How often do you Use/Listen to the CB Radio?

[jamwadmag]

Yeah, I grew up in the 'Smokey & the Bandit' generation (same age as Sally Field) and really 'learned' to hate the CB!!! Too much krapp on there...I run a diff tractor evey week, so instead of using my $150 Cobra with 150 wt linear and 5' antenna with matching cable, I use a $45 Walmart handheld to talk with cust!!! Many truckers actually get 'mad' at a driver who doesn't answer them (or in my case, have it on!)----try to tie drivers down with it so can 'jaw' over nothing. Many 'lonely' drivers without a life depend on the CB for social interaction. And then you have the 'night drivers' who have an 'alter ego' and all kinds of voice mods to 'give them a life!"

[tjgosurf]

I imagine I'll pick one up one day.

[Burky]

Well, I guess that I am going to have to be diffferent from the majority of the pack. I have one in the truck, a Cobra that cost me 100 bucks new, includes weather band. I had a decent cb shop tune it and tune it to the antenna, and use it all the time. I turn it on low enough that it isn't the dominant noise in the truck, and kind of key in to it on the edge of my attention span. When I get close to a place where I could see delays, then I'll turn it up and listen a little bit harder. When I don't need info, it stays down low, and I kind of keep an eye on the lights on the front. If it suddenly lights up with lots of conversation, then I'll listen in for road problems. In states like Mich or Ohio, with 55 mph limits, just running in the traffic flow of 60 or so makes you illegal. I like to know where the police are actively working just to not make myself a target.

Numerous times it has allowed me to work around a traffic problem, reporting it several miles ahead while I still had a chance at an alternate route, before the radio had a report.

There are fools out there, and I almost never have it turned on in any truckstop, or rartely in the area of a truckstop, but when I need it in the truck, it's a nice tool to have at my disposal. I don't get semtimental over it, don't even have a handle, but it does have it's uses.

[Cocky]

I went for about a month without one before I finally broke down and shelled out a few bucks for a little Cobra 29 LTD Classic. (It was on sale for $75.)

Anyways for the most part I keep it off simply because I would much rather listen to talk shows or music on Sirius. I do however turn it on every single time I roll into a truckstop for the night for no other reason than to help and be helped by other drivers when backing into a parking spot.

Between that, use at customers, and the occasional traffic updates, I think that was a well-spent $75. On very rare occasions I turn it on to chime in on some conversation if I find some. And those rare moments are always nice.

BTW the further you stray from an interstate, the better the CB conversation is........for the most part.

[MACK E-6]

Originally Posted by jamwadmag

Yeah, I grew up in the 'Smokey & the Bandit' generation (same age as Sally Field) and really 'learned' to hate the CB!!! Too much krapp on there...I run a diff tractor evey week, so instead of using my $150 Cobra with 150 wt linear and 5' antenna with matching cable, I use a $45 Walmart handheld to talk with cust!!! Many truckers actually get 'mad' at a driver who doesn't answer them (or in my case, have it on!)----try to tie drivers down with it so can 'jaw' over nothing. Many 'lonely' drivers without a life depend on the CB for social interaction. And then you have the 'night drivers' who have an 'alter ego' and all kinds of voice mods to 'give them a life!"

I ran into a guy who needed a voicebox to talk. It made him sound like a robot. I understand why he needed it, and certainly wasn't about to make fun of him for it, but nonetheless it creeped me out, so I had to get the hell away from him.

[Redneck]

Originally Posted by Cocky

I do however turn it on every single time I roll into a truckstop for the night for no other reason than to help and be helped by other drivers when backing into a parking spot.
Between that, use at customers, and the occasional traffic updates, I think that was a well-spent $75.

I used to turn mine on as well when coming into a truckstop. But I alway's turned it off if I had to back up into a parking spot.
With the idiot's out there in this day and age I would not take a chance on having someone tell me over the CB I was ok to come on back, even if he gave out my company's name I would still get out and look before proceeding.

[Rainmaker-Leo]

Originally Posted by roadkill439342

I seldom if EVEN turn mine on anymore. I got tired of listening to the Highway Heros, Truckstop Tinkerbells, Horizontal Highway Hostesses, and Wayside Women Haters Club.
I don't need the CB to know what the road conditions are "100 miles ahead", nor do I need to know what "the coops are doing". If I get signaled to come'on in, all my ducks are in a row, and I am on my way in just a couple minutes.. I know if it is raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing or freezing rain, the road is bound to be slick. I know which areas tend to be slick at any certain time of the year, I know where the wind blows hard enough to upset a truck. I know that in large cities, between the hours of 7-9am, 12-1pm and 3-6pm there is bound to be a rush-hour backup. I don't need to know which "lane is open". The lane that is moving the slowest is ALWAYS that lane. I know which states have only two seasons; winter and road construction, I know which ones have road construction almost 12 months a year. I used to think that the "bigger the radio" the better, and probebly spent a couple thousand dollars buying Galaxy, Ranger and other OVER PRICED radios. I even bought a Uniden HR2510 President (which I still own). I also bought untold number of "Modulators" and "Linears" just so I could walk all over those morons who talk in truckstops to the guy across the lot, with his power turned all the way up, just to distort my TV reception.
I just got tired of the same old crap, and I just don't bother anymore. Satelitte radio and TV is much more entertaining, a whole lot less stressful and not nearly as expensive.

fully agree with you on cb use wish the other drivers cared enough to keep the cb use to what it was meant to be. its a shame the way people use it and the words used are disgusting. sometimes my grandaughter rides with me and i just leave it off. she asked one time why we cant use it and i told her too many bad adult children dont know how to talk on it.
shes 11 and doesnt really understand their actions.

[Redneck]

Originally Posted by Rainmaker-Leo

fully agree with you on cb use wish the other drivers cared enough to keep the cb use to what it was meant to be. its a shame the way people use it and the words used are disgusting. sometimes my grandaughter rides with me and i just leave it off. she asked one time why we cant use it and i told her too many bad adult children dont know how to talk on it.
shes 11 and doesnt really understand their actions.

Well I might ask, just what is the CB supposed to be used for? I am not trying to upset you or anything. It is just it is illegle to use it to sale anything, it is not to be used for buisness purposes.
The CB is/was used for just a communication between 2 operators. Channel 19 is a JOKE! I get so sick and tired of hearing all the junk on the air fights,cussing, hookers offering services, queers offering services. It is unreal and will only continue to get worse, it is a shame.
I use to enjoy to talk on the radio, I now here at the house only run on SSB it is much cleaner. But the new generation has seemed to move up there also.
I guess the only thing left to do is become a HAM LOL! and talk to the space station.

[jamwadmag]

Originally Posted by MACK E-6

I ran into a guy who needed a voicebox to talk. It made him sound like a robot. I understand why he needed it, and certainly wasn't about to make fun of him for it, but nonetheless it creeped me out, so I had to get the hell away from him.

The 'guys' I'm talking about use Donald Duck, etc. to just 'use up' the airways so drivers can't get smokey reports/road hazards, etc.!!!

[RoadRocket]

Only when i'm awake.....and i'm not on the phone...LOL