Getting my ham license actually reignited my interest in CB and I am pulling my 70's era Midland with SSB out and installing it next to my ham rigs. All available communication channels become valuable in an emergency.
Erik speaks the truth, when I purchased my first radio a Galaxy DX939 I figured I didn't need SSB, but I could hear all these long distance transmissions coming in on CH 38, but I couldn't understand them because they were on LSB. I put my new DX939 up for sale and purchased a Stryker 955 HP and now I could tune in the side band signals. It was amazing to hear folks from Australia and Hawaii. Also get Alaska at times as well. Lots of fun making long distance contacts.
Very informative video. I miss the old CB meets, and chats of the 70s through 90s, and that ancient Midland of mine. We had a greater sense of freedom and community in those days.
Odee Dillon I used to have an old Midland 7001 precision series bought it in 2015 lasted a year and half. It was an old radio made in 1981. I now have a Lincoln 2 +
Odee Dillon yea I was given that Midland from. Little small CB shop sold me a brand new cobra 148 and exchange it for three different new ones. Every new 148 he gave me blew the finals in less than a week. At least he warranted them. When he gave me that ugly green radio🤣, I was like what the heck, but it had the best side band I've heard, everyone thought I had a ham radio. The ugly green color and scratches grew on me.
Ssb works very well in a mobile setup. My wife and I run lsb channel 1. We talk 18 miles apart easily. Uniden bearcat 980 radios are extremely easy to tune with each other. And once you set them together they stay there. No drifting...if you get a chance to try it you will stay on ssb. Thanks for the video
Yeah I run a 980ssb in my dump truck for work peaked and tuned for a little extra power and a Wilson 5K antenna and i play on sideband on them Long trips back to the shop in the evening I'm amazed how far sideband gets out!!
just for clarification.... there is only 40 cb channels . switching from am/fm/SSB(Usb&Lsb) does not give you new channels/frequencies to talk on. it is the mode of operation.
Legally, only 40 frequencies.. now as to "channels", that's actually just a memory location which might be (depending on design) programmed with any combination of frequency and "mode" (am, fm, usb, lsb, cw, various digital modes).. Now I say 40 frequencies, these are set by the FCC, however depending on the display and design of the radio there are actually infinite frequencies between the designated 40 frequencies.
Implying that upper and lower side bands gives you new channels is incorrect information. If someone is operating in any mode (USB/LSB/AM) on a channel, no one else can operate on a different mode on that same channel. They will interfere with each other. You still only have 40 channels.
I have 2 Bearcat 980s on order. One for each vehicle. My purchase is because of the SSB benefits. I started thinking about cancelling but decided not to. One may be used as both base and/or mobile. The other, well better to have and not wish I did. I don't have to use SSB when on the road. Just my prep way of thinking
@@christophersmith1155 great, I have a question. Mine has been here for a few days. Running it on an Antron A99. On AM it will read 4 Watts power. On Lower sideband it will only read like 6 Watts power. I thought it should read 12 on Lower sideband but I have found where someone said it's putting out 12 watts but it will not read it on the meter. Do you know anything about that? Thanks
Hey brother just found your channel. I'm a truck driver, just getting into this whole cb deal. I have a dx 959, I hear it's a good radio. But I also hear about the general Lee and the conex. What I'd like to to is talk with my boy back home while I'm on the road.
Erik, as always you're one of the few who mentions the dirty little secret of SSB. It may be great for a base station, but is of little value in a mobile unit. Since my CB use is primarily mobile, I solved the problem by getting an export radio which I mentioned in a comment on one of your other videos. A President Richard setup for CB and you then have 13 watts output and 50 watt PEP on all 40 channels with no tuning required. It's the best of both worlds and the ultimate mobile solution.
He talked to someone pretending they were in Antarctica. There are US military assets in Antarctica as well as scientists/researchers there year round however, its not likely he actually made contact with them. Please do not respond to this with a lesson in skip...you can talk a long way, I know.
I have talked to McMurdo Station Antarctic from a coffee shop on the west coast of Canada with a handheld at 4 watts using the ham radio invention called Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP).
I’m now a ham radio operator with an extra class license, being able to talk on all a mature radio bands, I could say that the CB with side bands may be a little great hobby if you live out in the country. With today’s HOA‘s it is very hard if not impossible to get permission to install any kind of a decent antenna on a mast or a tower in your neighborhood. The current way to go is digital. I talk around the world with 1/2 watt walkie-talkie is that transmits on the 70 cm band, 420-450 MHz FM. I use that in my house and have a receiver that is connected directly into the Internet and allows it to go to hundred of channels or chat rooms that reach repeaters all over the world. One day I had a four-way conversation with someone from Texas, Florida, California and the UK! Getting a ham license is easy and inexpensive as the FCC does not have a fee for the license. Today a technician license does not even require that you know Morse code. The technician license let you talk on the 2 m 70 cm band which is great on mobile and base station applications. There are thousands of repeaters all over the country and you can talk across the state with a 5 watt mobile radio. I, being a trucker and driving on a daily basis I use the CB strictly for traffic info and other pertinent information. Nobody that I could find was in my area even has a sideband radio which would be great to have a two way conversation mobile to mobile and you would have some privacy.
My furthest contact on 11m SSB (LSB) was Australia, although I was using 2kw through a 4 element cubical quad, it was an awesome day for me. Kind regards Eric Dee.
The Vacuum tube junky mine was Alaska Australia Hawaii and Puerto Rico from San Antonio in 2016 on a Midland 7001 precision series on a 102 whip with four ground plane radials cut to 115 and half inches with zero swr on 100 watts from a rm Italy kl 200p amplifier. The ground plane radials have to be 12 percent longer than radiating element and at 42 degrees slope not 45 like alot say
I agree with you on SSB being worth the investment. While there's not really a whole lot on SSB like there was back in the 1980's, there could be some decent openings this summer (2018). I monitor CB on my Icom IC-7300 and do occasionally hear some freebanders on SSB. I am a General class amatrur and use CB mainly connect with truckers during severe weather situations all year long. If I hear of problems on the Interstates near me, I pass that on through the repeaters. I also have a GMRS license and may set up a repeater for those who use GMRS on the small lakes near me. I've seen and heard excellent reviews on the President McKinley with SSB. This might be the upgrade I go with from my 1980's model GE 3-5811B. After 20 years of CB, I pulled this out of my car in 1987 because I was sick of the 125% modulators, tweety birds and echo chambers. There's still some of that today but pretty rare. CB has its place in trucking and prepping but I almost never see a CB antenna on a passenger vehicle anymore. Back on topic...... a new CB with SSB only costs about $50.00 - $80.00 more than the Cobra 29 Classic which is a darned nice radio!
Up in Northern Ontario CB's are making a comeback I see antenna's on at least every 4th-6th car/truck that drives by so hopefully a resurgence. Most people here use them for hunting/camping/mudding.
Oh,yeah,I forgot about the PRICKS with the"twenty birds & the piece of SHIT echo chambers",another batch that should be stood up against a wall and given a last cigarette & a blindfold !!!!!!!
