Who uses a CB anyway?

Burley · Nov 10, 2003

Maybe this the wrong forum, but I put a really nice CB in my '98 for emergency and weather radio usage. Well for the past few months I haven't been able to find more than two sensible people using the airwaves (North Central Ohio). I know it's not the 1970's put come on! I see antenna's on tons of trucks so you think people would want to jaw aout their rides.....

Does everyone just use them for trail use or what?

Burley

Eagle · Nov 10, 2003

I'm in southern Connecticut, a few miles inland from I-95. Even in the 'burbs where I live, if I turn on the CB at night I can pick up a few base stations jabbering away. Mostly half-wit stay-at-homes who have nothing intelligent to say and feel a need to spend all night saying it.

Other than that, nobody uses CB around here except truckers and off-roaders. Most of the police departments who used to monitor CB channel 9 stopped several years ago. I offered to give a base station to my local PD if they would monitor it and they declined -- not even that politely.

Burley · Nov 10, 2003

Eagle said:
Mostly half-wit stay-at-homes who have nothing intelligent to say and feel a need to spend all night saying it.

You said it Eagle. Same here in Ohio.

Steelerfan · Nov 10, 2003

The only time I ever even turn my CB on is when I'm on a trail ride.

Georgia Mike · Nov 11, 2003

If I'm headed to a trail ride in Dirt Cheap,I'll leave it on channel 19 to get the "smokey reports" from the truckers. Other than that,I only use it on the trail.

woody · Nov 11, 2003

Trail & roadtrip use only

IMHO intervehicle commo on group trailrides can make things so much smoother. Not 'every' stop is a kodak moment, but some stops might be an 'all hands on deck'. I wish everyone had a CB on the trail...or at least everyone had one that can receive.

Being able to 'get out' can help effect a rescue or simply a friendly shoutout to folks on beyond the next knob or down in the bottoms.

Hard to nail down a format for all. My $100 RadioShack Cobra 29 copy CB works great for me, but I can see the value in handheld and/or mobile FRS/GMRS for close in work: (spotting w/o a lot of hollering...) but I have no meaningful experience with those.

RTicUL8 · Nov 11, 2003

CB signals don't always travel too well in the Rocky Mountains. However, that's about the only place I use it - when I go wheeling with friends.

In Denver, the CB seems pretty popular to the hispanic population. There's a lot of Spanish chatter.

wek91xj · Nov 11, 2003

me and all my friends talk around town and see what each other are up too but i mainly use it on the trai as well

Patriot · Nov 13, 2003

I haven't been able to find more than two sensible people using the airwaves

AND you never will with CB!!

That's because all the "sensible people" are using HAM radios. Come join us! You just have to pass a little test, its not hard. You'll get better quality, better range, and you don't have to worry about the "idiot" white, black, asian, and latino trash out there! There's always someone to "help" in case of an emergency, unlike CB.

Burley · Nov 13, 2003

Funny you might mention that Patriot! I was just looking at a 2 Meter rig this morning for about $119. It gets NOAA stations as well. Is that where I should start? I have been a broadcast engineer for about 14 years so the electronics part of the test won't be a problem.

Burley

Patriot · Nov 13, 2003

Burley said:
I was just looking at a 2 Meter rig this morning for about $119. It gets NOAA stations as well. Is that where I should start?

I personally like the dual band (2M/70cm) mobiles for my off-roading trips and a 2M handheld for the hiking trips. After hearing about the guy hiking by himself in MOAB and had to cut his hand off to survive, I decided a handheld is an essential hiking tool.

Take a look at this website, www.qrz.com it's where I started out and I still have a lot to learn. They have a practice test section of the exact questions you'll be asked on the test. I was liscenced back in march, before they added more questions to the pool, so I imagine the test is a little harder. I spent about 2 hrs. each day for three days before I took the quiz. I passed with an 89%, so it was an effective study method for me.

I'm also an ICOM-ophile, so that's what I'd suggest for products. I like how they use military specs. on every product they build, it keeps me from having to worry about damage.

