Future of CB’ing

[Maruefer]

Is it me or is the world of CB better than ever especially when you look at at the quality of radios and antennas the newcomer has today as compared to what I started out with in 1977. My first CB was a Midland, 13-862B. Not a fancy radio by no means but got me on the air. Even applied for the CB license and paid the cash. In just a few months however, the licensing stopped and hardly ever used my call sign ever again. By the way, it was KAJU3320
Next step in the world of CB, everyone had to have a handle, I picked Green Falcon. Yea, seams like a stupid one but let me say, never heard anyone else use it. Being unique was not the goal, just was thinking wanted one no other person had.
I got this radio for Christmas that year. My mom charged her JCPenny CC to get it for me and let me say, mom and dad were not rich by any means but loved their children and once in awhile one of us 4 kids got that one gift we really wanted. My mom says to this day, that CB propelled me into my career of electronics and successful jobs from that timeline on.
So my thought is this. How do we get the next generation of CBer’s to get on the air when they have their iPhone and the world in front of them from a 6 inch screen? To me its simple. Let’s have technology open that path.
We have the mods for channels, power and modulation so why don’t the brainiacs of old (and new) start converting CB radios to interface with the iPhone and allow the CB to talk to the iPhone and convert the speech to text? Never heard a CB’er rear ending another car or slamming into a wall while talking. The folks would go crazy for this (my opinion) and the thing is, the radio could transmit in code to others the same texts if the so called person would select group texting.
If you perhaps have other ideas, we all are listening.
Maybe I/m way off base here and perhaps this has been tried and just doesn’t work but say you to me if this idea is not feasible or lets get this tech going so CB’ing continues for a long time.
If you tell me that we have text to speech already, I’d say it works almost terrible in every application we have tried and I bet almost all would say the same. I also know, once the CB gets back into every car and truck (I’m an optimist), they would definitely push the mic and want that awesome antenna shortly and next question, what is a linear and will it help?
Perhaps your have other ideas, comment please.

[Tim]

The future of CB is in the hands of the users, and abusers, if the abusers are greater than the users there is no future. Just because there is at present very little activity it does not give everyone the right to chatter away on the Internationally recognised calling frequencies although they would argue that, being 'free band' How difficult is it for anyone wishing to hold a conversation with another or others to turn that knob just one click or turn the VFO half a turn?

[108EH002]

CB is still well used up here in the central belt,but especially by CB'ers who are amateur.

Many of the local hams are good enough for sharing and helping other local CB'ers on air,but especially with some of their radio knowledge = just like many year ago.

Some breakers don't do local nowadays,as the local nutters spoil CH19 for them = so don't bother with the UK FM = and there is far less chance of actually getting "done in" when you are dx-ing with decent breakers.

CB is not the same as 30/40 year ago because many of the users are 50 yr plus and not on as much each day = not many all nighters on CB now.

There are about 30 homebase user's of CB local that I can hear.
.

[skidplate]

Maruefer
It will depend on the sunspot cycle , although there are " lifts " on sideband and even on FM from time to time , but if nobody is listening or even aware that CB LIVES , licence free through FM and now AM + SSB, then I think we'll have to wait a few more years for it to pick up , unless this " VIRUS " gets people on the air again while in self isolation.
73 for now catch you on the band , I monitor ch27 27:275 usb.

73
Skidplate
26 TM Ø45

[The Collector]

It's at times like this (or when the Zombie Apocalypse happens) when CB is handy. Otherwise it's sad to say, I give it about 10-15 years before it's completely dead (when all the mostly elderly users are).

It needs a remake of something like Smokey and The Bandit to come out to revitalise CB...and there's very little chance of that happening.