Is CB Radio Dead In Your Area? Maybe Not. Try This!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- I get a lot of e-mails and comments telling me that CB radio is dead in (fill in the blank) part of the country.
While this is sadly true in a few parts of the USA, a lot of the time that dead air you hear is just part of the process of finding someone to talk with. This fairly lame video tries to show that a quick spin through the dial does often bring up nothing but static even with a large base antenna and a good location.
But try again and listen for the little things and you might be surprised.
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We don't care about other people talking, up here in the mountains. There is no cell signal. We use CB from car to house in town.
I’m almost 59 years old, and I’ve had a CB in every vehicle since the 1970’s
Original CB was also the 27Mhz range, not the UHF 480 MHz range.
I used to install security comms systems in patrol vehicles that used both the UHF for localised hand held communication, but the 27Mhz was for long range transmission back to base due to a more efficient wavelength as opposed to the UHF bands.
Load up on CBs
Ion my late 40’s had cb’s growing up .. now my son who just got his first truck just installed a cb now all his buddies are getting them in our town .
Glad to see it . I may get my base back out now
I just bought my first radio, and now my brother in law is scrambling to get one for himself!
Good Mr. Harrison : I'm not going to have any trouble remembering your name . I'm also from the Harrison clan . I'm up hear in Toronto Canada . What's your 20 ?
@@johnh1001 Virginia Beach va
@@shaneharrison914 I'm right on the north shore of the Great Lake Ontario . It's a nice spring day to-Day .
@@johnh1001 I just got my first cb it’s a portable model though and I haven’t heard anything yet cause I live in a small town even put out a 10-8 on all channels
Thanks sir . I have a terminally ill 3yr boy with SMA type 1 and its a very scary, up and down roller-coaster of a disease. I have to always be one step ahead of the pack and we have emergencys all the time so I thought having a cb would be a important thing to have for our hospital trips and just everyday. I went to the truckstop and bought a handheld and also a base one for the house. I started thinking it was a waste of money until I watched your video and learned more about it. I think its a really good way of communication and taught my wife and kids to use it to. Thanks again and God bless you and America
Thank you sir!
@@FarpointFarmsi was wondering about channel 6 myself on CB i always find that channel active , yes there power must really be up to transmit
@@myfavorites1016pretty obvious. Anyone with half a brain knows it's always been the channel with the 10,000 watt entry fee
SMA is an antenna connector
My wife and I have been using CB's as well. We have President Randy mobile setups with k30 Mag mounts. I have another magmount antenna on top of my house on my HVAC system. I get 10 miles easily barefoot. I learned that putting magnetic Mount antennas on ironing boards and staking them down in your backyard will also work well.
When will people understand that just cuz something's old that doesn't mean it's useless.
CB radios may no longer be cool, but they're still effective.
Well said.
I tend to think that CB is still very cool.....even more so because John Q. Public thinks otherwise.
Yes..when John Q Public says something is not cool, that is an excellent barometer to tell what's good or not. In other words if John says it's not cool, it's the total opposite. I love my CB Radio
William Norton. I agree. Too many people today fail to realize that CB is the ONLY form of communication possible during a mobile network blackout be it caused by bush fire, flood or service providers outage.
Alan, Australia.
so true Alan Dickinson. Back in 04 my little cheap Cobra got me home safe coming from Lansing to Detroit. A 200 car pileup happened, the way I knew back was shut down and I got stuck in the woods where 911 couldn't track via GPS. I got a trucker on 19 and he got me back to another freeway that went to Detroit. Made it back A-Ok.
I got into CB in the 80s when I was a kid, and I've owned rigs ever since. CB died here in the 90s when cellphones became popular, but they're coming back now.
89.8 Kiwi FM as long as conditions are right, you can always talk skip
I think you are right. It is coming back!
Many more people talking on cb around me here in sw Washington state we've never stopped using them on logging roads because we gotta know who's coming up or going down these 1 lane roads but the kids i see with big 4X4 trucks are getting into them big time now too
I live in Florida and I've had one for about 10 years and I can tell you in the last 2 years my radio has been off the wall with chatter
I have been talking on CB radio since 1977 and funny thing is that I have never owned a cel phone lol
A lot of 4x4 offroad/trail runners still use them to talk to the groups they wheel with.
I've been a licensed Ham operator since 1997 but have recently got started into CB. Ham is a little too stiffneck for me. Great vid! Hopefully there will be more folks discover CB and join in. Keep posting!!!
There does seem to be a slight uptick in CB operators out there. Let's hope it keeps going!
@M. S. well, who died and left him in charge? It is amazing to me how many are such smart asses.
@M. S. your talking out your ass !
Yeah, we're happy to have you. Hams can be kind of full of themselves. I've heard so many go on about the cb'ers and all the lower class stuff. First, don't judge a whole group by a few. Second, what is so wrong with the stereotypes they talk about? What's wrong with blue collar people who aren't as refined as some hams? What's wrong with being lower class,or with being kind of, I guess, rural-minded and somewhat conservative? They talk about how they always follow the rules. Good for them. Hams have very few rules to follow, but either way, stiff-necked is a pretty good descriptor for them. lol
I would love to see more folks get on to cb, but I'd like for us to keep our culture. Getting too popular with outsiders sometimes means they start crowding the group and demanding or making changes.I love cb as a blue collar, lower class, and I mean that in a good way, down to earth, layed back subculture. I'm sure it'll stay that way to an extent, because the truckers are still using the band, and they don't show any signs of stopping. They might use the other no license bands, but that's usually to talk to people who they are already connected with, like team drivers.Plus, don't forget all the people who live out in the country where the cell phone doesn't reach. I'm sure our group is somewhat safe, so I'd love to see newbies come around. I just don't want all of us to cave in to all of them and make cb another ham culture or like the internet where breaking a little political correctness taboo can get you shouted down by dozens of people.
Man this brings back memories. Back in the 90's I was big into CB. This video makes me want to pick it back up.
Do it man, I'm about to get all the stuff I need to slap a cobra on my wreck of a truck if not both of them.
I bought one last September for my RV and a friend of mine said it would be useless.
