CB Radio Trend

[hogcowboy]

Is the CB radio and it's usage trending to the point that some day there won't be any new radios produced? I know it's not like it was in the 60's where every trucker had one and you could get highway information very easily from anyone with the hammer down. I really don't know what truckers are using but I assume it's a darn phone.

I'm asking because I was starting to try to get a Ham license and I'm just having nothing but trouble comprehending all the electrical stuff they want you to learn. So was thinking about just hanging that up and slipping back or going back to a CB. But would I be going to something that will soon or at some point be an antique and it will all be called vintage technology. Maybe at some point all that electrical stuff will click but at my age I'm not sure I have enough years just to be able to potentially help relay messages in some emergency.

Really wondering which way I should go. So I guess I'm really asking, are CB's going to make a come back? Or should I close myself in a dark room and try to memorize all that electrical stuff that I'll never use again just to get a Ham license?

[MDYoungblood]

First thing is go for the ham ticket, don't stop at the tech, get at least a general. I studied for them all and to this day have used none that I learned even with having some electronics background. I would say more than half the ham's out there just memorized the answers.
CB around me is plentiful, many because Baltimore/Washington DC is well populated and CB'ers from years past are still on, don't do much on the AM channels because I'm a SSB'er by heart.
Right now propagation (skip) is hit and miss but as the time progresses it will come back to a point that you will wish it would stop.

JMO,

3's

Greg

[jessejamesdallas]

But would I be going to something that will soon or at some point be an antique and it will all be called vintage technology.

CB and HAM is already called "antique and vintage technology!"

Radio has been around for over a hundred years now, so it doesn't get much more vintage than that!

Will it still be around in another hundred years? who knows, but I don't see it disappearing anytime soon, specially with all the "prepper's" that's out there now looking at CB as the last line of communications when Pooopy hit's the fan!

[hogcowboy]

I guess the more things change the more they stay the same. Sure wish there was a pill I could take so this technical stuff would soak in. I've done my very best to avoid ANYTHING to do with electricity and have been quite successful at it. So I know zero. Mechanical stuff no problem. I hate studying now to boot. Thought I was well past that. If I learn one thing a day I might be able to passed the test the day I die.

[Swanman]

Get at least your general class license. You don't have to worry about all the tech stuff, just find an on-line test practice and memorize the answers. Then once you have General then just keep it current and you're good to go. QRZ.com has a great practice exam. OPnce you can pass it about 3 times in a row then you should be ready.

[BikePacker]

Yo "Ho...,"
Have carefully read your post.
And, btw, concur with Swan that there are excellent on-line exam prep thing-a-ma-bobs 'out there.'
Back to your specific sentiments....
How about this notion b 4 you spend any further time thinking about a Ham, of any type, license....
Consider spending $30 or 40 and buy a Ham VHF handheld* ...
put is on scan .... as I'd guess you know... listening is entirely legal ... it is the transmitting whereby a license is call for.
Spend a week just listening to whatever chatter is hearable within your vicinity.
Why give some thought to doing this?
Cause then you would gain an understanding of who the Hams are in your area and
that might cause you (or not !) to want to slog thru the Technician Ham License test preparation?
Also you'd learn if you have any Hams at all in your neighborhood ...
if not then you'd know that you were going to have to not just do the Technician License,
but also the General (cause the General is needed for longer distances than line of sight).
_____
*Purchase-able from CBRadioTalk sponsors/vendors probably.

[Blue Ox2]

Howdy hogcowboy,

I would take the time and learn the info needed to get the HAM ticket.
I only got back into CB at the end of 2016, after about 40 years away and haven't looked back.

Getting the HAM ticket in 2018 has enabled utilization of equipment/frequencies not legal on CB.

I have also met, and interact, with an entirely new bunch of folks in MANY different areas.

Make the effort, climb the mountain, get the ticket and you're on your way......

73 to ya,

Mike

[Gunner357]

Is the CB radio and it's usage trending to the point that some day there won't be any new radios produced? I know it's not like it was in the 60's where every trucker had one and you could get highway information very easily from anyone with the hammer down. I really don't know what truckers are using but I assume it's a darn phone.