Dude, I can't STAND echo boxes! The guys who use them are already hard enough to understand with their over exaggerated Southern accents (I'm a native of that region so I should know). They always run with too much echo, which make them almost completely unintelligible.
I have use SSB in my car and truck and I had very good luck. I would have to say having a CB SSB Radio at home has a base and one in your car or truck is a very good thing to have. I have use the setup for over 20 years and like I mention with good luck with it.
I'm glad to hear it. With SSB you certainly gain a bunch of range when going mobile to base. I've hit 20 miles with the same setup with no amps. I don't have SSB in my car right now, as I felt it was a bit dangerous always messing with the clarifier while driving, but it was a great setup when I did.
I forgot to mention I talk skip from my car and I do not believe in linear amps. I rather do QRP or low power. I have talk to Florida, GA. Penn. Ohio on CB SSB from my car.
I forgot to mention I talk skip from my car and I do not believe in linear amps. I rather do QRP or low power. I have talk to Florida, GA. Penn. Ohio on CB SSB from my car.
12 watts makes all the difference for sure. 3 times the power than the standard AM channels. Yet, I found without a boast of power to like 50-100 watts, even the best rigs rarely talk skip very well. I have made it out on the basic amp, but mother nature has to agree for sure. 73s.
Exactly, I had the same set up (3 El yargi with a 18ft wip on a 20ft water pipe & insulated guide wires to my then 400 ch 80 w Johnson Viking 4740 ssb. (Hastings NZ).
I'd still recommend it for a car. I mean, if you're into it. I have had occasions talking to locals going opposite directions in other mobiles going out of understandable range on AM, to switch to LSB and talk for at least double the distance until we sign off. It's not as good as base, yes, but if you're squeezing as much distance out of barefoot while moving, it's great.
That's true. My 980 never seems to be too far off from other people. I only gotta mess with it for brief moment and it's set. People report mine doesn't drift on my end like others might. Many say the Galaxy's drift. Haven't talked to anyone locally with a Galaxy yet.
The biggest obstacle for mobile operation is that long distance communications rely on skip waves and moving as little as a few feet can be the difference of someone hearing you or not. If you do have a mobile radio it's best to park.
I only buy radios with SSB, they give you a more capable unit. I have a Galaxy DX93T and a Stryker 955HP love both of those radios. They both have SSB and extra punch for skip.
I've never heard a bad thing about either of those radios, and I agree SSB is a great feature for every CB. If you really want to talk skip on a budget, SSB CB is the way to go!
I plan on getting my amature radio license, but I need the more advanced license in order to get any privilege on 10 and 20 meters. CB is way cheaper than an Icom IC7300 and a good antenna, that will set one back a couple of thousand dollars. My radios only cost me 600 for the two of them. It is fun to hear someone come in from the islands or down under. That has happened many times during skip.
I’m finally gonna invest in my first ssb cb radio for a base station within the next month. It’s between the McKinley II and the new George. I’ve talked to a couple people who have both and gave a slight edge to the George. Both would suit my needs just fine.
Hi Eric, In my area channel 6 on am is the big hot spot for shooting skip. I have heard people All over the West Coast, And Yes I still love CB Radios, I've got a few. Got Classic CB Radio Fever! 10-4 🎙️
Just a small correction on what you said regarding 120 channels ? Because SSB transmissions on either USB or LSB will interfere with AM on the same channel, you cannot include them as an extra 40 channels. You can however use USB and LSB simultaneously on a channel so you effectively have 80 channels with two modes. By the way your 12 watts on SSB is Peak Envelope Power and is the same as AMs P.E.P. at full 100% modulation, its just more efficiently used on SSB with no carrier and half the band width therefore improved selectivity hence less on channel interference. The theoretical P.E.P. of an A.M. 4 watt tranmitter modulated at 100% has in fact 16 watts P.E.P.
Cool! I have 3 Uniden Bearcat 980SSB's but haven't played with the side band yet. They come up on Amazon for a little over $100 every so often. Maybe I'll try a base station.
Thanjs for posting this video! I am just getting into the hobbie myself. I have a Galaxy DX949, a 4' Firestik Firefly to install in the 2017 F150. Just built a small room in the garage to use as a shack. Not sure yet what radio I will use yet but I am installing a A99 base antenna.
I'm looking at buying the President McKinley SSB for my 4x4 camping vehicle. For the price I figured it would give me versatility in case I ever need it on the trail!
My farthest contacts was Alaska Australia Hawaii and Puerto Rico from San Antonio in 2016 on a Midland 7001 precision series on a 102 whip with four ground plane radials cut to 115 and half inches with zero swr on 100 watts from a rm Italy kl 200p amplifier. The ground plane radials have to be 12 percent longer than radiating element and at 42 degrees slope not 45 like alot say
I Thoroughly Enjoyed Your Video, Especially After Overloading On All Those Videos About Handhelds Regarding FRS, GMRS, MURS & HAM Blah, Blah, Blah. You Probably Know What I Mean. You Can't Do This Because Of F.C.C. Part This Or That & Don't Buy This Or That. I Might Just Take Your Advice & Look Into It. I'm An Old Man That Just Wants To Have A Little Fun, That's All . . .
This one really helped me. I’m actually just getting curious if I can find anyone on the air. I had a cb a few years back and actually took it out of my truck because I never heard anything. Thanks for the videos I enjoy watching. By the way who is Dallas and where would I find his channel?
@@FarpointFarms I’m sorry I thought I heard you say he was a fellow CZcams. Today I’m stopping by a radio shop that I found online. Can’t wait to see what they have.
The good old days when CB was popular in the 70's 80''s Lots of fun back then. These days 11 meters is very quiet. I always think about getting back into it but the band is dead were I am. Just don't see any point if no one is out there. Obviously plenty of activity were you are so I can see your enthusiasm about it.
Any chance you could be the catalyst in your area? Maybe you could convince a few of your family or friends to get back into it with some used base setups. when I moved up here, I started scanning the channels after 8pm every night, and I was able to find 2 groups that chat almost every night till 20pm or so. I'd bet if you set up a small group of buddies to do the same, you'd find some folks that are out there, but like you, have no one to talk with regularly.
With 4 watts on AM, two watts are for just the carrier, one watt goes to the lower side band, and one watt goes to the upper side band. With SSB, 100% of your power goes directly to the sideband. With AM, your bandwidth is 6kHz and with SSB, your bandwidth is 3kHz. The lower bandwidth receives less noise. Near the peak of the sunspot cycle, the upper atmosphere becomes very ionized and reflects the HF Band signals very well. Using just 50 watts on the 10M. Ham Band I have talked to hams across the US and even as far as South American using SSB. (Yes, I am a licensed Ham Radio Operator.).
