CB/Amature radios users?

I accept the apology Airfixpilot, it's just I was one of those many original illegal AM CBers of the early 70s like quite a few was are on here and we wasn't as you quoted on the other forum alot of us promoted and demonstrated to get a legal CB system for the UK and I just found it a bit insulting to us who pioneered in the beginning to get it off the ground in the UK ,I will admit there are some bad operators on CB and maybe a few back then but noway as many as what become on it once it was legalised but that's another subject, (please read my answer on the other forum on that subject and I apologise if may came across a bit blunt too) ,TBH our hobby ie: Amateur or CB Radio doesn't really have much of a brilliant reputation for people to rush out and join us anyway we are looked upon by alot as dinosaurs of communications really its only people like us that's keeping it growing and the general public and media who dont know about the hobby look at CBers as a joke ie: The Convoy or Smokey and the Bandit brigade and Amateurs are old blokes in sheds with beads and cardigans lol,what should be happening is try and make more people see it's not like that and it can be a interesting hobby and I think any other extra rules and test added to get  in to this hobby is going to alienate people TBH some Amateurs clubs are still making CBers who are wanting to progress as the poor relative when they try to join I've had that experience myself, once we make everyone understand we are all just radio enthusiasts not CBers not Amateurs and that's all .

I seem to remember Jack Straw wanting views and opinions back in 85,,, just before he banned handguns.... The opinion seekers worry me, there is always a hidden agenda


26CZ455

TBH Nubster so was I in the 70/80s (illegal) using rigs as big as brezze blocks and burners, but never got a home based, just mobile, in a original fiat 500 & a DV27 twig.....LOL.

Looked like a toy remote control car.

Appoligy excepted thanks

CT3533

26cz455 wrote:

  I seem to remember Jack Straw wanting views and opinions back in 85,,, just before he banned handguns.... The opinion seekers worry me, there is always a hidden agenda


26CZ455

:

Should I be worried? I asked for opinions on an Alinco DX-SR9/SR9 vs Mulimode dedicated CB rig re performance etc.

Is that a joke or are you being serious
There both cr*p buy a bit of long string and two paper cups LOL

airfixpilot wrote:

Good morning all.

I was just wondering if anyone has opinions on CB / Armature Radio?.  To be honest I am in the middle of doing an foundation course in Armature radio.  Due to the expansion of CB frequencies and channels to European CB, including AM/FM modes & SSB, do you think that CB should move towards licence again?.  With rules and conditions for use, including regulated power output, (which we know that some users flaunt) so it makes the CB band unfair.

I know that I may get a backlash from this statement, but its only like self regulating radio, and responsible user would have no problem with this.  Using a proper callsign ( and I know that Charlie Tango DX Forum, is giving callsigns to users),would help identified users.

If CBers understood the problems with using self modified sets, and the interference to adjacent frequencies they course to other users, may be they should learn a bit about radio, and how it works.

Lets move on from the old Handles (callsigns), and get proper IDs we call callsigns, issued from a governing body.  (Ofcom?).  Let common sense prevail and move forward in a professional way.


DP

"..do you think that CB should move towards licence again?"
No. Licence was a daft thing and very difficult to enforce, not just here but around the world, including the US where they have heavy fines for breaking the rules, and it didn't stop people using kilowatts of power.

"so it makes the CB band unfair"

No, CB is Citizens Band, it's for anyone to use. It was never intended to be a technical hobby, regardless of whether the users are technical or not.

"I know that I may get a backlash from this statement, but its only like self regulating radio".

There's nothing wrong essentially in self-regulating, are we not intelligent and sociable people that can work things out for ourselves? Old saying: The more rules you make, the more criminals you create.

"If CBers understood the problems with using self modified sets, and the interference to adjacent frequencies they course to other users, may be they should learn a bit about radio, and how it works."

Whether it's right or wrong to modify CB radios could be argued about for the next 10000 years, lol. CB is what it is and it isn't amateur radio. People will often get their equipment sorted and repaired if others whinge at them enough. Most CB'ers actually want to sound good. There will be always a small anti-social element that will deliberately good out of their way to cause interference. The more you ignore them, the quicker they will give up as they are looking for attention. As it's said on the internet, don't feed the trolls!

