Freebanding. Is there any activity between 25.615 & 26.955?

Hello all.

When looking at the frequency charts for 11m's, 25.615 to 26.955 is listed as used for freebanding.
My questions are.
1) Does anybody in the UK use these frequencies for freebanding?
2) Will there be a time when these do become used or busy and are they used elsewhere in the world?

Cheers

Ray
26 CT\CI 2290

Hello Ray,

These frequencies are still used today, with 26.285 USB being the most popular. It is a calling frequency, just like 27.555. So you put a call out and change frequency once contact is made. If memory serves me right, on an old school radio it is ch19 on super low. 26.420 usb is used by the Charlie Oscars ( Canadian Outlaws).

These frequencies become more popular at the top of the solar cycle when there is too much traffic on high band. I have worked station from all over the world around these frequencies.

You will also hear a lot of German stations on low band fm when there is Euro skip, as it is part of their domestic cb frequencies.

FINLAND, we use these during the summer nights, good contacts made.

[url=http://members.home.nl/radiomorningstar/Waar zijn die piraten nu te horen.htm]link to dutch article and worldwide "pirate" frequenties[/url]

John123 wrote:

Hello Ray,

These frequencies are still used today, with 26.285 USB being the most popular. It is a calling frequency, just like 27.555. So you put a call out and change frequency once contact is made. If memory serves me right, on an old school radio it is ch19 on super low. 26.420 usb is used by the Charlie Oscars ( Canadian Outlaws).

These frequencies become more popular at the top of the solar cycle when there is too much traffic on high band. I have worked station from all over the world around these frequencies.

You will also hear a lot of German stations on low band fm when there is Euro skip, as it is part of their domestic cb frequencies.

Hi John

I have tried 26.285 when T5 is busy and all I have heard, so far, is static, so lets hope when things do pick up it will change.
I will have to give the German FM band a go next time there is some Euro skip

glenn dog wrote:

FINLAND, we use these during the summer nights, good contacts made.

Hi Glenn

What calling frequency\channel do you use?
It would be good to "break in" and say hello in the future.

peetassen wrote:

[url=http://members.home.nl/radiomorningstar/Waar zijn die piraten nu te horen.htm]link to dutch article and worldwide "pirate" frequenties[/url]

Hi Peetassen

Thank you for the reply.

No worries, Ray. Good luck.

73s John.

It used to be used commonly back in the day but seems quiet now. I haven't heard anyone on it during the recent propagation, I've kept having a listen in between sitting on T5. This week the static QRM has been worse on the lower frequencies to the extent that there could have been someone but I'd never have heard them through the noise. I'm working from home so next week will stick the receiver on 26.285 USB the frequency used for calling and keep a listen out.
I don't remember the term "freebanding" being used back then it was just somewhere quieter with fewer  operators as most couldn't go to those frequencies, mostly stations operating HF radios rather than standard CB. 
The other popular frequencies where the ones that are missing between channels on  standard CB radios because they were quieter.
You've got to remember back in the day all SSB was illegal so worrying about the frequency seemed a bit pointless with one big exception, nowhere in the HAM bands. There was an unwritten code that you didn't do that. This was for not just ethical reasons but also you wouldn't want to draw attention from what back then was known as The Radio Investigation Department which you would have done. The local investigator close to me at the time was a zealot! We all new him and if you went in to the local shop you didn't mention SSB if there was another customer unless given the nod from the owner that they were someone he new even picking up your received QSL cards was done with the same caution.
I remember the well known station GC01 who owened shop sitting at his station so he could be seen from the window. He was half way through a DX QSO using the zetagi 1kw linear through a 4 element yagi when there's a knock on the window. He looks up and is then recorded for evidence as he says" I'll have to go know the Radio Investigation Service are at the door"!!

I now feel both nostalgic and old at the same time Happy days Pirates 

The good old days, Steve.

As we get closer to the peak ofthe next cycle, you will find more ops using it when the triple gets hectic.

