Skip Shooting on 19

[ENIGMA6]

Could someone please explain why folk get on 19 to shoot skip? With current sunspot activity, skip conditions are poor, but back when it was running high, I'd hear lots of it on 19. It's supposed to be used for reporting traffic conditions, hazards, and of course, smokeys. No rule, but it would appear common courtesy is uncommonly absent.

[jessejamesdallas]

ONLY channel set aside for anything other than talking on, is channel 9...All other channels are open game...

If I'm on channel 19 here in the Dallas area, and if someone in Montreal hollers at me, you betcha I'm going to be hollering back!...........I have no control over who can hear me, and where they are at, so if my 2-way gets a ring, 9 x out of 10 I'm going to answer back!

[nk14zp]

19 is a good indicator for skip. The trucks that still have a cb will have it on 19. Might still be off tho.

[MDYoungblood]

In my area, (Baltimore/Washington DC), I very seldom hear anyone on channel 19, as a matter of fact the only time I hear something on the lower CB AM channels is when skip is running, (channel 6 naturally, 3, 10, 18, 22, and 28). Most of the locals here use SSB, (38LSB), even when mobile.
The irritating thing now is some local dump t truck companies like to use 38AM to rag chew.

3's

Greg

[ENIGMA6]

Well, if enough if you get on 38L and run power, perhaps they can be encouraged to go somewhere else. I can't think of anything more irritating than having to listen to 38L with an am radio when skip is rolling. Have they been there long?
Is there a call channel in your area.? I live about 20 miles south of Asheville NC, and there is NO ONE on CB local anymore except truckers on 19. Really sad. I'm 68 and still remember the callsigns of quite a few CB'ers in the area. All SK. Do hear an occasional station around Spartanburg and Greenville SC, a couple in Marshall NC, and one in Tryon NC.
It think several things killed CB off. Eliminating licensing requirements, really high sunspot activity in the late 70's, way too much popularity spawned by Dukes of Hazzard with yahoos talking all over each other, quality radios at cheap prices, and cell phones.
I only operate when mobile and on the interstate to keep up with traffic conditions. If I hear an accident report on local public service frequencies, I try to pass it along to the truckers. They don't seem to mind, and that's about the limit of my interaction with them.
Right now, most channels are silent except for static, and the yahoos on 6. What ever they're running, they're way overdriving it. At times when there is no skip, I can hear their bleedover all the way up to 14-15. Most folk try to run as much power as possible without wiping out six-seven adjacent channels. I think they are in the Atlanta area. Can hear them on ground wave when there is no skip. Glad I don't have to pay his power bill.
Have a good night.

[Lost Ram]

Hello and welcome!!!
Sounds like you have a great antenna system going on. Also sounds like you enjoy the radio hobby. That said, you might consider getting your Ham radio ticket. There are far more folks using Ham radio then you will find on the CB. Even with just the tech class you will be able to the onto the local repeaters and some SSB if your rig is so equipped. The HF for the most part is all day long from 160 meter to 10 meter if your antennas are sufficient to work there. The Tech is a breeze to pass and the general is pretty easy too.

[ENIGMA6]

I'm already an Extra. Still have a base with a G5RV antenna set up. Just don't seem to have time to get on it anymore.
Thanks for your response.

[KP68]

Since I'm pretty much right on top of an interstate and there is quite a bit of radio traffic, I don't shoot skip on 19. I suppose if I lived in the sticks I might respond to a skip station briefly though.

[ENIGMA6]

To me, it's a matter of courtesy. Truckers are usually using 19 for safety reasons and traffic information. Guess some think their ability to have fun and games on 19 overrides legitimate use. Especially when there's 38 other channels they can use.

[Turk182]

I'm already an Extra. Still have a base with a G5RV antenna set up. Just don't seem to have time to get on it anymore.
Thanks for your response.

Roger on the Extra, Enigma, got mine in '15...but couldn't resist being pulled back into 11m, even though I gave it up through the 80's-'10s. After realizing I could use a tuner with my 10m-40m beams quite effectively, I got back into it and caught the bottom part of the last sunspot wave. Can't wait for the next one! There's just something about picking up where ya started 45yrs ago.