Well on the first main trip, didn't I get the info I needed from a trucker reference where could I get a fuel/water separator on a late night. Sure enough, my "useless" CB saved our ass.
yea got 2 sets of my own along with a peaked galaxy that need some love been some time since the have seen any juice
Texas Star linear
Yeah you should brother cber
You forgot the most important part of “Skip”. We’re headed to the bottom of a 10 year sun spot cycle where distant radio communication is virtually impossible. I’m a licensed ham radio operator for the last 27 years. When I got my license in 1991 we were at the peak of a great sunspot cycle. I could talk around the world on a few watts and a mobile antenna. The point is, as you have mentioned, skip is still there. It just takes patients and a good ear. I like your videos. I still use CB once and a while. Inexpensive way to get on the air. Keep up the great videos. 73 from Northern California. Bob KC6SOT
Thanks for the kind words!
Flyboybobio.. Same here. KM4BEV.. love having both radios in my truck as my father did when I was growing up.. I lost my dad back in 15, he was KM4ABH and knew his stuff when it came to radio.. 73..
KJ4ILF Down here in central ga.
Most hams start out in CB, but that doesn't mean you have to stay there forever!
John Sanders kf4ncc here in north georgia, 73's
I'd hear silence,, on 19. I'd say, "DAMN!! She ain't got no panties on" and the radio, comes alive. "WHERE SHE AT" LoL C.B. just needs the right people on them.
It'll be quiet for miles, then you close in on a truckstop and hear the radio rambos.
Didn't work
@@zac.bolin01 You're kiddin... On a busy day.. Must've been how ya said it.. Got to be excited with, DAMN!! And then be shocked with, She ain't go no pants on. Drag that outa little. Seat covers are the shit. But wait until they have shorts on. You'll get em
Snowman374th well it's probably because my antenna don't work that well... got a new antenna coming next week
@@zac.bolin01 Oh okay. Well make sure you set the stand wave (SWR) That' helps you get out as far as 5 miles depending on your radio. If it's peaked & tuned or not. Have a cool handle. Snowman's been mine for years.
Hearing this voice with static brings back a lot of memories. My dad was a Ham operator and I was big into CB and SSB. I remember the excitement of taking skip at night a long long way away.
I remember talking to truckers on the CB in my dad's car on road trips in the late 70s. Was kinda fun, brings back some memories.
I just installed my Uniden Grant XL back in my van. I found local people talking on channel 28. Yay. I am a happy camper. Dying to talk sideband. Next addition is my Linear.
Best to learn about CB and how to use it and setup a rig in case of emergencies.
Their great when your driving around. You can get info about road conditions in your area long before its sent to a Garmin or other GPS based systems. You can also ask which lanes are moving faster in the event of an accident, Tornado touch downs. bridge wash outs ect ect. RV's are saving CB's. I also use FAX from time to time. Leave no trace. Nothing criminal I just don't want personal business sticking around on a hard drive beyond my control.
That's exactly what I'm doing. One for my car, and a handheld so the kids can join in! When the power goes out after a heavy storm, I imagine my little rig will pay for itself in information as well as entertainment.
@@regularfather4708 CBs were used to fairly good effect in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. One "thing" that has negativity affected CB in my locale, are the vast number of Mexicans on the CB.
Great video! Been a CBer for over 42 years, still have my FCC license, ( they use to require a license for CB's back in the 70's). Keep up the good work.
Do you need a licence to get started on CB nowadays? I'm in Boston? Would it even be worth picking up as a little side project? Or is it obsolete here?? Just really curious. Thanks in advanced for your info and help. It's much appreciated
@@SunTzuMedia No liscense needed, but use the rules for safety and set-up properly, Usually the people selling the radios know the ins and outs.
All my friends had 23 channels in the early 70's. I waited until 77 when 40 channel CB's came out, then splurged on a Cobra 19GTL & Big Mama antenna. Still have my license too. No store would sell one without showing a license. Lived on a hill in a little town near the Big Mac bridge in northern Michigan. Half mile from lake Michigan. On very cold nights in January & February when the air was crystal clear & temp's 20-25 below zero, my wife and I would sit out in the truck bundled up pointed towards lake Michigan. I could skip across the lake & talk to people in the far western U.P. & Wisconsin. We didn't own a tv so it was great entertainment for us. Kinda like the web except people were respectable & well mannered. Of course it was rural folk we talked to mostly not that that should make a difference. sure miss those days. Pigeonhawk & Gold Finch 10-10.
Kayf8343😂
Back in the 60s and 70s used to see antennas on every other car.
Ok. So back around 2001-2003 I setup my old CB I had from my teenage years and put up the 1/2 vertical and also built a 3 element beam and faced that east to talk into Syndey and Melbourne. Then I found a linear in a pawn shop one day and my eyes lit up. I grabbed that and hooked it up. Talking local to some guys in a radio club they told me to listen out on 38 LSB about 10am on in the moring and you might hear some American skip coming in. Sure enough, one day I did. I tell you it was quite exciting to hear American accent coming out that little speaker!! I remember I spoke into Hawaii and I think California and maybe one or two other places that would have been along the west coast on that skip. I am from Australia near Perth and 35 LSB used to be the standard call channel here. Had I known all those years before that you Americans were sitting up there on 38 LSB I would have made more contacts I reckon! Fun times. Still got a few radios, a 5/8 wave vertical and that linear amp too!
Great story! I too can remember the first time I talked overseas. What a rush!
Thank you very much for the CB related videos.
I’ve watch only two at this point, but very helpful.
Been thinking about setting up a CB base to go along with my marine standalone (live on the coast).
Want to introduce my son to this as I was when a kid.
Lots of great information in your conversational videos… thank you.
I remember driving across the country in 1971 and there was CB traffic everywhere. I was able to get updates on highway patrol, gas stations nearby, good places to eat, and tons of other information. I had almost as much fun playing with the CB radio as I did driving cross country.
It was great and SSB CB was always a cut above though as far as communicating over distance. AM CB was everything you mentioned and was also the 'Twitter' or basically the social media of the day for many people, young and old. Back then I never had a car or truck without it. It also kinda served as a sorta mobile phone. Many a CB'r have become Amateur (Ham radio) Operators understandably. 73
@@chuckgoede4778 I see a lot of people asking for road and weather conditions on facebook and the like. Yeah I get laughed at a lot for suggesting that someone should get a CB but if you think about it, the truckers are still out there and no matter where you are in the country, you can always call for someone further down the road or someone who has just come from further down the road and get an up to date report.
