About CB Radios
CB radios were all the rage in the 1970s and 1980s. While this form of personal radio set has been largely superseded by cell phones, it continues to have its enthusiasts. Also, CB radios continue to exist in the form of personal walkie-talkies.
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Identification
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CD radios are personal, two-way radio communication devices that use the channels in the 27 MHz range. There are roughly 40 usable channels in that range, with some variance on the international level. The American 40 channel system is often the model, but this is not always the case. It should not be mistaken for "ham" radio. In most states, owning and operating any and all CB systems does not require a license.
Modern CB Radio
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The main users of CB radios in North America for more than 30 years have been truck drivers. CB is popular among them for communicating driving information to a community at large. This is a role that cell phones are not very good at. This is because CBs require a substantial antenna and do not work very well for broadcast and reception indoors (home units frequently set up an antenna outside, and run the cables indoors). While there are hand-held radios working on the CB, 27 MHz model, it is more common for these to be of the UHF type.
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Channel Use
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Certain CB channels are saved for particular purposes. As a general rule, Channel 19 is for highway information, but there are different rules for different regions, and sometimes these become quite complex. There used to be a system in the Mid-West where Channel 10 was for East-West talk, and Channel 17 was for North-South talk. Channel 13 is normally for boats. Channel 9 used to be for emergencies, but this is now nearly defunct as few people monitor it anymore.
CB Language
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CB culture has its own particular language. For example, "10-4" means "Message understood," a policeman is called "Smokey," "Bring it back" means "Answer requested," and "How am I hitting you?" means "Are you receiving me clearly?" CB lingo forms an extensive set of sub-cultural slang, and these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. In the days before the Internet, CB radio served a similar role as chat rooms--a venue for meeting people on an anonymous footing. Indeed, both internet bulletin boards/chat rooms and the CB world use the same word for nicknames: "handles."
Cost
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A good desktop CB will run between $115 to $200, a good vehicle CB will cost $40 to $100, and a pair of CB walkie-talkies cost $60 to $120.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons
