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How many truckers are running VHF ? Is CB dying ?

Please note the words
only to licensed ham radio operators.
Under specific conditions a ham can do this, however there is no such rule for any other radio service.

Quote
"You almost certainly know that the FCC has very stringent restrictions and requirements about what frequencies you can transmit on, and severe penalties it imposes on people who fail to observe these limitations. But did you know that the FCC waives all such restrictions in emergencies?

If you find yourself in a true emergency situation – such as we prepare for – then if you’re a licensed ham operator, you can use pretty much any frequencies at all in order to conduct emergency communications.

The FCC Regulations in Subpart E of Part 97 relate to the use of amateur radio equipment provide special dispensation in emergencies :

§ 97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available.

§ 97.405 Station in distress.
(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance.

(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a) of this section, of any means of radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.

In other words, at least as it applies to already licensed ham operators, if there’s an emergency, you can communicate on any frequency, in any form, if you have the capabilities and equipment to do so.

Note there is no similar dispensation for GMRS/MURS/FRS/CB radio users, and it is largely absent from regular ‘radio telephone’ type commercial radio operators also. This provision to communicate in any manner and means extends only to licensed ham radio operators, in part because they are more likely to have flexible equipment at hand and the knowledge about how to use it in a non-standard manner, and in part because ham operators have traditionally been called on to provide emergency communication services.

So if you are a ham operator, your communications flexibility becomes very much greater WTSHTF. We suggest you plan for this and use it accordingly.

End Quote.


73
Jeff
 
"When did ch6 become a thing? Anyone know the history and why it is on that channel?"

Reason I avoided it like the plaque here in Central Indiana, going back into the mid-60's thru mid-70's was a race war. Operated local here by the "Klan" even the Grand Dragon had a monster station and the channel on weekends was a "war zone"
One of the primary reasons, I went to SSB to keep as much distance between "them"!
The guys at the shop and many locals stayed away...
Many locals and others near Indianapolis were part of that problem!
 
Yes I know what you are saying, however when it comes down to an emergency (including saving a life), I will do what feels morally right to me, and if that means complete disregard for any of the so called "laws" than so be it. I will not sit there and watch or think about what laws I am about to break while somebody's life is in danger, I will do whatever I got to do!
Like it or not this is ME.

Just trying to dispel the myth that anything goes in an emergency. People have indeed been charged for using sheriff dept. frequencies when cell phones or other means of communications were available at the time. Most people seem to think that they can use whatever freq they want with whatever power output they want despite having an alternate means of communications available to them which is simply NOT true. I understand what you are saying mind you, just that it is not so cut and dried.
 
I already stated before that there are some "bad apples" on the CB band, just like there are some bad hams and bad humans in general as well. That doesn't mean they are all bad; I have met and talked to some amazing truckers and very helpful hams.
All I said was not to trash talk the all CB band and allCB'ers and I get harassed!
Don't worry I can take it as I am a big boy.


Take the chip off your shoulder. Nobody is harassing you. Whether YOU like it or not ch 6 is a pimple on the ass of CB radio and it is indeed a reason why other's look down on it. Before you start, I got my start on CB back in the late 70's and have seen and heard a LOT over those years. So much so in fact that I decided it was not really for me any longer and made the decision to move along over 25 years ago.
 
I don't have a problem with the guys running channel 6 now days, in fact, you can sometimes find me there when the band is open.
I actually think there is more use on 34 through 40 on SSB when the band is open.
The reality is that it is just like 80 meters, when you roll across the ass hats down there, you can just spin the vfo, kind of the same thing with ch 6, you can always spin the dial.

I find it funny that people get there panties all twisted up when there is 39 more channels to go play on........

Just my opinion.

73
Jeff
 
Okay, real life example.
LEO "You saved a life today. Now about the way you contacted us...
I for one not only give you a pass but if I hear of anyone giving you static about it I will be heard"

Note: it really way the only way. I never heard from the F.C.C. , or any other agency. I did however have to duck fast and frequently to keep the media from from splashing my name and likeness everywhere :)
 
Reason I avoided it like the plaque here in Central Indiana, going back into the mid-60's thru mid-70's was a race war. Operated local here by the "Klan" even the Grand Dragon had a monster station and the channel on weekends was a "war zone"
One of the primary reasons, I went to SSB to keep as much distance between "them"!
The guys at the shop and many locals stayed away...
Many locals and others near Indianapolis were part of that problem!