@@TheBronco67in eastern europe a cb is common enough evan on small cars
Watching your video inspired me to build a Rasberry Pi powered CB auto-tuner. Motor on the channel selector, motor on squelch and 3rd DC motor on RF gain switches. Small external mic measures and sound from speaker to detect new channels with audio traffic. Running program in a loop will add new channel detected to a “active channel” table. All 40 channels scanned / sweeped every 10 seconds. Much easier to find traffic on all channels now! Need more CB’ers in this hobby!
WOW! That is an incredible invention! PLEASE make a video of it in action. I'm sure many folks out there would love to see this thing. I'm seriously in awe. Very cool and I want one!!
Martin Lee Smirl ... Martin are you going to share with the world what you've done, if you've really done it?
For anyone that doesn't know what a Raspberry Pi is, it is an ingenious little device. Most computers are way overkill for what is necessary so they cost far more then what is necessary. The Raspberry Pi however was designed to only be as powerful as needed for whatever program it needs to run, in this case an active channel finder. Many people would buy this, and since it runs on this tech you can sell it for cheaper too!.
Just use an SDR if you can find anyone to listen to.
Almost a year since your comment, Martin a. k. a. Daddy. Still not going to share what you've done? Or possibly you haven't done shit and like to type pathological lies.
CB Radio is Far from dead in the New England area! More and more people are installing into their trucks for Camping pulling travel trailers, motor homes! I cant tell you how many times I have gotten heads up on wrecks that have happened miles up the road! Some Campgrounds have them and monitor certain channels to welcome you or guide you in! CB is making a come back and it is so affordable! Some radios just $30 antenna even less!
That's great to hear! It used to be that all truck stops had a channel on all the time, but most of those have faded away. I'm glad to hear campers are getting into the hobby.
Im in New England! I have one!
Same here no luck in Boston
Jamiah Shaw I’m on in Boston sometimes usually on 22 or 38
It's starting to become popular again in Texas we're Walkin and talkin. It's a lot more fun than social media a lot of young people are starting like it too!
I love the cb vids. Inspired me to get back into cb after hearing so many people trash talk the hobby.
Talking trash ON my CB is my hobby.
Wow Eric, it only took 6 years after you posted your video before I saw it. I actually applied for my CB license in 1968 at the age of 13. I think I still even have the official government document with my call sign. I am a photographer in Oregon and had not used a CB in years. I started doing landscape photography and being in the mountain ranges I thought it would be a good safety item to have a working CB in the car. I purchased one that would automatically go through the channels and also had the NOAA weather service. That was in 2007 and I only once had a conversation with anyone. It is now sitting in a different car and I think you have inspired me enough the pull it out and try again. I had forgotten how many hours I would sit in my father's car listening and skipping with people in New Zealand. Thank you for bringing back those memories.
I am glad that I could bring back some memories- I used to live out in Oregon and loved it there.
I loved my CB back n the day,My 1st CB was only 23 channels with a quarter of a watt output,that was back in 1979 a few years before CB on 27mhz FM was made legal in the UK.After another year or so I got a Cobra 148gtl DX.I loved it so much and with an 18 foot quarter wave antenna and 4 watts output and I was getting up to 50 ,60miles straight and all over the world via skip.Over 25 years my love you affair with CB radio was great.I made so many friends.It was a great time.
Gary from Scotland
I'm a child of the '70's. Wanna give a middle finger to smartphones and GPS. Looking to pick up a CB again
I never liked Cell phones. I have one now, but I got it (my first non the less) in late 2014.
Yes, that's right. I was the last guy on earth without a cell phone.
I still don't text, and I still leave messages. 70's kid here too!
I use a flip phone without a GPS myself. You really would have to be dumb to travel with a smartphone that pinpoints out your location no matter where you are. As the older flip phones can only be traced to a cell tower, and not your location. That is why the gov gives out free smartphones to keep a track of folks locations messages and all sorts of things down to banking and other transactions non-thinking people do on a daily basis over their smartphones .
Amateur radio is better.
Hi I used to love my CB radio. Started using it in 1979 I was only 14 years old I am now 53. It was good honest fun. It was totally illegal in the UK at the time and we had to use it in a covert fashion as the police and home office were out looking to catch us with an illegal CB. I used to interfere with my neighbours television set so the only way I could use it was to go mobile at 14 years old I only had a push bike so I designed and antenna battery system microphone and earpiece so I could go out on my push bike I only had 2 hours of power, it was fantastic fun not many people in the UK had CB radios at the time, in fact no one even heard of them. Just found in the loft my Jaws mark 2 CB believe it or not hasn't been switched on for over 20 years connected up tonight left it on for 4 or 5 hours no one on there at all. I will keep it switched on squashed, just in case anyone comes on channel.
We gone bye bye. (Regards)
@@Sam-cp6so depends Sam.. sometimes you just wanna let loose on the ole chicken box :O)
Out in western Oregon, CB is alive and well! All the logging operations run cb on their rigs out past cell range. All the normal truckers and equipment operators run em too. Some channels are pretty dead, but it’s far from “dead”
In north germany is nothing on cb radio ...
Boxritter9999 do you have a single side band cb if not get the cheapest one give it a try then along with a maco v5 antenna or imax 2000 or an antron antenna or a beam antenna of some kind. You can get most of those antennas for under 200 dollars.
It also because the loggers all use vintage trucks and not any modern crap that breaks down every day, so they all still have CB's by default
I thought I would hear loggers, signs are out for traffic entering Hwy 58 near Elsie, but I have yet to hear anything.
I still use mine when I travel from N.Y. to Florida and back. Comes in handy for road traffic and good conversation.
Do you mean you travel on the super slab I - 75 ?
I can definitely attribute my new CB hobby thanks to your channel. I ended up buying an old used Realistic TRC-453 SSB for around $50 but sadly the thing had a couple blown IC chips and was totally useless. I found out about a local electronics repair guy who specializes in HAM and CB radios. First of all, I had no idea there was a guy in my area that was an expert on radios. Mind you, this dude is super old school and has seen some things. His shop had everything I could ever want when it comes to radios. He was fascinating to talk with and one who is always eager to help someone learn. I walk in his store and see all sorts of other old school radio guys who are talkin' shop and having a good time. Even more yet, I learned that there's a radio electronics show coming up next month as well about 30 minutes from my house. Never would I have thought that by getting in to a hobby for fun, that I'd end up uncovering this subculture of enthusiasts right here in my back yard. Needless to say, he fixed up my radio like a champ. It's works perfectly now. A soldering master.
Nice tips on tuning in these stations. I hear channel 6 going off all the dang time. It can be entertaining to listen to! Part of the fun for me, is driving around to different spots and seeing what I can pick up in my truck. Good times.
