel, to listen for any traffic holdups on the Interstates, especially wrecks that can take a long time to clear. A number of times I've been able to divert around the problems because of information I got on the CB. This can be a significant time-saver in such places like I-10 in Louisiana which goes over the swamps between Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

Yeah, due to the variety of equipment quality and distances involved and some of the fast-talking truckers and folks just cutting up, it's not easy to understand what's being said. But I've often found keeping in touch with traffic conditions via the CB radio is worth the effort.

[Piotrsko]

19 is not necessarily the main channel. On 99 in Cali you also use 21 or 16 and a lot of people use "the COMPANY" channel between hands. Mostly everyone is 2 meter anymore because of reliable 50+ mile and higher powered better equipment.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redneck

Cell phones and app’s have replaced the cb for monitoring road conditions.

I don't even see so many radio-amateur hobbyists as I used to see. And due to the cost of getting the license for a CB radio in my country, no wonder truckers nowadays resort more often to Whatsapp.

[redpoint5]

I was thinking of getting my license now that there isn't a requirement to know Morse Code.

Considering the importance of communication in a crisis, it would be a good idea to have an analog method of communicating at distance, especially given how affordable the equipment is these days.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

That's a good point.