BJR -
I lived in Indy from '52 thru '81 and was on the CB from '66 on (base and mobile) . I sure as hell don't remember any "race war." What part of Central Indiana did you live in ??

- 399
 
Just trying to dispel the myth that anything goes in an emergency. People have indeed been charged for using sheriff dept. frequencies when cell phones or other means of communications were available at the time. Most people seem to think that they can use whatever freq they want with whatever power output they want despite having an alternate means of communications available to them which is simply NOT true. I understand what you are saying mind you, just that it is not so cut and dried.
Thanks I do not want to mislead anybody in any way. I, however, will do whatever necessary in an emergency. If I have to break every man made law or regulation to save a human life I will, and that is my choice!
73.
 
Thanks I do not want to mislead anybody in any way. I, however, will do whatever necessary in an emergency. If I have to break every man made law or regulation to save a human life I will, and that is my choice!
73.


Believe me, I understand. I have the same attitude with my handguns. Mind you I live in Canada and the laws are a LOT different and all I will say when it comes to defending my home and family I would rather be tried by twelve than carried by six. End of that conversation.
 
Believe me, I understand. I have the same attitude with my handguns. Mind you I live in Canada and the laws are a LOT different and all I will say when it comes to defending my home and family I would rather be tried by twelve than carried by six. End of that conversation.
I totally agree and I feel the same way, since I am also in Canada.
So maybe not the very end of the conversation???:)
 
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No actually 11 meter Citizen band segment was created by stealing part of the band spectrum from the Amateur's in 1958.
The hams only had it starting in 1947 when the 29.7-30.0 MHz segment was re-allocated from the hams to gov't. And 27 MHz was an ISM band already. So, the hams were given a piece of an ISM band for 11 years, 1947-1958, and then it got taken away. If you want to complain, go tell the gov't you want 29.7-30.0 MHz back, as that was the original "theft" of 300 kHz. Quit complaining about the 27 MHz band.
 
I have a lot of windshield time, I used to run all 6m, 2m, 70cm. I've pulled them all out and only run CB and 2M

Not an OTR driver/trucker, but I usually carry a basic AM/SSB CB and a 2 meter simplex radio in the vehicle when traveling the interstate highway system. Will run both simultaneously, CB Ch19 and ham 146.52 simplex if the vehicle has two antenna mounts, otherwise one or the other depending on weather/mood. CB for bad weather for staying alert to road conditions. Sometimes if I get super bored I'll work skip on 38 LSB, but operating a clarifier while driving is a pain.

I'm not sure that MURS with a 2 watt limit on VHF and FM modulation has much utility. There aren't a lot of "type accepted" or "certificated" MURS mobile radios; Wouxun MURS mobile radios like the KG-1000M are selling for north of $300. The northwest Canadian LADD VHF frequencies would be the prototype for trucking, those are required to be licensed and are 30 watts. So not sure what to do with an unlicensed 2 watt VHF radio in the mobile environment. $300 is a lot of coin for a 2 watt radio. I run a $140 2 meter rig at 35 watts typically on 146.52 simplex, can boost to 80 watts to complete a conversation if range gets spotty. The idea behind MURS was to legalize the practice of people taking their VHF "colored dot" business band HT radios from the construction site to weekend hunting trips, Walmart giving every floor employee a VHF handheld, etc. The intent was not to create a new unlicensed mobile radio service for trucking. The Alaska Trucking Association had to get a FCC license for 12 channels of VHF at reasonable power (up to 75 watts) for use up there, similar to LADD. But again the Alaska service is Part90, not an unlicensed Part95 service like CB or MURS or FRS.

For something in the vehicle for local travel (< 500 mi) I find myself more and more gravitating to the GMRS linked UHF repeater system here in the Albuquerque/Tucson corridor. https://swcrs.org/ and system map attached. It's a bunch of GMRS repeaters using wideband deviation that are linked with AllStarLink technology, but it's a separate network from the ham VHF/UHF AllStarLink system. I'd say half the users are CBers who got a GMRS callsign, and the other half are hams who got a GMRS callsign. If the FCC lowers (has lowered?) the license fee from $70 to $35 there will likely be more people moving over.

Anyway, if you have a linked GMRS system in your area, give it a try. UHF linked repeaters may be where things are headed. I understand they've been the thing in Australia for a long time.
 

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