Whoa ! SS Band in a vehicle.....pull over turn it off, light up the Linear....key up and talk. Arizona to Australia some time, for sure fifty miles away, at times 150.....been there done it. Thanks oh, it was a Tram with extra channels...😁💫
I have an anytone at-6666 in my jeep Wrangler, but I did the extra extra work for my setup to work and I talked skip as far away from Brazil. Mobile works but you have to do the work.
Have you experimented with a ground level, or slightly higher, vertical antenna to try surface wave propagation? Seems like it would would work for 20+ miles for local emergency comms for non Hams since it doesn't use skywave and the concentrated and higher power ssb signal punches harder than AM. My understanding of surface wave propagation is that the earth can only support conductivity of RF depending on frequency and the higher the frequency the more it attenuates it. What are your thoughts? I was considering bringing this to the table at our fledgling ham radio club meetings for the benefit of the local non-hams, especially since that particular community seems to have a ton of CBers and about 4 Hams. 73
Eric thanks I'm retired just got a ssb CB radio bearcat wife got it for me lol anyhow liked your video on amps. Not getting one I know you just save my radio. Thanks so much.didnt even know you had to tune it down and that cost more money than buying amp.lolbut when said you talk all over the world so thank again this is shoefly out my Nick name hope talk to you sometime.
I at one time had a President 2510. That was concerned and I loved having the extra Chanel's. I had a channel that we called "Reality" frequency 27.485 mhz. Used it when we didn't want any one with normal radios to be able to follow or hear us. Loved having ssb. I also once shot skip and was able to talk to someone all the way in the south Pacific. Just wondering. Does anybody mail out qso/qsl cards anymore?
All SSB is the radio dropped the AM carrier and the other side band. You don't get anymore channels and the power used for the AM carrier and the other side band can now be used on the one side band.
thanks for the uploads. ssb seems to have better range on the high side of the band vs the low side. ch35 gets better range than ch5 when we range test. we stay south of 27.445. not sure why non hams want to be able to broadcast between 26.xxxx and 29.xxxx. sounds like a fox hunt waiting to happen, or worse. many folks don't like upper sideband, and that's racist. take care down there
12 watts rather then 4, better power efficiency, more of the band. Skip is rough lately. Ham just has better options with hf bands that stay open 24/7 and just the sheer amount of bands even a lower class license can use. Uhf and vhf have repeaters that can be linked so even on the lower financial scale u can basically use someone elses motorola setup comparable to emergency services setups and push 100 watts from a handheld.
I bought a brand new radio a couple years ago for my mobile but I did not know anything about single side band until now. Now I kick myself for not getting one. It sucks. I just moved to Michigan and don't even hear any type of chatter on any channel.
Sorry to hear it. Keep an eye on craigslist in your area and maybe a SSB unit will pop up for a good price. As for radio silence in your area. Keep scanning the channels especially at night and on the weekends. Many times the band may seem dead, but get it at the right time and there may be 1 or more groups that get on and chat. it may only be for 2 hours a week, and on 1 channel only, so it can be hard to find them initially.
You recommended a president bill for my pickup truck and I am very happy with it. I got a complement on how good it sounds yesterday from a driver. What cb do you recommend for my work truck/tractor ?I need something simple to operate because I don't know how to use alot of the adjustments. Thanks.
Hey there....this is my first time here,my first time to try buy a CB Radio ....any way to have the List of all you Request to have this Home base?please....
I would enjoy your radio comments much more if your voice didn't drop off so often. It makes it very to hear you for us who have hearing issues...thanks for your consideration...73...
Jerry Chapin I am sorry to hear your having issues gear me clearly. I don't have a professional camera or microphone so it can be hard to make a decent video. I will work on improving the audio for future videos.
Only cb traffic i hear in my area is on SSB. And almost everyone has a grant or a stalker so its highly possible to find someone using SSB. Even truckers use SSB. 73 DE MAC85
If you are trying to setup a base station but live in an apartment (second floor) with no balcony or anything....anyone have any good recommendations for setting up an antenna to get out a good distance on SSB?
I am trying to get one too. I just wonder if narrow and wideband tuning is available on those. Does the frequency knob let you dial in with 10KHz precision or so and listen with a wider band?
Great stuff and I have always wanted a SSB radio base station. How can you tell though if your house is in a good enough location to even have a chance at long distance? Are you all on a top of the highest hill around? I would think if you are at the bottom of a valley no matter what antenna you have you won't get out. Or will you?
G'day again Eric from Sydney, Australia. Nice video. I've been a CB radio operator on and off since the late 1970s. Spoken to the USA many times. Do you talk skip when it's running? Very quiet at the moment on the band. All the best and thanks for the great videos. Cheers Anthony United Sidebander 2317 Sydney Australia
Hello! Always great to hear from someone outside the USA. I sure do talk skip when the conditions are right. This is Northstar707 in the mountains of North Carolina, I hope to hear you on the air someday!
Christopher, you're talkin about skip on the am band or local speak? I had a mobile in my old truck i used to drive up and down the bqe 4-5 times a week and i almost never heard people on the 19. I ofcourse heard the toiletbowl on 6 maybe stuff on 36/37 sometimes up near queens, but not much else. And i mean listening all times of day too
Hi I'm from Long Island New York I used to play with CB when I was a kid I had a laugh yet and a cobra 29 now fortunately I never made any contacts on my CB radio and I got interested in ham forgot about it and now I'm interested in it again and I'm going to get my license but my buddy at work has a cobra from the eighties when he was a kid it's a side bander and it's had work done to it he's going to give it to me are there still people talking in New York on CB because looks like all the traffic's on repeaters on the ham bands 2m and 70 cm
yes. if you see my radio picture to the left. that is a cb radio. i transmit off of this out of midtown manhattan and use my Lafeyette radio when at home in freeport L.I.
What channel do you monitor. I’m in hickory nc I usually monitor 17 when it’s on. There are dozen or so guys that hang around ch 17 in this area in the evening . I talk to guy up around grandfather mountain sometimes. I can talk to him better than I can most of the locals Because of his elevation and now that I moved I’m down in a hole. I hope to be purchasing a 50 foot tower before the end of summer and a small Beam.
@@FarpointFarms Making long DX contacts is very common on the ham bands. I know because I've been a ham since 1989. Talked to countries all over Europe and Russia.
I had a uniden Washington Base station for years, and it was the same as a President Washington, but I've haven't laid hands on any of there new radios, but they look great.
120 channels is not so accurate. You have 40 channels that you can use USB or LSB on. You are sharing those channels with everyone that's using AM. I've had plenty of success using SSB mobile as long as the band is quiet. Clarifier adjustment wasn't ever a big deal even in mobile use.
So here's a stupid question: say for instance I RV full time in California but have no property (house) in California but I have a house in say, Tombstone AZ. Is there a way to call into a short wave or CB base station from a phone line (from anywhere really) and use that Arizona radio remotely?
