WHY DO the HAMS always take over cb posts ?

bcsubline
Well I work with the Heavy haul industry and i don't use any more power than is in a off the shelf CB. Besides with heavy haul you have to be off of CB 19.
Most of the time when I'm out front by a mile or more looking for a low bridge or anything that would damage the load. We stay away from 19..to much noise. I have never had a load hit a bridge nor anything else. And yes running coast to coast we have to change where we work sometimes hourly. Big radios are just a lot of problems. As a ham I'm allowed 1500 watts. do I use it no. I have talked around the world with 20 watts and the most I have ever used mobile is 100 watts. the least is 1 watt.

My Guess is in less then 10 years the FCC will be selling off the 11 meter band. They are tired of the complaints about the trash on the CB's and the power being run. Then they will be forcing everyone up into the UHF range...

 

BC, that's about all anyone can really ask!

It's the big guns that just like to hear themselves talk (if you can call it that) that do the damage. Their rigs have two settings... full power and off, and they're never off! I wasn't really shooting at you... you just rolled through the line of fire!

Going back to the original post in this thread.... why do hams always wind up taking over CB threads?

We're not taking over anything. The fact is, many CB'ers know as much or more about radio as any ham, and they're generally not the ones that create problems for everybody else on the air. Just like hams MUST do to get a license, they understand their radios, their limitations, and their responsibility. But, there are just as many or more CB'ers that know little more than how to turn their CB's on, and their ignorance often causes problems for themselves and others. We don't take over anything.... those who start complaining out of misinformation or lack of knowledge just can't keep up. Whether anyone has a ham ticket or not is irrelevant. If you want the most out of something, you have to learn a little something about it and grow with it.

 

First of all I'd like to take this chance to introduce myself to you all.
My name is Mark. I'm an Electrical Engineer from central NC, just outside the Queen City.

I noticed this thread while reading through the forum so I thought I might stop in and add my two cents to it.

I started out in CB in the mid 80's with a Uniden PC68 with a P&T and wow that little 18pep watt radio was the baddest thing I'd ever had my hands on. I played around with that radio for a number of years and still actually have it today. I also still love CB to this day.

My second year of High School in the early 90's I studied, tested and received my Technician class license. I continued to operate on 10 and 11m for the next 3 years at which point I graduated and left for college.

I spent the next 4 years working toward my goal of obtaining my Bachelor's degree in Communications Engineering, which I did complete. I then continued in this field to receive my Master's in Electrical Engineering.

Today I'm employed by one of the largest FM radio stations on the east coast. Yes my station makes real power. 100k watts of it to be close to exact.

The reason for sharing this information with you all is to make a point. My point being. There is a food chain on the air waves. You have your normal everyday average CB'r, you have your HAM's and then you have your Communications/Electrical engineers. Each of these types of users have their place in this chain. Many engineers still love to operate on 10-11m as well as many HAM's are also CB'rs even if they do not admit to this in a crowd.

CB/11m/27mhz operators are seen in this chain by most HAMs as the "Outlaws" or the rif-raff of the airwaves. Running illegal power, transmitting on unauthorized frequencies for the use of long and short range communication. CB in its own right has always been the outlaw/bad boy user type of communication. At least since the early 70's.

HAM/10m/UHF-VHF operators are seen in this chain by most engineers as the guys that wanted the same thing as the CB'rs only they wanted to achieve this legally. HAM had its place in its day but now in this age of technology with the internet, cell phones and satellite communication the HAM operator has lost his original importance in this chain unfortunately.

Engineers wanted the same as both the CB'rs and the HAMs but wished to take it a step farther by receiving a college education in order to not only play, but also work in this field as professionals. Many of these engineers still carry their love of CB as well as Ham radio operation. Some like a lot of HAMs will not admit this in a crowd. Others like myself are proud of their past/roots in CB and HAM radio operation.

My main objective by this post is to remind everyone of the fact that weather your a HAM or a CB'r or an Engineer we all share the same love radio communication or "the bug" if you will. We all got our start somewhere. Most of us far from the top. The means in which each of us use to achieve this goal are different but the goal is the same. CB'rs are not all bad, Hams are not all know it alls out to make 5 second contacts and engineers are not all stuck up better then you users. Each respective form of communication has its less then popular users. No class of user should be generalized as all bad or all good for that matter.