Great story, and I'm glad my little corner of the internet helped get you on the air!
Marky Shaw Check out EBay you might find one in prime condition on the cheap.
Better off getting a ham license. Tests aren't very hard and there's no cw test anymore. The things that can be done on the ham bands makes cb look like two cans and a string.
That was my first CB radio and I modded it to go into the 10m ham band and past Channel 40 but sadly that sucker died and I threw it away back in the 1980's. The TRC-453 was a nice radio.
joe woodchuck Yep, I have been a ham (originally a Tech as I took my novice and tech the same day) since 1986 but I have been forever sad when they made the changes to ham radio and removed the code requirement and simplified the test (dumb down) to make Ham so easy to get into. A few years later they removed all of the classes and redid them so there were only three and my tech grade became a general class. The removed tech and extra classes and now I have no idea what they have done. I know I always wanted to be an extra but code was never my forte' and with the changes made being a General class is all that I care to be.
Haven't seen a D104 for decades! My first CB was a Realistic Mini 6, from 1971. I became a R.E.A.C.T monitor in Los Angeles at the age of 17. It was a great experience. I connected up with some great people! In 1975, I got my HAM license, and concentrated on that. But, CB is where it all started. 😁
The old D104 is iconic isn't it? I remember the mini 6 too. That was WAY back in the day.
I still use one of my D 104 lollipop mics I bought in 1977, works great
D104 chicken choker I had 1 in about 73 with a old tube type radio don't remember what make it was but it would reach out and touch you,I think it was tuned up the the max.
Just seen this. A great video. I recently bought a CB for my car, set it up, literally no one talking. I think checked the setup of the radio, was only putting out 2w, so did a full service, improved the antenna, and now there are people on almost all channels. Its not far off what it was like back in the 80's.
Best wishes from southern Spain
Glad it helped
Neat video. Reminds me of my CB days back in the 80s. Especially during the holidays--out in the shop early with a turkey or ham in the smoker and the radio fired up and ready. Pop open a few cold ones and let the skip roll. Good times and good memories. May have to break out the old Cobra base along with my ancient Hallicrafters mobile one of these days. Take care and cheers from SC Pee Dee country my friend. Happy Easter!
My mom is a long haul truck driver and I'm a flagger which works on a lot of highways. We both have CB's and when I'm driving across the state to a job I'll talk with the truck drivers. When I broke down on the side of the road no cell signal. I used my CB to get ahold of a truck took forever though almost no one was talking where I was.
Over here in Germany and other European countries, there is some sort of revival for CB. There are still many spots with no cell phone coverage and it´s interesting to see you can use CB to communicate. I have a 60 $ small mobile unit and a Dipol and on good days, this can take you from North Africa to Germany or from Germany to United Kingdom or Sweden with 4 watts and a 12 Volt battery.
Last weekend - Easter - there was a lot of traffic on all channels (we have 40 FM / 40 AM). Maybe better results with SSB, but I don´t have this in my unit. Nevertheless I´m pretty happy with the results. I can´t use shortwave cecause I don´t have the license :-)
Many people think it´s good to have CB in emergency situations (power failure etc.) when nothing else works.
Cheers, Bernd
It actually makes me happy to hear that.
Well done Eric. I always enjoy your style. You have an easygoing nature and get your point across well. I've been to CB'er since the late 70s when my dad was an owner operator and drive a Peterbilt 351. Stay safe out there in the mountains.
Wutzup Eric? Just got my first CB, (Uniden 980), after around 35~40 years! I'll probably wind up getting a base unit as well, but we'll see. I also live in NC in a little town called Oriental near the coast, about 40 miles from New Bern. Maybe if the skip's right I'll talk you up! Thanks for all the informative vids, Steve.
Looks like we got us a convoy
Pigpen,this is rubber duck....i just aint agonna pay n toll......
We shot the gate doing 98, I said let them truckers roll 10-4
10 4 good buddy
🚛🚛🚛🚛🚛🚛🚚🚚🚚🚚
They ain't following me, I'm just in front of them
The convoy has moved to Canada
Great vid. I turn on my radio every day and it's been dead except for a week ago there was a little DX I did work and after it faded out it the band was flat again. Not like the old days back in the 1970's, 80's & 90's when there were people on every channel. Cheers & 73's 9 Alpha Uniform 791
I was glad to see you use the LSB on your Grant. I regularly ran a Galaxy 99 on LSB 38 and have had the pleasure of making conversations as far as Australia. I was a once in a life contact, haven't done it since. I upgraded to my ham license (general) and still find myself going back to CB for travel, off-roading, and working skip for fun. Keep it on and enjoy!!
Try channel 13, I can hear the Super Bowl and a few other operators from the southern states here in Australia
I just came across your video by accident.
Back when I was in high school in the early 1970s, everyone had a CB radio in West Milford, New Jersey!
That was our form of communication, I guess today it would be a “group chat”!
We would all discuss some what we were doing that evening, during the winter we would talk about what roads needed to be plowed, we all had trucks with plows on them, and the town would pay us to go out and plow those roads.
We use them when we needed help, whether it was a vehicle breakdown or an accident we drove up on, that was our form of communication.
Four years ago when my ex and I bought a motorhome, we were gifted a CB radio, when we divorced, he got the motorhome, and since the CB radio was a gift from my nephew, I got the CB radio! 😉
The CB radio is sitting in a closet 10 feet from where I’m sitting right now, you’ve given me the incentive to take it out of the closet and start using it again.
Every RVer and traveler should have one in their rig.
Hook it back up, you can find a group to chat with for sure.
Back in the early 20's a buddy of mine got me into the cb, I spent some money on modding tuning my radio with everything I could add to it, ultimately I had a 300w linear on it and was able to talk to the next state over, I met a lot of people through the radio and had a lot of fun with it, I'm starting to get back in to the cb again, hoping that my local channels aren't dead.
Why do you talk like an idiotic LARPer "early 20's" uh yeah you mean now broccoli head
Thanks for the video!
It makes me happy to see so much positive determination.
Personally, I believe that courtesy and kindness (like ham spirit)
on the band is a good way to attract new young people.
And quality equipment, of course. ;)
For example, thin RG58 coax cables are not well enough shielded anymore,
neither ideal is the UHF connector..
Thanks to all this "eletro smog" / RFI, the backround noise or static is so high,
that weaker signals aren't audible anymore (they go under).
