" Breaker Breaker "

[TonyTwinz]

So modern technology is amazing. It has helped in bringing us closer together, sharing information, and getting us organized. We have a real battle on our hands for sure, locally and nationally. But not just the 2A issue, but also for control of this very medium that we are all using right now. They want to control it, tax it, and be able to shut it down at will. I propose a low tech plan B.

Citizens Band (CB)

I've seen threads for Ham. As far as the ultimate in world wide comm, it reigns supreme. However cost of equipment and FCC licensing may make it prohibitive for some. You can acquire CB gear at yard sales, craigslist, flea markets, relatives basements, etc. usually for not much money. Now, like the hobby that we all love and why we are here, it can get outta hand. I can attest to that. But it can be fun, a great way to share info, express yourself and maybe help you or some else out in case of an emergency. If you can generate 12V, you can talk.

Boy that's a long winded way of saying would anyone be interested picking a date, a time and a frequency to check in and try this out? The reason I posted it in the Capitol Region is because I'm a weak watt and don't know if I could get out of MoCo. Maybe south Frederick if the conditions were right.

 

[chale127]

I play both CB and Ham, at one time or another played with everything from bone stock radios to Full blown national competition winning MULTI-kW with 6el mobile systems (and for the Ham pureists that automatically think "bleedover machine" i'll be happy to dig up the images i had of my signal on a HP spectrum analyzer, it was as good or better than most Amateur signals)

it's all in how you handle others, i'm as laid back as they come and if someone is running more than me, i let them talk, many get offended at how others act and get EASILY offended and just cant handle some of the things other consider just having a little fun

Just remember...if someone can get you riled up about something that is truly insignificant easily...CB isn't for you

I'm on 31 from time to time when i'm putzing in the basement reloading

any of those that know me from here will attest to how i treat things

 

[Skins_Brew]

I've seen threads for Ham. .

 

[BFMIN]

Don't forget FRS/GMRS.

 

[alucard0822]

CBs are limited to 4w and a tiny band with the worst modulation, so you don't get much range. I used to run a decent mobile setup with good antennas and still could only make it to 3-5 miles in our area, a bit more if I ran in SSB mode, or was somewhere flatter. It was fun, but haven't used CB in about a decade, might do it again for trips, but wouldn't spend much, and would probably just use a handheld or portable. I have a general class ham license now(KB3ZIW) and use a small Yaesu handheld radio with an upgraded antenna, it works in 2M and 70cm bands, and I can hit repeaters up to 20mi away fairly easily, and listen to things like air traffic or occasionally find signals more than twice that far. The best aspect of ham radio is the range, and repeaters, many are linked through the internet. I drive around, or sit at home with local repeaters and national calling frequencies programmed, I can have it seek out any signal on these 40 or so frequencies quietly, and when I hear someone I want to talk to, I lock in that frequency, and talk. I can reach someone 5 miles away directly, maybe 100 miles away directly through a non-linked repeater, and have talked to people in Canada, Alaska an Mexico through linked repeaters.

 

[Mt Airy]

I am getting out 25-30 miles on CB I get on about 3 time a week.
I get out Mt AIry to- Rockville -Burtornsville Sharpsburg, Thurmont ,and into west VA
I am happy with the CB game.

 

[George]

I have a CB radio, haven't been on in years. I also have upper and lower sideband.

 

[DSC729]

I used to drop the maul on mud ducks a few years ago, had to sell when times got tough . My Suburban mobile just got down haha

 

[TonyTwinz]

Now we're talking!haha Seems we already have some experienced operators out there. This is good. The Ham game is truly the pinnacle of communication. But with the wide availability of export radios it seems we are no longer limited to the limits of your classic CB's.

Now how bout' some handles???

Three Hundred Fifty-Seven
Desert Eagle in upper Moco gittin' up!!!

 

[Mt Airy]

Now we're talking!haha Seems we already have some experienced operators out there. This is good. The Ham game is truly the pinnacle of communication. But with the wide availability of export radios it seems we are no longer limited to the limits of your classic CB's.

Now how bout' some handles???

Three Hundred Fifty-Seven
Desert Eagle in upper Moco gittin' up!!!

You are right Export Galaxy 94 HP and a cobra 29 classic
Chesapeake dog here

 

[pilgrim]

Cobra and RCI here, almost picked up the Galaxy. On and off 11 meters, mostly when driving longer distances.

 

[EvilOlive]

I have a dinkly little setup in my truck. I use it mostly to figure out whats causing the traffic jam up ahead. My father had been real into it back in the day. We had a pretty cool base setup at my house in Baltimore when I was a kid.

-e0

 

[DSC729]

I used to go by dieselman..it was a truck driver thing haha

 

[jr88]

A pretty decent way of producing a Bulletin Board system of data exchange over the airwaves would be the Amateur Radio Services' Packet System. Packet was started in the 70's and still exists. It basically transmits ASCII data over ham radio equipment. Repeaters can be set up for long range coverage and there can be encoding for a level of security.