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Call Sign : 26-CT-4744 Posts : 18 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2023-01-22 QTH or Location : Wigan Equipment Used : CRT SS 9900 V4 - Solarcon iMAX-2000 - Sirio Performer 5000 PL Age : 66
Subject: Why Are Frequencies Out Of Order? Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:21 pm
Why are the some of the Channelised Frequencies in the Frequency Lists out of sequence? The attached image is the one kindly supplied by DelBoy but its the same on other lists and corresponds to the radio.
Victor likes this post
Victor CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 / M7VIC Posts : 6140 Times Thanked : 375 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
Subject: Re: Why Are Frequencies Out Of Order? Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:18 pm
Hi Mark,
The history of CB radio is still right there with our radios today.
In 1958 the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) initially gave 23 channels for use by the American public which also included allocations for radio control devices. This explains the gaps between 3 & 4, 7 & 8, etc. and the space between 22 & 23 which were also for the latter usage.
When they expanded the CB channels to 40 they simply filled in the gaps above 23.
The gaps were often known as 'Alpha' channels because CB'ers would alter their radios to transmit in those gaps.....much to the annoyance of the radio control fraternity!
The original US frequencies allocated are marked in your list as 'Band D', 26.965 to 27.405 MHz. Often CB'ers would "expand" their radios either by swapping crystals, simple PLL (Phase Locked Loop) programming or other means to give 'higher' and 'lower' frequencies and hence the mirroring of the frequency hops.
When 'legal' CB came to the UK shores in 1981 (UK27/81) the government didn't want modified radios and also had a fruitless business plan in mind so allocated continuously stepped frequencies with a weird offset.
Some countries had/still has a different set of CB frequencies and channels from the list you've included above.
Worth noting, (old man Ham radio moustachio miserable git syndrome), that only the Band D and UK40 have ever been officially sanctioned in the UK with SSB/AM use on the Band D area now known as EU frequencies. (At least legally over here.)
Bit of a mess isn't it? But it's all fun.
All the best, Victor
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skyrider Major contributor
Call Sign : 26-CT-4654 Posts : 360 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2022-09-25 QTH or Location : Preston, Lancs. Equipment Used : UNIDEN 100, midland alan 78 plus multi + mag mount , silver rod Age : 64
Subject: Re: Why Are Frequencies Out Of Order? Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:22 pm
yes it's a strange one, do you remember in the seventies when cb became popular rigs like the presidents were on a different channel to everyone else, you used to get a list of what channel they were on and everyone else
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iRadio New Member
Call Sign : 26-CT-4744 Posts : 18 Times Thanked : 2 Join date : 2023-01-22 QTH or Location : Wigan Equipment Used : CRT SS 9900 V4 - Solarcon iMAX-2000 - Sirio Performer 5000 PL Age : 66
Subject: Re: Why Are Frequencies Out Of Order? Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:51 pm
Hi Victor,
Thanks for that. Now you mention it I do recall there being 23 channel radios about when CB was around in the 70's. Had I remembered that I would have probably put two and two together and come up with 4.325
Victor likes this post
Alan Pilot Major contributor
Call Sign : 163-CT-220... Posts : 2608 Times Thanked : 70 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7610,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+. Age : 16
Subject: Re: Why Are Frequencies Out Of Order? Tue Jan 31, 2023 5:30 am
My first radio had 23 channels. I can see the radio now but can't remember the make. Second radio was a Sharp small window wow 40 channels and then i got the big window. Funny i can remember that stuff but can't remember what i did last week lol. Thinking thinking was there a General electronics 23 channel ??????? splinters in my fingers now from scratching my head too early yet.