[TNT1450]

It think several things killed CB off. Eliminating licensing requirements, really high sunspot activity in the late 70's, way too much popularity spawned by Dukes of Hazzard with yahoos talking all over each other, quality radios at cheap prices, and cell phones.

I agree with all that, but I'd also add the internet. Before the internet, CB was the original electronic social media. I'd include amateur radio, but that required a license. Anyone who wanted to after 1976 (I believe it was) didn't need a license, just a radio, an antenna, and a desire to talk to people. But once the internet came around, all you needed was a computer and a dialup connection, so CB started to decline. Then when cell phones became cheaper and the internet became faster, nobody wanted to put antennas on their house or car just to talk to someone a few miles away when they could just call someone on their phone or chat with people all over the world on the computer. Then the marriage of portable phones with internet was the final nail in the coffin for CB. The last remaining plus for CB was its portability, but being able to reach anyone in the world instantly with a device you can stick in your pocket means that nobody wanted to bother with crusty old CB any more. Even truckers don't use it as much as they did. So aside from a few diehard hobbyists and a few truckers who do still use it, it's pretty much disappeared. And anyone who needs portable two-way radio can easily go buy a pair of FRS radios for about $20.

Amateur Radio is having the same issue. Used to be that you could always find someone on 2 meters, either on simplex or on a repeater, to talk to. Now it's not unusual to give your callsign on a repeater and not have anyone answer you.

[Deleted User 14043]

ONLY channel set aside for anything other than talking on, is channel 9...All other channels are open game...

If I'm on channel 19 here in the Dallas area, and if someone in Montreal hollers at me, you betcha I'm going to be hollering back!...........I have no control over who can hear me, and where they are at, so if my 2-way gets a ring, 9 x out of 10 I'm going to answer back!

Of course we can't tell you to not talk skip on 19. But we can ask that you don't. It has been a tradition for as long as I can remember that 19 is a trucker channel. Let's not let all traditions die.

[jessejamesdallas]

ONLY channel set aside for anything other than talking on, is channel 9...All other channels are open game...

If I'm on channel 19 here in the Dallas area, and if someone in Montreal hollers at me, you betcha I'm going to be hollering back!...........I have no control over who can hear me, and where they are at, so if my 2-way gets a ring, 9 x out of 10 I'm going to answer back!

Of course we can't tell you to not talk skip on 19. But we can ask that you don't. It has been a tradition for as long as I can remember that 19 is a trucker channel. Let's not let all traditions die.

At the risk of starting a channel 19 "Sesame Street Channel-War"........this is not the 1960's or 70's anymore...Incase you haven't noticed, there's very few people talking on 11 meters anymore...The whole concept of CB Radio died out many moons ago!...

Living in the Dallas area where we have 5 or 6 Interstates, and I don't know how many State Highways all intersect around town, there's thousands and thousands of truckers around here 24/7...I can count on one hand how many actually have a CB turned ON at any given time of the day...I would say 90% or more of the people on 19 around here, live around here! Plus allot of the truckers that come threw Dallas on a regular basis, actually holler at us who talk regularly on base-ups on 19 just to have someone to talk to while they are passing threw.

Getting back to the skip issue...Just last week I was on 19 at the house talking to a local buddy of mine, when DX started rolling out of Florida....I talked to maybe a half dozen guys that day in Florida, and every one of them were in Big Rigs rolling down the highway!

So, I'm thinking you sir are a minority, rather than the majority....

-like I said, not trying to start anything, just my point of view.

[Gunner357]

I lived with 19 being a trucker channel due my dad was a over the road truckerin the 70's 80 's and part of the 90's but like Jesse said it an open field out there where I live 90% of the time Im on 19 and Im on 19 in the mobile unless 28 hitting hard... and I only get the skip at the base on 19 unless some one driving by 4 miles away on a Michigan hwy...I get squat out here unless the skip comes sliding threw

[Deleted User 14043]

jessejamesdallas

I don't know how you know how many truckers have their CB on and listening to Ch 19. I wouldn't claim to know that. I started driving in 1993 and Ch 19 was still considered to be used by truckers for truckers. So why you referred to the 60's and 70's is another mystery.
The topic of this forum is "skip shooting on 19". I just simply ask that you don't so I can still talk to truckers only a few miles away.