So unless someone has got a high location, a fine 5/8 base station antenna
or a magnetic loop antenna, he/she/they miss out on a lot of signals.
If background noise is, say, S5 to S9, someone should think about chaging the setup.
That being said, a special case might be radio propagation effects.
If the radio wheather is good, and you perhaps can't hear much local
activity, while DX is often possible on CB.
Btw,: In other places on earth, not only speech is allowed on CB.
Digital modes like Packet Radio (AFSK), SSTV, APRS, are too.
And last, but not least, FM repeaters (relays) since a few years. too. :)
PS: Sorry for my English in case this comment sounds weird.
I'll need some more English practice again. ^_^;
Good, thanks. I was a CB Operator in the 70’s. I still have a few rigs I haven’t used in years.
Time to dust them off!
Great video! I have noticed in my area there seems to be a resurgence of CB radios. I am basing this off of the increased number of antennas I am seeing on vehicles. Hopefully the numbers do increase.
I've seen it here too!
I see more base antennas going up than anything.
Growing up in the 70's when the CB radio craze peaked was great fun for a ten-year-old. My buddy and I both had base stations, a mile or two apart and near the Interstate. What great fun in a time before cell phones, computer and cable TV!
Thanks a bunch for ALL of your videos, my friend.. you did an exceptional job of putting them together and I not only enjoyed the first time I heard you but I periodically go back and listen to you again & again. Thank you for all of your efforts!
I used to have a group of friends in the 90s that talked with on CBs all the time. No matter when you turned the radio on, a friend or girlfriend was out there happy to hear from you. I recently found my old box of radios so I hooked up my Cobra and turned it on. Went through the channels for about 20 minutes, just catching some far away chatter a time or two. But mostly just static where my friends (and did I say girlfriends?) used to be. I made a call or two, but where familiar voices used to respond, there was only static. I thought about my friends (and did I mention girlfriends?) and wondered where they are now. I put my radio back in the box in the basement and with a new sense of loneliness trudged up stairs.
Been there too. Everyone has cellphones now. Pretty much the only people on CB these days are commercial operators like truckers and construction sites. Yeah, they aren’t supposed to use CB for commercial purposes, but it’s cheap and since the rest of us aren’t on it’s open for them.
Biggest problems I’ve seen with radios (CB and/or Ham) is ownership. The guys who are into the radio hobby like to feel like they own the channels or freqs. So during an emergency when you use the CB, expect some hot shots who want to play hero to be on there trying to “host” the channel.
I can relate to your story. Pretty much the same for me.
Maybe we can start a group. People who were on the CB during it's hey day and really miss it.
@@totallyfrozenalways have a radio on ..although it is quiet here in Scotland UK we do have some rag chews and nets on fm and ssb . Even get to a local high point you'll here people on cb away from the noise
Porno
Hi Eric! Thanks for this video; it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Little bit of background on me; I JUST got my Ham license this year, KD9NOS. I'm in Chicago, and I lived through the craze in the '70's and was really into it (back when there were only 23 channels!). I recently found my '90's era Realistic CB and went hunting for an antenna (I like to kick the tires, so I had to go to a truck stop to actually find one for sale). I got an SWR meter, tuned it, but can only get 2.25-ish and I'm thinking that since the set up is magnetic and basically everything else is temporary (to be moved to different cars as need), there's something wrong with my connections. Either way, you'd think in Chicago, CB would still be used by truckers, at least. I can hear people, but when I ask for a radio check, I get no responses, so I guess I'm going to have to find another CBer to verify that I'm getting out. Any other suggestions? I'm still really new at the Technician rating...
I got back into CB in 2003 bought several 11m expanded radios and yes there's next to no-one on UK FM but on SSB there's still loads of distance stations I managed to make the trip from my home in Oxfordshire to Perth Australia in 2006.
I will always have a CB radio in my main travel vehicle, you just never know when you will need it
Absolutely, I completely agree.
its a useful addition.
People underestimate the usefulness of it. I personally think it should be mandatory in commercial vehicles.
Having both VHF and CB would be good, if you are stranded or something you can hop onto either radio and try to find someone that is on, in canada LADD-1 is the general trucker channel, much like channel 19 is with CB
Just curious but what is LADD-1? Is that a VHF freq range? Have truckers moved from CB to VHF units? I drove years ago and that's why I was wondering. Thanks.
Back when I was a pro driver in 1994 and made good money I got a Uniden Grant XL with upper and lower side band. The shop I bought it from tuned and peaked it to 12 watts, up from 5. I agree about the antenna; in my personal car i had a 5 or 6 foot tall whip on the trunk lid. I never knew when I would be assigned a different vehicle so I had to make mine portable with a cigarette lighter power cord and I have a 3 foot magnetic mount antenna. I had so much fun in the 80's and 90's on the CB. I would even occasionally meet girls and hook up. Last year I got a job as a driver for 6-7 months. The body of the trucks are gel these days so you have to attach the magnet antenna to the passenger seat rail. I always had to remove it at the end of the day but no biggie. That company had a lot of turnover so it was obvious the mirror mounted antenna was vandalized. I had a dedicated route up and down I-75 here in GA. Basically the only time there was conversation was when we were stuck in traffic. Most other drivers these days keep it on but not many feel like talking. I lost count of how many slower trucks I passed while in the middle lane on to see them watching a movie on their smart phone or tablet mounted over the speedometer. I recently took a trip to AZ and CA. I hooked up with a few other car campers at RTR 2018 and we all had CB's. That was great! We caravanned from one place to another in 3-4 cars and could all chat at the same time on channel 15.
Da Yum Gary! Thanx for Korvetting me!
Hi from the UK 🇬🇧. I have been into C.B radio sense the late 70s and it was the film Convoy that started it off in a big way here but it died out into the 90s but seems to be making a comeback again. So now me been of a certain age am thinking about getting back into it with a better setup because it was something that i throughly enjoyed back then and i have that same feeling right now that i did back then. I throughly enjoy your videos so please keep them coming they are very informative and useful. All the best from the UK 🇬🇧
Welcome back to the hobby!
@@FarpointFarms thanks i don't know why i ever left really. It's just as enjoyable as i remember all them years ago..10.4 👍👍👍👍
Just brought my first CB radio. The Original Road King Classic. Use it for the first time today. I got frustrated because out of 40 channels I got one pick up and I barely could hear the conversation. I thought something was wrong with my antenna. After watching your video I learned a lot about the CB radio world.Thanks.
