Why do truckers use linear amplilfiers with their CB radios?

Haven't read all the posts ( too many of them). What most i have read haven't said is why these linear amps are illegal. Or the fact they really don't need one over a 30 watt. Though I have seen them for sale as high as 300watts. You get a driver sitting in a suburban area at a truck stop all weekend on his cb radio with his 100 watt 0r 200 watt "kicker" and he is broadcasting 30 miles away possibly more. It improved his broadcasting abilities, but not the receiving qualities. Plus he is most likely "walking" on peoples phone lines, television sets, baby monitors etc etc. It is this interruption upon "civilians" (lack of better words) that made the fcc make them illegal for citizen band radios. Also has to do with the ham radios, which require a license to use. As to the actual original question "why do they use them" b/c they can (kiss) and b/c they have not been caught and fined which can be as high as 25, 000$

 

BECAUSE ..... CB form day one ( 1958 ) has always either used 5 watts input to the final or 4 watts output.
LINEARS also don't meet the requirements for cleaness that the FCC requires on HF Few are even linear .....

Just like there are 40 ch not 41 .......

Those are the rules ...... now you DO have a right to try and get them changed ..... PERSONLY ... I see no need for FM or digital modes like PSK-31 to be illegal ...But they are .....

CB rules have nothing to do with HAM RADIO and the FCC know this ....
CB was never set up for hobby use even though 99% of people use it for that .....

Bruce

 

to walk on those that annoy me

 

You have to understand no matter how big a radio you have there is always someone who is 101% of what your running .....

 

CB was intended to be used for local communication only, and was therefore limited to 4 watts to keep the signal from getting out too far.
Makes total sense. If you're on the highway and need local information, do you really want to hear about something happening 400 miles away?
Obviously, since 11 meters is affected by skip conditions, sometimes the signal will go farther than local coverage, but that is not the norm.

 

do you want to know why I use the power that I do? it's because I finally got sick and tired of all those big mouths running hundreds of watts never letting you get the information that you need such as directions! at first I kept my Connex running at about 80 watts. That wasn't doing the job when I needed to get over the moron saying "im not wearing any panties" nor was I getting over the guys that would put me (us) on "communication probation". So, now days, when I need to "walk" on those idiots, I flip the switch on my pretty little silver X-Force box and ask for those directions with just over 1,800 watts behind me! Let those babbling idiots try stepping on that! VERY few in any given truckstop is able to do so. Grant it, there are a few that can...but not many. And so what if u can hear me "walking the dog" from 75 miles away! At least I'm not stuck under a freakin bridge because some jerk wanted to "lockdown" the truck stop, rest area, or anywhere else on the hwy! And after I get what I want I flip the switch back off...I'd never run with that much power just cruisin! that's just stupid! and yes there are many do run constantly with hundreds watts. Ugh! ask for the receive, all I have to do a flip the green switch on the preamp...and wala...my receiver has nearly doubled

 

Best post of the day

 

X-Force FTW.....

 

Never owned a X-Force but I'm looking at the 4 tube 811 HF amp to round out the shack

 

Long before cell phones, Qualcoms, one of the ugly sides of trucking is rolling up on a wreck that just took place. Bad ones. 4 watts just don't do it when your miles from any town. When help is needed ASAP! Won't say what I use but saving lives is a big part of being a Trucker. Needed it 3 times in 25 years of coast to coast. The kids can have their echo mikes, ding dings, but when lives are on the line it's a great tool to have. A big radio can make the difference between a hospital stay and a funeral.