Folks should do videos on the importance of AM even on Ham Frequencies. From yesteryear even unto today HF rigs have suffered from low watt output on AM. This neglect of Ham Rigs harm abilities of mass communications on this "party line" mode. With SSB it is difficult impossible to have mass connections with simple radio control involvement. Having full power on all 4, SSB, CW, AM and FM abilities is good, being able to simplify mass communications via AM allows for less radio constant fiddling. There are two major HF conversations, one being the "contact" while the other pertains to old folk health issues. AM radio has many times the variety of topics. During emergency situations it is better to have everyone on the channel being able to hear the transmissions of all others at the same time. Whether one is walking, driving or at a base the importance of not needing to constantly fiddle with the radio in emergency situations is crucial. FM is better than SSB but not as good as AM for hands free operation during a crisis. No other mode quite works as well as AM and yet Ham Radio Operators shun AM and so manufacturers pay little to no intention to the AM' s mode importance and Ham radio suffers for it.
Eric I just purchased a Cobra 29 lx max with Bluetooth and all the bells and whistles...except ssb. I wanted primarily the Bluetooth functionality as I will be driving from texas to California several times in the next 6 months and wanted to run my phone through the cb and also have alerts of traffic and bear activity. getting to the question, I am considering the Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB to put in my travel trailer. This way, when I am hunting, it can be my base radio. but while on SSB, you cannot hear anything on am, am I correct? I'm just trying to see what I need to do while in the hunting mountains to stay in contact with base. Do all radios, even the mobile ones need to be SSB? you said you wouldn't consider it for a car, but what if you take the truck to a high spot, park, and then transmit? would you still gain from having an ssb over a standard cb? and here is another question. I bought a Wilson lil will for the pickup and I am instantly not thrilled with it. but I understand the the magnetic antennae are the best for a pickup. any reccomendations on getting further out there and picking up from further in my pickup? I am very new to this so please forgive my ignorance. Thank you and Happy New Year.
Hello. Lets see if I can answer these questions. First when you turn your 980SSB radio to SSB you will only hear other SSB stations clearly. However, if you are scanning channels, you will hear the muffled talk of regular AM channels if they are transmitting, but to hear them clearly you would have to switch back to AM. I don't have any SSB radios in my cars or trucks because I never really sit around in them like a 18 wheeler driver or a RV operator might. SSB requires more frequent tuning and I think it would be to distracting to try and use one while driving. That said. If I had a camper or a off road truck and wanted to sue them for a hunting camp setup then a SSB unit would be great and would give you extra range. Lastly if your truck has a metal rear bumper, you can't beat the 102 steel whip for range and power.Take care!
I have a ham shack, but want to add a CB base station to talk 10 or 15 miles around. I don't really need to talk on skip since I can do that all day and night long with ham radio. But I want the best communications in my local area. I want to get a radio that will do both AM and FM, but in your opinion should I get SSB capability also, considering my local communications goals?
Hey Eric so I bought an old Teaberry Stalker 202 (brand new never been used) base station from the 70's but now I don't know what would be an inexpensive antenna solution. Money isn't the biggest factor but it is if I'm not going to find anyone out there to talk to. Another problem is my HOA not allowing any large objects or structures visible from the street. Would you recommend a dipole antenna in the attic?
Hmm. The attic is not the best spot for an antenna, but if that is all you have to work with, I'd almost be ready to recommend a home built 17 foot long wire antenna. There are websites that can show you how to make one, and for your situation it would be the best antenna for your needs.
@@FarpointFarms Yes sir, I'm actually waiting for some SO 239 connectors to arrive in the mail today. I have everything else to build a wire dipole antenna and mount it on my wood fence. Thanks for all the help!
Made one for a friend,got out like a bandit(kinda directional),but the best part ? You couldn't find him !!!!!! Had some guy trying to find him(for nothing)and he's talking on the radio saying"i know he's around here,but I don't see no antenna"Some other guy keys up and says"you will NEVER find him",and laughs his ass off. !!!!!!!
Getting my ham license actually reignited my interest in CB and I am pulling my 70's era Midland with SSB out and installing it next to my ham rigs. All available communication channels become valuable in an emergency.
I used to talk on side band as a kid in the 70's with a Sears Roadtalker 23 ch set. Back then there were side band clubs you could join.
Erik speaks the truth, when I purchased my first radio a Galaxy DX939 I figured I didn't need SSB, but I could hear all these long distance transmissions coming in on CH 38, but I couldn't understand them because they were on LSB. I put my new DX939 up for sale and purchased a Stryker 955 HP and now I could tune in the side band signals. It was amazing to hear folks from Australia and Hawaii. Also get Alaska at times as well. Lots of fun making long distance contacts.
how high you have your antenna and what kind of antenna you have?
I ran single side band on a cobra 148gl my dad set up for me in high school. I was in TN talking to a guy in NM. It's amazing. When setup correctly
Very informative video. I miss the old CB meets, and chats of the 70s through 90s, and that ancient Midland of mine. We had a greater sense of freedom and community in those days.
Odee Dillon true
me 2 the cb band is DEAD here.
Odee Dillon I used to have an old Midland 7001 precision series bought it in 2015 lasted a year and half. It was an old radio made in 1981. I now have a Lincoln 2 +
@@spankthemonkey3437 huh, Midland was a great radio way back when. Radio Shack, and Cobra were the best.
Odee Dillon yea I was given that Midland from. Little small CB shop sold me a brand new cobra 148 and exchange it for three different new ones. Every new 148 he gave me blew the finals in less than a week. At least he warranted them. When he gave me that ugly green radio🤣, I was like what the heck, but it had the best side band I've heard, everyone thought I had a ham radio. The ugly green color and scratches grew on me.
Ssb works very well in a mobile setup. My wife and I run lsb channel 1. We talk 18 miles apart easily. Uniden bearcat 980 radios are extremely easy to tune with each other. And once you set them together they stay there. No drifting...if you get a chance to try it you will stay on ssb. Thanks for the video
I've been wanting one of those 980s. Have either of you experienced the screen failure issues mentioned in the Amazon reviews?
Yeah I run a 980ssb in my dump truck for work peaked and tuned for a little extra power and a Wilson 5K antenna and i play on sideband on them Long trips back to the shop in the evening I'm amazed how far sideband gets out!!
I totally agree with everything that you said! The radio with a good/great antenna=Big Time Fun!!
just for clarification.... there is only 40 cb channels . switching from am/fm/SSB(Usb&Lsb) does not give you new channels/frequencies to talk on. it is the mode of operation.
That's great to know wonder how many different combination of frequencies you can use on cb .
Legally, only 40 frequencies.. now as to "channels", that's actually just a memory location which might be (depending on design) programmed with any combination of frequency and "mode" (am, fm, usb, lsb, cw, various digital modes).. Now I say 40 frequencies, these are set by the FCC, however depending on the display and design of the radio there are actually infinite frequencies between the designated 40 frequencies.
@Charlie M not in the USA anyway
Implying that upper and lower side bands gives you new channels is incorrect information. If someone is operating in any mode (USB/LSB/AM) on a channel, no one else can operate on a different mode on that same channel. They will interfere with each other. You still only have 40 channels.