CB is not dead it just depends on what city or town you live in. People still talk all over the world, and just remember when all the cell phones stop working you can still call on the CB if they have one. Look at it in some of the movies like the one with Bruce Willis when the guy is in the basement of his house and he says, The CB is the last line of communication.
Very good point. When all else fails, CB will still be available as a communication method.
He's talking about die hard 4 2007 movie.
Tech Nine sure you can if you're 8n range and dont have trees or buildings or hills in you're way!
Using die hard as an example of radio use is a bad idea. Every die hard movie fails severely regarding radio. In that particular movie when Bruce is in the 18 wheeler he contacts the dude you referred using a Uniden scanner (receive only radio) then somehow he patches him to a land line.... a miracle of the big screen but not reality. but I do agree that when the cell phone infrastructure fails CB will likely be the number one choice of communication.
this is why im a ham operator!
I had my first CB in the mid / late 70's, when EVERYBODY had one.I may get another one now.
Welcome back to the hobby!
3/2023: As an old CB'r from the 1970's and a little bit today, this was enjoyable. Thank You and Best Regards.
Glad you liked it!
I'm new to CB. Your channel has been the best source of information that I've seen!
Welcome aboard! I hope I can teach you a few things
Hey man, great video for keeping the enthusiasm going for CB fans. I too have had a gutfull of modern technology.... 5G and all that wild modern crap! Looking to get back into the hobby now, I've been away since the 90's you know!
Glad to see you are keeping it strictly 70's on this channel.
Anyway, a big shout out to you from the from the UK buddy, hope you can hear me ok??... : )
Ah, The good ole days of CB Radios which has stood the test of time and is still cool in my book. I miss a lot of the radios I have had over the years, however it's good to say that I still have my Cobra 29 mobile unit and handheld Midland. I sure miss my Tram though which was my first and only tube style CB base station.
Thanks so much for keeping it alive. I'm 30 and have had radios since I was 14. Base and mobile. Use mine every day, it's alive and well in northeast tennessee. 825 is my call handle is double d. Silver bullet if I'm mobile. Hope to talk to you soon
I haven't used a CB in several years, but I still have all my CB stuff. I've been wanting to install my radio in my Ford Ranger but I'll have to build a custom console to put the radio in, otherwise there is nowhere to mount it in the truck. I used to play around with CBs when I was in my teens. I used to talk skip and all that. My handle was General 440.
If you have an aftermarket radio in your ranger, you and use the other half of the double din slot to put your radio. I had a Ranger and I had a Cobra 18 mounted in the lower half of the radio slot. Fits perfect without and cutting.
Thanks for making a nice video. This takes me back to the good old days of CB. I think those days are likely gone for good, but when I see a channel like this I am always hopeful. Cell phones are global and instant communication, but you miss that local traffic talk and things happening right in your area in real time. CB certainly fills a gap that cell phones do not... the ability to instantly talk with those folks around you. I wish every vehicle had a CB and folks could be situationally aware and have interesting local conversations again.
Could come back. If it were to be used in driving for normal drivers I'm sure it would be a hit
Using the scan feature on newer CB's and letting it scan for several minutes or longer can be helpful in finding out for sure if the channels are active.
That has been my greatest tool when on the road. Set the squelch, hit scan and just wait. So much better than dialing through the band.
Here in Brazil ALL truck drivers use Channel 5 to report cops, lasers and all information on the roads.
Glad to hear folks are still using it down that way!
I’m watching this on my smartphone lol. I left for 8 years, just took my 148gtl to Chris at Superior CB in Ontario California and I’m back chatting with old friends and catching up here or there. Your mind paints the picture while you’re talking, like reading a book. I love it.
I bet this guy would be a great survivor if Walking Dead or Terminator scenario really happened. I am an 80's kid, always fascinated by walkie-talkies/two way radios etc due to their simplicity yet effectiveness. Been years since I've had a good one, where I live in NYC lots of hills, traffic, trees and buildings so I'm considering my options to talk with my friend and with family as well as others in case of emergency or even for hobby.
Thing is I have found that radio enthusiasts on here keep telling me to go HAM, study to get the license(for me I'd have to go to another borough which is annoying honestly) I wish FCC can just mail me the test and I can mail it back or be able to take it online but I guess they don't want cheaters would be my guess. I am curious though and weighing my options, thinking CB may be the way to go as it's free though I'm seeking a portable radio I can bring with me while I bike or in a car, walk around etc as well as use at home. I've only had FRS and GMRS radios, but want to expand the hobby getting back into it again. GMRS for my area may reach a mile at most with all the obstacles so thinking of something else. What would you recommend? Looking to get 3-5 miles or 5-10 miles for cheap if I can in NYC SI with trees, cars, buildings around me. Some people on here have recommended I look into POF but the only problem with that is since I've researched it, is apparently they're satellite like cell phones which means if something happens and that goes you're screwed as it's on a cloud cellular network for radios.
Great video btw I enjoy your vids. You seem cool, are friendly and informative. Newer to the hobby here outside of FRS and GMRS so wanting to get into radios again.
For the ranges you are talking about CB and FRS/GMRS radios would work wonderful. No need to spend the time and $$ on HAM stuff for those uses. Welcome to the hobby!
@@FarpointFarms oh really? Thanks for responding man! Nice cause I dont mind the money for ham it's cheap the license but I'd have to go to another part of the city just to take it. Is it hard? Reason why I ask is because it is 10 years which is a while. And theres one radio from retevis I like that's a hybrid gmrs and ham frequencies and waterproof which is always a plus. But thanks again I have a few CB radios in my amazon cart.😎
CB was kinda like the precursor to the internet. We used to even have softball games between channels. Channel 5 vs channel 21 for instance. Who remembers the days before the 40 channels?
Barely. Back in '77 when I got my drivers licence, I had a Midland 23 channel. Later, when I was in the Air Force, I switched to a Motorola 40 channel in my pickup I had back then.
When I was into CB in the '60's and '70's channel 11 was referred to as the "call channel", the place you went to hookup with a friend or someone and then you both went to another channel to continue your conversation. I'm getting back into CB again now, just bought a neat little radio that is doing pretty good so far. Enjoyed your video.
I never knew that. Thanks!~
A distant cousin of mine just sent me a box of CB radios. I haven't had a radio in over 20 years. In the box is five different radios. Some of them has side band. One radio a connex has other bands. I need to learn about again. I haven't powered any of them up yet. I'm so freaking excited. He has been driving trucks for many years. Can't wait to try them out.