Are you thinking of  hosting a freeband net Ray?

morris wrote:

Are you thinking of  hosting a freeband net Ray?

Hi John

Not at this moment in time.

You mentioned all SSB was illegal yes in the UK but other parts of the world it wasn't ,plus also you said that you have never heard of freebanding back in the day that terminology has been used for a very long actually and basically was started by the Alpha Tango Groupe italia back in the late 80s by using the T5 ( 27:555 usb) as a International calling channel  and giving each country a division number, I know this sounds strange but the original freebanding frequencys went from 27:415 to 27:855 the ones on the 26mhz ie 26:285 USB are Canadian and U.S. freebanding frequencies so as long as no one does a network on the T5 or 26:285 calling channels alls OK ,I'd be up for doing one

NUBSTER wrote:

You mentioned all SSB was illegal yes in the UK but other parts of the world it wasn't ,plus also you said that you have never heard of freebanding back in the day that terminology has been used for a very long actually and basically was started by the Alpha Tango Groupe italia back in the late 80s by using the T5 ( 27:555 usb) as a International calling channel  and giving each country a division number, I know this sounds strange but the original freebanding frequencys went from 27:415 to 27:855 the ones on the 26mhz ie 26:285 USB are Canadian and U.S. freebanding frequencies so as long as no one does a network on the T5 or 26:285 calling channels alls OK ,I'd be up for doing one

Thanks, yes as you say the division codes were well in use back then  particularly with the Alpha Tango Group . Funnily enough Knight Patrol International didn't used to use the division prefixes then for a while they used prefixes but not the same as the AT Group so UK was 14 division not 26. It caused so much confusion they dropped it. 
Your memory is doing better than mine on remembering it as freebanding, at this rate I'm going to have to write down 27.555usb in big letters in the shack !!!

Out of interest do you remember the Ocean Pirates Group and are they still around? I'm not sure but I think they were largely on fishing boats in the North Sea?

Sorry I've never heard of the Ocean Pirate Group, being in London we dont get much fishing boat traffic TBH LOL, yeah I've been around CB radio scean since 1975 I remember alot of the old stuff but its been such long time ago now, I do remember that 27:555 was actually Alpha Tango Groupe Italia's own calling channel then it got so popular with everyone all over the world also calling the group on it they decided to make it a International calling frequency, I can remember when there was no country division numbers people use to call out with a call sign and just say what country they was in.

From memory the Ocean Pirate Group were marine mobiles, I used to hear them a lot in the North Sea on ground wave as I worked up there in the early 80s. We would tune in on one of the Marconi Marine sets as our radio operator was into 11m. They did work some good skip as well, especially as they tended to have really good equipment and a bit more power along with very little QRM from the neighbours
Coming back to the original topic post  I dont seem to hear much on the lower frequencies, mostly on T5 but I suspect as the cycle increases and it picks up we may hear people more on 26.285 usb but if anyones planning a net I'm up for it

As I siad I've never heard of OPG Steve, must have been interesting listening to them, I can remember back around late 90s we use to get some maritime stations on the T5(27:555 usb) quite regular for some reason i think they was mostly fishing boats it only lasted for a few weeks, plus there was some station alegerlly on a oil rig in the Scottish Island's he was a regular one calling on the T5 too mind you that was back when conditions were brilliant unlike now totally dead.

NUBSTER wrote:

As I siad I've never heard of OPG Steve, must have been interesting listening to them, I can remember back around late 90s we use to get some maritime stations on the T5(27:555 usb) quite regular for some reason i think they was mostly fishing boats it only lasted for a few weeks, plus there was some station alegerlly on a oil rig in the Scottish Island's he was a regular one calling on the T5 too mind you that was back when conditions were brilliant unlike now totally dead.

Well I was on an oil rig at the time we listened a lot but it was very strict. We had two HF marconi radios, one was required to be on 2.182 (the emergency HF freq) at all times. The other could be tuned but only by the radio op. 
Don't know what power they put out but the big fibreglass antennas were mounted on the type of insulators you see on high voltage cables so I'm guessing a fair bit. They were massive and looked bomb proof. Certainly wouldn't pop it into the car for the Thursday night net!!