It’s basically to put in simply using the same channel just with more power
I have 2 Bearcat 980s on order. One for each vehicle. My purchase is because of the SSB benefits. I started thinking about cancelling but decided not to. One may be used as both base and/or mobile. The other, well better to have and not wish I did. I don't have to use SSB when on the road. Just my prep way of thinking
Thanks again Derek for another good video. It's four years old but still relevant. I have a Galaxy 2547 on the way maybe we will talk sometime. 73
i have the same Galaxy, use it daily.
@@christophersmith1155 great, I have a question. Mine has been here for a few days. Running it on an Antron A99. On AM it will read 4 Watts power. On Lower sideband it will only read like 6 Watts power. I thought it should read 12 on Lower sideband but I have found where someone said it's putting out 12 watts but it will not read it on the meter. Do you know anything about that? Thanks
some watt meters only read RMS meaning average, some read both RMS and PEP meaning Peak Envelope Power.
Hey brother just found your channel. I'm a truck driver, just getting into this whole cb deal. I have a dx 959, I hear it's a good radio. But I also hear about the general Lee and the conex. What I'd like to to is talk with my boy back home while I'm on the road.
SSB is great as it not only is useful further but it gets you away from all the people who only have am.
It's great because there aren't as many melted-brain trolls on sideband either.
Glad I ran across you! i'm thinking about getting back in to it. new sub here
Erik, as always you're one of the few who mentions the dirty little secret of SSB. It may be great for a base station, but is of little value in a mobile unit. Since my CB use is primarily mobile, I solved the problem by getting an export radio which I mentioned in a comment on one of your other videos. A President Richard setup for CB and you then have 13 watts output and 50 watt PEP on all 40 channels with no tuning required. It's the best of both worlds and the ultimate mobile solution.
Sounds like a good call. Yes, SSB is not really a good idea when driving. The constant adjustments of the clarifier make it no fun at all.
I'm a Ham and CBER. I have talked to Antarctica on CB. And Indonesia on 40 meters. 12wattsCB, 100watts ham.
Paul Shaffer who do you talked to in Antarctica?
Seal Team six.
@@todop A bloke called P.N. Guin !
He talked to someone pretending they were in Antarctica. There are US military assets in Antarctica as well as scientists/researchers there year round however, its not likely he actually made contact with them. Please do not respond to this with a lesson in skip...you can talk a long way, I know.
I have talked to McMurdo Station Antarctic from a coffee shop on the west coast of Canada with a handheld at 4 watts using the ham radio invention called Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP).
I’m now a ham radio operator with an extra class license, being able to talk on all a mature radio bands, I could say that the CB with side bands may be a little great hobby if you live out in the country. With today’s HOA‘s it is very hard if not impossible to get permission to install any kind of a decent antenna on a mast or a tower in your neighborhood. The current way to go is digital. I talk around the world with 1/2 watt walkie-talkie is that transmits on the 70 cm band, 420-450 MHz FM. I use that in my house and have a receiver that is connected directly into the Internet and allows it to go to hundred of channels or chat rooms that reach repeaters all over the world. One day I had a four-way conversation with someone from Texas, Florida, California and the UK! Getting a ham license is easy and inexpensive as the FCC does not have a fee for the license. Today a technician license does not even require that you know Morse code. The technician license let you talk on the 2 m 70 cm band which is great on mobile and base station applications. There are thousands of repeaters all over the country and you can talk across the state with a 5 watt mobile radio. I, being a trucker and driving on a daily basis I use the CB strictly for traffic info and other pertinent information. Nobody that I could find was in my area even has a sideband radio which would be great to have a two way conversation mobile to mobile and you would have some privacy.
My furthest contact on 11m SSB (LSB) was Australia, although I was using 2kw through a 4 element cubical quad, it was an awesome day for me.
Kind regards Eric Dee.
I did from Chicago to Great Britain on 150 watts, back in the 80s. The antenna was a Radio Shack base antenna.
The Vacuum tube junky mine was Alaska Australia Hawaii and Puerto Rico from San Antonio in 2016 on a Midland 7001 precision series on a 102 whip with four ground plane radials cut to 115 and half inches with zero swr on 100 watts from a rm Italy kl 200p amplifier. The ground plane radials have to be 12 percent longer than radiating element and at 42 degrees slope not 45 like alot say
I agree with you on SSB being worth the investment. While there's not really a whole lot on SSB like there was back in the 1980's, there could be some decent openings this summer (2018). I monitor CB on my Icom IC-7300 and do occasionally hear some freebanders on SSB.
I am a General class amatrur and use CB mainly connect with truckers during severe weather situations all year long. If I hear of problems on the Interstates near me, I pass that on through the repeaters. I also have a GMRS license and may set up a repeater for those who use GMRS on the small lakes near me.
I've seen and heard excellent reviews on the President McKinley with SSB. This might be the upgrade I go with from my 1980's model GE 3-5811B. After 20 years of CB, I pulled this out of my car in 1987 because I was sick of the 125% modulators, tweety birds and echo chambers. There's still some of that today but pretty rare. CB has its place in trucking and prepping but I almost never see a CB antenna on a passenger vehicle anymore.
Back on topic...... a new CB with SSB only costs about $50.00 - $80.00 more than the Cobra 29 Classic which is a darned nice radio!
Well said!
Up in Northern Ontario CB's are making a comeback I see antenna's on at least every 4th-6th car/truck that drives by so hopefully a resurgence. Most people here use them for hunting/camping/mudding.
Oh,yeah,I forgot about the PRICKS with the"twenty birds & the piece of SHIT echo chambers",another batch that should be stood up against a wall and given a last cigarette & a blindfold !!!!!!!
Dude, I can't STAND echo boxes! The guys who use them are already hard enough to understand with their over exaggerated Southern accents (I'm a native of that region so I should know). They always run with too much echo, which make them almost completely unintelligible.
Excellent video very informative as a long time sideband operator I find your video very informative
Thanks!
I have use SSB in my car and truck and I had very good luck. I would have to say having a CB SSB Radio at home has a base and one in your car or truck is a very good thing to have. I have use the setup for over 20 years and like I mention with good luck with it.
I'm glad to hear it.
With SSB you certainly gain a bunch of range when going mobile to base. I've hit 20 miles with the same setup with no amps. I don't have SSB in my car right now, as I felt it was a bit dangerous always messing with the clarifier while driving, but it was a great setup when I did.
I forgot to mention I talk skip from my car and I do not believe in linear amps. I rather do QRP or low power. I have talk to Florida, GA. Penn. Ohio on CB SSB from my car.
I forgot to mention I talk skip from my car and I do not believe in linear amps. I rather do QRP or low power. I have talk to Florida, GA. Penn. Ohio on CB SSB from my car.
12 watts makes all the difference for sure. 3 times the power than the standard AM channels. Yet, I found without a boast of power to like 50-100 watts, even the best rigs rarely talk skip very well. I have made it out on the basic amp, but mother nature has to agree for sure. 73s.
For distance use a Yagi style antenna and for round cities, use a vertical antenna.