[443 Arizona]

around here there are plenty of ch 19 users including truckers. its the "go to" channel when you want to make a contact.
skip rolls in and out and yes thats a good time to hit 38L just to hear who ,from where, and what may be going on.
skip can happen to you and you might not be aware that you are booming in from 500 miles away.
personally i dont try to skip on 19, as with most guys, I treat 19 as a local channel.
now 38L, whooo hooo dat's bowl at times

[jessejamesdallas]

around here there are plenty of ch 19 users including truckers. its the "go to" channel when you want to make a contact.
skip rolls in and out and yes thats a good time to hit 38L just to hear who ,from where, and what may be going on.
skip can happen to you and you might not be aware that you are booming in from 500 miles away.
personally i dont try to skip on 19, as with most guys, I treat 19 as a local channel.
now 38L, whooo hooo dat's bowl at times

Sameway here...Lot's stay on 19 as the "go to channel", then if the conversation gets long-winded we move up a few channels...Same with skip...My main channel for skip is 28, or 38lsb...But like I said earlier, if someone from another state calls me out on 19, then it's "Game-On"...Lots of truckers on 19 like talking DX just as much as the guys sitting at home on the base.

As for knowing how many truckers have their radios on...thats easy...Just drive down the hwy and holler at a few...chances are if you single out the closest driver and try and get him on the radio, your not going to have any luck........most keep their radios off when they get close to large citys...And like I said, "it's not like it was back in the 60's and 70's when every single truck on the road not only had a radio, but had it on too! Plus we only had 23 channels to talk on!...Back then you couldn't talk more than a mile or two because of all the locals on the channel...and when skip rolled in you still couldn't talk more than a mile or so because of all the locals 500-700 miles away!

My suggestion is, if your having a problem talking only a couple of miles, then you need your set-up looked at...somethings wrong if you can't talk at least 10 15 miles.

[Secret Squirrel]

I always thought that when I heard skip on 19 it was just splatter from 20,21,22. When I here women advertising to get your truck washed I know skip is coming in.

[jessejamesdallas]

Lot's of truck washes, cb shops, and the occasional CB Preacher, and Disk Jockey...

[Deleted User 14043]

There are still a lot of us truckers who monitor 19 for traffic and police reports. Mostly traffic reports for me since I don't exceed the speed limit by much. I just ask please don't use 19 for skip talk. I also talk to my fellow coworkers and it is difficult when the skip is so bad. Is this really too much to ask?

[jessejamesdallas]

There are still a lot of us truckers who monitor 19 for traffic and police reports. Mostly traffic reports for me since I don't exceed the speed limit by much. I just ask please don't use 19 for skip talk. I also talk to my fellow coworkers and it is difficult when the skip is so bad. Is this really too much to ask?

Show me "anywhere"....where it states that channel 19 is for truck driver use only..... Show me where it states that channel 19 (27.185MHz) is a designated channel for the Trucking Industry and all others must use the other 38 11 Meter channels to communicate on...Just point out where this is stated or written...

You can "copy and paste" your findings in this thread...

it's called: "Citizens Band Radio"...It's not a commercial trucking industry communication device...

[Bozo]

There are still a lot of us truckers who monitor 19 for traffic and police reports. Mostly traffic reports for me since I don't exceed the speed limit by much. I just ask please don't use 19 for skip talk. I also talk to my fellow coworkers and it is difficult when the skip is so bad. Is this really too much to ask?

Show me "anywhere"....where it states that channel 19 is for truck driver use only..... Show me where it states that channel 19 (27.185MHz) is a designated channel for the Trucking Industry and all others must use the other 38 11 Meter channels to communicate on...Just point out where this is stated or written...

You can "copy and paste" your findings in this thread...

it's called: "Citizens Band Radio"...It's not a commercial trucking industry communication device...

Be nice Jesse James... :D

---

I do agree with Jesse James... Any channel you go to can have Skip on it, and I've even shot skip on 19 because I heard it coming in so good. I don't usually skip on that channel though...

[Deleted User 14043]

I already said earlier that we can't tell you to not use 19 for skip, maybe you need me to draw you a picture.

[Deleted User 14043]

Have you even reached puberty yet? You must be a snowflake.

[Deleted User 14043]

This is you. "You can't tell me what to do, I'm a big boy now. I have graduated to pull ups now. I can talk on any channel I want. I don't care about anyone except myself."