I didn't have my CB on a lot in the truck either, and when I did I turned the squelch way up so if someone did see something wrong with my truck I could hear them without a lot of the extra crap......
And a good rant it was! They are also, or used to be, very handy when merging onto the freeway or helping another merge on. I think more people would be on there now, but it seems anytime you try to have a conversation anymore some juvenile gets on there and wants to pick a fight, or otherwise be a smart #$%. I think it stems from all the "men" out there now days that grew up without a Father in the home and never had a good role model so they never grew up. Still insecure little boys trying to prove how tuff they are.......(My Dr. Phil moment is now over!)
Interesting you say you're a ham but are interested in listening to CB. Trust me you really aren't missing anything. It's mostly a bunch of cussing, roger beeps every other transmission, hard to understand transmissions because their echo is turned way up....about the only amusement you might get is the CB rambos at the truck stops who hurl insults/make idle threats at each other over the radio. The sheer stupidity of said drivers is good enough for a gut busting laugh. Anyways, if you just want to "bird dog" the CB to listen to truckers, get yourself a scanner that is capable of scanning the citizens band and erect a decent antenna. Channel 19 is where most truck drivers operate from.
I understand the crap that is on there, but I was curious to here if there is any useful communications in there anywhere and if I might learn something from it. When I get into a truck I will have one and have it on so I can be aware of whatever I need to but I will have a HF/2m rig as well. I will probably take the icom markllG I have in the house and make it mobile. That will give me a reason to get a new base rig for the shack. Then I will play and listen on it as well as talk to my son at home. He got his general license when he was 10...now 16. 73 Todd (WB4BBQ)
About the only useful communications you might hear on CB are "what lane is open" when there's an accident on the interstate at mile marker XX....or maybe "the scale house up the road is open/closed"....even less nowadays (unless you're a speed demon 4 wheeler) would be "there's a smokey bear in the median looking west bound at the mile marker XX".... Otherwise not much useful info. Some of the conversations on CB can be fun. But as mentioned, be prepared to hear a lot of cursing, and racial slurs on the CB. Interesting call sign you have....."we be for barbeque".
Yep it's all about the Q. I've been in the BBQ business for 5 years now but been Qing for over 15 years. I thought the call was appropriate...you know "HAM" radio and BBQ. It's not a good call for CW but I don't do morse code.
One of these days I'll apply for a vanity call sign, probably of my initials as that's what I see most hams do.
I have a 10-meter Magnum. It sat in my shed for 2 years until I finally put it in my truck last month. No CB in those 2 years. Never found myself running down the road with flames shooting out and not knowing about it on my own. You go track down all the Rambo's and shove their cb's up their hind-ends and then I'll run with it on. Otherwise, it gets turned on for the random backhaul shipper and when I'm backing. It's too much like an internet chatroom, minus the computer screen.
ready for this, a friend of mine has an app on his cell phone and I don't know how it actually works but he can get CB or Ham radio on it.I don't think he can transmit though.
