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Home / Cb Radio Antenna

Cb Radio Antenna

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Cb Radio Antenna
What is Cb Radio Antenna?

A CB (Citizens Band) radio antenna is a device used to transmit and receive radio signals in the CB radio frequency range, typically between 26.965 MHz and 27.405 MHz. It is commonly used for personal communication, especially among truck drivers, hobbyists, and in emergency situations.

Treendly Index Treendly Forecast Google YouTube
MOM: +56.03%
How much search volume does it get?
Google searches
5.4K/mo

Is Cb Radio Antenna trending?

Cb Radio Antenna declining with a month-over-month change of -1.36% over the past 5 years, though it still receives approximately 5,400 monthly searches.


Why is Cb Radio Antenna trending?

1
Increased Interest in Off-Grid Communication
As more people seek alternatives to traditional communication methods, especially in remote areas, CB radios provide a reliable means of communication without relying on cellular networks.
2
Cost-Effective Solution
CB radios and antennas are relatively inexpensive compared to other communication systems, making them accessible for a wide range of users, including hobbyists and professionals.
3
Community and Networking
CB radios foster a sense of community among users, allowing individuals to connect, share information, and provide assistance during emergencies or travel.
4
Simplicity and Ease of Use
CB radios are straightforward to operate, requiring minimal technical knowledge, which appeals to a broad audience, including those who may not be tech-savvy.
5
Emergency Preparedness
In times of natural disasters or emergencies, CB radios can serve as a vital communication tool when other systems fail, leading to increased interest in having a reliable CB radio setup.

What are people saying?

40 threads
AI Insights Mixed sentiment
Discussions revolve around the mounting, functionality, and compatibility of CB radio antennas in various vehicles and setups. Users share experiences and seek advice on installation and performance issues.
Installation Challenges
Users express interest in how to properly mount CB radio antennas in different vehicle models, often sharing tips and seeking advice.
Compatibility Issues
Several discussions highlight problems with antenna compatibility, especially relating to older vehicles or specific radio models.
Alternatives to CB Radio
There are mentions of GMRS and amateur radio as alternatives to CB, indicating a shift in communication preferences among users.
Nostalgia for CB Radios
Some participants reminisce about the past popularity of CB radios, sharing personal stories and experiences.
Technical Advice
Users seek and provide technical advice on grounding, wiring, and optimizing the performance of CB radio setups.
Common questions
  • How do I properly mount a CB radio antenna?
  • What are the best CB radios for my vehicle?
  • Are there compatibility issues with older CB radios?
  • What alternatives to CB radios do you recommend?
  • How can I improve the performance of my CB radio?
Pain points
  • Difficulty in finding the right mounting location for antennas.
  • Frustration with compatibility of antennas and radios.
  • Concerns about grounding and performance issues.
  • Nostalgia for a time when CB radios were more popular.
  • Lack of clear guidance on installation and setup.
www.ar15.com
RE:Toyota 4x4
... a little Uniden CB above it- left side.   The CB is only 4... makes (used to make?) a CB radio where the radio is hidden, and all the ... know you already ordered a radio but - wanted to let ... favor and solidly ground the radio to the vehicle chassis, and ensure the antenna side is also well... GMRS has almost totally supplanted CB. Lots of options there but ...
TinLeg · May 27, 2026
www.f150lightningforum.com
RE:CB Radios
I'm interested in mounting a CB radio in the slate when I ... place to rear mount an antenna and then find a way...
thespacecowboy · May 25, 2026
www.bronco6g.com
RE:CB Radios
I'm interested in mounting a CB radio in the slate when I ... place to rear mount an antenna and then find a way...
thespacecowboy · May 24, 2026
talk.newagtalk.com
John deere radio antenna plug
... radio doesnt work in 8420 so doing some digging previous owner had a cb... from the back of the radio... the problem is the cb antenna end wont plug into to ...back of the radio. Its too wide because of ...
scottyb69 · May 19, 2026
www.bronco6g.com
RE:If you are considering a Ham Radio, now may be the time
...you can with a CB radio, a GMRS/FRS radio, and other things ...right license). You can talk radio to radio or over a repeater network.... Amateur radio also lets you do things...people do with amateur radio that you can't do with ... antenna, it's because they are doing this kind of stuff. Use digital radio... signals -- radio to radio or partially over the internet...
MilesTeg · May 17, 2026
www.corvetteforum.com
RE:How many factory CB's still in CF cars?
