Safe Speed Forums

Does anybody still use CB these days?

US Truckers used to use it (and possibly still do) to warn of highway patrolls.

CB and Talliscams??

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Not sure about the mobile side of it, but there are still plenty of breakers with antennas up for it around here, not sure how much they use it though. Might have a wee listen in at some stage...

While going through Germany a few years ago I tuned into CB and had a listen, and there was definetly plenty of traffic, but I couldn't understand much - my German isn't really the best out.

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Mike

There was plenty of traffic two or three years back around Luton - you could ask over on truckersworld...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Ahh, the 11 metre band. Impractically large antennae and crap range.

Great for 'skip' though.

I had one of the first ones in the UK back in 1980 when I brought a 'Midland 150 Channel' (27 MHz AM) back from California. It was great fun then and to have it on whilst driving the motorways was excellent. Then it went legal and all the kids came on and played crap music on the main channels so I took mine out.
"1-9 for a copy"

My handle was Atomic Tomato

I still have the CB around someware, must plug it in and have a listen sometime.

Cooperman - Too true about the kids playing music through it, thats why mine was removed too.

10-4

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Nick

Hmm! I lost the urge when I heard two kids playing Battleships on air one night.
I had a Ham International Concorde 2, on the motorcycle, with a dial-a-match attached to the luggage rack via a modified gutter mount!!
It was funny on the M6 between Cumbria and Blackpool, hearing truckers commenting on a motorcycle with a CB ariel on, not realising I had the rig too!
I used to DX from the top of a mountain with a tent, car battery, and a 30 ft antenna, which I used to attach to a convenient Wrought iron seat!!

I have QSL's from all over Britain, some from Europe, and the USA - all on 27 mhz!

I liked the cammaraderie when it was illegal - if you had a breakdown, and put a call out, people would travel miles to help out with a petrol can, or a tow!
I once had a Bedford Arrmy truck turn up at my house for coffee - at 2.00 am! Luckily my parents were away on holiday. Legalising it spoiled the whole thing!

10-4

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Legalising it spoiled the whole thing! ---definately. Was great in the late 70's --never got round to having a rig - i was the decoy with a great big whip car aerial - so i got stopped first coming out of work.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Already posted here, and no, haven't experienced CB in the past day... Just a bit of a blether about amateur radio... I used to do a bit of mobile work, before I started driving, I'd operate the rig, Dad would do the driving, or I'd cycle and chat at times too... Since starting to drive I really haven't had much of a chance to get it going... There's a particular drive I do from time to time which warrants the radio, but I normally just forget to plug it in...

There was some discussion done on the topic of how amateur radio (or any 2 way radio) helps/hinders driving. I think the verdict in the end was that especially on a long journey, it might help to focus your concentration, especially if you're alone... I know there is the risk that you may take longer to react, but I would say this risk is negligible, especially considering it is only a simplex conversation, ie, you aren't talking and listening at once, when you're talking you can't hear, and vice versa. Of course there are plenty of hands free kits, but these are quite expensive, and for people that wouldn't use the radio that much, they're a bit silly, although there is no doubt they make them safer to operate.

I currently only have fist mics, and I don't think I use the radio enough to warrant a handfree kit for them... There are a few drives that I wouldn't think of trying to use a radio, too many roundabouts, too many people coming along overtaking lanes, too many gear changes, but I think on a long motorway run it might help to keep the brain going... What are other people's thoughts on this? Currently hand held radios are exempt from the law that covers mobile phones, but you can still be booked for driving without due care and attention, which I would say is a fairly common thing for people without radios in their hand anyway...

My only problem with holding a fist mic is I prefer to hold the wheel with 2 hands, unless changing gear and operating ancillary controls... It's something all my mates laugh at me about, but I was taught to do that, I stopped for a few weeks after I passed, and quickly started again, it was becoming too easy to run out of wheel/hand to turn the car... But you can still operate the 'vital' controls of braking and acceleration, and steering if you're on a motorway shouldn't be too hard, they're fairly straight...

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Mike