Reading this thread has brought back alot of happy memories of the old days on AM, yes there where a hand full of pests blocking channels etc. But on the whole we all had a good time, l used to go the a CB meet at a old Cinema in Raunds Northamptonshire, we organised fox hunts and generally had a good time on the air.
I was running a Ham International Jumbo wich we added a splitter later on so l could get the new legal FM channels when they came along.
It was then it all changed with the legal channels came the constant onslaught of bucket mouthed users blocking channels with music or just cutting in with foulmouthed abuse etc. This in my opinion was the start of the decline in CB Uk. the old crowd just went back to AM or went dead key.
I went dead key and have only just started to have an interest in radio communications again, l have decided to go for a amature radio, and am once again enjoying my radio.
73 Dennis
Hi Dennis, yes couldn't agree with you more, i too was in on the 80's Cb days, was good fun and made many good friends. If Cb was to make a come back tho, i rather think it would bring back the morons too. Sadly we tend to get morons in every walk of life these days until they get bored and move on,
I started out in 1981 with the then newly legal sets ( and still have my original Binatone Breaker Phone which was my very first rig , plus two others I bought later ) ; had a great many UK40 FM rigs , and later got a Ham International Multimode 2 , then eventually a NATO 2000 , sadly both sold on years ago . I still have a few UK40FM rigs ( including Uniden Uniace 200 , Audioline PT-342 and Binatone 5 star ) and just got a Major M360 .
Anyway , back to the topic . When I started out UKFM ch14 was the breaking channel , at least here in Scotland , and the truckers used 19 . There was also a channel used by local taxi drivers , but I now can't remember which one .
I still see a fair few trucks with aerials on and sometimes hear the truckers on 19 , either calling each other or using it to share information about traffic , 'smokey bear' or the 'weight watchers' .
Because the channels are so quiet , I don't see the need for two separate breaking channels , so I voted for 19 , which is where you will find truckers most of the time , and see no reason why people can't call out for anyone there , as long as non mobile users then move to another channel ; and even mobile users travelling in convoy could , as a courtesy , move to another channel , which was always the protocol anyway .
Not sure why so many people on these forums refer to the UK 40FM as 'muppets' channels ; I know there were a lot of children on the air back in the 1980s who deserved that moniker , but nowadays I don't hear anyone like that on any channels .
I have my Major 360 set back up at home with my Thunderpole 5 and hear conversations on Super Hi USB when the skip is running , there is little else just now , although I'm monitoring mid 19 on AM just now .
I will be putting a UK40 rig back into my car soon , with my trusty K40 antenna , and will see what I pick up out and about on ch19 .
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I am in America .
I use my scanner and find others.
I also will check the Emergency Channel 9 & 19
Skipping i find most time on Channel 6 .
Dave
Cobra S19 FM and HH50WXST.
Antennas 50 inch and ½ wave
Hi Guys I am a new member of this group. I was on the CBs back in the 70s early 80s and now retired decide to give it a try again. I must say that finding the FM cbers use 19 was a bit confusing as that was always considered the truckers channel. whwn it comes to AM i think itwould be betttter if it was as in the old days and used channel14 as the calling channel.
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