... Corvettes were ordered with a CB radio between 78 and 82 so... Pace Cars came with a CB radio, I don't know how many ... CB radio in a 78-82 Corvette is not the radio, it's the power antenna. A lot of those original CB...
gbvette62 · May 13, 2026
r/amateurradio
Why won’t my cb radio antenna work?
submitted by /u/sumevex to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
sumevex · May 23, 2026
r/Crazy_retro_stories
"Truck ’em easy now, Apple Betty. Double nickles on the dime": The CB radio craze of the mid-70s (TIME article, 50 years ago)
Modern Living: THE BODACIOUS NEW WORLD OF C.B. TIME May 9, 1976 9:00 This cotton-picker name of Red Vine from the Dirty Side was rolling a pregnant skate through Watergate town other day when he passed the home twenty of lady breaker First Mama. There was no city kitty so, mercysakes, Red hammered off, keyed his rig and called “Breaker one-niner for KUY-9532. “Negative copy. That foxy lady wasn ‘t hanging out, didn ‘t have her ears on. Good buddy told her anyway, “You truck ’em easy now, Apple Betty. Eighty-eights and ten, roger and out.” To the owners of 15 million Citizens Band radio sets, and some of the millions more who have become familiar with CB language from records and TV shows, the message was loud and clear: a nontrucker from New York City, whose CB nickname is Red Vine, was driving his Volkswagen through Washington when he passed the White House, home of fellow CB-Owner Betty Ford, whose radionym is First Mama (TIME, May 3). There were no cops around, so he slowed down and tried to reach her on his set, using her FCC-issued call number, but got no response. The attractive First Lady was not monitoring her set,* so Red Vine reminded her to drive safely, wished her love and kisses and signed off. The cryptic, demotic jargon—and the Arkahoma accent in which it is invariably delivered no matter where in the U.S.—may seem outlandish to many. If so, they had better hang easy and adjust to it. From 8 to 10 million more CB sets will be sold in 1976, which with extra equipment could amount to some $2.5 billion worth—nearly as much as total sales of TV sets. One of the biggest manufacturers, Hy-Gain Electronics Corp. (maker of Betty Ford’s rig), reported that 1976 first-quarter sales quintupled those for the same period in 1975. A $2.95 paperback CB dictionary has sold more than a quarter of a million copies. “CB Land,” as enthusiasts call it, is served by a babel of newspapers, magazines, thousands of clubs and a lobby in Washington. The cult’s most celebrated recent convert after Betty Ford is Snoopy, who has found solace with CB in the Peanuts strip. Three of the biggest U.S. electronics manufacturers decided this year to enter the lucrative market for what the song The White Knight described as “that Japanese toy, that trucker’s joy.” Most 1976 American cars can be bought with the sets installed; nearly half of all trucks in the U.S. are CB-equipped. The cost is relatively low—from about $90 to $350 for a serviceable set and antenna—and CB is simple to install in a truck, car or boat, drawing its power from the vehicle’s battery. The same units can be plugged in at home with inexpensive DC inverters to cut house voltage down to the 12 volts needed to go on the air. Portable units cost even less. The FCC estimates that in time there will be 60 million licensed CB sets in operation. As one industry executive says, “The more people are on the air, the more people want to join them on the air.” Without doubt, simple, low cost, ubiquitous radio conversation represents the biggest explosion of communications since the invention of the telephone. Its cultural impact may not be as pervasive as television’s, but in an odd way, it is a creative one. TV is, after all, a nonparticipant pastime. CB radio, by contrast, is a two-way medium that enables everyman to write his own script. It has not only nourished a proliferating vocabulary that threatens to outdate any dictionary of American slang within months; as well, it catalyzes an egalitarian, anti-authoritarian philosophy that has never been expressed in this fashion before. In the TV series Movin’ On, hit records like C.W. McCall’s Convoy (which sold 5 million copies and is to be made into a film) and the movie White Line Fever —all of them CB oriented—the good guys v. the cops is a basic theme. Such considerations were far from the collective mind of the FCC in 1945, when it set aside a sliver of the broadcast spectrum for the noncommercial use of ordinary citizens such as hunters, boaters, construction teams and farmers ranging far from homes and telephones. The first CB license was not granted until 1947. In the next quar ter-century, only 850,000 CB licenses were issued. Then came the 1973 oil embargo, speed limits were dropped to 55 m.p.h. (“double nickel” in CB argot) and truck drivers installed the units to warn each other of lurking cops (“smokey bears”) and radar cars (“Kojak with a Kodak”). Television news picked up the story, and the rest is hysteria. Chaotic Delay. In January 1973, there were 26,682 CB license applications; in January 1975, 79,375; in January 1976, 544,742. At Gettysburg, Pa., where the FCC processes the applications, conditions have been hardly less chaotic than they were in July 1863. Unopened envelopes overflowed into the ladies’ lounge; the FCC fell two months behind. Last month the agency moved to cut the delay by allowing anyone who buys a set to obtain an immediate temporary permit on mailing in $4 and an application form. While CB “radiddio” is widely used by truckers and ordinary drivers to warn of speed traps ahead, the network is highly esteemed by highway patrols and police for its ever-increasing role in reporting accidents, crimes, stolen cars, fires, traffic tie-ups, even reckless drivers (“Harvey Wallbangers”). Several volunteer organizations of CBers have sprung up to monitor the air waves and provide round-the-clock emergency services. The biggest, called REACT (for Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams), claims more than 70,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, seven Canadian provinces and West Germany. Since its formation in 1962, REACT claims to have handled 35 million emergency calls, including 12 million highway accidents. The social and economic background of CBers is changing rapidly. Once populated mostly by truckers and blue-collar