Exactly, I had the same set up (3 El yargi with a 18ft wip on a 20ft water pipe & insulated guide wires to my then 400 ch 80 w Johnson Viking 4740 ssb. (Hastings NZ).
I'd still recommend it for a car. I mean, if you're into it. I have had occasions talking to locals going opposite directions in other mobiles going out of understandable range on AM, to switch to LSB and talk for at least double the distance until we sign off. It's not as good as base, yes, but if you're squeezing as much distance out of barefoot while moving, it's great.
It really does have its advantages. I just find it distracting to try and adjust the clairifier while driving.
That's true. My 980 never seems to be too far off from other people. I only gotta mess with it for brief moment and it's set. People report mine doesn't drift on my end like others might. Many say the Galaxy's drift. Haven't talked to anyone locally with a Galaxy yet.
How far have you reached someone with your mobile 980?
In the 70s whe started a cb club called Oklahoma outlaws it was grate getting back into teaching my son and other's got to find more to work with
keep spreading your knowledge-
We talk SB in trucks. You can extend the range of the clairifier up to 10 turns. President Grants what we use.
The biggest obstacle for mobile operation is that long distance communications rely on skip waves and moving as little as a few feet can be the difference of someone hearing you or not. If you do have a mobile radio it's best to park.
Purchased President McKinley II FCC based on your recommendations, haven't done the 108 antenna yet, thank you.
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have
I only buy radios with SSB, they give you a more capable unit. I have a Galaxy DX93T and a Stryker 955HP love both of those radios. They both have SSB and extra punch for skip.
I've never heard a bad thing about either of those radios, and I agree SSB is a great feature for every CB. If you really want to talk skip on a budget, SSB CB is the way to go!
I plan on getting my amature radio license, but I need the more advanced license in order to get any privilege on 10 and 20 meters. CB is way cheaper than an Icom IC7300 and a good antenna, that will set one back a couple of thousand dollars. My radios only cost me 600 for the two of them. It is fun to hear someone come in from the islands or down under. That has happened many times during skip.
I’m finally gonna invest in my first ssb cb radio for a base station within the next month. It’s between the McKinley II and the new George. I’ve talked to a couple people who have both and gave a slight edge to the George. Both would suit my needs just fine.
I'd go with the George as well. Great radio!
@@FarpointFarms I'm hoping to order one in the next couple weeks.
agree Erik have owned sideband radios all my life would not own a radio without it
Hi Eric, In my area channel 6 on am is the big hot spot for shooting skip. I have heard people All over the West Coast, And Yes I still love CB Radios, I've got a few. Got Classic CB Radio Fever! 10-4 🎙️
Just a small correction on what you said regarding 120 channels ? Because SSB transmissions on either USB or LSB will interfere with AM on the same channel, you cannot include them as an extra 40 channels. You can however use USB and LSB simultaneously on a channel so you effectively have 80 channels with two modes. By the way your 12 watts on SSB is Peak Envelope Power and is the same as AMs P.E.P. at full 100% modulation, its just more efficiently used on SSB with no carrier and half the band width therefore improved selectivity hence less on channel interference. The theoretical P.E.P. of an A.M. 4 watt tranmitter modulated at 100% has in fact 16 watts P.E.P.
Thanks for that
Cool! I have 3 Uniden Bearcat 980SSB's but haven't played with the side band yet. They come up on Amazon for a little over $100 every so often. Maybe I'll try a base station.
Thanjs for posting this video! I am just getting into the hobbie myself. I have a Galaxy DX949, a 4' Firestik Firefly to install in the 2017 F150. Just built a small room in the garage to use as a shack. Not sure yet what radio I will use yet but I am installing a A99 base antenna.
I'm looking at buying the President McKinley SSB for my 4x4 camping vehicle. For the price I figured it would give me versatility in case I ever need it on the trail!
You will love it.
My farthest contacts was Alaska Australia Hawaii and Puerto Rico from San Antonio in 2016 on a Midland 7001 precision series on a 102 whip with four ground plane radials cut to 115 and half inches with zero swr on 100 watts from a rm Italy kl 200p amplifier. The ground plane radials have to be 12 percent longer than radiating element and at 42 degrees slope not 45 like alot say
Finally,, a video that is easy to understand.
I Thoroughly Enjoyed Your Video, Especially After Overloading On All Those Videos About Handhelds Regarding FRS, GMRS, MURS & HAM Blah, Blah, Blah. You Probably Know What I Mean. You Can't Do This Because Of F.C.C. Part This Or That & Don't Buy This Or That. I Might Just Take Your Advice & Look Into It. I'm An Old Man That Just Wants To Have A Little Fun, That's All . . .
He should also mention that out of common courtesy only 35 to 40 and and I believe it used to be 16 and 17 were used for sideband.
This one really helped me. I’m actually just getting curious if I can find anyone on the air. I had a cb a few years back and actually took it out of my truck because I never heard anything. Thanks for the videos I enjoy watching. By the way who is Dallas and where would I find his channel?
He's a buddie of mine, but as far as I know, he doesn't have channel yet.
@@FarpointFarms I’m sorry I thought I heard you say he was a fellow CZcams.
Today I’m stopping by a radio shop that I found online. Can’t wait to see what they have.
Man, really nice videos.
73 from Italy
you are a poet king..
In Rotterdam Nederlands the skip is great this time of the year,with the extreme heat in Europe seems to help, anybody else noticed,🤔
I did but its quiet now :(. 73 from the UK.
@@MrScotchpie the past week seems better try 27.555.00 USB. maybe I hear you. 19 bravo tango 555.
What is a good power supply for a home radio?
The good old days when CB was popular in the 70's 80''s Lots of fun back then. These days 11 meters is very quiet. I always think about getting back into it but the band is dead were I am.
Just don't see any point if no one is out there. Obviously plenty of activity were you are so I can see your enthusiasm about it.
Any chance you could be the catalyst in your area? Maybe you could convince a few of your family or friends to get back into it with some used base setups. when I moved up here, I started scanning the channels after 8pm every night, and I was able to find 2 groups that chat almost every night till 20pm or so. I'd bet if you set up a small group of buddies to do the same, you'd find some folks that are out there, but like you, have no one to talk with regularly.
Don Gibson Don there's a lot of people on 38 Lower Side band
@@FarpointFarms good point! Pur local " rag chew" station is ch 20 am. Locals are on pretty much every night after supper time.
With 4 watts on AM, two watts are for just the carrier, one watt goes to the lower side band, and one watt goes to the upper side band. With SSB, 100% of your power goes directly to the sideband. With AM, your bandwidth is 6kHz and with SSB, your bandwidth is 3kHz. The lower bandwidth receives less noise. Near the peak of the sunspot cycle, the upper atmosphere becomes very ionized and reflects the HF Band signals very well. Using just 50 watts on the 10M. Ham Band I have talked to hams across the US and even as far as South American using SSB. (Yes, I am a licensed Ham Radio Operator.).
