Why do you use echo?

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by BigBearNY, Mar 18, 2014.

  1. BigBearNY

    BigBearNY Light Load Member

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    Not trying to rant here. I don’t now, nor have I ever, gotten the desire for echo in a CB or ten meter radio. It’s not unique any more by any stretch of the imagination.

    Back in the ’70 neighborhood “chuckers” used to disguise their voices with echo boards or mikes and block access to busy frequencies by talking over them. Some truckers used echo back then to be unique. But it’s no longer a unique sound.

    Have argued with many truckers that they and their echo sound like crap. Many will go to great lengths to insure clean audio and signal… Then go ahead and mess it up with echo. Most annoying, in my opinion, are the guys who set their variable delay as long as possible making them virtually unintelligible. (OK it is my opinion here) Then when you asks them to repeat, they tell you to get the sh}X outta your ears… Yeah right…

    Some “echoers” even insisted the echo makes them louder. Nope. Never. Many of the echo boards have a modulator on board with the echo function. It’s the mopdulator NOT the echo that makes ya loud. I promise. I bought a used rig that had an echo board already installed. Shut off the echo function and never used it. Happily used the modulator feature.

    CB is about communication. Clear audio makes for better communications. Wanna be unique? Forget about echo. Try a speech compressor (aka clipper) with a good mic.

    You will get clear, crisp audio that is noticeably loud. It’s a similar principle to how they make commercials on TV noticeably louder.

    Maybe there are other reasons for an echo? Educate me… You got an echo board or echo mic? Why do you use it?
     
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  3. NYSuperTrucker

    NYSuperTrucker Light Load Member

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    The radio I have, 29NWST which I've had since 2002, I bought off eBay with it already having echo on it. They turned the dimmer switch into an echo switch. The only time I've ever used echo.....is to make fun of someone who we all could barely understand because they were using echo. :biggrin_25525: Hear some CB Rambo asking for directions or a truckstop with echo turned up, can't understand a thing the dude says....so I respond with echo as well. Fight fire with fire. haha

    So as we can see....there is no need for it.
     
  4. bigjoel

    bigjoel Road Train Member

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    It's a "super trucker" thing.
     
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  5. Big Duker

    Big Duker "Don Cheto"

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    A slight touch of echo can make a radio sound great. Go more then that and you are just noise. And I mean slight. Like barely breath on the knob.
     
  6. Razor3

    Razor3 Light Load Member

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    From a sound engineers perspective.... Echo combined with delay, very small amounts, make the voice sound more full (fatter). But the way it's used a lot of times in the cb community, it's abused and just makes the voice walk on itself and sound like crap in general.
     
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  7. Turbo-T

    Turbo-T Road Train Member

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    I've had many truckers tell me that echo makes them have more modulation which is laughable at best.

    My belief for why people have echo? Because truckers spend their time cooped up in that truck for long hours on end, and the CB serves double duty as a tool and a toy, especially for those who refuse to grow up. Otherwise why else would you also need noise toys, roger beeps, rebel flag face plates, blue LED's, illuminated jewel knobs, chrome cases, etc....on your CB?

    Just my 2 cents
     
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  8. Sublime

    Sublime Road Train Member

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    I hate echo almost as much as that f'n roger beep.
     
  9. ShooterK2

    ShooterK2 Road Train Member

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    It is totally a matter of opinion. With that being said, I agree with Razor3. A slight (and I mean extremely slight) amount of echo really puts life into an AM transmission. If it is enough to actually hear "echo" then it is too much, but if it makes a person's voice sound "big", as if emanating from a big room (think of the slight echo sound you hear when you are at a concert, or in a theater), then I think it sounds good.

    I agree that echo doesn't add modulation, and certainly won't make a radio transmit further. But it can add a pleasant richness to a person's voice that can actually make a person easier to understand.

    I would venture to guess that many "echo haters" have heard radios that they thought sounded good, that actually had a slight amount of echo, and they just didn't realize it. Like I said, if it is enough to actually hear the voice echo, then it is too much.
     
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  10. skellr

    skellr Road Train Member

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    what what what what seems seems seems seems to to to to be be be be the the the the problem problem problem problem?
     
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  11. poppapump1332

    poppapump1332 Road Train Member

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    Not echo just a touch of reverb
     
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