hobbyists, CB land is attracting growing numbers of businessmen and middle-class families who use the sets for safety and information. CB is also a “bodacious” (in CB lingo, super, fantastic) way of relieving freeway tedium—so much so that truckers’ use of amphetamines has declined drastically in recent years. Ordinary drivers tend to be as evangelistic about the medium as oldtime gear jammers. “When I’m on the road these days,” says New York Businessman Lawrence LeKashman, “I’d sooner leave the spare tire behind than my CB.” Enthusiasts predict that CBs will some day be required equipment on all cars. The macho world of CB is part soap and part horse opera. Says Amitai Etzioni, the eminent Columbia University sociologist: “A CB allows you to present a false self: to be beautiful, masculine, tall, rich, without being any of those things. Like the traveling salesman who drops into a singles bar and says he’s the president of his company, a person can project on the air waves anything he wants to be.” The person who installs a CB set and adopts a “handle” (nickname) and starts “modulating” on the air, is creating a character and reaching out to others while still maintaining anonymity. Adds Etzioni: “People in our kind of society, torn from our roots, want to relate without fully investing ourselves in a relationship, as we would if we joined a church group or worked on a campaign. With a CB, you can have personal contact with the turn of a dial. It is very controllable and protects you from getting too involved.” CB is a godsend for many shut-ins and others who are isolated from the community. For some enthusiasts, like Mrs. Patricia Schey (“Kissy Face”) who monitors her “home base” 16 hours a day in Madison, Wis., it is more of a passion. Almost everyone, however, responds to what Manhattan Psychoanalyst Joel Kovel calls “CB’s element of voyeurism.” That aspect of the CB phenomenon has not been lost on Mitchell Brothers, the porno-film producers. They recently released an opus with the self-explanatory title C.B. Mamas. Potty Mouths. The real CB land has more sinister denizens. Police departments across the country report that mobile radios are being used increasingly in holdups and burglaries. CB sets themselves have become the favorite target of street thieves; 500 CB thefts were reported in Los Angeles during a three-month period. Game poachers use CB to outwit conservation officers. Though the California department of fish and game frequently changes its code, admits one officer, “poachers seem to know what we’re doing before we do.” Prostitutes (“pavement princesses”) who plug their charms on CB have become so common that there is even a song about them, Rosie on the Ridge. Potentially even more annoying is the widespread abuse of the channels —especially by so-called potty mouths using obscenities. The language on the Los Angeles air waves, says a sheriffs department engineer, Henry Richter, “is filthy. It’s a disgrace; it’s like a gutter.” “Uncle Charley” or “Candy Man,” as CBers call the FCC, also has a major problem with broadcasters who illegally use “hamburger helpers,” or linear amplifiers, to boost the output of standard 4-watt transmitters beyond their normal range of five to ten miles. Their beefed-up blat can splatter normal television and radio reception. Yet another migraine for the feds is CBers’ use of what they call “SBC,” for “sick bird channel” —”ill eagle” (illegal) use of channels reserved for vital services. CB’s existing 23 channels are already badly overcrowded in metropolitan areas. Even Channel 9, which is supposed to be reserved for emergencies, is often invaded by mindless chitchatters (“ratchet-jaws”). Says James McKinney, FCC’s deputy chief of field operations: “I have a feeling that by 1979, all I’m going to hear is one loud buzz.” The FCC is working on a short-term solution: to expand the band to as many as 115 channels. But even that would be little more than, so to speak, a Band-Aid. Eventually, authorities agree, they will have to find a place on the radio spectrum for a second-generation band with 200 or more channels. These problems are to be expected in so radical a coupling of social change and technological innovation. Questions about CB’s influence have not even been formulated. With a “good buddy” system of 100 million or more Americans speaking compulsively in inelegant private tongues, what will happen to the language of Jefferson and Henry James? Will future presidential candidates have to campaign by mike from the expressways—and learn to call them “double slabs”? Or will the whole CB cult simply go the way of goldfish swallowing and Hula-Hoops? Talk Shows. That fate seems unlikely. CB provides too many valuable uses and affordable comforts to fade out. From Nastyville to Tricky Dick’s —Nashville to San Clemente in pre-CB parlance—the new radiddio offers a kind of openline talk show that entertains and instructs while conveying at best a genuine feeling of neighborliness never before associated with highway driving. “When you’re riding around and listening to these people,” says a Manhattan disc jockey, “what you hear is America at its best.” Well, not always. But there is a bodacious new world out there, and its people are talking to one another again and even exchanging eighty-eights. * Or perhaps was listening in on one of the other 22 frequencies that CBers can tune to simply by switching a TV-like channel selector. submitted by /u/Crazy-Old-Stories to r/Crazy_retro_stories [link] [comments]
Crazy-Old-Stories · May 10, 2026
r/Aberdeen
Any CB radio operators?
Bit of a random one, but are there still any active CB radio users around Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire? Just got myself a small setup (Moonraker Micro II + mag mount antenna) and I can only mentally justify the cost if I get an actual contact. Curious if there’s still anyone active these days, or if I’ve arrived about 30 years too late 😄. submitted by /u/NoConsideration482 to r/Aberdeen [link] [comments]
NoConsideration482 · May 9, 2026
r/AskMechanics
Antenna Hole Help! 2005 Chevy Silverado. Previous owner installed a CB radio antenna and I’m hoping to remove. I plan to redo the headliner soon. Thoughts on plugging/ leak prevention?
submitted by /u/Suspicious_Corgi_312 to r/AskMechanics [link] [comments]
Suspicious_Corgi_312 · May 4, 2026
r/cbradio
Old CB radio, still good?
Brand new to this. Found this CB radio in a box in my garage, popped it into my old pickup. Tuned it to channel 19, since I read that was the most common used, but haven't heard anything except light static with the volume all the way up. Is there a way to test these things without having another radio handy? The antenna I'm using is about 4.5 ft tall, and is attached to my water gutter on the cab of the truck, and I'm currently parked on a hill, so I think I have pretty good range. I use meshtastic and ham radio occasionally from here with no problems reaching across town. I read somewhere that SSB is far more common these days with modern radios, could that be why I'm not picking anything up on this old one? submitted by /u/Germerican1 to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
Germerican1 · May 2, 2026
r/cbradio
Can I hook up a CB Radio up to an aftermarket radio antenna for a Miata?
submitted by /u/Bird_Chick to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
Bird_Chick · Apr 15, 2026
All threads (40)
Thread Source Author Date
RE:Toyota 4x4
... a little Uniden CB above it- left side.   The CB is only 4... makes (used to make?) a CB radio where the radio is hidden, and all the ... know you already ordered a radio but - wanted to let ... favor and solidly ground the radio to the vehicle chassis, and ensure the antenna side is also well... GMRS has almost totally supplanted CB. Lots of options there but ...
www.ar15.com TinLeg May 27, 2026
RE:CB Radios
I'm interested in mounting a CB radio in the slate when I ... place to rear mount an antenna and then find a way...
www.f150lightningforum.com thespacecowboy May 25, 2026
RE:CB Radios
I'm interested in mounting a CB radio in the slate when I ... place to rear mount an antenna and then find a way...
www.bronco6g.com thespacecowboy May 24, 2026
John deere radio antenna plug
... radio doesnt work in 8420 so doing some digging previous owner had a cb... from the back of the radio... the problem is the cb antenna end wont plug into to ...back of the radio. Its too wide because of ...
talk.newagtalk.com scottyb69 May 19, 2026
RE:If you are considering a Ham Radio, now may be the time
...you can with a CB radio, a GMRS/FRS radio, and other things ...right license). You can talk radio to radio or over a repeater network.... Amateur radio also lets you do things...people do with amateur radio that you can't do with ... antenna, it's because they are doing this kind of stuff. Use digital radio... signals -- radio to radio or partially over the internet...
www.bronco6g.com MilesTeg May 17, 2026
RE:How many factory CB's still in CF cars?
... Corvettes were ordered with a CB radio between 78 and 82 so... Pace Cars came with a CB radio, I don't know how many ... CB radio in a 78-82 Corvette is not the radio, it's the power antenna. A lot of those original CB...
www.corvetteforum.com gbvette62 May 13, 2026
RE:Taiwan cops say student's radio kit brought bullet trains to a standstill
Years ago Next door’s brat had a CB radio set up. Not 20 foot from our TV antenna. We could hear everything he said, 5x5. Swearing, bullshitting and even bragging about his various criminal acts, etc. Didn’t last too long once his Dad was told and came in to listen.
forums.theregister.com Anonymous May 12, 2026
RE:Taiwan cops say student's radio kit brought bullet trains to a standstill
Years ago Next door’s brat had a CB radio set up. Not 20 foot from our TV antenna. We could hear everything he said, 5x5. Swearing, bullshitting and even bragging about his various criminal acts, etc. Didn’t last too long once his Dad was told and came in to listen.
forums.theregister.com Anonymous May 12, 2026
RE:CB multiplexer for 2026 Europa?
Usually the antenna for the AM broadcast is ... to the radio. The FM is usually from the roof mounted OTA TV antenna and got... the switch to select OTA antenna and cable source. As to the CB, it should have its own... cable and antenna. As and EE, the multiplexer...
www.forestriverforums.com Bob K4TAX May 10, 2026
RE:Per radioamatori e swl
... anch'io con nostalgia l'epoca del CB, ad un certo punto comprai... con radio 5 e Santiago 9, con 100W in uscita, in antenna Mantova...
www.juzaphoto.com IamUnPhotographer May 3, 2026
RE:Can you remember your CB call signs?
... each other with a telescopic antenna on top--attached to the rear....We each had a kids cb radio and alligator clipped the wire... to the cb.We biked around listening to ... channels on our ch. 14 radio(single crystal). Later on got ...a real radio along with a real license (...
www.ar15.com toyboy123 Apr 26, 2026
RE:Any Ham radio enthusiasts on here?
That is what surprised me with the HW-8 heathkit radio. It had less power than the CB but we could talk half way around the world. We had a long wire antenna and were located offshore on a platform.
forum.xnxx.com wantedbootycall Apr 26, 2026
RE:Buddy's Truck vs Owl
Back when I had a cb radio in my pickup with a big magnetic antenna on top I was driving over a bridge at 60 mph when a sea gull swooped down and hit the antenna. It crashed on the road behind me and I thought it had taken the top off the truck it was so loud.
www.rugerforum.com fiasconva Apr 23, 2026
RE:Rural Infrastructure thread
... to have a 500' long antenna (aka old piece of copper... hill just to get AM radio signal. No phone service with... mountain just to use a CB. You can imagine my surprise...
www.tractorbynet.com rumwrks Apr 20, 2026
RE:Salty Walt's Portable Antenna Sketchbook
I bought two of his antenna books. One for me and one for my wife. We now each have one in our radio go bag kits. My wife loves POTA and actually watches more than I do. Edit- Wow, just realized Walt is now a member here! That's awesome! Welcome my friend. Like you, I not only run Amatuer Radio, but CB as well. All our trucks, tractors, combines and such have CB radios in them on the farm.
www.ar15.com Dieselman Apr 19, 2026
RE:Newbie antenna questions (EFHW)
Hi everyone. New ham radio operator here just got my ... off, and used to do CB back in the day, including... the other end, since the antenna is 64ft it sounds like ... time? Should I end the antenna at the tree at 16ft .... Reading the instructions for the antenna it says that the coax ... will become part of the antenna for about 1/4 wave, ... will be beneficial to the antenna performance? If this is right ...
forums.radioreference.com 71sbeetle Apr 15, 2026
RE:Starlink Mini Mount for 4-Door and Bronco Raptor
... you don’t see the internet antenna on exterior of an airplane... it looks funny having the antenna on the outside We tested... a power source causes your antenna to scream auditory when power... whine. The angle of the antenna also won’t have a real ... the trail. It doesn’t replace CB/ GMSR radio but helps with everything else ...
www.bronco6g.com That Bronco Guy Apr 14, 2026
RE:Washington - All Friends 2026 BS Thread
Got the radio but not antenna. nah I'm all set with Ham. Even the cb is a rarity There is aHam place in NH that I'm going to go up to. They used to have cb stuff to. Need help figuring out how and where to put antenna. I'm going to be pretty particular where it goes
www.ford-trucks.com Lin19687 Apr 14, 2026
Why won’t my cb radio antenna work?
submitted by /u/sumevex to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com sumevex May 23, 2026
"Truck ’em easy now, Apple Betty. Double nickles on the dime": The CB radio craze of the mid-70s (TIME article, 50 years ago)
Modern Living: THE BODACIOUS NEW WORLD OF C.B. TIME May 9, 1976 9:00 This cotton-picker name of Red Vine from the Dirty Side was rolling a pregnant skate through Watergate town other day when he passed the home twenty of lady breaker First Mama. There was no city kitty so, mercysakes, Red hammered off, keyed his rig and called “Breaker one-niner for KUY-9532. “Negative copy. That foxy lady wasn ‘t hanging out, didn ‘t have her ears on. Good buddy told her anyway, “You truck ’em easy now, Apple Betty. Eighty-eights and ten, roger and out.” To the owners of 15 million Citizens Band radio sets, and some of the millions more who have become familiar with CB language from records and TV shows, the message was loud and clear: a nontrucker from New York City, whose CB nickname is Red Vine, was driving his Volkswagen through Washington when he passed the White House, home of fellow CB-Owner Betty Ford, whose radionym is First Mama (TIME, May 3). There were no cops around, so he slowed down and tried to reach her on his set, using her FCC-issued call number, but got no response. The attractive First Lady was not monitoring her set,* so Red Vine reminded her to drive safely, wished her love and kisses and signed off. The cryptic, demotic jargon—and the Arkahoma accent in which it is invariably delivered no matter where in the U.S.—may seem outlandish to many. If so, they had better hang easy and adjust to it. From 8 to 10 million more CB sets will be sold in 1976, which with extra equipment could amount to some $2.5 billion worth—nearly as much as total sales of TV sets. One of the biggest manufacturers, Hy-Gain Electronics Corp. (maker of Betty Ford’s rig), reported that 1976 first-quarter sales quintupled those for the same period in 1975. A $2.95 paperback CB dictionary has sold more than a quarter of a million copies. “CB Land,” as enthusiasts call it, is served by a babel of newspapers, magazines, thousands of clubs and a lobby in Washington. The cult’s most celebrated recent convert after Betty Ford is Snoopy, who has found solace with CB in the Peanuts strip. Three of the biggest U.S. electronics manufacturers decided this year to enter the lucrative market for what the song The White Knight described as “that Japanese toy, that trucker’s joy.” Most 1976 American cars can be bought with the sets installed; nearly half of all trucks in the U.S. are CB-equipped. The cost is relatively low—from about $90 to $350 for a serviceable set and antenna—and CB is simple to install in a truck, car or boat, drawing its power from the vehicle’s battery. The same units can be plugged in at home with inexpensive DC inverters to cut house voltage down to the 12 volts needed to go on the air. Portable units cost even less. The FCC estimates that in time there will be 60 million licensed CB sets in operation. As one industry executive says, “The more people are on the air, the more people want to join them on the air.” Without doubt, simple, low cost, ubiquitous radio conversation represents the biggest explosion of communications since the invention of the telephone. Its cultural impact may not be as pervasive as television’s, but in an odd way, it is a creative one. TV is, after all, a nonparticipant pastime. CB radio, by contrast, is a two-way medium that enables everyman to write his own script. It has not only nourished a proliferating vocabulary that threatens to outdate any dictionary of American