Using 5 watts mobile on 10 meters I have talked from Massachusetts to Australia! 73, n1wom
Have a NIB Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB I need to set up at home. Thanks for the reminder!
Very useful explanation Erick.
Thank you sir. I enjoyed your comments, and practicalness.
Glad it was helpful!
Great advice! Definitely going to invest in one.
Whoa ! SS Band in a vehicle.....pull over turn it off, light up the Linear....key up and talk. Arizona to Australia some time, for sure fifty miles away, at times 150.....been there done it. Thanks oh, it was a Tram with extra channels...😁💫
I have an anytone at-6666 in my jeep Wrangler, but I did the extra extra work for my setup to work and I talked skip as far away from Brazil.
Mobile works but you have to do the work.
Have you experimented with a ground level, or slightly higher, vertical antenna to try surface wave propagation? Seems like it would would work for 20+ miles for local emergency comms for non Hams since it doesn't use skywave and the concentrated and higher power ssb signal punches harder than AM. My understanding of surface wave propagation is that the earth can only support conductivity of RF depending on frequency and the higher the frequency the more it attenuates it. What are your thoughts?
I was considering bringing this to the table at our fledgling ham radio club meetings for the benefit of the local non-hams, especially since that particular community seems to have a ton of CBers and about 4 Hams.
73
Eric thanks I'm retired just got a ssb CB radio bearcat wife got it for me lol anyhow liked your video on amps. Not getting one I know you just save my radio. Thanks so much.didnt even know you had to tune it down and that cost more money than buying amp.lolbut when said you talk all over the world so thank again this is shoefly out my Nick name hope talk to you sometime.
Very helpful. Thanks!
You're welcome!
I at one time had a President 2510. That was concerned and I loved having the extra Chanel's. I had a channel that we called "Reality" frequency 27.485 mhz. Used it when we didn't want any one with normal radios to be able to follow or hear us. Loved having ssb. I also once shot skip and was able to talk to someone all the way in the south Pacific. Just wondering. Does anybody mail out qso/qsl cards anymore?
All SSB is the radio dropped the AM carrier and the other side band. You don't get anymore channels and the power used for the AM carrier and the other side band can now be used on the one side band.
Besides the power supply, is there any advantage of a home base station vs a mobile cb ??
get you a 10 meter , 26.905 is one of my favorite bands.. i talk all over the world.
Thank you, great job.
Great video. This site is so informative.
Thanks!
Thank you Eric. Appreciate your videos.
If the grid goes down, power consumtion is very important. SSB is great.
thanks for the uploads. ssb seems to have better range on the high side of the band vs the low side. ch35 gets better range than ch5 when we range test. we stay south of 27.445. not sure why non hams want to be able to broadcast between 26.xxxx and 29.xxxx. sounds like a fox hunt waiting to happen, or worse. many folks don't like upper sideband, and that's racist. take care down there
Ha! Love it. I mean, everything is just as long as someone says it is. There is no defense against that one!!
12 watts rather then 4, better power efficiency, more of the band. Skip is rough lately. Ham just has better options with hf bands that stay open 24/7 and just the sheer amount of bands even a lower class license can use. Uhf and vhf have repeaters that can be linked so even on the lower financial scale u can basically use someone elses motorola setup comparable to emergency services setups and push 100 watts from a handheld.
Soon as I get peaked & tuned I'll have to beam that way & see if in can key up to you
I bought a brand new radio a couple years ago for my mobile but I did not know anything about single side band until now. Now I kick myself for not getting one. It sucks. I just moved to Michigan and don't even hear any type of chatter on any channel.
Sorry to hear it. Keep an eye on craigslist in your area and maybe a SSB unit will pop up for a good price.
As for radio silence in your area. Keep scanning the channels especially at night and on the weekends. Many times the band may seem dead, but get it at the right time and there may be 1 or more groups that get on and chat. it may only be for 2 hours a week, and on 1 channel only, so it can be hard to find them initially.
Any recommendations for a unit ? Or any to avoid ? You may have mentioned it , but what unit did you show in the video?
Thanks much
You recommended a president bill for my pickup truck and I am very happy with it. I got a complement on how good it sounds yesterday from a driver. What cb do you recommend for my work truck/tractor ?I need something simple to operate because I don't know how to use alot of the adjustments. Thanks.
Hey there....this is my first time here,my first time to try buy a CB Radio ....any way to have the List of all you Request to have this Home base?please....
Ohhhh i loved linear units you could talk anywhere hearing was dicey though
The late 80's and into the 90's Amps really were the thing to have.
Make sure you unlock the clarifier,16,37,38, SSB low side, single side band
I would enjoy your radio comments much more if your voice didn't drop off so often. It makes it very to hear you for us who have hearing issues...thanks for your consideration...73...
Jerry Chapin I am sorry to hear your having issues gear me clearly. I don't have a professional camera or microphone so it can be hard to make a decent video.
I will work on improving the audio for future videos.
will I get out of I bolt a silver rod up the side of a 17 floor tower block? I'm on the 5th floor. I got a cobra 148 gtl dx. I'm in London. thank you.
I'm on 38 Lower Sideband quite a bit I have never heard you out there yet maybe one day I will 777 north fla
I get on the air most days, but only for maybe 30 minutes at a time.
Only cb traffic i hear in my area is on SSB. And almost everyone has a grant or a stalker so its highly possible to find someone using SSB. Even truckers use SSB.
73 DE MAC85
If you are trying to setup a base station but live in an apartment (second floor) with no balcony or anything....anyone have any good recommendations for setting up an antenna to get out a good distance on SSB?
I am trying to get one too. I just wonder if narrow and wideband tuning is available on those. Does the frequency knob let you dial in with 10KHz precision or so and listen with a wider band?
3:57 "The wheels on the bus go round and round" noise...
Interesting catch
Great stuff and I have always wanted a SSB radio base station. How can you tell though if your house is in a good enough location to even have a chance at long distance? Are you all on a top of the highest hill around? I would think if you are at the bottom of a valley no matter what antenna you have you won't get out. Or will you?
thank you for the info cheers
G'day again Eric from Sydney, Australia.
Nice video. I've been a CB radio operator on and off since the late 1970s. Spoken to the USA many times.
Do you talk skip when it's running?
Very quiet at the moment on the band.
All the best and thanks for the great videos.
Cheers
Anthony
United Sidebander 2317
Sydney Australia
Hello! Always great to hear from someone outside the USA. I sure do talk skip when the conditions are right. This is Northstar707 in the mountains of North Carolina, I hope to hear you on the air someday!
Great video Erick.Do you use 27455 USB and what model and brand is your radio?
CB AM AND SSB ARE VERY BUSY HERE IN THE NYC AREA. I M IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN AND ENJOY MY RADIO.
