Who Uses CB Radios?

[Industrial Toys]

Many older Hams already agreed back in the 90s that Hams had just become appliance operators. My Boss in the 70s, built his own VHF 2Meter rig and pioneered repeaters and links. I remember I rewired a Northern Electric touch tone (Intercom) module out of 1A2 equipment for his repeater.

With the world putting all their eggs in the one (Internet) basket, maybe the time is more critical than ever to have a seperate emergency communications resource.

I keep thinking about getting an HF Rig, except, 1. there are more projects and wants in my life than money, 2. I Hate to buy something that will be old and out of date, yet unused, and 3. stuff is so complicated, changes models so fast that it's a real crap shoot weather you are buying something good and reliable or not.

 

[k0ua]

Many older Hams already agreed back in the 90s that Hams had just become appliance operators. My Boss in the 70s, built his own VHF 2Meter rig and pioneered repeaters and links. I remember I rewired a Northern Electric touch tone (Intercom) module out of 1A2 equipment for his repeater.

With the world putting all their eggs in the one (Internet) basket, maybe the time is more critical than ever to have a seperate emergency communications resource.

I keep thinking about getting an HF Rig, except, 1. there are more projects and wants in my life than money, 2. I Hate to buy something that will be old and out of date, yet unused, and 3. stuff is so complicated, changes models so fast that it's a real crap shoot weather you are buying something good and reliable or not.

Buy an Icom 7300, and you will not be sorry. About a grand. I have two of them.

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It is an SDR (Software Defined Radio) but it still has knobs and buttons or you can control it with a PC if you desire. SDR is taking over the architecture of radios in the 21st century. Long lived the Superhet, but the Superhet is dead. It is just to easy to add features and fix bugs with a radio that is software driven and direct sampling. The past objection to SDR by some was the offerings were all computer controlled, but these rigs still offers the analog MMI (Man Machine Interface) that we all grew up with but the latest features and performance. This particular rig is groundbreaking in the price to performance ratio. They sell for under a $1000 when on sale, like at Christmas, but have popped back to $1050 now. Worth every penny, and I personally guarantee you will not be disappointed.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I will revisit it. Wouldn't I feel like the fool if I needed a rig and didn't have one. Nont even sure what they do around here anymore for field day. It would be a good place to get reaquainted with the hobby.

 

[RobertN]

Oh for the days of the Heathkits My Grandfather had 1960's Heathkit O'scopes and VTVM's. I have an old Heathkit LM-11 VTVM sitting on my bench at work for posterity.

Many older Hams already agreed back in the 90s that Hams had just become appliance operators. My Boss in the 70s, built his own VHF 2Meter rig and pioneered repeaters and links. I remember I rewired a Northern Electric touch tone (Intercom) module out of 1A2 equipment for his repeater.

 

[MossRoad]

Oh for the days of the Heathkits My Grandfather had 1960's Heathkit O'scopes and VTVM's. I have an old Heathkit LM-11 VTVM sitting on my bench at work for posterity.

My dad built a nice little Heathkit multi-band receiver in the 50's before I was born. We played around with it quite a bit as I grew up. Had a long wire antenna strung between two trees with a drop in the middle to the radio. We also built a crystal radio kit together for Boy Scouts. That was way cool at the time. Today, not many kids would be interested in wrapping wire around a toilet tissue tube and scratching rock with a wire whisker. But I was. :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

My dad built a nice little Heathkit multi-band receiver in the 50's before I was born. We played around with it quite a bit as I grew up. Had a long wire antenna strung between two trees with a drop in the middle to the radio. We also built a crystal radio kit together for Boy Scouts. That was way cool at the time. Today, not many kids would be interested in wrapping wire around a toilet tissue tube and scratching rock with a wire whisker. But I was. :thumbsup:

What happened? Why didn't you progress and get you license and continue your studies? The reason I want to know is as a group what can we Amateur radio enthusiasts do to continue to encourage kids so that they don't drop out and lose interest. Was there no one at the Boy Scouts to help you onto the next step? There is so much more to learn, and enjoy beyond the first steps, but so few take the path. Why? What can we do to help?

 

[MossRoad]

What happened? Why didn't you progress and get you license and continue your studies? The reason I want to know is as a group what can we Amateur radio enthusiasts do to continue to encourage kids so that they don't drop out and lose interest. Was there no one at the Boy Scouts to help you onto the next step? There is so much more to learn, and enjoy beyond the first steps, but so few take the path. Why? What can we do to help?

Well, my dad and I had multiple hobbies. We collected fossils, read hieroglyphics, played with explosives, studied architecture (Greek, Roman, Egyptian), collected stamps, built telescopes, amatuer astronomy, listened to the Russians on the radio, went for walks, and did a lot of fishing and playing outdoors with my friends. Dad was our Scout Master, too. I was also a competitive marksman from 14 -18, and had a job as a lifeguard in summers. So I guess the reason we didn't continue with the radio part past the crystal set, was it didn't hold my interest as much as the other hobbies I had going on.

Now to the why?

I liked to listen. I didn't like to operate. The same thing happened with me and airplanes. I was around small aircraft for my entire life. I liked to fly. I had little interest in piloting. I've got hundreds of hours in small planes. Only a handful as pilot.

I did get a CB when I was about 14 and had it in my bedroom with a (as I recall) 1/2 wave antenna I mounted on a 30' mast outside the house. I had fun listening, and I did make a bunch of weirdo friends (I've talked about that before) that would make a parent cringe, and probably get someone arrested in these days. I had the CB on a slide-out mount so I could take it from house to both my parents' cars and had antennas on both cars. I enjoyed listening to the truckers on the highway, and as I got my license, friends and I would use them to communicate on beer runs and out generally causing menace to society. No license required.

We had no interest in serving the community on the aspect of civil defense via radio communications. We'd volunteer for storm cleanup and such. I know there were Explorer posts that specialized in radio.

Perhaps that's where you should focus, on civil defense and Scouting and Explorers.

 

[MossRoad]

There's probably no apparent reason for a kid to try and communicate around the world via radio, when the internet is so easy. They have no idea that it can all go away in a power outage, hacker attack, etc.... most are too young to have never experienced limited communications.

 

[k0ua]

27mhz is unheard of now, have been gone for at least 30 years, even 40 channel UHF are almost unheard of.
I use a super compact GME 80 channel
UHF CB Radio - TX31DP Super Compact UHF CB Radio

I also use marine 27mhz and VHF, there is no UHF in marine, don't know why.

That looks like a nice UHF radio.

 

[k0ua]

There's probably no apparent reason for a kid to try and communicate around the world via radio, when the internet is so easy. They have no idea that it can all go away in a power outage, hacker attack, etc.... most are too young to have never experienced limited communications.

Do you have any interest in it still as an adult? Perhaps when you retire?