slang within months; as well, it catalyzes an egalitarian, anti-authoritarian philosophy that has never been expressed in this fashion before. In the TV series Movin’ On, hit records like C.W. McCall’s Convoy (which sold 5 million copies and is to be made into a film) and the movie White Line Fever —all of them CB oriented—the good guys v. the cops is a basic theme. Such considerations were far from the collective mind of the FCC in 1945, when it set aside a sliver of the broadcast spectrum for the noncommercial use of ordinary citizens such as hunters, boaters, construction teams and farmers ranging far from homes and telephones. The first CB license was not granted until 1947. In the next quar ter-century, only 850,000 CB licenses were issued. Then came the 1973 oil embargo, speed limits were dropped to 55 m.p.h. (“double nickel” in CB argot) and truck drivers installed the units to warn each other of lurking cops (“smokey bears”) and radar cars (“Kojak with a Kodak”). Television news picked up the story, and the rest is hysteria. Chaotic Delay. In January 1973, there were 26,682 CB license applications; in January 1975, 79,375; in January 1976, 544,742. At Gettysburg, Pa., where the FCC processes the applications, conditions have been hardly less chaotic than they were in July 1863. Unopened envelopes overflowed into the ladies’ lounge; the FCC fell two months behind. Last month the agency moved to cut the delay by allowing anyone who buys a set to obtain an immediate temporary permit on mailing in $4 and an application form. While CB “radiddio” is widely used by truckers and ordinary drivers to warn of speed traps ahead, the network is highly esteemed by highway patrols and police for its ever-increasing role in reporting accidents, crimes, stolen cars, fires, traffic tie-ups, even reckless drivers (“Harvey Wallbangers”). Several volunteer organizations of CBers have sprung up to monitor the air waves and provide round-the-clock emergency services. The biggest, called REACT (for Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams), claims more than 70,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, seven Canadian provinces and West Germany. Since its formation in 1962, REACT claims to have handled 35 million emergency calls, including 12 million highway accidents. The social and economic background of CBers is changing rapidly. Once populated mostly by truckers and blue-collar hobbyists, CB land is attracting growing numbers of businessmen and middle-class families who use the sets for safety and information. CB is also a “bodacious” (in CB lingo, super, fantastic) way of relieving freeway tedium—so much so that truckers’ use of amphetamines has declined drastically in recent years. Ordinary drivers tend to be as evangelistic about the medium as oldtime gear jammers. “When I’m on the road these days,” says New York Businessman Lawrence LeKashman, “I’d sooner leave the spare tire behind than my CB.” Enthusiasts predict that CBs will some day be required equipment on all cars. The macho world of CB is part soap and part horse opera. Says Amitai Etzioni, the eminent Columbia University sociologist: “A CB allows you to present a false self: to be beautiful, masculine, tall, rich, without being any of those things. Like the traveling salesman who drops into a singles bar and says he’s the president of his company, a person can project on the air waves anything he wants to be.” The person who installs a CB set and adopts a “handle” (nickname) and starts “modulating” on the air, is creating a character and reaching out to others while still maintaining anonymity. Adds Etzioni: “People in our kind of society, torn from our roots, want to relate without fully investing ourselves in a relationship, as we would if we joined a church group or worked on a campaign. With a CB, you can have personal contact with the turn of a dial. It is very controllable and protects you from getting too involved.” CB is a godsend for many shut-ins and others who are isolated from the community. For some enthusiasts, like Mrs. Patricia Schey (“Kissy Face”) who monitors her “home base” 16 hours a day in Madison, Wis., it is more of a passion. Almost everyone, however, responds to what Manhattan Psychoanalyst Joel Kovel calls “CB’s element of voyeurism.” That aspect of the CB phenomenon has not been lost on Mitchell Brothers, the porno-film producers. They recently released an opus with the self-explanatory title C.B. Mamas. Potty Mouths. The real CB land has more sinister denizens. Police departments across the country report that mobile radios are being used increasingly in holdups and burglaries. CB sets themselves have become the favorite target of street thieves; 500 CB thefts were reported in Los Angeles during a three-month period. Game poachers use CB to outwit conservation officers. Though the California department of fish and game frequently changes its code, admits one officer, “poachers seem to know what we’re doing before we do.” Prostitutes (“pavement princesses”) who plug their charms on CB have become so common that there is even a song about them, Rosie on the Ridge. Potentially even more annoying is the widespread abuse of the channels —especially by so-called potty mouths using obscenities. The language on the Los Angeles air waves, says a sheriffs department engineer, Henry Richter, “is filthy. It’s a disgrace; it’s like a gutter.” “Uncle Charley” or “Candy Man,” as CBers call the FCC, also has a major problem with broadcasters who illegally use “hamburger helpers,” or linear amplifiers, to boost the output of standard 4-watt transmitters beyond their normal range of five to ten miles. Their beefed-up blat can splatter normal television and radio reception. Yet another migraine for the feds is CBers’ use of what they call “SBC,” for “sick bird channel” —”ill eagle” (illegal) use of channels reserved for vital services. CB’s existing 23 channels are already badly overcrowded in metropolitan areas. Even Channel 9, which is supposed to be reserved for emergencies, is often invaded by mindless chitchatters (“ratchet-jaws”). Says James McKinney, FCC’s deputy chief of field operations: “I have a feeling that by 1979, all I’m going to hear is one loud buzz.” The FCC is working on