If you was on the oil rigs at that time I mentioned wonder if it was you who I spoke to once , if it was it's small world mate

I was an A.T. member back in the 80's and i never heard the term freebanding used back then by the pirates.
I did hear it mentioned in relation to Hams though. As for 26.285 caught some cracking qso's and qsl's from there.

Just because you never heard the the term doesn't mean it wasn't used ,I've never heard the term used concerning Hams either.

It was a new term to me when i came back to radio in late 2019.
And like you i was around from the later part of the 70's.

Like you Alan I hadn't heard the term 'freebanding' until I came back to it all and joined Charlie Tango.

Maybe it was commonly used in some circles at one point, but back then we had straight AM and it became complicated if you had an 'expanded' rig. Then people would boast about HI-MID-LO, often adding HI-HI, (not a Ham laughing like the modern LOL), LO-LO, HI-HI-HI, etc. etc. and then added SUPER into the mix!?! You never knew if SUPER-HI was HI-HI or HI-HI-HI

Didn't help when people started purchasing Zetagi or Pama frequency counters either!
(Especially if they had a TX clarify.)

Saying something like 'Channel 22 straight 40' often helped until the confusion of UK 27/81 frequencies came along, then it was 'MIDS' or eloquently 'Muppets' if you meant the new FM frequencies.

I do remember 555 supposedly being a 'no-go' because of the Alpha-Tangos, so you'd DX around there or the 285. When the skip was in and you heard the yanks on the 'triple-nickel' you didn't give a flying whatsit and shouted for all you were worth!


Ain't radio a funny old game? 

As funny as finding out 'This frequency is in use!' is a Ham term for 'we usually use this frequency for our net and although we're not using it at the moment it does ar-um belongs to usses......my precious frequencies'.

I can remember there was a lot of different terminology used in different areas in AM and early legalised days ,in fact in the AM not all areas was the same breaking(calling) channel yes the 19 has always been mobiles but not all used the 14, I can remember going to my brother in laws in Luton (in the AMdays) called out on the 14 for a copy only to be told "what you on about 16 is the calling channel here" in fact to confuse it even more one half of Luton (nearer London) was 14 and the other side towards Milton Keynes (where my BIL was) used the 16 , I use to have a list of all the different calling channels in England (AM days) if I find I'll post it.

TBH I even noticed there became different terminology on the radio when CB got legalised some of the new FM breakers had made up different terms that was to us old AM breakers ,
but as for the term freebanding oneday I just started hearing the term instead of the term pirates and I always have classed myself as ,a pirate 
which I always used

Yeah, I remember that difference in calling channels Martin!

I think that was why 22 came into my head, the ancient Egypt 'Tutankhamun' was all I could laugh at when I heard "22 C'mon" in the Bedford region. I do remember 16 round the MK area, (when they were still building it!), and how we reverted to 14 on a London run or got away with 19 'cos we were mobile. (Some of those old truckers would scream hell and high mercy if you invaded their precious 19! )

I do remember it all becoming a mess with 27/81 with the usual calling channels becoming S9 of noise being so many breakers calling on the same frequency! Flip there were a lot of CBers back then Martin


I'd be up for that list if you find it mate. I'm all for a bit of a shaking to the old noggin stiring up memories as well as remembering the CB 'Culture' we had back then.

If we are strolling down memory lane, this is my story
1977 i was 9 and was at my dads house when he said " WANT TO SEE SOMETHING COOL" he then went and got a bag from under his sink, pulled out a box with a curly wire(president ar7) another wire went to a magnet thing on a mettle bin,we closed all the curtains and switched on the magic box. It was like a normal radio but people spoke back in a funny code. And that's how I remember it.
i think it was a gateway drug lol
take care stay safe
regards mark
26ct3433