I remember the days when channel 10 had so much traffic that you had to find your buddy and move off to a different quieter channel to have a decent conversation.
It was crazy back in the day. 40 channels was never enough.
Good video. CB is not dead at all. You do have to scan the dial as you do at times to find users. Channel 11 has been called the "Tracks". 10 to 15 thousand of us left? No. A whole lot more than that. Midland, Cobra, RCI, Stryker, antenna companies, microphone companies, etc. could not survive nor create new models of radios with only 15K of users. Especially your echo mic maker(really of interest to cber's only). Yes, there are the big guns and a very large "cb underground" of techs that enhance radios as to their output performance, extra channels and more. Still much activity here in southeast Michigan. And when the ionosphere is right, downright crowded.
my dad is a trucker we use cbs all the time on them and we use them all the time and i got one in my pickup and im only 17 and i knew how too use a cb since i was about 12 years and my papa had one out in his shop and we would listen too that he had a 7000 watt ammplifier and lineur we were getting everywhere it was awsome hearing people talk all over
Great to hear it!
Good video! My dad got me into CB's about 30 years ago or so (I'm 41 now), used to sit in his basement for hours playing around. After a flood destroyed all my equipment and adding a wife and kids to my life now I never got back into it. I miss it! Loved hitting the skip just right on LSB, had a mobile in my pick up truck, best was Oklahoma to New Zealand! Maybe I should look for another set up for my garage?
It's still fun! You can get back into the hobby cheaply now as many older units are sitting unloved in closets and attics across the country. Pick up a starter setup and get back on the air.
Just because it's old tech it's not useless. I am a 90's kid and last week I received my very first CB radio. :) sometimes I hear someone but the signal is not strong enough. Here in Germany you have the most luck on the highway with all the truckers.
Nice Grant LT. I did a video 5yrs ago of my mobile Grant XL shooting skip on 38lsb. I made contacts across the Nation that year, and I could hear guys in Jamaica, Hawaii, and even as far away as New Zealand. All from my Honda Accord.
This is very use information. A week ago bought a small CB radio and a galaxy antenna. Set up in my play room upstairs and stick the antenna through the window and I thought i was not gonna pick up and traffic because of the setup, but by surprise I was able talk with 3 different people . Cb radio is a old school, I used use these back in 1988 when it was popular. Anyway I'm happy with what I got for now, it just brings back great memories. Honolulu hi break break
Thanks for sharing!
They call me Hippie was a heavy haul truck drive for many years and still drive cant do without a good CB sometime to play sometime to work .
Truck drivers still use cb radios all the time
Thanks for posting the video. Used to have a Cobra American CB here in the Uk many years ago when they were very illegal. Its nice to see your Radio Shack SWR/Power/Modulation meter. I really wanted one of those when I was about 15 and could not afford one. They were 40 pounds nearly two weeks wages when i left school. Even Radio Shack is no more here. Great Hobby which pushed me on to Amateur Radio. Listening here in England only skip from the USA, Canada or Italy is heard. These are not illegal here anymore. Great video and very enjoyable.
Paul
this is why i bought a President radio with a channel scan feature, so that at any time if something is said then it will switch to that. My brother also just picked up a radio for our road trips and off road adventures. super excited to get it going
I agree that Scan is a game changer on CB these days. Nothing is missed!
Nice video Eric and no, 11 meter cb radio is not dead. For many its dormant until the peak of the next cycle (#25) starting around the year 2020 but it's not dead. It's always good to have a reliable sidebander just like your Uniden Grant, good choice! 73's, 163.
Oh the fun days of CB.
Mike
I know what u mean.That was my main way of communicating back in the day.You could always find a party to...:)
True!
yes mike, lets bring back the old days ! it was good times.
BLIMEY!!! You just turned that sound up and it took me right back to my CB days ( Salford Greater Manchester UK) when I was a CB'er in the late 70's early 80's I remember getting my first radio (a Midland 3001) and I really liked it because the display was green and all my friend's displays were red. Those were the imported AM radio's and it was really good. We even had our own CB Radio club once a month and did rally's and things for local charities. But then we were forced to use the FM radio's and it just seemed to die a death? But anyway, that first few seconds listening to your radio without the squelch really took me back in time. Thank you.
Here in Canton, Ohio, most all of what we called the 'soap opera' channels are pretty much dead as they've moved to Facebook and Twitter. Many of the old timers have passed as well. We still have a few locals on CB and I'm close to I-77 and truckers are still active. I used to have a CB/amateur radio (and audio electronics) repair shop in the basement. I still do work repairing older equipment but all this new micro-electronics is out of my league. I did come up with a way to prevent splash to other channels caused by clipping by putting a diode and a resistor between the power source and the output side of the audio transformer on AM transmissions and that kept the negative audio swings from shutting off the carrier briefly. I always thought it was funny that the locals on channel 20 bitched about the splash from channel 19. As for increased power I did use a Palomar Model 200 amplifier (old style tube type) It would output up to 200 watts. I also unlocked my Yaesu FT-101 to operate on 11 meters. I also designed and added an AM filter circuit and kept the SSB and CW filters. Thanks for this video as I'm glad that CB ain't dead!
Wow, sounds like you certainly have some skills! It's great to chat with an "old timer" that even had his own little shop. I was always in awe whenever I went to our local radio guy. His little shed was filled with all kinds of neat stuff and he always was able to work his magic on our radios whenever they died.
Most of these places have died off, but I still hear about a few out there that are fixing and tuning radios.
Take care!
I think your videos for CB are introducing some new folks to the hobby and well done! I may need to pull into your knowledge to see what is involved in installing struts on my Hyundai Sonata or is that something a professional needs to do?? Thanks ERIK !!
My advice on those struts is to try and find "quick struts". They are compete assembly's that will cost more up front, but make install a breeze!
If you want to go the other route, you will need to invest in a pair of spring compressors, and be ready to pucker up a bit as those giant coil springs are under a lot of tension and can be dangerous.
Ahh I remember my CB days, still got
My rig, cobra 148 tweaked peaked and freaked with a 21 kHz slide, and a Texas Star 667 amp, wall to wall and tree top tall!!
Got in CB as a kid in the seventies. Had the time of my life. Met a lot of people some whom I’m still friends with today.