a short-term solution: to expand the band to as many as 115 channels. But even that would be little more than, so to speak, a Band-Aid. Eventually, authorities agree, they will have to find a place on the radio spectrum for a second-generation band with 200 or more channels. These problems are to be expected in so radical a coupling of social change and technological innovation. Questions about CB’s influence have not even been formulated. With a “good buddy” system of 100 million or more Americans speaking compulsively in inelegant private tongues, what will happen to the language of Jefferson and Henry James? Will future presidential candidates have to campaign by mike from the expressways—and learn to call them “double slabs”? Or will the whole CB cult simply go the way of goldfish swallowing and Hula-Hoops? Talk Shows. That fate seems unlikely. CB provides too many valuable uses and affordable comforts to fade out. From Nastyville to Tricky Dick’s —Nashville to San Clemente in pre-CB parlance—the new radiddio offers a kind of openline talk show that entertains and instructs while conveying at best a genuine feeling of neighborliness never before associated with highway driving. “When you’re riding around and listening to these people,” says a Manhattan disc jockey, “what you hear is America at its best.” Well, not always. But there is a bodacious new world out there, and its people are talking to one another again and even exchanging eighty-eights. * Or perhaps was listening in on one of the other 22 frequencies that CBers can tune to simply by switching a TV-like channel selector. submitted by /u/Crazy-Old-Stories to r/Crazy_retro_stories [link] [comments]
reddit.com Crazy-Old-Stories May 10, 2026
Any CB radio operators?
Bit of a random one, but are there still any active CB radio users around Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire? Just got myself a small setup (Moonraker Micro II + mag mount antenna) and I can only mentally justify the cost if I get an actual contact. Curious if there’s still anyone active these days, or if I’ve arrived about 30 years too late 😄. submitted by /u/NoConsideration482 to r/Aberdeen [link] [comments]
reddit.com NoConsideration482 May 9, 2026
Antenna Hole Help! 2005 Chevy Silverado. Previous owner installed a CB radio antenna and I’m hoping to remove. I plan to redo the headliner soon. Thoughts on plugging/ leak prevention?
submitted by /u/Suspicious_Corgi_312 to r/AskMechanics [link] [comments]
reddit.com Suspicious_Corgi_312 May 4, 2026
Old CB radio, still good?
Brand new to this. Found this CB radio in a box in my garage, popped it into my old pickup. Tuned it to channel 19, since I read that was the most common used, but haven't heard anything except light static with the volume all the way up. Is there a way to test these things without having another radio handy? The antenna I'm using is about 4.5 ft tall, and is attached to my water gutter on the cab of the truck, and I'm currently parked on a hill, so I think I have pretty good range. I use meshtastic and ham radio occasionally from here with no problems reaching across town. I read somewhere that SSB is far more common these days with modern radios, could that be why I'm not picking anything up on this old one? submitted by /u/Germerican1 to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Germerican1 May 2, 2026
Can I hook up a CB Radio up to an aftermarket radio antenna for a Miata?
submitted by /u/Bird_Chick to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Bird_Chick Apr 15, 2026
New to CB Radio, one of the previous owners of this truck had installed a CB radio, but I can't find an antenna this size
Looking for advice. As title suggests one of the previous owner's has an CB radio, but I can't seem to find an antenna that would screw into this. submitted by /u/roooooooooooootbeer to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com roooooooooooootbeer Mar 24, 2026
Buttons on bottom of cb radio
Hello everyone. Please let me start off with, I know almost nothing about the world the ham and cb radio. so please, try to dumb it down for a layman. I bought a bunch of stuff at auction recently and this cb was in one of the boxes. a cobra 29 Ltd. What puzzles me are are the extra buttons someone has added on...what on earth are they, and what do they do? I'm guessing it's not papaws regular radio. I'd appreciate any information, even what to search for on Google. I'm not able to power or test the unit as I dont have a power supply or antenna. submitted by /u/LameSuburbanDad to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com LameSuburbanDad Mar 19, 2026
Hi everyone i am kinda new too this im 24 and I am looking into getting into cb radio and it says on the listing i can hear the airports with this type of radio is this true please and it says it will transmit cb radio signals with a antenna from there shop i would love to know if this is true
submitted by /u/Mrnerd12e to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Mrnerd12e Mar 10, 2026
Advice on options for mobile HAM/CB radio
Hey all. I've recently acquired a Land Rover D2 TD5 that come with an old Intek M500 CB 27MHz radio. Long story shot, antena connector was broken, waiting for replacement parts but I'm pretty convinced the radio itself is broken too because, even though it turns on, "nothing happens" at all. No static, no channel selection menu, nothing. Either way, it's a CB 27MHz only but I'd like to have VHF 136-174 MHz and UHF 400-520 MHz too so I can use a single radio to communicate with friends with the usual cheap Baofeng radios while driving. From what I've seen my only options are to keep 2 radios (the CB 27MHz and a second for VHF 136-174 MHz and UHF 400-520 MHz), each with their own antena, or replace the Intek with a Quad Band like the TYT TH-9800 and replace the current antena by a quad-band antenna like the Diamond CR8900 too. I'm pretty new in this world though so would really appreciate some advice from someone more experienced. Thanks submitted by /u/jfgferreira to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com jfgferreira Mar 2, 2026
Is this antenna good enough for CB Radio? If not please jot down any suggestions. I am getting into CB and need an antenna.
