Keeping an eye on CB

 Although the CB bands are just below the 10m amateur band it is often busy on CB when 10m seems dead. This suggests it is a lack of activity rather than poor conditions. Hopefully FT8 will help to show us 10m is still good on some paths.

In the meantime, it may be worth keeping an eye on the CB bands.

CB and amateur radio

It is a while since I listened on 11m CB, but in the past the CB band was busy when the 10m amateur band appeared to be dead. 

It is my view that at some point in the future there will be a merging of amateur radio and CB. I have come across an online SDR which monitors the CB band from the UK.

CB - NOT amateur radio

In the USA CB radio started in 1958. In the UK it started in the early 1980s, although several people were involved illegally before then. 

In the UK it was very busy at first although I do not think this is the case now, although I have not been on CB for years. 

In the USA I have no idea of the situation. 

In the early days people came on CB for a number of reasons, many just to chat. These days people can chat for free with video across the world with the internet, so those who came on just for a chat have all but disappeared.

27 MHz CB

When CB was first legal in the UK, it was very busy. I seem to recall monitoring, but don't think I ever transmitted on CB. 

I still have pair of 1 channel CB handhelds that I used once many years later. These were going to be converted to 10m FM on 29.6 MHz, but never were.  A range of 1 km back-to-back was achieved that surprised me. 

These days I think it is much quieter with advent of the internet and 446 licence free. In the last century we also had a 934 MHz CB band in the UK! 

These days there are far fewer users as these alternatives exist for chatting, leaving the CB frequencies for farmers and any enthusiasts left.

CB gear is low cost as there is lots around ....and probably not selling!

FT8 on CB?

Is FT8 legal on CB in Europe including the UK?  I gather there is some activity around 27.265 MHz. 

When solar conditions decline there is often far more activity on the CB frequencies than on the 10m amateur band suggesting it is a lack of activity rather than poor conditions.

In the UK I believe you do not need a licence to operate CB gear, but I think you must use CE marked gear?  It is a bit vague if you use compliant gear that is not marked. Also, I presume you can make up a call!

I doubt CB is policed and I know many use beams and (illegal) high power. I am just wondering if I should monitor and possibly TX?

FT8 on CB

 At the moment there are very few monitors on the CB FT8 frequency and nothing has been spotted, so I am about to stop monitoring.

FT8 on CB

Apparently there is a group of enthusiasts using FT8 on 27.265MHz CB. I have not monitored this but might well try soon. My endfed Par antenna works well on 11m.

11m operation

It is many years since I did any CB operation. I think the last time was testing a couple of single channel hand portables. I guess that was in the 1990s. 

I see on this week's Amateur Radio Weekly that there is a field day for "freeband" enthusiasts at 11m. The legality of this is not known although there is an ISM band around here. 

How much power can legally be used will depend on where you are. In the UK, it looks like the limit is 100mW ERP according to IR2030.

CB radio

When CB was first legalised in the UK (1981?) I gave it a try and it was very busy. Since then, I have not really used it.

Somewhere (just found them!) I have a pair of CB handhelds. These are crystal controlled, single channel, radios. I seem to recall a 2-way QSO over about 1km with these back-to-back on their whips. This was a very long time ago!

In recent years I believe one can now legally use AM and SSB in the UK on CB. Like repeaters, I suspect 27MHz CB is much quieter now.

My question is does any reader use CB these days? 

At one time it was quite popular with farmers on tractors locally. I suspect with licence free 446MHz gear (and the equivalent in other countries) use of CB channels has nose-dived.

Gear is low cost, so maybe I should give it another try sometime. At one time there were plenty of UK FM CB radios converted to 10m FM. This was popular with many. At one time 10m FM was quite busy locally.

Back on 10m JT65 (2W)

Again, I have returned to 10m JT65 hoping to catch some DX later.

For several days the band has opened for real DX. Don't be fooled by low sunspot numbers. 10m often is open for N-S DX even in sunspot minimum years. Sadly, many just desert the band.

