CB Two Way Radios
CB two way radios have been around since the 1960s, but it was movies like Smoky And The Bandit and the hit record Convoy by CW McCall which started the CB craze, with all the CB lingo like “Breaker, breaker!” and “What’s your handle?”
You won’t find many people using 10-codes on the CB radio frequencies nowadays, but they were fun for a while. The CB lingo came up with phrases like, “What’s your twenty?” (meaning what is your location) and ten-four (10-4, meaning “Yes… Acknowledged.”)
Back in the early days those two way CB radio transceivers were much larger than today, and 23 channels in the 27 MHz band was all the FCC had allocated for CB use. However, many keen CBers modified their rigs to operate outside the regular CB channels. This is called “widebanding” and is quite illegal. If the FCC catch you, your equipment will be confiscated and you will be fined.
The best way to “play radio” is to study for an Amateur Radio license, pass the test and be legally allowed to play with more radios, over multiple bands, with much higher power (legally, remember?) and have an endless variety of ways you can communicate… with voice, digital radio, AM, FM, single sideband, shortwave, VHF, UHF and much more. You can even learn to use Morse code if you really want, because thousands of radio Amateurs all around the world still prefer to use it.
Nowadays you don’t have to buy an FCC license to operate a CB two way radio, and you can pick up a nice new one for less than one hundred dollars. One possible use for a CB radio would be so you can listen in to highway travelers and truckers on Channel 19 or any of the other channels. Remember that Channel 9 on CB radios is officially designated as an Emergency Channel. The frequency is monitored in many areas by volunteers, so the chances of being heard are quite good. I still reckon you should use your cellphone if you can, because at least the operator will know who you are.
A nice convenient alternative to 27 MHz CB sets is the modern FRS radio or the GMRS two way radio, and I discuss those on other radio pages elsewhere on this web site.
If you couldn't you find what you were looking for, search here to find it using Google!
Incoming search terms:
- can two way radios pick up cb channels
- alinco dx-sr8t cb channel mods
- dx-sr8t mod
- will a two way radio pick up cb channels
- yaesu ft 450 on cb
- yaesu ft-450d will it receive cb
- yaesu two way radios
No related posts.
i have a small litttle walkie talkie but it ndoesn get much range where im at. is there a way to mess with the antenna on the walkie talkie to get more range?
Hey James,
These small two-way radios are deliberately made so you cannot add a better antenna. That’s why they don’t need a license, and the FCC is happy because they cannot get out very far and cause much interference to other radio users. If you modify the radio in any way, even if you were a technician and could do it properly, then it would no longer be an “approved” radio for use without a license. You would be breaking the terms of the no-license class of that radio, and you could be fined. And if you don’t know what you are doing and you try to modify the antenna, you will change the frequency that it is tuned for… and that can damage the transmitter.