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View Full Version : Is it worth it? Is CB dead?



mac266
03-29-2020, 01:18 PM
I used to have all kinds of fun with CBs, and I even had a base station in my bedroom when I was a teenager. I'd like to put one in my pickup again, but I'm wondering if it's worth it. Is anyone on the air anymore at all?

whiteastro
03-30-2020, 05:29 AM
That depends on your location and your setup. It's not like back in the Hay Day of CB but it is still there if you choose to pursue it. I bought a used Uniden 510 XL Pro for $10 at a indoor flea market to try out while I was in the city I hooked it to a cheap mag. mount antenna and was talking to the locals in the matter of minutes. It saved me from getting into a traffic jam once. Good luck, start small and decide!

Turboomni
03-30-2020, 11:28 AM
I am getting back into it since putting my first CB away in 1980. I was browsing ebay awhile back at old CB radios for sale. Long story short I got a cheap new cb radio for my birthday. A Uniden pro 505 xl. Bought a mag mount for my truck and was back on the air. Not like it used to be but got my feet wet. I am really interested in skip using USB and lsb. I set up my base . Absolutely no locals in my area and skip has been really poor lately. I have not given up though and received some skip last night. You may have some local traffic in your area though. Let us know how it goes.

Turboomni
03-30-2020, 04:29 PM
Interesting heard a lot more skip today. I am in MA and heard NC,SC,FLA. Spoke briefly to Western North Carolina and he said so far in his area no Corona reports.

whiteastro
03-30-2020, 05:31 PM
Interesting heard a lot more skip today. I am in MA and heard NC,SC,FLA. Spoke briefly to Western North Carolina and he said so far in his area no Corona reports.
Congratulations you made some contacts! Where was your antenna today and how high?

Turboomni
03-30-2020, 06:58 PM
Well I had brought out my Dipole antenna outside and put it up at the peak of my second story garage to a tree. This was over a week ago. SWR is 1.2. I went out every morning and evening and nothing until last night and today.
Weird huh?

Turboomni
04-03-2020, 12:23 PM
Well with all this social isolation going on these days and with some success at my base station contacting NC and New Brunswick Canada I figured I should explore this more. I ordered a Sirio Performer 5000 mag antenna for my truck. That way I can locate myself on a mountain or hill and give her a try. Found the Sirio Performer 5000 with 145 mag mount for 103 bucks and free shipping at of all places the Walmart website. It is being shipped out from DNJ radio. Should arrive next week hopefully.
Now to wire up my KL 203 directly to my battery with a fuse and give her a try.

mjd420nova
04-06-2020, 08:29 PM
Old timer from the early 70's. Active on sideband and worked skip daily. Left in the early 90's because the potty mouths would'nt let me keep the radio on with small children present. Still have the basic mobile unit with a heavy duty Hustler beer can on a rigid mast, talked around the world with a clean 250 W PEP solid state amp. Still have the gear but these plastic cars today have no ground plane and no place to mount a standard swivel ball with heavy duty spring.

Turboomni
04-06-2020, 08:50 PM
Hey that's cool you were an early ssb guy. I couldn't afford a ssb rig in the 70's ,just AM ..still have it. You should give it a try again!

WorkHarder
04-12-2020, 11:02 AM
I get to drive semi trucks now and then. I am still amazed at how many other drivers still use them. Its so handy for communicating on mountain passes, traffic jams, deer & elk alerts, etc. At least out in Rural CO, UT, WY and MT it works great.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

whiteastro
04-12-2020, 01:41 PM
I get to drive semi trucks now and then. I am still amazed at how many other drivers still use them. Its so handy for communicating on mountain passes, traffic jams, deer & elk alerts, etc. At least out in Rural CO, UT, WY and MT it works great.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


There is still a use and need for them if people wake up to the fact. Mine has helped me out and saved me time a few times. Welcome aboard!

mjd420nova
04-18-2020, 05:06 PM
Loved the old Lafayette line, had both the base, the SSB 25 and the mobile SSB 50. Started on 16 LSB and then to 27.325 before it was channel 32.

whiteastro
04-18-2020, 07:38 PM
Old timer from the early 70's. Active on sideband and worked skip daily. Left in the early 90's because the potty mouths would'nt let me keep the radio on with small children present. Still have the basic mobile unit with a heavy duty Hustler beer can on a rigid mast, talked around the world with a clean 250 W PEP solid state amp. Still have the gear but these plastic cars today have no ground plane and no place to mount a standard swivel ball with heavy duty spring.


The potty mouths is the reason a lot of people got away from Cb! There has to be some less than intelligent people in every crowd. We have some locals that use channel 17 and if they took curses out of the English language there would be some that couldn't talk. And I'm no saint but I keep it in my garage. LOL

TIN_CAN 2117
05-02-2020, 05:33 PM
Still active in Ontario Canada, probably 50/50 split CB operator and Ham Operators on 11meters but not near as many operators 10 years ago, maybe more will transmit as solar cycle 25 will be starting up.

Sticky Fingers
05-06-2020, 04:40 AM
CB is pretty dead here in NZ but there is still a few around , and then there is the skip to the USA and Hawaii and Aussi of course.... it's always worth it to have a CB radio laying around for those SHTF times ...... CB radio is not dead..... it's just sleeping lol

phil-in-tn
05-29-2020, 09:43 AM
I just recapped my old Realistic TRC422a and she is getting out real well with w lil'will mag mount. I used to run with it back when I was on the road in the 80's and 90's. There is still some out there using them. I'm in the hunt for a ssb base unit now. Looking for a Navaho if possible.

Turboomni
05-29-2020, 01:21 PM
Nice! I still have my Realistic TRC 424 from the 70's that still works but wanted a SSB ,so I understand what your saying. I am rarely on AM now.