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where's everybody at?

Posted: 12 Jan 2020, 14:27
by bodda_777
Hi folks.... A returning 90's CBer here looking to get back into radio things a bit again....
So put together a cheap little uk40fm setup just to see how things are going in my area (Teeside) and so far can't find a single soul ..
Is everyone using am or ssb instead nowadays?
Or has PMR446 maybes replaced ye old muppet boxes nowadays?
What's the craic y'all?

Thankings muchly in advance :)

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 13 Jan 2020, 21:24
by The Collector
They're all using Facebook, whatever that is? ;)

You're finding out what a lot of others have in the last few years, that's it's almost dead on the channels. However, If you can hoik up a 5/8 wave aerial 30ft up, then you might have a bit more joy...either that or get an SSB radio (now legal on some freq's) and you may get further afield...conditions-permitting.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 13 Jan 2020, 23:41
by Tim
I think the reasons for the lack of voices in the box are, truck drivers are now driving for Companies instead of being owner drivers and these Companies don't allow CB in their trucks. Another is that quite a lot of operators from that time are no longer with us and those that are have given it up leaving a minority still operating although there are quite a few that have lived their lives and come back to it like yourself. Those we now call 'millennials' have very little or no interest in radio, but there always will be some that have and will, because we are now in an age of digital communication. Cars have evolved and got smaller and the plastic dashboards are constructed in such a way that there is no provision to bolt a rig to and are so hermetically sealed that you have great difficulty in finding any way you can route the power cable to hook it up to an adequate power source, no good using the cigar socket as the wiring to it is not heavy enough and won't deliver the required power to drive a rig properly.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 08:13
by bodda_777
Many thanks folks.... The Intel is much appreciated.
Cheers.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 12:39
by lambrettadave
You could try getting out to some high ground and try ch38

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 13:14
by ch25
CB is long time dead.
There are a few maniacs on legal 40 here, little traffic on #19 - road channel, some pirates on 26.xxx, but most of the time just background noise.
Chris

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 13:36
by Tim
Most of the 'maniacs' as you call them have now moved over to SSB!

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 13:59
by ch25
Some to CW too :)

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 14 Jan 2020, 20:17
by original45
West mids Birmingham black country still has loads of cb users.
They seem to pop into other bands when their alive then back to cb for rest of day.
Literally loads of users.
I havnt switched a cb on in a while myself.
Through last summer I was on night Oh taking part in several nets from South West to north east when conditions allowed.

Pmr several use the channels nightly ,few grouped in daytime also around Malvern area who I chatted too when out .
Cb this way is v v lively ,not too quiet .
Few mobiles about and annoys me how 19 seems to be the new breaking channel.
No one uses 14.
Honestly!!. Grrr.

Used to travel mids to highlands several times a year, always took the cb.not always many on but have chatted to many on journey.
Yes it's not like the 70s on am a great pitty.
And not like the 80s 90s fm thankfully..
But this way is still buissy.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 15 Jan 2020, 11:43
by Admiral
They're all on Discord.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 15 Jan 2020, 18:37
by andrew013
Tim wrote: 14 Jan 2020, 13:36 Most of the 'maniacs' as you call them have now moved over to SSB!
your not wrong there {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd}
was going to say most of 19fm have now moved to t5 thats 27.555 ch 12 high band boda 777 and im north east you would defo hear some of them im sure if you got an ssb set
it drives me nuts they just dont and cant comprehend that you dont talk on the calling channel, all i get is i can talk where i want
yeah because your a braindead moron from ch 19 and a one channel; operator with a hf set covering 0 to 30 mhz and 100 watts but i digress
get a ssb set and have a listen else where you may be surprised

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 16 Jan 2020, 09:15
by Tim
When I switch on, especially evenings, most evenings I have to listen to one Welsh 'station' conducting a net on .555 and also another Welsh 'station' chatting away and every other word that comes out of his mouth begins with an f and asking them why they can't turn that knob even just one click either to the left or the right sends them into a frenzied tirade of abusive language, they think that just because the band is quiet that there is no-one else on the frequency, you can tell them until you're blue in the face but they never learn! You can't educate pork. {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd}

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 16 Jan 2020, 09:56
by 26TC62
There is still life on FM but it's not everywhere like it used to be. There is a fair bit of activity in the south, some regular nets and "local channels". Most of the activity is on SSB now but when the Sporadic E is running I still always flick up on to the UK channels to see what's up there - and it always brings contacts. It was where I started out so I will always have a soft spot for it. For a local ragchew with a few on it is far easier on the ears than SSB to me. On a lot of SSB nets there are often people off the frequency in different directions by enough to be annoying.

Agree with you Tim about people talking on the T5. When the propagation is weak I often hear people who can't hear the DX waffling all over it and ruining it for those of us who can.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 16 Jan 2020, 12:25
by 108EH002
Tim wrote: 16 Jan 2020, 09:15 You can't educate pork. {bnghd} {bnghd} {bnghd}
I disagree that all of the people in question are thick as sh1t,who sit talking on calling frequencies all the time = as some have passed an amateur radio test (some 3 parts) = who like to "talk sh1te and have a laugh on air with their mates" who are also amateur,but especially on UK FM.

Some of the local "@rseholes" who block calling frequencies are amateur radio ops = and not just the run of the mill "thick as sh1te in the neck of a bottle" CB'er types.

Edit = Each area will no doubt have different levels of hassle on calling frequencies,but up here it is ok in the East.

Re: where's everybody at?

Posted: 16 Jan 2020, 18:24
by Tim
So, if the 'amateurs' are doing the same as the 'CBers' then they are no different, I think that being so called 'responsible operators' the amateurs should lead by example, in fact, a lot of them are hypocrites and not forget where they started, which they seem to have. Have some respect.