Single Side Band - Part 2

[clantonman1983]

I've been using a CB for a few months now and have learned a lot about them in just three or so months. I enjoy just striking up conversations and talking to a bunch of base stations around and further away..

But one thing I don't don't understand is: What exactly is single side band?

and how would i go about getting a radio that could do it?

[kd5drx]

OK good questions.
1. First SSB is a mode of operation just like AM or FM is. What is does is it splits the signal into 2 parts upper and lower SSB. You put them both together like the old ham rigs did and called it double Side band alla AM modulation. It is a form of modulating a radio signal. when you key a radio in the AM mode it generatres a carrier then you talk and the carrier carries the modulation over it so you can be heard. In a SSB you key the mike nothing happens until you talk then your voice generates modulation and it is transmitted on the desired frequency in the chosen part of the sound radio wave either the Upper or Lower side of the wave.
2. You can buy a SSB radio anhywhere radios are sold.

[Turbo-T]

To add to that, to use SSB the other party has to also have a SSB radio.

SSB allows you to talk further. legally.

SSB is the same as AM but more efficient.

Biggest PITA of SSB is trying to get the voice lock dialed in....until you do, the opposite party will sound like their voice is either sped up or slowed down. That and sometimes some SSB radios will drift on SSB.

IMO a SSB radio is great for a base station but not so great for mobile....unless you either plan to run it on AM only or wait until you're stopped to fiddle with the clarifier. (voice lock)

[WA4GCH]

SSB is a mode where you use only one sidebands and reject the other and the carrer.

IN SHORT ..... keeping things simple .....

A AM radio has 2 sidbands which contain 25% of the total power and a carrer which has 50% of the power ...... SO ..... On AM with 4 watts output you get only 1 watt of audio power that you can realy use while on SSB you only use the one sideband and can run it at the full 4 watt legaly.

To do this you would have to run a AM radio at 16 watts .......

ALSO SSB is 1/2 as wide so you can fit more stations in the same number of channles
and with less bandwidth your receiver can here weaker signals so you can copy a SSB signal long after a AM one is down in the noise.

AGAIN this is SSB 101 .....

There are books on this from the ARRL and others .....

I run the mode all the way up to 432 MHZ ( 70 cm ) and you can find me on 144.200 mhz SSB ( 2 meters ) all the time ...

[Carolina Thunder]

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

how would i go about getting a radio that could do it?

If you want a good SSB radio but dont want to spend alot of money you have a few options.

An OLDER Cobra 148GTL or Uniden Grant are great SSB radios but dont do squat for power on AM. Look on the back of the radio for one built in the Philippines,those are the best. You may see around 15 watts AM and 25 watts SSB but on SSB that's all you need. You should be able to find a nice one for under $100.00. Then you MUST find a CB tech that knows how to set the radio up for SSB operation. No opened clarifies,no swing kits,Set the radio up to be dead on frequency on receive and transmit for SSB use,setting the Driver and final bias correctly or it will sound funky on SSB and setting the modulation for SSB at no more than 100%. Set up correctly and you will sound good and not have to keep dialing everyone in to understand them. Set one up poorly and you will hate trying to talk on it while driving down the road!

Then if you want you could get a small Texas Star 250 to add punch on SSB and AM. TS are about the only mass produced amps that i would buy for SSB because they are pretty clean unlike a great many other amps on the market. You wont really need it because even with a crowed Channel, 25 watts will get out better than you may think.


Or you could just get a new RCI 2950DX. Set it up correctly ( same as above ) and you will not need the extra power from the amp. These run about $250.00 and will do around 40 watts on SSB which is more than enough to talk well on SSB. You could also step up to a RCI 2970DX. These run around $350.00 and will easily do 125 watts on SSB. With that amount of power you will be able to talk around the world on SSB! These are really the best radios for SSB use and in order to have a better radio you would have to step up to a full blown ham rig....and that's big money!

