Active CB Users

[JGR]

I was considering getting a new base antenna to replace the old one which is still there, and an SSB radio, maybe I should have done that instead of buying a multi handheld.

Antenna first and foremost with everything we do with RF as without a good antenna the item on the other end means nothing, still you can keep saving up and get one eventually.

[m0lsx]

Even on a wavelength a short as 10 meters & legal CB frequencies are at the top end of 10 meters in wavelength. The losses as a result of a combination of very short inefficient antenna combined with a lack of counterpoise is going to bite you.
One thing that may help with a CB handheld is what I do on 4 meters to help with the lack of performance. A counterpoise tail. On 4 meters I use 2 meters of wire connected under a screw.
A hand portable is great for hill topping & with a counterpoise & smallish portable antenna, good distances can be worked from a small ruck sack.

[auntystatic]

Don't forget British CB changed last year to include the use the CEPT frequencies with 12Watt sideband usage, something we have been waiting for, for 30 years, its in the 11 metre band ( top end of 10 metres is for amateur fm and satellite working only ) although 27.555MHz usb is outside the band it is recognised as the international calling frequency, when the conditions allow there are lots of people calling on there, more information can be found on the ofcom site http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/spectrum-policy-area/spectrum-management/research-guidelines-tech-info/interface-requirements/IR_2027.2.pdf

[m0lsx]

Don't forget British CB changed last year to include the use the CEPT frequencies with 12Watt sideband usage, something we have been waiting for, for 30 years, its in the 11 metre band ( top end of 10 metres is for amateur fm and satellite working only ) although 27.555MHz usb is outside the band it is recognised as the international calling frequency, when the conditions allow there are lots of people calling on there, more information can be found on the ofcom site http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/spectrum-policy-area/spectrum-management/research-guidelines-tech-info/interface-requirements/IR_2027.2.pdf

It is not until you get below 27.300 Mhz that it is 11 meters.
The calculation is the speed of a radio wave 300,000 meters per second divided by the frequency in khz.

[BlackKnight_UK]

But who is arguing over a few centimeters?

[Crazylegs]

But who is arguing over a few centimeters?

Yes exactly!

[m0lsx]

But who is arguing over a few centimeters?

But when it comes to antenna length it is not just a few CM's is it??

[Alfie]

I get a bit of traffic on cb channels busy through the day with mostly truck drivers and other mobiles. i also get local and long distantish chat at night a lot of nights. also get a bit of interference and foreign stations coming in so i have cb all in one bank so i can lock it out whenever. dont forget to program all 80 channels in not just the uk40 and 27.555 MHz (USB).

[m0lsx]

CB is about the only thing I use my old Alinco DJ-X3 for now. I originally brought it to listen to the old scrambled analogue Police transmissions, which it did a great job of resolving. I also used it to listen to the old 31 MHz cordless phones.
But now, if it is used it is simply to scan manually through the CB bands. I also occasionally use one of my base radios on band scans, as I am scanning with the others. And CB is perfect for band scans as it is a small chunk of spectrum. I generally scan 26.5 to 28 in 5khz steps.

[BlackKnight_UK]

But who is arguing over a few centimeters?

But when it comes to antenna length it is not just a few CM's is it??

I'm fairly certain it doesn't make much difference if you are trying to tune your antenna to cover all legal channels, unless you are going to adjust it for every channel!