I'm asking because I was starting to try to get a Ham license and I'm just having nothing but trouble comprehending all the electrical stuff they want you to learn. So was thinking about just hanging that up and slipping back or going back to a CB. But would I be going to something that will soon or at some point be an antique and it will all be called vintage technology. Maybe at some point all that electrical stuff will click but at my age I'm not sure I have enough years just to be able to potentially help relay messages in some emergency.

Really wondering which way I should go. So I guess I'm really asking, are CB's going to make a come back? Or should I close myself in a dark room and try to memorize all that electrical stuff that I'll never use again just to get a Ham license?

I know how ya feel HC Im studying for my HAM also and I do electronics stuff but for the most part its backyard stuff none of this techy mumbo jumbo......good luck I have about another month before Im going for tech and I want general too.......

[MDYoungblood]

If you plan to get your ham ticket, read this, it will give you a little incentive into doing it now,

[Please login or register to view this link]

3's

Greg

[hogcowboy]

I know how ya feel HC Im studying for my HAM also and I do electronics stuff but for the most part its backyard stuff none of this techy mumbo jumbo......good luck I have about another month before Im going for tech and I want general too.......

Nice to know I’m not alone anyway. I think I have Alzheimer's sometimes because I just don’t remember things. Especially when I don’t consider it important. But I guess I will keep trying. Maybe I’ll die still working on it. At least I have something to do. As if I needed that.

[Gunner357]

If you plan to get your ham ticket, read this, it will give you a little incentive into doing it now,

[Please login or register to view this link]

3's

Greg

Um nope I aint paying more.....Ill be a gangster screw the FCC its BS FCC dont do anything but sit on their **Censored** anyway .... IM sorry but every bloody thing I want to try they are trying to get rid of IT BS

[Bobcat]

I don't know if this link will survive the posting process.....

But I used this guy's No Nonsense guide to get my General and it was flat out easy.

This is a link to his Technician book and I am sure it is every bit as good.

His format...helps.....even if all you want to do is just memorize answers....because he lists the questions...and ONLY THE CORRECT ANSWER. I think that it gives less confusion up front especially if you are not as well versed technically.

By the way, this is not a pirated download .... this is actually HIS website!!

You may like it.

2018-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v1-1 (1).pdf

Bob

[Gunner357]

thank you

[RossJ]

I think it all comes down to what you’re trying to accomplish with your radio comms. I got my HAM Tech ticket a year ago and while I learned some things that have served me in understanding radios and antennas in general, I find that the HAM community is limited. Local traffic nets are repetitive at best… a group of older op’s talking about walking their dogs and such. I find that I spend a great deal more time on 11 meter SSB. HAM’s are wrapped up in technology that is vulnerable to power and internet failure. Recently, our area lost power. The repeaters went down and there was nothing but dead air. I couldn’t find a single HAM op talking simplex… radio to radio and my setup easily works a 40 mile radius. When I turned on 11 meter SSB, there must have been a dozen people passing information. About all HAM has going for it is increased power that translates into greater distance, but if nobody’s talking, what’s the point? I like an active engaged community and in that area, HAM limits itself with rules, reg’s, high tech and repeater junkies.

[hogcowboy]

I think it all comes down to what you’re trying to accomplish with your radio comms. I got my HAM Tech ticket a year ago and while I learned some things that have served me in understanding radios and antennas in general, I find that the HAM community is limited. Local traffic nets are repetitive at best… a group of older op’s talking about walking their dogs and such. I find that I spend a great deal more time on 11 meter SSB. HAM’s are wrapped up in technology that is vulnerable to power and internet failure. Recently, our area lost power. The repeaters went down and there was nothing but dead air. I couldn’t find a single HAM op talking simplex… radio to radio and my setup easily works a 40 mile radius. When I turned on 11 meter SSB, there must have been a dozen people passing information. About all HAM has going for it is increased power that translates into greater distance, but if nobody’s talking, what’s the point? I like an active engaged community and in that area, HAM limits itself with rules, reg’s, high tech and repeater junkies.

Interesting. Well, I'll say this, just trying to study for the license I've learned a lot. One item in particular shocked me and that's not a pun. I discovered my 50 TV antenna tower was never properly grounded. Tornado this last spring when Bowie got hit as well as us took the tower out and when the replacement went up, that guy did at least ground it but not according to what the Ham tech suggests. And I can see the need for that level of grounding. So in that respect, going down this path has been of value. But I do wonder just how much I might find I use the extra frequencies over SSB CB. Can't hurt to have it though I guess.