"Lets move on from the old Handles (callsigns), and get proper IDs we call callsigns, issued from a governing body. (Ofcom?). Let common sense prevail and move forward in a professional way."

That has been tried already in the UK before CB went licence-exempt with 2H callsigns. CB in the US originally had callsigns and that was dropped decades ago. There is no need for handles and callsigns, yet users like them and wish to use their own. That's just personal preference. Professional way you say, yet CB and even amateur radio isn't professional!! Even on ham radio now, you don't have to give your callsign every 15 minutes, only at the start and finish of a contact.

Just for a bit of very light hearted fun In electrical engineering, an armature is the component of an electric machine which carries alternating current. The armature windings conduct AC even on DC machines, due to the commutator action (which periodically reverses current direction) or due to electronic commutation, as in brushless DC motors. The armature can be on either the rotor (rotating part) or the stator (stationary part), depending on the type of electric machine.

Leave the status quo if it ain't broken don't fix it, after all we all have the choice !!!!!!

Wow this could go on for ever, get on the air enjoy it for what it is and what's out there

We have enough to worry about in our lives

Sorry if this upsets fellow members

Chris CT 3484

NUBSTER wrote:

Is that a joke or are you being serious
There both cr*p buy a bit of long string and two paper cups LOL

Well I was being serious. What makes or warrants the Alinco DX HF rigs cr*p? Many world wide reviews/users would disagree with you. Don't bother replying in this thread as it goes off topic. Start another one if you want to expand.

Lets stick with the Charlie tango callsigns then..............regards CT3533

Scan125 wrote:

NUBSTER wrote:

Is that a joke or are you being serious
There both cr*p buy a bit of long string and two paper cups LOL

Well I was being serious.  What makes or warrants the Alinco DX HF rigs cr*p?  Many world wide reviews/users would disagree with you.  Don't bother replying in this thread as it goes off topic.  Start another one if you want to expand.

I was joking myself, i have no idea about the radios you mentioned, bloody ell this is what causes bad feelings on forums, its called banter mate having a laugh and a joke what the original Charlie Tango forum was about ,yes we did take the radio side of it seriously but we also had a laugh with bit of banter with all the members but it seems the forum has lost that friendship ,maybe because a lot of old members left because it is taking stuff too seriously now and TBH majority of new members dont even have radios when they introduce themselves but all been on CB for years lol,if this is how this forum is going after 11 years as member on here perhaps I should give up.

Banter is fine NUBSTER but you were a little too specific to state both rigs are crap. Potentially misleading information and confusing when associated with a technical query. Anyway no harm done. My output stage has not blown a tranny as a result.

Scan125 wrote:

Banter is fine NUBSTER but you were a little too specific to state both rigs are crap.  Potentially misleading information and confusing when associated with a technical query.  Anyway no harm done.  My output stage has not blown a tranny as a result.

So you didn't notice the smiling faces indicating  not being serious it was a joke ,ah well never mind it's not your fault.anyway if your going to make a scene over it the original post thread was about Ham and CB call signs being issued nothing to do with a technical inquiry's about radios so who hijacked thread then cos it was wasnt me, should of started your own thread matey:)

My own opinion is: 1. Either the British Citizen Band Conferderation needs reviving, or the RSGB needs to include CB in its remit. 2. If the CB Licence is to come back (I don't think its abolition has illegalized CB on 27MHz) it must be so as to increase the number of participants. The old CB Radio Licence was comparitively expensive, although it did eventually include a call-sign. Andrew Radio Lilac.

RSGB include CB in it's remit?!?!?

Perish the thought!!!

I'll conclude with earlier sentiment....if it ain't broke....

(CB and even Ham licencing has evolved nicely thanks very much, not perfect, but evolved nonetheless.)