Not only was your thread hijacked by HAMs but then hijacked by an engineer to finish the chain.

In closing I would like to let you all know it is a pleasure to be here and be a part of this community. Although my post has its serious points it also has its jokes and humor. I love all forms of radio communication and the people that I meet using them daily. Remember where we came from and how we got where we are today as well as no matter what type of user you are we all have the same goals for the most part, Communication. It seems as if we've lost sight of what this actually means. Communicate with one and other and hear what is to be said by all. Do not just waste time on farming contacts but spend some time to get to know these people and maybe learn from or teach them something during this experience.

 

Hi Mark,
Good post. Several things I would like to touch on.

1. No Ham took over the CB Posts in this forum. In fact it is the other way around. The owners/managers of this forum/site graciously allowed me (A Ham Radio operator) to start this whole radio section. It was intended to help those with their questions and to allow people to know what was legal and what was not. It was never intended to promote Ham Radio no was it intended to demote CB Radio. Only help those with questions. This section has certainly gone to hell in a hand basket and most of the Hams who were here have left, including me.
We are all adults and we have to choose if we wish to be informed or ignorant.

2. It is not my intention to disrespect you or your profession, but come on... You work for a radio station so you are at the top of a proverbial pecking order? You do have that fancy job title...certainly more prestigious than, "Uh...I are a truck driver!"
As an official radio station employee, Your job is to count the guy lines on your tower, mike sure they are all tight, the little light on top has to work and you might be required to change it when it doesn't but probably you are only required to call a "Tower Guy" who is also beneath your lofty job title. Lets see, if the transmitters go down, you are required to plug them back in and call the chemical plant for liquid nitrogen when the cooling tank gets low. You don't even get to use the mic.
You remind me of the moron president of Motorola who stated, "Ham Radio operators, are highly overrated" following Hurricane Katrina and the communications system Motorola sold to the government for 22 Million dollars failed to work and couldn't be fixed even by Hams. Hams were called in and provided the communication that saved untold lives. Do some research.
If you are a Ham as you state then you know where the truth lies......How many CBer's can build their own antenna...for that matter how many radio engineers can.

3. Ham radio has taken a back seat to Internet, cell phones and satellite communications? Are you kidding me? All of these things have their roots in Ham radio, were pioneered by hams and with the exception of satellites are the first to quit working when the poop hits the fan.....This included you 100K Watt FM Station. What are ya going to do when there is no more fuel for your generator? You'll call a Ham....Just like the rest of the world. Also we use satellite communications all the time. When is the last time you used your cell phone/internet connection to speak with the International Space Station. http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php

4. Get over yourself with your store bought engineering degree. You better research the things available to you in your hobby....Jeez....you don't even have to receive. All mouth no ears.

5. Most importantly here. Regardless if your into CB or Ham it is about Radio. And not the kind that you get paid for.

 

Obviously you've misread my post, or maybe I did not make my point clear. For that I apologize. I'll take a minute or two and see if I can clear it up.

1. Yes I paid for my education, but I assure you they do not just give out degree's sir. I earned it both academicly as well as financially. My father also a HAM, was career Military and did what he could to help my brother and I through college but he also believed we should earn our own way in life.

2. I do not know where you got what you thought was my job description but It could not be further from what I actually do. I'm not a maintenance technician. With all due respect, that only shows me what you actually do know about "your hobby",or My job.

3. I said that "HAM's had lost there original importance in this chain" Not "ALL" importance. HAMs do help people and have since the beginning. Saying that we are of our original importance would be like saying that a Truck Driver could not function at all with out an 11m radio in the 21st century. Yes all these technologies mentioned above have roots in radio. Saying that radio is even close to being the most important of these in this time in our world would however be an incorrect statement. As for your sarcastic statement about who I remind you of, I too disagree with the "Moron president of Motorola". just to get that out there.

4. If the "poop hits the fan" Ill be doing the same thing you and many others will be doing. The 100k watt station I spoke of the the current "Naval" station that I've been contracted by in order to assess efficiency among other things I wont be getting in to here with you today. At the moment Im personally using an unmodified IC-7600 along with a few others as my home stations. I do however have a generator for obvious reasons. I would hope that you do too Mr. kc0ray if you plan on being of any help if this situation does present itself.