[RossJ]

Interesting. Well, I'll say this, just trying to study for the license I've learned a lot. One item in particular shocked me and that's not a pun. I discovered my 50 TV antenna tower was never properly grounded. Tornado this last spring when Bowie got hit as well as us took the tower out and when the replacement went up, that guy did at least ground it but not according to what the Ham tech suggests. And I can see the need for that level of grounding. So in that respect, going down this path has been of value. But I do wonder just how much I might find I use the extra frequencies over SSB CB. Can't hurt to have it though I guess.

Oh, I think it would be worthwhile to get your Tech license... no doubt. With the knowledge learned, I've been able to build a 2-meter dipole, a J-pole, a portable back-country Slim Jim antenna and an 11 meter dipole (super cheap)... all working really well. I've hit repeaters over 70 miles away and used them to make contacts over 100 miles straight-line on 2-meter (Yaesu FT-2980R on max power).

My caution is with regard to the expectation of the community of ops you may well encounter. In New England, it's dominated by older men (a few ladies) and largely retired Fire Fighters, LEO, Military, etc... people who used radios regularly in their daily occupations. Your region may include a different demographic. They're all good people, just a tad sedate and rule driven.

[hogcowboy]

I was thinking more nerdy myself. Don't me that derogatory by any stretch. Very knowledgable folks from the little contact I've already made just trying to learn some of this stuff. It is so far out of my knowledge base though since my whole life has been mechanical in nature. This electrical stuff is pure greek to me.

[RossJ]

Well, just remember, you can miss nine questions on the test and still pass, so you don't have to master every aspect. This is a great study resource. [Please login or register to view this link]

They take you through every Tech Test question verbatim. I used it in combination with this book: [Please login or register to view this link]

I'd read a section of the book and then cover that section online until I got every answer correct. I took the Tech Exam after five days of study and only missed one question... it's answer memorization not calculation or concepts that gets you through the exam.

[MDYoungblood]

When I first started studying, I did the Tech first, about a week in studying I realized it was only one element of questioning. I immediately got to studying the General Questions which is 2 elements of questions thinking that I'll take the General right after passing the Tech, which I did, but wasn't ready for. So back to the studying, this time the Extra which has all the exam questions and in 2 weeks (waited for my FRN and License), passed the General, aced it! It took me less than a year to get my Extra, waited for a hamfest I go to.
Even though studying is the way to go memorizing the answers is a necessity, several of the question have answers that could be right, the way it is worded makes it wrong.
Good luck to all planning to take the exams, glad I have it over and done with.

3's

Greg

[hogcowboy]

I keep getting trick by wording all the time with the practice tests. Ticks me off to no end. And the "All these are correct". Seems to me that makes my one choice, correct then. But NOOOOOOO!!!!

[hogcowboy]

Well surprise surprise. They said I passed the darn Ham Technician test. I went back over it and changed 5 answers. I missed several but are those the ones I changed or are they the ones that got me a pass? I don't think I want to know. On to step 2.

[MDYoungblood]

Well surprise surprise. They said I passed the darn Ham Technician test. I went back over it and changed 5 answers. I missed several but are those the ones I changed or are they the ones that got me a pass? I don't think I want to know. On to step 2.

Doesn't matter, you passed, congrats!!

3's

Greg

[BikePacker]

Nice going Hog.... glad u have the Technician zam off ur plate.
Is "Step 2" the General?

[hogcowboy]

Nice going Hog.... glad u have the Technician zam off ur plate.
Is "Step 2" the General?

Nope. Some equipment so maybe I can begin to understand what some of this stuff means as far as frequencies and bands. That's where I know I probably got the wrong answers. What can a Technician do on the 30 meter band? Heck, I don't even know where it is compared to the 70 meter or 10 meter except between those 2. And that's probably wrong too. So a little practical stuff before step 3.

[RossJ]

Congratulations! It's good to take some time and get connected with HAM folks around. The Baofeng handheld dual band radios are under $30 and with an extended 15.6" antenna, you could easily reach 2 meter repeaters within 15 miles. Usually there's quite a bit of activity on 2 meters. It gives you a opportunity to hear how HAM's work, to ask questions and pick up more understanding. Regrettably, you would need a General license for 30 meters. It's limited to 200 watts PEP, data and CW traffic.