grandpa's old 80w and 200w CB amp's,what do you think?

[AllanD]

FYI CB amps are now illegal in many states. Many of the frequency's interfere with cable TV.

CB amplifiers violate the law in ALL states because they are agains FEDERAL LAW and always have been.

THE problem with CB is NOISE and most of that is because amplitude modulation (AM) is used.

An amplifier would only make it worse.

Call it "Alligator effect", Big mouth, no ears.

HAM radios OTOH generally use either Single Sideband (SSB)
or Frequency Modulation.

FM in particular has something called a "Capture effect" where
unless two interfering signals are nearly perfectly equal the
stronger signal will "capture" the receiver.
If you hear a signal with no noise and no interference it is
called "Full quieting" and is like a good cellphone signal
once you can talk that way....

as for range? under most circumstances a 2meter (145-148MHz)
radio can talk 50miles or more "Simplex" but most 2meter communications
are "Semi-duplex" and via a repeater (an automated relay)

And the range is significantly increased, because the repeaters
are usually placed on hilltops, exsisting broadcast towers,
water towers, tall buildings, etc...

IT's called "semi-duplex" because while both parties transmit on one frequency (the repeater input frequency) and listen on another
(the repeated output frequency) only one person can talk at a time.

Now for bands similar to CB? there the 10meter band which is at
a slightly higher frequency, CB is 26-27MHz, the 10meter Amateur
band is at 28.3-29.95Mhz. The thing is if the ionisphere is cooperative
(the band is open) you can as the saying goes "talk around the world on 5watts and a rusty coathanger"

I'm not sure about that, but I've talked to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Russia, Tunisia and South Africa all on the same day when the band wasn't actually supposed to be "open", but I was using a Good base antenna and 150watts.

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[4x4junkie]

No one has ever said it's required to use AM on CB, you can use SSB too... Many radios even have FM as well (technically FM isn't legal to use on CB here in the States, although is anyone enforcing it?). This "CB is limited because it's AM" argument has no validity here.
And FWIW, I actually have used 5 watts and a rusty coathanger to talk from my location on the west coast here to many of those same countries using the CB band (Ok, it was a piece of weathered copper wire strung from a tree, but you get the point)

CB amplifiers violate the law in ALL states because they are agains FEDERAL LAW and always have been.

I did mention that already in the post immediately following Samsonite's

 

[Hawk1339]

And FWIW, I actually have used 5 watts and a rusty coathanger to talk from my location on the west coast here to many of those same countries using the CB band (Ok, it was a piece of weathered copper wire strung from a tree, but you get the point)

Which, oddly enough, is not legal either. FCC rules specify that CB communications, even if using legal power, cannot extend beyond 155 miles. Absurd but true.

To wit:

"Rule 13 Illegal Communications
{A} You must NOT use a CB station-
...
[9] to communicate with, or ATTEMPT to communicate with, any CB station more than 155.3 miles (250 kilometers) away;
...
[11] to communicate with stations in other countries, except stations in Canada (on General Radio Service). "

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah, guilty as charged lol.

Seems many of the rules governing CB radio have long become obsolete, I don't think there's been any real revisions since they eliminated the license requirement some 25 years or so ago. Prosecuting people for talking too far away doesn't seem like something that would be real high up on their priorities agenda (what purpose would it serve?). I think as long as you aren't actually causing interference to anyone (using big power amps, talking out-of-band, etc.), you can pretty much use the radio however you want. Of course I take no responsibility if you do get caught talking to Europe though.

 

[Hawk1339]

I think the original intent of the rule was to preserve CB as a short range, local form of communication for the technically uninitiated masses. If one wants to talk DX, then that's what a ham license is for.

Culling out silly rules like this one is probably pretty low on the list of FCC priorities.

 

[4x4junkie]

There was originally a code prohibiting CB use as a hobby as well (and possibly business use too, I think). When those codes were lifted at the same time the license requirement was lifted, it should've been known people are going to take the opportunity to talk as far away as they can.
I hope you're not saying people still shouldn't be trying to talk DX on CB... (being that today's short range local form of communications for the technically illiterate is now available on the FRS band, and of course we also have cell phones now too) Because that's hard not to do on a band that propagates worldwide even with minuscule power levels.

 

[xtreameracer]

hey all,whats your thoughts on running a "i'll talk when i want and you'll talk when you can" CB system?i only use a cb on the trail or very limited two lane use right now but i heard that i might be able to talk to my cousins in arkansas with the right antenna.i know about the legality but a lot of old boys around this logging country run amps.should i use the 80w or the 200w and melt my antenna? i have an swr meter and a bunch of literature on tuning,and had pretty good luck with the other systems i've set up.anyway what do you think(including all you CB cops out there)? thanks.

just get your radio peeked and tuned