I can remember local CB breakfast get togethers at a local Elks club and the place was always packed.
Had a super cool D-104 microphone and an Astro beam antenna.
It really opened up the world to me.
Those were the days. Maybe someday we will return to that era of friendship and gatherings.
Same here and I still talk on it daily, but mostly all skip talking
Listening to that chatter on the CB radio sure brought back a lot of memories. I'm definitely getting back into CB and Amateur Radio. Thank you for these videos.
Welcome back to the hobby!
I asked my husband to find me a CB and he did, at a swap meet in the Fall. I have been putting off giving it a try, so I'm glad to have found your videos. It's a Cobra Sound Tracker, from 1998 and I'll probably need to get a longer antennae for it. I remember the fun we had with CB back in the seventies. It took us ages to convince my mother to get one, but once she did, she was all in! I'm going to watch some of your other videos before I power my radio. Thanks for the helpful information.
Welcome (back) to the hobby! Let me know i you need any help.
Paranormal stuff huh? Ghosthunter by chance? I'll have to check out your page tonight when I get home. I love that sort of stuff.
Sounds good, and thanks! I'm going to start looking for an antennae this weekend. I've already informed the husband that we need to put an 18 footer on the roof. :) Any recommendations would be appreciated. And yes, ghost hunting is a good way to put it! I hope you enjoy the videos.
If you're going mobile, there isn't much out there better than a predator 10k. I've had Wilson 2000, Fire Sticks everything from the one foot rubber ducky magnet mount all the way up to the 102 inch stainless steel whip. The 10K beats them all
Here's my take on this. I've had CBs since the 70s and I still carry one with me when I drive. I, of course, have a load of internet based Apps at my fingertips but I still relish that immediate feedback of a live person - during a traffic jam, construction backlog or serious accident on the interstate. Also when I get tired of music or talk radio the static acts as white noise keeping me alert LOL. They're relatively cheap, simple to install and if you get tired of it just turn it off.
Same here in UK - although the majority of stations here use FM on 80 legal channels (of which the lower 40 channels can also be used for AM and SSB in addition to FM). Plus the brave also use additional “naughty” channels for SSB. As you rightly pointed out, you need an “ear” for picking out channels that have a faint signal, usually just above the noise threshold.
However - at 9:16 Whisky 294 was being called by Connecticut - twice. Connecticut did not actually acknowledge your CQ call, whilst you thought he did! I’ve heard that situation many times, on both CB and Ham Radio, where stations mistakenly believed they'd actually made a brief two-way contact. Such is life!
Anyways - continue with the good work of keeping CB alive in this world of diminishing wireless communication, rapidly being made obsolete by modern technology (e-mail, text, Instagram, Twitter, social media, etc., etc.).
Thank you for the good data in this video. I was a kid in the 70s and didn’t have a CB, but my friends dad did. I added a President Johnny III to my Jeep for trail riding recently, so I’m trying to learn. CB’ing is very different from what I remember for sure. This video confirmed my recent experience. I can listen to Ch 6 and 11, but can’t communicate to them... now I know why. Ch 19 is for the truckers - that’s a fact. Some are cool and some are not. I operated radios in the Air Force and kind of revert to that radio language, but I quickly realized that “Good Buddy” doesn’t mean the same as it did in the 70s. Thanks again for reinforcing / confirming my initial CB experience.
Glad I could help!
I still use CB as well as HAM.
I don't get the hate honestly, we all started on CB, i assume. It still has it's uses as well as it's just generally fun
I built a Heathkit GW-12 AB Base back in 1962 when I was 12 Y/O' We had official call signs (licence) and everyone behaved righteously. CB got ruined in the 70's and perverted by the 90's. Now it is clear to go for what it should have been. As a ham I like to use CB while camping with friends and family since no license is required and were far away from the city where imbeciles can't cause harmful interference.
CB got me started in ham. I went from CB KDQ4048 to ham K4PQ
I’m studying now to get my ham it’s a bit overwhelming at times but looking forward to be able to talk to instead of just listening he’ll I may buy a cb if I can’t pass my ham lmbo
@@brianbuchert6382 You'll pass it.
rvarnum I hope so I’m horrible at math but the rest doesn’t seem to bad so far
Ahhh yes, 80s memories! Hopefully the younger generation will breathe life back into this great old hobby. Cool video, thanks!
I'm trying to single handedly bring CB back!
Thank you for clearing that up. That was an issue for most people. They got discouraged right away.
You're welcome
I got started in CB mid 70`s when I moved from Ohio to Utah with Dad for a year . He was a Trucker and had a rig at home and in his Scout. He had a moon raker on the roof of the house with a rotor and we lived at 6,391 ft elevation . I was only 12 but I remember Dad talking all over the world on that rig..
At that height, I'll bet he could talk to the world!
@@FarpointFarms I do remember that he talked to a guy in Australia several times and also some guys up in Canada. That was a long time ago..
I live in CT and hear that guy you talked to on 38LSB all the time locally....I think I've even talked to him once or twice. CB isn't as popular as it once was but there are people out there as you demonstrate here.
Pretty neat!
Yeah, my Cousin now deceased went by the "Waterman". Although I got my ham license, he stuck with CB to the end.
I’m in Massachusetts
Can i get a radio check
Check’s in the mail!
Hey there Eric, I got into CB when I was a teenager offroading with buddies.... realized how useful it could be in the Mountains later in life when a lot of places still did not have cell phone signals ( many still don't) ever since then it's been a growing hobby.
73s!
703 "location" on side and
Quicksilver on AM....
Also just bought a new and better antenna for my pickup truck! I use my CB out here in the Mojave Desert...
We get this on the ham bands, too. Everybody "knows" the band is "dead", so you don't hear a single signal. Then there's a big contest weekend -- same band, same "rotten" conditions -- everybody gets on and works the pants off each other, then Monday morning: silence. 'Cuz the band is "dead". Well, it's "dead" because nobody's talking. Somebody's gotta lay down a CQ; might as well be you.
Would you rather train for a ham radio or have a cb and be able to talk to a bunch of people with cheap equipment cb is cheap and the equipment is to but ham radio is way to expensive
@@jspavlogs9623 Nah. Anymore you can get in for about the same money. You can also, of course, spend way more if you want, but I have a blast with very cost-effective equipment.
@Joshua Gosnell Well, I'm a brasspounder, so things aren't quite as dire, but more to the point, I've been a deadbander since the beginning. You get some of the most memorable QSOs that way.