5. My comment about the thread Hijacking was a sarcastic joke. Maybe I should of added a couple "lol's or rofl's"? I was under the impression it was obvious. I did read the thread and your responses to the original poster. I know why the section was created and that you asked for it to be created.

6."5. Most importantly here. Regardless if your into CB or Ham it is about Radio. And not the kind that you get paid for." I could not agree more. Did you actually read my post or just completely miss the point of it?

7. I'm sorry if my "Food Chain" metaphor insulted you to the point of endless sarcasm and personal insults. That's how a CB'r feels too when their referred to by way of a lot of HAMs as "Uh...I are a truck driver!"

8. "If you are a Ham as you state then you know where the truth lies......How many CBer's can build their own antenna...for that matter how many radio engineers can."This statement was my favorite if I may add a little sarcasm to this discussion. Are you serious? With out taking too much of your time. The simple formula for finding electrical wave length at any frequency is the same with exception to, the frequency value its self. Unless the speed of light changes of course. If that happens a wire antenna is going to be the last of any of our worries. Third grade students can easily figure it out. That itself is the main "claim to fame" for too many HAM operators today. Yes I think most CB'rs today know this and maybe a few of us with "store bought engineering degrees" have crossed paths with this information at some point in our career.

You sir remind me ofother HAMs that never seem to stop amazing me personally by the way they speak of themselves when mentioning simple antenna theory or long distance contacts. Some make it sound as if they've accomplished an amazing feat of genius by talking in to a radio that is only doing exactly what it was designed and built to do, or that they've discovered some amazing new formula to figure out how long the(what us engineers and CB'rs might refer to as) "that little wire" should be.

Mr. kc0rey,
I hope that Ive managed to clear up an issue or two that may of been the reason why I obviously upset you so deeply. That was not the intended purpose of my post.

Thank you sir for such a warm welcome.
Mark

 

The problem we are getting to is that Hams come in and take over threads with their attitudes etc.

 

What i would really like to know is when it became legal for state police, dot or county sherrif or local police to get into ones truck or car, rip a 10 meter radio or regular cb and amp out when thats ilegal seizure. thats never been legal for anyone but the fcc. that would be like the police or dot taking your laptop from your rig cause they think somethings wrong with it. WRONG AND ILEGAL SEIZURE. And as for the hams doing radio police driving up and down the road with theyr little direction finders just to turn someone in or make someones life miserable, realy get a life, if you have nothing better to do with your time,, go spend that time with your family for cripes sake or find a better hobby. Quit being mister oh i have to do this to make my day better and feel better about myself, and ruin someone elses day, Last i checked this is the USA and still a free country, not communist russia.

 

No sir, It is not communist russia, but we still have laws that we are required to live by. Is it ok to smoke or even sale crack cocaine? Is it ok to drive down the highway at 100mph even though the speed limit is set at 65? Is it ok to use another persons radio callsign(who actually took the time to learn the material and take and pass the test)? The answer to all of these is NO. Just because you want to justify the illegal possession of non-type certified equipment designed to operate specifically on the citizens band frequencies or even worse altered to operate out of band on 12 or 10 meters doesn't make anythink right. The rules and regulations are in place so everyone can enjoy the radio. Also, The guys that ride around with the df equipment serve a purpose. They are there mainly for search and rescue and they hone their skills by locating losers who violate the rules. I was in a situation when I first got my license where I was jamming the local repeater, I got a knock on the door a few minutes later and there were 4 guys standing there to give me a stern talking to. Did I resent it, sure at first, but I learned a lesson that day and have matured since then. You can bad mouth me and these other guys all you want, but if you are breaking the rules, Its you who are wrong.

 

Methinks oftentimes that Hams like kc thinketh muchly of themselves, to the point of sounding pretentious. However, I agree with n4mgr to a good degree.
And I, like MANY of the CB'ers around here, build my own antennas rather than buy shelf garbage that fails.

 

The point is police and dot do not have the right to take a cb radio or ham radio from your truck or car unless its stolen property and its on a stolen list. They have not been authorized by the fcc or anyone else to do such. So if dot is doing this they are wrongfully doing it. They actually cannot search your vehicle without a search warrant without probable cause. As for the hams riding as police thats wrong. if you want to be a big help, police your neighbor hood for thugs and perverts leave the rest of us alone.