How a CB Radio System Works

Series Summary

The citizens’ band radio is a system of short distance radio communication used in the United States of America. The American CB radio holds a selection of 40 different channels within a single 27 megahertz band. In the 1960s, CB radio was popular among small business firms such as plumbers, electricians, or trucking businesses. The ever-popular “10-codes” were used to abbreviate acknowledgments made over the radio (e.g. “10-4” means “ok, transmission received, affirmative, understood” in 10-code). The service became popular in the 1970s and 1980s and was featured in songs and movies such as the “Dukes of Hazard.” CB is still a popular hobby in many countries though its use has somewhat diminished because of other services such as cellular phones.

In this series of videos, you will learn about the popular hobby of CB radios. Get more information about the history and use of CB radios from our expert hobbyist. Learn how to use a CB radio on your boat or in your car or home. Get tips on equipment needed for CB communication including an antenna, microphone, automatic noise limiter, and the actual radio. Learn how to use appropriate “10 codes” from this CB radio expert.

Video Transcript

" My name is William and we are going to explain how a CB radio works. A CB radio was designed to transmit and receive a circuit. Now when you transmit into the microphone your voice is converted into a radio frequency and it is sent out of the antenna. It is transmitted out the antenna to the receiver that is receiving your signal. The person on the other end with the receiver is receiving your transmitter and the person on your end is receiving their transmitter. As long as the radios are on both frequencies, the radios will communicate with each other. The frequency is very dependent on the time of day and the adjacent channel interference and the geographical area and terrain and so forth."