No mater what radio you get MAKE SURE it is tuned correctly,this is one of those have to's for SSB! If not you will sound like ####,you will have a hard time hearing others clearly,others will have a hard time hearing you/tuning you in clearly to understand and no one will wast there time trying to talk to some fool with a shatty sounding radio on SSB.

Guys that talk alot of SSB are picky and if you dont sound good most of them will not talk to you

[Carolina Thunder]

By the way.

Since you are thinking about a SSB i wished you lived closer to south west VA. I moved to a little town called Coeburn a few weeks ago and there is an older electronics shop here with 148's and Grant's stacked up all over the place...........for cheap!

[WA4GCH]

Originally Posted by Carolina Thunder

If you want a good SSB radio but dont want to spend alot of money you have a few options.

An OLDER Cobra 148GTL or Uniden Grant are great SSB radios but dont do squat for power on AM. Look on the back of the radio for one built in the Philippines,those are the best. You may see around 15 watts AM and 25 watts SSB but on SSB that's all you need. You should be able to find a nice one for under $100.00. Then you MUST find a CB tech that knows how to set the radio up for SSB operation. No opened clarifies,no swing kits,Set the radio up to be dead on frequency on receive and transmit for SSB use,setting the Driver and final bias correctly or it will sound funky on SSB and setting the modulation for SSB at no more than 100%. Set up correctly and you will sound good and not have to keep dialing everyone in to understand them. Set one up poorly and you will hate trying to talk on it while driving down the road!

Then if you want you could get a small Texas Star 250 to add punch on SSB and AM. TS are about the only mass produced amps that i would buy for SSB because they are pretty clean unlike a great many other amps on the market. You wont really need it because even with a crowed Channel, 25 watts will get out better than you may think.


Or you could just get a new RCI 2950DX. Set it up correctly ( same as above ) and you will not need the extra power from the amp. These run about $250.00 and will do around 40 watts on SSB which is more than enough to talk well on SSB. You could also step up to a RCI 2970DX. These run around $350.00 and will easily do 125 watts on SSB. With that amount of power you will be able to talk around the world on SSB! These are really the best radios for SSB use and in order to have a better radio you would have to step up to a full blown ham rig....and that's big money!

No mater what radio you get MAKE SURE it is tuned correctly,this is one of those have to's for SSB! If not you will sound like ####,you will have a hard time hearing others clearly,others will have a hard time hearing you/tuning you in clearly to understand and no one will wast there time trying to talk to some fool with a shatty sounding radio on SSB.

Guys that talk alot of SSB are picky and if you dont sound good most of them will not talk to you

On CB I run a LEGAL GRANT LT .... one heck of a radio ......

I also have had a 2950, 2950DX and a 5054DX but because they covered limited bands I got rid of them .....

Sometimes I regret the 5054 ....

[Turbo-T]

Another good SSB radio is a Uniden HR2510.

Also as far as the clarifier being locked vs. unlocked is a matter of personal preference. It can help to have them unlocked for those with drifty Galaxy radios and such but a PITA at the same time since it moves your TX freq. vs. a locked clarifier which keeps the TX freq. on and just tunes in the RX side.

[Carolina Thunder]

Originally Posted by Turbo-T

Another good SSB radio is a Uniden HR2510.

Also as far as the clarifier being locked vs. unlocked is a matter of personal preference. It can help to have them unlocked for those with drifty Galaxy radios and such but a PITA at the same time since it moves your TX freq. vs. a locked clarifier which keeps the TX freq. on and just tunes in the RX side.

The HR2510 is a very good SSB radio but you had better not buy one. You cant get the parts for them anymore so if it breaks your screwed!

[WA4GCH]

Originally Posted by Carolina Thunder

The HR2510 is a very good SSB radio but you had better not buy one. You cant get the parts for them anymore so if it breaks your screwed!

They are one fine radio but your right parts are a problem ....