Listening to the CB band just below 10m is often busy when 10m seems flat and devoid of activity. CBers see empty space on 10m, so often illegally use our amateur band.

UPDATE 1154z:  As yet, no spots on 10m JT65, but I expect DX this afternoon.

UPDATE 1412z: PU2ORG (9501km) has been spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1434z: Now PU2PSP (9584km) spotted. As yet, no spots of my own 10m JT65 (2W). Conditions do seem very similar to last autumn. The falling sunspot number have made very little difference so far compared with last autumn.

UPDATE 2235z:  In all, 5 different South Americans were copied on 10m JT65. Not all these were uploaded to PSK Reporter Maps.

4m CB in Sweden

Until I read this in the Southgate News today, I had no idea that there is a 69MHz CB band in Sweden. Being just below our 4m band, this is interesting.

CB to ham

From Steve G7VFY:

Good use for old CB's.

There is a Yahoo group, CB to ham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYoI2Q7O3zU

Stephen Walters

G7VFY

SSB and AM on CB legal from June 27th in UK

The excellent Southgate News page reports that SSB and AM is now legal on UK CB from June 27th 2014.

I have only briefly operated on CB many years ago and was very disappointed.  I suppose 12W pep of SSB will greatly increase the DX potential on CB. AM is also legal.

We need to watch out for more reports of TVI and hi-fi breakthrough as FM, especially at 4W legal limit, is rarely a problem whereas SSB and AM make such issues more probable. Of course,  some CBers like to use (illegal) add-on amplifiers making matters worse.

I don't think this move will encourage me onto CB any time soon, but it may result in lower cost 10m rigs.

UPDATE 2015z:  Nevada are now selling the President Lincoln 2  (3rd improved version of this model) covering 10m only (as sold - but expandable illegally to cover CB bands) with a £10 discount.

AM and SSB available to UK CBers from July 1st 2014?

According to the Rocket Radio website, AM and SSB will be allowed for UK CB users (for the first time) from July 2014. There will no doubt be a spate of multi-mode rig sales before then. I have no data on frequencies yet. Rigs like the President Lincoln II are 28-29.7MHz only and it is NOT legal to modify these for CB coverage. I guess they will have to get OFCOM type approval for CB versions in the next few months?

10m local range?

With the 10m AM Tenbox design coming along nicely I'm reminded of the fun we had in the early 1980s with 10m FM using converted CB rigs here in the UK. Using a converted CB radio with 4W FM into a vertical half wave antenna I was usually able to make contact with similarly equipped stations up to around 25-30 miles away pretty regularly. Certainly within a 5 mile radius signals were fully quietened, even to mobiles.

So, I am wondering how I'll get on with 0.5W of 29MHz AM? My expectation is that with a similar antenna (1/2 wave vertical - I currently use a horizontal halo) I should be able to cover 3-5 miles without too much problem. I'm wondering what sort of ranges people achieve with AM CB radios (WITHOUT add-on PAs!) where this mode is legal?  Running a few dB more power is no problem if required of the Tenbox design.

When 10m is wide open it is possible to work thousands of miles on FM but I always found that the competition was too great and therefore the mode is not well suited to DXing. The aim of the 29MHz AM Tenbox is just for very local communications and definitely not for DX working. In my mind I see the Tenbox being a modern version of the old Heath HW19 (the Tener) rig - see the image and data on the Rigpix page

UK/European SSB on Citizen's band

I understand that a recent CEPT (ECC) decision means that 27MHz SSB CB will be permitted in the UK and Europe from October. See http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF

Licence-free handhelds in 70cms

Did YOU realise that we now have to share the 70cm band with LPD433/434 walkie talkies? I understand that Ofcom has recently changed the requirement document (IR2030) and it now allows FM voice transmissions at 1mW/10mW on 69 channels between 433.075 - 434.775MHz. These handhelds are available in the UK from several CB/446 outlets. Look out for the words LPD433 in adverts. 10mW may not sound much but it goes a LONG way from a hilltop. If these units proliferate they could become a real problem for 70ms repeater and simplex users.