UK40 FM Calling Channel - Southampton - Back to the Old School

Hi guys,

Whilst I've been on CB Radio since 1981, I've not really used it that much in a few years (maybe decades) as I've been mostly on HAM radio since the late 1990s.

Back in the early 1980s, it used to be the convention (on UK40) that 14 was the calling channel and 19 was used for mobile, whereas now it seems everyone hangs out on channel 19.

Firstly, it seems a bit of a waste to hang out on channel 19 when there are 80 legal channels to play with. Secondly, it seems to encourage the kind of operators I thought (or at least hoped) had been consigned to history; dead-keyers and people playing music. CB Radio is a great resource when used properly, but there will (it seems) always be a few idiots to spoil it for the rest of us.

I'm thinking that since in Southampton, channel 19 is basically saturated with "poor operators", that it might make more sense to go Old School; leave the idiots on 19 and use 14 as the calling channel instead - and always QSY off. The idiots will be too busy messing about on 19 to realise that the decent operators are using another channel.

14 for a Roger 

Thoughts?

73, Andy
26-CT-4439

Hi Andy,

Back in the day around my neck of the woods we had the standard 14/19 calling channels but due to amount of on air abuse locals also used channel 22. Other towns/counties had similar conventions with slightly different channels just avoiding 9,14 & 19.

It used to help with regard that the on air abusers tended to run illegal linears/boots/boosters so that not only could they be an idiot in their own town/area but transmit further afield as well(!) 

The problem is if they are intent on causing disruption it won't matter a jot what channel you go to.

Never engage with such an idiot, it's what feeds them and if they manage to get you annoyed in any way so that you retort then similarly you have yourself become an on-air abuser and a vicious cycle continues. This can often culminate in why so many areas around the UK are devoid of CB activity the abusers turning the once fertile air waves into a battlefield and then ultimately a barren desert.

It's truly sad that such individuals exist at all but what's often worse is that these abusers were the swearing kids back when CB was first legalised in the UK yet continue their ways as pathetic old men.

Abusers however do come in many shapes and forms and nowadays will frequent any communication platform that gives them an audience including unfortunately forums such as this.


There was a simple 'trick' or bit of knowledge back in the day that if you got a 'keyer' or other such you simply went "up one". Everyone knew to go up a channel and the abuser hasn't realised whilst practising their DJ skills that you're all still chatting on a different frequency! Of course they'll eventually follow but if everyone keeps going 'up one' they'll soon tire of it.
(If you're on 40 'up one' cycles back to channel 1 etc. and if you come across a busy channel just all know to go 'up one' again.)



I wish you well with your CB activities there Andy and hope that you get to chat to some decent people making radio as enjoyable as it should be.

All the best,
Victor

Hi Guys

As a new member, I'm flicking the pages on the website and came across Andy's post.

I was an AM CB operator before legalisation in November '81.  We always had our share of idiots who would play music, shout, whistle and anything else they could do to ruin the enjoyment of others.

I bought a Cybernet Beta 3000, paid my £15 (I think...) for a license and hoped that the idiots would fade away.  How wrong I was!  It seems that, after legislation, anybody could (and did) buy CB radios legally but the loonies continued abusing the airwaves.  On top of that, kids were being given radios as Christmas presents and possibly thought that it was OK to play music etc.  I'm not saying for one minute that all kids this.  The entire experience drove me away from CB radio.

As Victor commented, if they are intent on causing disruption it won't matter a jot what channel you go to.  It happens on the 'ham' bands as well and I've often heard verbal abuse and 'industrial' language on the repeaters.

It seems that there will always be a minority trying to spoil it for everybody else.

Just my own thoughts.

73s

John

It was ever thus John, one of those QSY and move on situations I'm afraid.

73's Gary.

I completely get what you’re saying, I’m in Dorset and will be on the 14.

the better bet might be all good operators turning to ssb in stead, which might help more.