OT · Nov 22, 2003

IMHO intervehicle commo on group trailrides can make things so much smoother.

I agree, except when you have what we had on Gold Bar Rim in April. The WHOLE trail there was a husband in one vehicle and his wife in another and all they did was bicker back and forth for 4 hours. Eventually the trail leader designated that channel as their channel and had everyone else switch to another. The worst part is when I'm watching the video, you can hear them argue so much that you have to mute it. Otherwise, a CB is worth the investment just for trail rides for the reasons Woody stated.

Get a Wal Mart cheapie and it'll work great for trail rides and is compact.

ChuckstrPT · Nov 28, 2003

Patriot said:
AND you never will with CB!! That's because all the "sensible people" are using HAM radios. Come join us! You just have to pass a little test, its not hard. You'll get better quality, better range, and you don't have to worry about the "idiot" white, black, asian, and latino trash out there! There's always someone to "help" in case of an emergency, unlike CB.

I would echo those comments. I've been a Ham for about 2 years now, and do take my radio wheeling, and Handheld on hikes. The people you meet on Ham bands do tend to be more cordial, and intelligent. It takes "a little effort" to get your license, and little effort is just enough to keep the goof offs out of Ham radio. I'd like to see more Ham's on the trail! It is also good communication in case of emergency's, Fires, Tornado's, Ice Storms, etc. This is where you cell phones, and CB's will be useless.
73,
Andy, KG4PLH

tnomud · Nov 28, 2003

My Cellphone works about everywhere on the planet. I do have a CB, but mainly use it for the weather radio (I am a Jet Skii'r) and to check on why I am sitting in a massive traffic jam...............

dmillion · Dec 1, 2003

cell phones

Your cell phone works everywhere on the planet? Maybe everywhere around Ohio. Come out to Colorado and I'll show you places in the mountains where you can drive for miles and miles without your cell phone getting even the least little bit of a signal.

Personally, I find CB useful when you're travelling with others who have CBs. Like most such types of radios, though, CB is basically "line of sight." When you're in the mountains, though, down in a canyon somewhere, "line of sight" sometimes means about 100 yards.

Burley · Dec 1, 2003

Well I don't want to insult anyone.... but as far as Ham radio goes it seems to be the other end of the spectrum from CB. Almost all Hams I have met are pretty much dweebs that don't have a life and all they want to talk about are there antenna's. Am I wrong?

ChuckstrPT · Dec 14, 2003

Burley said:
Well I don't want to insult anyone.... but as far as Ham radio goes it seems to be the other end of the spectrum from CB. Almost all Hams I have met are pretty much dweebs that don't have a life and all they want to talk about are there antenna's. Am I wrong?

You are largely correct in my 2 years experience. But, I didn't get into Ham radio because I was attracted to dweebs. I was intereseted in getting better, more reliable communication. If I've got to deal with a dweeb or two, that's ok. I've actually learned a few things from our local dweebs. There are actually some that do have lives, and most, even the nondweebs are pretty friendly too.
So I guess if you are looking for some dudes to hang out with, then maybe the local Amatuer Radio Club wouldn't be for you. But, next time you experience an earthquake/tornado/forest fire/space shuttle disaster, you might want to find out where the dweebs are hangin. It is likely they will have the only reliable communication working.

Wiley Coyote · Dec 15, 2003

Like most of the other people here, I only turn on my CB when I’m on a trail. Most of the time my buddies and I use multiple hand held FRS. I bought a Garmin GPS with the radio built in and I’ve used that way more than my CB. Of course everyone has a cell phone with them. The problem is that large parts of Alaska don’t have cell coverage, it seems like any place worth going to 4 x 4 at has little or no coverage

dogtired · Dec 26, 2003

me a total newbie on cbs and hams, are they compatible? if I get a HAM radio, can I pick up a cb broadcast?

BillR · Dec 26, 2003

Same here. I turn it on when I get to the trailhead, and once in awhile on the freeway just to listen. I also have a handheld Cobra CB that I'll loan to other rigs without "ears" on a trailride. It came in handy in Moab!

Who uses a CB anyway?

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