Biscuit Tin

I know they say "always get as high as you can with your aerial". But I certainly don't fancy getting up a ladder in this weather. 

So my question is:- Back in the 80's, I remember we used to have ours attached to a biscuit tin in the front room and we used to pick up a lot of breakers.

Is it still possible to pick up people this way since there are fewer on the rig these days? Or am I just an old man dreaming and hoping technology will help produce some results?

Hi Gary,

The old biscuit tin setup worked so well back in the day because you were usually chatting to your mates on their CB in the next street!

CB users are spaced much more further apart nowadays so although it'll still work as a setup and even get a good SWR you won't be getting very far with it.

If you want any luck nowadays you'll need a good antenna setup, whether a whacking big homebase twig or a modest mobile setup and sit atop the local high spot.


Hee! I started back in the day with a DV27 atop a biscuit tin, must've got a range of ooh, hundreds of metres?!?

Anyway, worth an ask.


All the best,
Victor

Victor wrote:

Hi Gary,

The old biscuit tin setup worked so well back in the day because you were usually chatting to your mates on their CB in the next street!

CB users are spaced much more further apart nowadays so although it'll still work as a setup and even get a good SWR you won't be getting very far with it.

If you want any luck nowadays you'll need a good antenna setup, whether a whacking big homebase twig or a modest mobile setup and sit atop the local high spot.


Hee! I started back in the day with a DV27 atop a biscuit tin, must've got a range of ooh, hundreds of metres?!?

Anyway, worth an ask.


All the best,
Victor

Ha ha.... so I guess it’s back to just an old man hoping again lol

I'm currently operating from my kitchen using a Roses chocolate tin (same as a biscuit tin) with a 7-foot original Firestik, a Ranger 2950CD and an RM300p amplifier (Don't always use the amp)..  And I can speak to people..

I reckon if you are high up you will do better.

I prefer to go out to the hills around Sheffield mobile at the moment...   I'll get that Firestik up on the roof at some stage though!....

Just give it a go and see how you fare mate...

Arcticbear wrote:

I'm currently operating from my kitchen using a Roses chocolate tin (same as a biscuit tin) with a 7-foot original Firestik, a Ranger 2950CD and an RM300p amplifier (Don't always use the amp)..  And I can speak to people..

I reckon if you are high up you will do better.

I prefer to go out to the hills around Sheffield mobile at the moment...   I'll get that Firestik up on the roof at some stage though!....

Just give it a go and see how you fare mate...

Quality, let’s hope it works for me too

Dont hold your breath Gary lol ,listen to what Victor's post said those days are over putting  a antenna on a biscuit tin days ,doubt you'll even copy anyone at the other end of your street ,even if there was someone there which I doubt lol.

It's great seeing your enthusiasm for all this Gary, getting stuck in and asking questions on the forum.

Believe it or not, most of us want to see that enthusiasm grow, (nobody loves a radio nut better than another radio nut ), and are doing our best to help you out.

You might be lucky living in Manchester to get someone on FM with an antenna on a biscuit tin and all's good. But, you may well find yourself disappointed and scan that rig for weeks on end without so much as one contact...that can all end that initial enthusiasm for you.

I came back to CB after decades and was left a little disappointed, it wasn't until I started hitting the skip in the summer on SSB that I got truly excited again. So much so that I went on to take my Ham ticket and now have a choice of multiple bands and frequencies. But my passion is still for CB and to see others enjoy it too.

Sure, go for the basic rig, a biscuit tin if you wish and if it works out for you, (even one regular contact can be good), then all is well. If it doesn't, then maybe you'll see where we're all coming from. You might then decide to go the whole hog and we'll all be happy to help you along that journey.

It'd just be a shame to see all that enthusiasm lost. We've seen it before.


But, it's all up to you mate. In the mean time enjoy the forum as you have done as we're happy to have you here.


All the best,
Victor

Victor wrote:

It's great seeing your enthusiasm for all this Gary, getting stuck in and asking questions on the forum.

Believe it or not, most of us want to see that enthusiasm grow, (nobody loves a radio nut better than another radio nut ), and are doing our best to help you out.

You might be lucky living in Manchester to get someone on FM with an antenna on a biscuit tin and all's good. But, you may well find yourself disappointed and scan that rig for weeks on end without so much as one contact...that can all end that initial enthusiasm for you.

I came back to CB after decades and was left a little disappointed, it wasn't until I started hitting the skip in the summer on SSB that I got truly excited again. So much so that I went on to take my Ham ticket and now have a choice of multiple bands and frequencies. But my passion is still for CB and to see others enjoy it too.

Sure, go for the basic rig, a biscuit tin if you wish and if it works out for you, (even one regular contact can be good), then all is well. If it doesn't, then maybe you'll see where we're all coming from. You might then decide to go the whole hog and we'll all be happy to help you along that journey.

It'd just be a shame to see all that enthusiasm lost. We've seen it before.


But, it's all up to you mate. In the mean time enjoy the forum as you have done as we're happy to have you here.


All the best,
Victor

Cheers Victor and I have to say I am looking forward too it, but at the same time I am well aware I might not get much on my biscuit tin lol.

However, I bought the CRT Xenon so I can choose to throw it in the car, park up on a hill some where and give it a go. But also to try and run it from home in my man cave (Also goes by the name of a shed or studio ). 

I’m not expecting it to be like the 80s, but I’d like to see how much it’s changed and maybe possibly move up to the big boys room and buy an SSB at a later date.

Nice one Gary

Keep up that enthusiasm mate, it's the whole reason most of us are here - enthusiastic b*ggers all!

Listen to Victor he is right.
Don't give up it will pick up in time.
Tip save all packaging as when the bug does really bite you might want to upgrade to a ssb set and sell the fm radio and with the box you will get a better price for it.

My first ever copy I got was about 15 years ago with a 2 ft cheep little mag mount set up from maplins smashed on top of a celebrations tin and stuck on my balcony they do work however no luck these days, I did try about a month ago for a laugh but got nothing but that could be down to nobody actually about

The next best option would have been to put that biscuit tin aerial up in the loft, but you would ideally then have to operate your rig in one of your bedrooms.

Bovril wrote:

The next best option would have been to put that biscuit tin aerial up in the loft, but you would ideally then have to operate your rig in one of your bedrooms.

Cheers Bovrill.

To be honest my shift a work ends later tonight and then I’ll have the next few days off. I’ll have a little play around then. But half of me keeps thinking if I’m going to go to that much effort I might as well buy a dipole to put up. 

Any suggestions on a good dipole aerial these days?

Tim Tom wrote:

My first ever copy I got was about 15 years ago with a 2 ft cheep little mag mount set up from maplins smashed on top of a celebrations tin and stuck on my balcony they do work however no luck these days, I did try about a month ago for a laugh but got nothing but that could be down to nobody actually about

Pmsl.... it does seem to be the case in some areas. Are you normally mobile or home based?