Keep in mind that channel nine is reserved for emergencies only, and in the case of mobile CB radios, channel nineteen is typically the channel that truckers prefer.Ĭhannels can typically be tuned in to by a knob on the device, while some CB radios will have a separate switch or button that you can use to quickly turn to channel nine for emergencies. Conduct thorough research on as many models as possible before putting your money down. While almost all handheld radios sell with one, a majority of mobile CB radios do not and the antenna must be purchased separately.ĬB antennas are also often what determines if the radio is an entry, mid-level, or higher end level radio. When you purchase your CB radio, the accompanying antenna should be the factor that matters most. Confirm that the power is on and that the antenna is connected. Step by Step How To Set Up and Use ItĬB radios are incredibly straightforward to use and you should be able to get yours going in just a matter of minutes once you understand the process: These manners ensure smooth and open communication between operators. Keep your exchanges concise and avoid small talk. Never talk with another station for more than five minutes at a time and always wait at least another minute before you begin another conversation. Accordingly, you should use good etiquette. As a result of this, sometimes you may send or receive a transmission across the entire world even if it’s not intentional.įinally, remember that you are sharing forty channels with anyone else who happens to be using their radios at the same time. With some skill and understanding of radio theory, the signal can bounce off of the ionosphere of Earth: This will send, or skip, a message thousands of miles. The range of your CB radio can be increased, even though it is designed for local and short range communications. Remember that channel nine is the emergency channel, and that Channel nineteen is the channel most often used by truckers. Each channel is differentiated from one another by their frequency. Like we’ve mentioned, CB radios have forty channels. Since all of the channels are shared, you have to give channel nine a priority since it may be the only way someone can effectively communicate an emergency to you and/or to others. The radio frequencies and channels of CB are not assigned to a particular person or organization, except that channel nine that is reserved exclusively for emergencies. Under current FFC rules, it is illegal to raise the power output of a CB unit via a power amplifier or by modifying it internally. Maximum power level for AM mode is only four watts while SSB mode, in contrast, has power of up to twelve watts. The AM mode can communicate with either mode but has more noise interference.ĪM mode has less range and power than SSB mode. You can only talk with others also using SSB mode. The downside to SSB mode is it is incompatible with AM mode. SSB has greater range and far less noise than AM radios. SSB mode is only found on higher end and more expensive models. CB radios operate on forty different shared channels either in Single Side Band (SSB) or AM mode. Handheld CB radios resemble walkie-talkies, while mobile radios are typically mounted inside vehicles, just like the ones that truck drivers use.īoth kinds operate in the same way. There are two separate kinds of CB radios, handheld and mobile. Preppers and survivalists commonly use CB for emergency communications in the event the power grid goes down. A lot of enthusiasts pursue communicating via CB radios as a hobby, often the first step in a long journey toward amateur, or ham radio, mastery. Today, most truck drivers still use them to share updates on slow traffic or road work. Electricians and carpenters could communicate between their job site and the primary office, and truck drivers talked with one another while on the road as well. The very first CB radio was built in 1948, though the ones back then had less range than the ones made today.įor many years, CB radios were the only viable two-way radio system that civilians could use. The CB radio originated in 1945 when the Federal Communications Commission (abbreviated as FCC) developed and regulated several radio services to allow citizens to communicate with one another via radio band over short distances.
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