May I ask these questions please, why is some people so adamant about putting CB and Amateur Radio under the same umbrella, what advantages would this be ,in the early days of CB there always was a rift between the two Amateurs always looked upon CB users as the poor relative even classing CB as Children Band, yes I have actually heard that being said by Amateurs , and now suddenly some I presume who are Amateurs now want it all under one why?.

They might want it but i dont think it will ever happen Ham's class themselves as the Elite and most would not want any part of cb /11mtrs .Some hams are ok with cb but just dont want to participate and thats fine its up to them .
Its the ones who have progressed from cb to being a full fledged G i think some of them forget where they started again not all but some ,.
Its all radio and as long as you are polite on the bands then live and let live .

It's all radio after all, isn't it?

Joking aside, I've got no issue whatsoever and even praise the fact that people seem to get on better nowadays. Ok, to a degree....

Nearly 40 years ago after initially being welcomed at an Amateur radio club I was immediately shunned for my involvement in CB. Cutting my nose to spite my face I thought "sod them all" and carried on my happy way with CB and joined a CB club. Lo and behold the CB club despised amateurs, (and going by my own experiences with good grounds), but I also hated this "them and us" attitude by both parties. I carried on enjoying radio as I saw fit, bit of CB and SWL, until I let the hobby gather dust. Now I'm back, enjoying it once more but again past history rears it's ugly head.

I just wish people would get on with their own thing, do whatever you want without detriment to others.
Some like rules & regulations, others see it as farcical and like a bit of freedom.

I honestly couldn't give a toss, I'm not hurting anyone with what I'm doing and I do my best not to shove it down anyone's throat either. There's common ground and there's massive divides, probably always will be.

To be honest, I contemplated my 'ticket' when I came back to it all, visited a club, met a couple of BR68 clones and immediately gave it up as a bad lot.

Attitude is still there in pockets but luckily places like this have shown me that on the whole, most radio-people get on.

Even that small glimmer gives me hope

I did and found the very same Victor. As ive said before it wasn't the old hands it was those with the micky mouse numbers,,,,,, lol the wanabes

I was the same as you Victor when I first went to Amateur Radio Club as soon as they found out my background was from CB radio I was sort of shunned ,they wasn't rude,well apart from one old bloke who thought CB was the sporn of the devil who wouldn't speak to me lol but acationally they would be explaining something radio related and one guy always use to say "I will explain it again in simple terms for our CB guests just startingin radio" which made me feel like what a bunch of w*nkers these guys are , another thing I noticed theres even snobbery within Amateurs themselves the old boys dont like newer Hams and nobody likes a Foundation licence calling them Corn Flake licence member,  it's all cr*p , in fact even CB radio in past few years seems to be trying to become posh by now calling itself 11m when it was just call CB radio when I first started (1975) ,whys that then ? ,and before someone says we that's what CB is on that's why we say it , I know all  about that , anyway I think my feelings was made in my earlier posts on here and to re quote myself "If it ain't broke dont try and fix it "
Just thought I would post this link for some of the people who think they know the history of CB Radio, yes I know it's a Wikipedia link but it's the best one I've seen that actually tells the truth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_band_radio

Tom, Martin,

I know what you mean lads. My own experiences aren't unique, I've heard it on multiple occasions over the years and it's just a damn pity. I'm glad neither of you let it shoot down your radio interests and you've carried on. The flipping best of British to you for doing so!

Martin, I hear you mate
I put it down to me getting older Can't understand a general conversation nowadays with it's "kinda-like-muchly-innit doh" and constant references to some so called 'celeb' I've never flipping heard of! "Fashion" changes, including apparently language

Yeah, it was all just Citizens Band back in the day, normal Citizens enjoying radio, persecuted for it's so called illegality so shunned by some, but thoroughly enjoyed by others.
I enjoyed the history of CB, some of us lived through that very history and it's nice that others who weren't there at the time enjoy it all now. I don't care what they call it now, so long as someone understands what I'm on about.


