Why do truckers use linear amplilfiers with their CB radios?

CB started on 465 MHZ in the early 1950's. The " CLASS B " CB radios from that time are ILLEGAL to even turn on today ..... they generate a wide band of noise that would reck havic .... even in receive mode.

The move to 27 mhz was because of COST and the fact that in 1950 UHF radios were at best poor ......

The fact it wound up on 11 meters was because it was a open space only used by some medical macjhines and a few hams.... it could be placed back in land mobile with only a few rulle changes.

The people making these changes were non hams and non radio people just looking at a place to build cheap radios ... Part 19 rules which in the late 60's became Part 95 did not address the fact that 11 mmeters was not a line of sight band and you could not stop skip with a rule that said you could not use it .....

There was a move to open a 220 mhz class e CB band but it failed 40-80 ch of FM .....

AND speaking of FM there is nothing wrong with FM I have worked Germany from my car on 10 meters ....

 

WA4GCH is right, they originally tried building CB radios in the 465 MHz area, but in 1948 it wasn't working too well due to the lack of technology at the time. (In fact I read somewhere they were only good for transmitting 100 yards!) Which is a shame because you don't even need a very big antenna to run 465 MHz (less than 6 inches, total for a vehicle)...unlike the 9 ft. required for CB...but they try to "compromise" that with those 5 ft tall fiberglass whips you get at any truck stop...which BTW hinder your range as they try to make a 9 ft long piece of wire fit around a 5 ft stick..height is might, and if CB could have stayed at 465 MHz, you could run a tiny antenna less than 6" on top of your semi and get excellent range.

But yeah the FCC wasn't thinking when they put CB at 11 meters, that it would sometimes allow people to hear/talk distances. Looking back, 11 meters I think is one of the worst places they could have put the CB service.

BTW here's a model of a class B CB radio that WA4GCH was talking about:



Although I admit I didn't think it would illegal to turn one of these on.

 

The problem is it's a REGEN detector with NO RF stage so it is hooked striate to the antenna ..... on a good receiver you can hear them blocks away on receive a PART 15 violation.

 

Man, being new to the CB world I was really excited about it. In the last month, I have really lost interest.
I keep it on all the time, but because of people with linear amplifiers, I have to turn the RF Gain down and the squelch up, just to block the splatter and the idiots that are broadcasting half-the-continent away! I hear guys in Mexico, NY, Louisiana, all over the place. (I'm near Toronto, Ontario)

All these guys think they're going to get their big break, rapping on the CB radio with amplifiers, as if some record company recruiter is going to hear them or something, making unnecessary noise and stupid "Yo yo yo yo YO, dis is da brotha wit yo mutha, the unda cova lova" and all that crap.

The biggest problem is, I have to take such measures to dampen them out that I end up blocking the legitimate 4Watt CBers that are only a kilometer away from me. It's a drag.

I was considering getting a linear amplifier before I found out how invasive it is on everyone else. Now I would never consider it. I think my next step is a HAM licence.

 

Please stay off the ham bands. We have enough tiddy babies as it is.

 

Excuse me?

You don't know me.

 

The FCC does not know everything.

Around 1976 -77 when they introduced the 40 channel CB I was working for a small contruction company. We had old Motorola two way communications sets using 102" whips, big tube sets running around 80 to 100 watts w/ an under dash volume/squelch and mic.

We used them all the time w/ no radio discipline. The FCC started getting complaints from a bunch of ladies who's coffee clutch on the new channel 35 was being blasted by our transmissions.

The FCC didn't realize anyone was still using those 'old' radios.

 

AND what did you have for a license ? What frequency was it on ?
There were some companys displaced ...

 

There was a license, we were serviced bythe same Motorolla shop that did the local PD/FD and public service radios. The license was very old and the FCC didn't locate us b/4 the change.

We were directed to use radio discipline & call numbers until we could get replacement radios in a diofferent commercial frequency.

 

INTERESTING ......

I knew SOME were allowed to remain you the first one I have had a chance to talk too ....

What you are saying makes sence since licenses were good for 5/10 years
and the FCC is so slow to react .....

Hey to bad I didn't know you them I have a good home for the radios