CB radios

Does anyone use them?

Opinion only: they were made totally obsolete by handheld PMR sets - which you can buy in fair quality at under £30 a pair, or in excellent quality for under £100 - and mobile phones. There is pretty much nothing that a CB radio does that a combination of those two won't do better.

Unless, of course, you want a chunk of equipment permanently bolted into your van, with its own dedicated external aerial, so that you can wield your hand mic and say things like "10-4 Good Buddy" to complete strangers!

[Edit: incidentally threads on other forums have suggested that if you buy a CB radio, you are likely not to have anyone else to talk to unless your friends do too - the CB radio "community" was never that big in the UK, and it's shrunk a bit since the 1980's!]

The 446 Licence Free PMR sets mentioned by mojo is probably the best and cheapest route to go and are handy if you are travelling in convoy or at a show where you can communicate with each other from free and,,  there may be no mobile phone signals.
These sets vary in price from a few pounds with all sorts of odd names transmit at 0.5 watt and have a range of around a mile or so as the crow flies depending on the terrain. Used by quite a few Motorhomers and Caravanners.

CB is still about in the UK and Europe but depends where you are an I would consider it a complete waste of money using unless you had or could try a set. CB Rigs need installation and apart from panel van conversions most coachbuilts do not lend themselves to a good antenna installtion.  Its possible there is still a CB community in the NE as there was a massive following in the 70s and 80s ( I was one of them on Teesside )

If you want a proper radio installtion then look at the Amateur Radio route, get a foundation licence and start from there with either a handheld (higher power than the 446 PMR radios) or a mobile rig but bear in ind what I said about CB aerials same problems apply but distance is much greater.   
An example would be I could comfortably talk from say Durham to here in Warrington or all over the world for that matter from our van
Hope that helps from  -- ----- -.. .-- --.- (terrible call sign that off the key !)

73's Roger

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Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote:

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Are CB radios still legal ? All the ones I have seen you have to hold the handset while you talk into it, this would make them illegal under the same legislation that covers mobile phone use.

Norman

NORGIL wrote:Are CB radios still legal ?
Norman

Yes Norman.

If they were illegal all the kids would want one - as they did before they were legalised.

Once that happened they all lost interest overnight, and they were mostly used only by lorry drivers thereafter.

Dave

I suspect their legaity has been overtaken by recent legislation.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

If you have to hold a handset I would contend that they are " similar devices "

Never been into them personally just woudnt want someone to fall foul of the legislation change.

Just to clarify, I don't dispute the legality of CB radio's per se, just the use of them whilst the vehicle is in motion.

Norman

NORGIL wrote:Just to clarify, I don't dispute the legality of CB radio's per se, just the use of them whilst the vehicle is in motion.
Norman

Precisely.

Can't think why most folk would want one though in this day and age. Captain Kirk would sell his right arm for the mobile phones we have now, and they are infinitely more versatile than CB, or Kirk's communicator (apart from beaming up Scotty!).

Dave

I cannot comment in respect of CBs & PMR Hand sets but it is not illegal to use amateur radio equipment.There is an Act that covers this.
You could however be prosecuted for Driving Without Due Care & Attention or a similar offence.

Many small taxi firms still use radios to communicate with PTT (push to talk) handheld mics. These are still legal even when on the move.

"It is an offence to use a hand held mobile phone or an "interactive communications device", but there is an exemption for a two way radio which is designed or adapted -

• for the purpose of transmitting and receiving spoken messages; and
  
• operates on any frequency other than 880 MHz to 915 MHz, 925 MHz to 960 MHz, 1710 MHz to 1785 MHz, 1805 MHz to 1880 MHz, 1900 MHz to 1980 MHz or 2110 MHz to 2170 MHz.
  

Ofcom states that you should be transmitting CB in the 27MHz range, if you are, you come within the exception and are OK. The exception was created because so many government and private organisations (e.g. taxis) use 2 way radios."

Although there is always the potential to be reported for not being in control of the vehicle of course!

Gromit wrote:

NORGIL wrote:Just to clarify, I don't dispute the legality of CB radio's per se, just the use of them whilst the vehicle is in motion.
Norman

Precisely.

Can't think why most folk would want one though in this day and age. Captain Kirk would sell his right arm for the mobile phones we have now, and they are infinitely more versatile than CB, or Kirk's communicator (apart from beaming up Scotty!).

Dave

I agree in most cases Dave, but theres 3 of us going off in convoy, and mobiles don't offer constant communication (geography/distance etc permitting)
especially if we are in europe, where the mobile companies take your eyes out every time you so much as look at your phone!

The cb's arent to replace anything but are just for fun.

I have used this company [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in the past, very good and long established. If you are traveling in reasonably close convoy the cheaper PMR handhelds may do. Give them a ring very friendly in my experiance.