submitted by /u/SlowPoint9221 to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com SlowPoint9221 Feb 9, 2026
What is this part inside my CB radio
I heard rattling inside a CB radio I bought. Opened it up to see the plastic capsule for this part is broken. The radio powers on, but I can't test it because I don't have an antenna. submitted by /u/BoggsMill to r/ElectronicsRepair [link] [comments]
reddit.com BoggsMill Feb 8, 2026
Cb base antenna on new construction
I’m going to be building my house soon. I want a cb antenna built in with coax run through the wall. I will be running a president George cb radio, unless you guys have a better suggestion. I was thinking about putting a full wave dipole in the attic, but I would love suggestions, experiences and recommendations. submitted by /u/Amazing_Cancel7259 to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Amazing_Cancel7259 Jan 10, 2026
Cb radio antenna location ideas
Im going to be putting in a cb radio in my 82 chevy and was looking for where I should put the antenna at can anyone who has pictures of there truck put them in the comments so I can get ideas submitted by /u/Healthy-Inflation-72 to r/squarebodies [link] [comments]
reddit.com Healthy-Inflation-72 Jan 2, 2026
Is it worth getting one of those cheapo chinese talkies that can receive CB and Shortwave radio ?
Is there anything like that around the same price that can be trusted? submitted by /u/Factemius to r/Baofeng [link] [comments]
reddit.com Factemius Nov 12, 2025
Is Ham radio worth getting into considering antenna mounting restrictions?
I have always liked radio. When I was a kid in the '70's I wanted a CB real bad when that was the rage but couldn't afford one (kid, no job, parents not rich). Now I am older and still like the concept. I many times will listen to ham on my Malahit DSP2 and thought it would be nice to be able to TX as well as RX. There are some good strong signals on 20 meter that I heard (as well as some guy that was cussing a lot, I thought that was illegal). The problem is that I live in a Quadro home so big antenna masts is a big no-go with the HOA. I do have an attic available as there are no units above me but not sure how the plywood roof/shingles would affect signal. Would it make any sense to get into ham considering that I won't be able to have an antenna to go very far? Sure I could get an HT but I won't go to many places with that. I understand that CW is not needed for technician? 73 submitted by /u/DaveCC1964 to r/HamRadio [link] [comments]
reddit.com DaveCC1964 Oct 20, 2025
Antenna for ham and cb?
Are there antennas than can do ham and cb frequencies? I'm looking to get my license and upgrade to ham radio but still want the ability to communicate to my buddies that are are still running cb. I think I'm going to get an Anytone 6666pro and use it for both. Can I turn down the power for cb use? submitted by /u/moparornocar86 to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com moparornocar86 Oct 15, 2025
How many antennas does a car need for a cb? Just had a car parked out in front of my house with at 3-4 antennas and when I confronted them they said it was for cb radio… my first thought was FBI…
submitted by /u/Iamtruck9969 to r/cbradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Iamtruck9969 Jun 11, 2025
Neighbors CB/HAM radio interferes with my audio equipment.
I live in a townhome, and the neighbor directly next to me has a 30ft radio antenna on the side of his house. I can hear him talking on his radio constantly, and I have tried to speak to him about it and all he said he is "running a bit of power" and didn't offer to help at all. I did some research and got a bunch of ferrite chokes that I attached to my headset (wired connection to my PC) but it literally hasn't done anything. If i got a wireless headset, would this solve my problems? Tried looking online but couldn't really find a clear answer. submitted by /u/Poonwagoon to r/amateurradio [link] [comments]
reddit.com Poonwagoon Dec 11, 2023
Break for a CB radio sale!
Radio Shack has your new ears good buddy. submitted by /u/Abooziyaya to r/70s [link] [comments]
reddit.com Abooziyaya Nov 6, 2023
So the last driver left this in the truck they gave me. First time I've ever seen a cb radio. How do I use it?
submitted by /u/JurassicDragon to r/Truckers [link] [comments]
reddit.com JurassicDragon Mar 8, 2022
Silas Warner - Creator of Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein. At 6'8 and 300+ pounds he used to carry a "car battery" in his sports jacket and an antenna out the back so he could walk and talk on his CB radio.
submitted by /u/spucci to r/retrogaming [link] [comments]
reddit.com spucci May 2, 2021