A Beginners Guide to CB Radio – Don’t Sabotage Your Experience Before It Begins

Before explaining CB technology, Let us know what it is and when it came into being.

CB: The CB or citizen band radio is a collection of about 40 channels operating in the vicinity of 27 MHz band which can be used for personal and business communication. The band is used by many channels however only one can transmit information at a time. Others have to wait for their turn to broadcast the messages. Advent of the CB technology in 1945 in US led to its popularity and slowly it’s spread across the world.

Working

The citizen band radio is equipped with on and off control along with the change in volume regulator and channel switch options. In addition an interesting squelch control is also available to the users. Not to be confused with encryption of data, it emits the signals only when the transmission is received by the phone. Static broadcast is eliminated completely with the help of the squelch attribute ensuring crystal clear voice to the users. You should not jump on to any CB radio based on the number of channels on offer. Sometime the number shoots to 240 however only 40 of them are deployed for CB transmission.

Some of the features of the radio are as follows

Emergency channel is easily accessible on the CB gadget by pushing the right button. You can also use channel no. 19 called the highway channel for trucker’s information to ensure safety while driving. If you are not feeling well or met with accident, push the emergency key to get immediate help.

Weather capabilities in the radio are well known as you can access the NOAA weather stations to gain advanced information about the rainfall or snow storm. Trekkers or people going on an adventure to outdoor locations can plan their trip accordingly. Nobody likes to get stuck in a hail storm in the open due to lack of information.

RF gain is a unique feature of CB radio because it filters the signals from the senders depending on the strength. Weak signals are prone to attenuation; therefore the transceiver allows only the strong ones and blocks the others. In addition, you can customize the degree to which the filtration is required.

Another similar feature as above is the variable RF power that scans the receivers in the surrounding ambience prior to the transmission of voice signals. You can converse with only those devices that are nearby and can receive strong signals.

Integrated SWR call meter calibrates the antennae to get clear reception of the voice signals without noise. Lower ratio indicates a good, clean reception without any problem. Periodical Setting of the call meter is essential for optimum performance.

Some CB radios belonging to the premium segment are equipped with SSB modes that can easily access the lower and upper side band channels. Phone with similar capabilities can transfer data over long distances however tuning is required to eliminate the residual attenuation.

Apart from the core features, numerous ports are available with the radio to connect the devices like headsets, microphones chargers. Portable batteries offered by retailers are icings on the cake for you do not need to look at the chargers as last resort while driving or venturing out. Clock, timer and alarm are a given in modern CB radio but dual watch to monitor the channels simultaneously is a novel feature.

Finding the right product

 Prior to the purchase of radio, you can visit reputed website because they provide numerous configurations or customize them according to the individual preferences. Buying the CB radio from a shady retailer is not a wise move for obvious reasons. Not only you will end up paying more than what is required but also get a shoddy product in bargain. Steer clear of imitations and purchase reputed branded products available in the market. Last but not the least, a quick look at the feedback of the customers would help you make right decision.

Summary

Using CB radio is a wonderful experience provided, it delivers quality performance. Apart from ease of use, the buyers do not have to take license for using the frequency spectrum. Although features are available dime a dozen, they are not required by the users. Therefore, select wisely and enjoy talking through the gadget.