+CHRISTOPHER SMITH: In NYC, I would suspect two tin cans and a string would be very busy! 😄
Christopher, you're talkin about skip on the am band or local speak? I had a mobile in my old truck i used to drive up and down the bqe 4-5 times a week and i almost never heard people on the 19. I ofcourse heard the toiletbowl on 6 maybe stuff on 36/37 sometimes up near queens, but not much else. And i mean listening all times of day too
Hi I'm from Long Island New York I used to play with CB when I was a kid I had a laugh yet and a cobra 29 now fortunately I never made any contacts on my CB radio and I got interested in ham forgot about it and now I'm interested in it again and I'm going to get my license but my buddy at work has a cobra from the eighties when he was a kid it's a side bander and it's had work done to it he's going to give it to me are there still people talking in New York on CB because looks like all the traffic's on repeaters on the ham bands 2m and 70 cm
yes. if you see my radio picture to the left. that is a cb radio. i transmit off of this out of midtown manhattan and use my Lafeyette radio when at home in freeport L.I.
alot of local traffic on 6,11,22 and 31
What channel do you monitor. I’m in hickory nc I usually monitor 17 when it’s on. There are dozen or so guys that hang around ch 17 in this area in the evening . I talk to guy up around grandfather mountain sometimes. I can talk to him better than I can most of the locals Because of his elevation and now that I moved I’m down in a hole. I hope to be purchasing a 50 foot tower before the end of summer and a small Beam.
I'm around on 14, 16, 19 and on SSB 16, 36 and 38.
Dude, I've talked to France on 10metera sitting at a light in Georgia, heard them no problem.
Crazy and cool all at the same time. Love those long LONG distance DX contacts!
@@FarpointFarms Making long DX contacts is very common on the ham bands. I know because I've been a ham since 1989. Talked to countries all over Europe and Russia.
I bought a anytone at6666..set the power at 60 watts..Retired Larry in Indianapolis..
Any experience with President radios? They released the McKinley ssb and it looks pretty good.
I had a uniden Washington Base station for years, and it was the same as a President Washington, but I've haven't laid hands on any of there new radios, but they look great.
120 channels is not so accurate. You have 40 channels that you can use USB or LSB on. You are sharing those channels with everyone that's using AM. I've had plenty of success using SSB mobile as long as the band is quiet. Clarifier adjustment wasn't ever a big deal even in mobile use.
Do you also work on the cb radios?
Nice video, thanks for sharing!!
Any SSB CB radio *antenna's* you would recommend for one living in an apartment, on the 8th floor, for example? Would a mobile antenna work fine?
Single sideband does not add extra channels it is a mode of modulation not a channel.
What do I want to do if I want to run a base for a buddy who drives all over the u.s.?
I have used SSB since the 80s even in the mobiles has so much more range.
glad to hear that you are sticking with it
So here's a stupid question: say for instance I RV full time in California but have no property (house) in California but I have a house in say, Tombstone AZ. Is there a way to call into a short wave or CB base station from a phone line (from anywhere really) and use that Arizona radio remotely?
Yes. Look up phone patch. That is what you need.
SSB radios have better quality parts inside. If you never use the SSB, you will still have the better radio.
Folks should do videos on the importance of AM even on Ham Frequencies. From yesteryear even unto today HF rigs have suffered from low watt output on AM. This neglect of Ham Rigs harm abilities of mass communications on this "party line" mode.
With SSB it is difficult impossible to have mass connections with simple radio control involvement. Having full power on all 4, SSB, CW, AM and FM abilities is good, being able to simplify mass communications via AM allows for less radio constant fiddling.
There are two major HF conversations, one being the "contact" while the other pertains to old folk health issues. AM radio has many times the variety of topics. During emergency situations it is better to have everyone on the channel being able to hear the transmissions of all others at the same time. Whether one is walking, driving or at a base the importance of not needing to constantly fiddle with the radio in emergency situations is crucial. FM is better than SSB but not as good as AM for hands free operation during a crisis. No other mode quite works as well as AM and yet Ham Radio Operators shun AM and so manufacturers pay little to no intention to the AM' s mode importance and Ham radio suffers for it.
Is this a joke comment? AM is worthless compared to FM.
Eric I just purchased a Cobra 29 lx max with Bluetooth and all the bells and whistles...except ssb. I wanted primarily the Bluetooth functionality as I will be driving from texas to California several times in the next 6 months and wanted to run my phone through the cb and also have alerts of traffic and bear activity. getting to the question, I am considering the Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB to put in my travel trailer. This way, when I am hunting, it can be my base radio. but while on SSB, you cannot hear anything on am, am I correct? I'm just trying to see what I need to do while in the hunting mountains to stay in contact with base. Do all radios, even the mobile ones need to be SSB? you said you wouldn't consider it for a car, but what if you take the truck to a high spot, park, and then transmit? would you still gain from having an ssb over a standard cb? and here is another question. I bought a Wilson lil will for the pickup and I am instantly not thrilled with it. but I understand the the magnetic antennae are the best for a pickup. any reccomendations on getting further out there and picking up from further in my pickup? I am very new to this so please forgive my ignorance. Thank you and Happy New Year.
Hello. Lets see if I can answer these questions. First when you turn your 980SSB radio to SSB you will only hear other SSB stations clearly. However, if you are scanning channels, you will hear the muffled talk of regular AM channels if they are transmitting, but to hear them clearly you would have to switch back to AM. I don't have any SSB radios in my cars or trucks because I never really sit around in them like a 18 wheeler driver or a RV operator might. SSB requires more frequent tuning and I think it would be to distracting to try and use one while driving. That said. If I had a camper or a off road truck and wanted to sue them for a hunting camp setup then a SSB unit would be great and would give you extra range. Lastly if your truck has a metal rear bumper, you can't beat the 102 steel whip for range and power.Take care!
Enjoy your videos..Thanks
I have a ham shack, but want to add a CB base station to talk 10 or 15 miles around. I don't really need to talk on skip since I can do that all day and night long with ham radio. But I want the best communications in my local area. I want to get a radio that will do both AM and FM, but in your opinion should I get SSB capability also, considering my local communications goals?
SSB is the best mode for CB, so I would strongly urge to to look into it.
Hey Eric so I bought an old Teaberry Stalker 202 (brand new never been used) base station from the 70's but now I don't know what would be an inexpensive antenna solution. Money isn't the biggest factor but it is if I'm not going to find anyone out there to talk to. Another problem is my HOA not allowing any large objects or structures visible from the street. Would you recommend a dipole antenna in the attic?
Hmm. The attic is not the best spot for an antenna, but if that is all you have to work with, I'd almost be ready to recommend a home built 17 foot long wire antenna. There are websites that can show you how to make one, and for your situation it would be the best antenna for your needs.
@@FarpointFarms Yes sir, I'm actually waiting for some SO 239 connectors to arrive in the mail today. I have everything else to build a wire dipole antenna and mount it on my wood fence. Thanks for all the help!
Made one for a friend,got out like a bandit(kinda directional),but the best part ? You couldn't find him !!!!!! Had some guy trying to find him(for nothing)and he's talking on the radio saying"i know he's around here,but I don't see no antenna"Some other guy keys up and says"you will NEVER find him",and laughs his ass off. !!!!!!!