Anyway, I'm glad of places today like this here Charlie Tangos. Mixed bunch of rotters we all are
Newbies, old hands, pirates, CBers and Hams, thrown in a mixing pot and making a flipping beautiful rainbow of radio!
Keep debating you mad fools and keep that spirit of helping each other I see here despite 'differences'.


10-4 good buddies, 73s to ya, cheers & beers, signing off, over & out!

"The Toetapper"
"The Gunslinger"
"Foxtrot Papa Zero Six Five"
"Charlie Tango 3228"

Victor,
or just plain old 'Vic' if you like

Even though I am not so keen on Airfixpilots idea of licensing for the Free bands/channel groups, agreeing with previous comments and the general sentiment of "it ain't broke don't fix it" I find it a little sad the Us and Them sentiment that seems to plague radio Hams-CBers-Freebandes is as strong as ever.

As a CBer/Freebander, I can be as guilty and could rattle off stories of friends and myself being slighted by HAMS and I am sure the HAMs could tell us stories of times CBers/Freebanders have put their noses out of joint too.

Personally, I am planning to take advantage of the opportunity to do the foundation course online, not because I am looking to change camps but because I would like access to what it brings me and am I really going to throw the opportunity away because some stuck up HAM gave me a hard time once? (A self-appointed CB Monitor who got his Ham licence and became an even bigger pain in the arse than before)  And of course, I realise this isn't everybody's aspiration either.

Half of the people I speak to locally are Hams who come onto the CB and 11m because they enjoy the less formal setting it offers, personally I think its time we moved on from this mentality as was previously mentioned you will always come across a bad egg but am I going to let that stop me doing something I want to do?
I have been listening to some of the guys DXing on 20m and 40m, do you know what?  They sounded the exact same as the rest of us when we DX on 11m.

The one point of Airfixpilots's I do agree with, however, is the fact we would like to welcome more people to the hobby of radio in general, no matter which aspect of it they enjoy, wouldn't it be great to build a bit of community spirit back up on the airwaves and leave behind this Us and Them mentality between people who all enjoy different aspects of the same hobby?

I'm actually doing the online Foundation licence myself TBH because 1 it was something to do while this lockdown stuff going on and2 because I wanted to try again but with out the types we have mentioned the Hams that are so far up themselves being sarcastic as I mentioned in my last post when you go to some of the clubs ,I did try my Foundation at the club I mentioned but I failed and TBH I do believe it was because of the snobbery of some in the club and being sarcastic it took the interest out of for me , look TBH it's never gonna change really there is snobbery in all hobbies it's just a way of life and there is always someone who wants to break the mold even when its works ok .

'Slighted' and 'Nose out of joint' are one thing but some of us are old enough to remember what happened when someone got their nose out of joint....

I've posted this link before, but those interested in a little CB history with the real horrors that actually happened could do well to take a look here :-

Laughing Policeman Wireless Society

How many remember being stopped at the Chelsea bridge run and having 'orifices of the law' rip your CB from your Dad's Cortina, or antennas snapped off your pride & joy Escort?
The same 'law enforcers' smacking the sh*t out of you as they bundled you into a meat wagon for your 'illegal' CB use?
The Radio Communication Agency raiding your property and not only taking your CB but PSU, antenna and any other 'electrical/radio' item they can lay their grubby mitts on?
The 'updated' DTI doing exactly the same years down the line?
The dishonest 'orifices of the law' going out of their way and lying under oath to prosecute the criminal actions of someone for just using their CB?

A million other stories and testament of horrors by the simple action of talking on a CB, not having a licence, too big an aerial, purported TVI, illegal power......and who do you think were reporting these highly criminal activities?!


It may be in the past, I for one am glad to leave it there and only wish the best for radio's future.

But you tell me why I get a re-emerged bitter taste in my mouth when some pompous, fat faced, arrogant BR68 clone of a clone starts discussing CB licensing and regulation?

Honestly, if I have to hear "Fine-Business, Old-Man, Hi-Hi" from one of them again I'll have a flipping meltdown!


"Like the Murphy's....I'm not bitter"......just bear the scars of simply talking to someone on the airwaves. Fecking criminal I am