I am Airfixpilot, on CB. I was just wondering if you thought CB should be included in Ham radio with a licence and a proper callsign issued by OFCOM?. I ask this because, since CB has gone on the AM & FM, using European channels and bands , should it be regulated?
Maybe a little test to find out if the breakers (CB Operators), knew a bit about radio. Or even what the problems were if over modulating?. I do believe CB is/ was a free for all in the 70/80s and language was quiet ripe . I hope it has changed, due the fewer numbers on channel now.
Do you think that a CB operator know about a simple circuit and resistance?. ect ect.
Airfixpilot it seems you are very new to the CB scene, I was around CB radio in the illegal days of AM in the 70s in fact I started on in 1975 and your so 100% wrong in what your saying about it being a free for all back then and bad attitudes, in fact we was more professional back then before it became legal on the 27/81FM that is when it went totally downhill because anyone could go out and buy one in the local Tandys or Currys buy the licence and act like a pratt on air ,when we was in the illegal days it was a very close secret community ie: cos of the situation it was illegal, so we knew most if not all in the areas we lived who was using it so if there was any bad language or as you put it free for all attitude we most probably would know who it was and delt with it in our own way, CB radio went down hill as soon as it was legalised and the licence was only to make money for the government they didn't care about anything else it was just something for authorities to fall back on if there was a complaint other than that it ment nothing ,I think you should read about the history of CB radio how it started in the U.S it was just a cheap easy to use communication service for the public and businesses in fact read up on the history of CB in the U.K the Euro frequencies are nothing new infact they are the original frequencies that was used and issued by the FCC in the US ,nothing to to with Amateur Radio in the UK or Europe
As I understand it, the RSGB in the UK represents the interests of Amateur Radio users. The international body which represents Amateur Radio users internationally is called the IARU. These bodies I presume act on matters Amateur Radio pertaining to band and frequency allocations nationally and internationally. As far as CB is concerned I suppose the national body on this one must be Ofcom, but I don't know the name of the international body. In the days of the UK CB Radio Licence there was an organisation known as the UK Citizen Band Confederation, but whether this still exists or not I don't know. Radio Lilac
Way back in 1972, I lived down in Kent (WestKingsdown) and I use to go to Germany and buy CB radios, and smuggle them back to the UK. We always went for the Sommerkam 340DX, that some say is or was a clone of the Royce639. Anyway I called my self super sky rider, or firefly, when making contacts locally, but when I was DX hunting I used the call AL 421 G, I cannot for the life of me remember why I thought of that call, but it worked, and using a home made dipole antenna, I made conatcts to the USA. It used to suffer break through from Radio Moscow, that transmitted on 9.999khz, close to the IF of the 340dx that was 9.785. To cure it I/we fitted a an small IF transformer, and tuned that to 9.999khz and that almost cured the problem. Another mod was to make small outboard VFO, to allow the radio to be tuned inbetween the set channels. Although I took my ham licence in 1972, I still kept the 340dx and used it on 27 hmz, but by 1975 the sun spot cycle was in a dip, and the skip had died away. Rigpix, say the 340dx and the Royce 639, were made from 198X until 198X. Well I know for certain I bought the first three 340 dx in Germany in 1972, and the were 40 channels only. A few of ran the Yaesu FL-110 linear switch to the 10 meter ham band, that would give you 100 watts pep out. A popular antenna for mobile was a DV27, looking at antennas today, I think the Fire Stick is a copy or the same antenna rebranded. It all changed when CB became legal in the UK, with idiots and foul language. Today, it appears to be going back to thoses happy times again.
. I hope it has changed, due the fewer numbers on channel now.
