Why do truckers use linear amplilfiers with their CB radios?

[sitm]

The post about licensed radio operators having to keep records and formulas about, is just not true.

[boeing46]

No matter what anyone says my lil Silver Streak trucker allows me to come in louder and further.
I'm not a tech of any kind but i know how to use a meter and get my 148GTL and my Grant to talk 20 plus miles without a bunch of hills in the way, mobile.
Antennas have eyes and if nothing is in the way and you can increase your power you will talk further and louder with just a lil kicker.
If you have a bare foot untouched good radio and put us side by side and have the person at the other end compare us I'll guarantee the person hears me better and louder.
His receive needle will be higher with mine hence hear me better and clearer.
This is not a technical explanation but on my base when I run barefoot all I get is, "you sound like a mud duck" from a friend ten miles away.
If I just adjust my base amp to 50watts i get the flowers I'm looking for.
It works, nuff said

[blackw900]

There haven't really been any OUTLAW TRUCKERS! in quite a few years. The term refers to some that used to run without any authority and just got the job done without having to deal with a lot of the legal #### that was forced on the industry at the time.
It was a different time and that kind of stuff isn't prevalent today...But that's not what I came here to say.

I personally don't care to talk long distance on my C.B. I have it to hear about stuff nearby that I need to know about and to relieve boredom from time to time. It also comes in handy at some customer locations to stay in contact with the shipping/recieving office.
You ham guys are into something completely different than 99% of drivers that use the radio. None of us really cares about the distance or the tech. involved in your "hobby" nor are we interested in hearing the snobby comments directed at those of you who look down on the lowly C.B. user.( I wouldn't say enthusiast 'cause there's not much to be enthusiastic about) It is a tool pure and simple and we use it as such. If a guy wants to run a linear amp...So what?

[DsquareD]

Originally Posted by boeing46

No matter what anyone says my lil Silver Streak trucker allows me to come in louder and further.
I'm not a tech of any kind but i know how to use a meter and get my 148GTL and my Grant to talk 20 plus miles without a bunch of hills in the way, mobile.
Antennas have eyes and if nothing is in the way and you can increase your power you will talk further and louder with just a lil kicker.
If you have a bare foot untouched good radio and put us side by side and have the person at the other end compare us I'll guarantee the person hears me better and louder.
His receive needle will be higher with mine hence hear me better and clearer.
This is not a technical explanation but on my base when I run barefoot all I get is, "you sound like a mud duck" from a friend ten miles away.
If I just adjust my base amp to 50watts i get the flowers I'm looking for.
It works, nuff said

...and sometimes it only takes 10 watts to do the trick. Or if just talking a few hundred yards 5 watts is plenty.

I've been out of any kind of radio for over 12 years now. Is there ever any fear of getting a fine for using an amp? I know that, many years ago, the FCC used to actually police the Citizen's Band and would occasionally confiscate equipment and give fines. I have not heard anything about that type of thing in recent times, so is there anyone that worries about "getting caught" with an amp? Since I don't have a ham license anymore, I don't have to worry about losing that, but I also don't want to get a big fine. If I felt the risk was insignificant, I would consider getting a radio with an amp or one that is modified.

[FriedTater]

Plenty of big gun radios out here,amps have never been as proficient as they are these days. You can make some big power for alot less money then 15-20 years ago.
Sweet16's are now guppy's in the big pond.

No need to go really big,straight 2 pill box's will smash most of the high end barefoot with built in pill sets.
They dont require big wire or fancy wiring,plus their easy on the Company Truck platforms(easy to hook and unhook)

Originally Posted by DsquareD

...and sometimes it only takes 10 watts to do the trick. Or if just talking a few hundred yards 5 watts is plenty.

I've been out of any kind of radio for over 12 years now. Is there ever any fear of getting a fine for using an amp? I know that, many years ago, the FCC used to actually police the Citizen's Band and would occasionally confiscate equipment and give fines. I have not heard anything about that type of thing in recent times, so is there anyone that worries about "getting caught" with an amp? Since I don't have a ham license anymore, I don't have to worry about losing that, but I also don't want to get a big fine. If I felt the risk was insignificant, I would consider getting a radio with an amp or one that is modified.

[KeithT1967]

Sometimes I wonder if some of these hams who slam the use of hi powered cb's and amps have ever tried to deal with the noise of a big city on the CB band. You've lost all credibility if you try telling me that hi powered CB's are the cause of all the static I pick up in Detroit for example at 3am on a Sunday morning.

I have an amp, a CLEAN one, and I use it when I need to and keep it off when I don't. Of course I don't partake in the trash talk Olympics in truck stops either.

[Red Fox]

Busting the big splatter boxes run by drunken rednecks around here was tried by the locals who prefer CB to be used in a civil manner, and only was successful when a minimum of 3 complainants and multiple infractions were reported. This got rid of the guy who plugged our ears for 20 channels wide. Now he's back and still about 3 channels wide in the evenings.
Mind you, we ALL use linears around here when we need them (some continuously), but if you don't bleed and are civil in your conversation, you don't have much to worry about, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT BOTHERING ANYBODY!!!
(Except for ONE lone individual on this forum, but I won't name names...)

[FriedTater]

and most likely by his overall charactor can most likely be found running "power" on a local basis as one of the problem children in his area.

Originally Posted by Red Fox

(Except for ONE lone individual on this forum, but I won't name names...)

[outerspacehillbilly]

Originally Posted by FriedTater

No need to go really big,straight 2 pill box's will smash most of the high end barefoot with built in pill sets.
They dont require big wire or fancy wiring,plus their easy on the Company Truck platforms(easy to hook and unhook)

So what are you saying they don't have to be wired up to the batteries and fused like the big boxes?

[DsquareD]

Originally Posted by KeithT1967

Sometimes I wonder if some of these hams who slam the use of hi powered cb's and amps have ever tried to deal with the noise of a big city on the CB band. You've lost all credibility if you try telling me that hi powered CB's are the cause of all the static I pick up in Detroit for example at 3am on a Sunday morning.

I have an amp, a CLEAN one, and I use it when I need to and keep it off when I don't. Of course I don't partake in the trash talk Olympics in truck stops either.

Being a former ham I can tell you that I rarely experienced what you are talking about on the bands that I used. In fact many times there was very little activity at all and the legal limit was 1000 watts, however, I only ran 100 watts and found it to be just fine.

The only time I and my fellow hams got peeved at the CBer's was when they came up into one of the ham bands and started messing around. Outside of that, I don't see why any ham would care what goes on with the Citizen's Band. It sounds like the FCC doesn't really care much either as long as folks stay on the 40 designated channels assigned to CB. I know going outside the range of CB with extra or "private" channels can get you in big trouble around certain military bases, not that that has anything to do with hams, just thought I'd toss it out there.