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+--- Thread: CB or Amateur Radio (/showthread.php?tid=81671)
CB or Amateur Radio - Streetbudgie - 14-05-20
Although I'm an NHS key worker and I'm at work every day I am finding that I have free time at weekends and in the evenings which would normally be filled by going to the pub, so I was thinking about hobbies.
I can't play golf and I used to go fishing and got fed up with it so I started wondering about Radio Amateur stuff which my Dad used to do.
I had CB back in the early 1980's and loved it, I got right into it and would teak my rigs and ended up with quite a set up with some boots (ahem) which enabled me to go over the top of most transmitters!
Does anyone on here know if CB radio is still a thing?
If not I was wondering how hard/expensive it would be to get into Amateur Radio which I believe is short wave - do people chat over this or is just DX stuff to see how far you can get?
Just looking for something to fill the hours until the pub is open again!
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - Oldgit - 14-05-20
pleeze don't become another Tony Blackburn---AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - Streetbudgie - 14-05-20
(14-05-20, 01:05 PM)Oldgit link Wrote: pleeze don't become another Tony Blackburn---AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.Amateur radio and pirate radio are two very different things..
Pirate Radio is all DAB these days, no more breaking into the roof space of tower blocks.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - Ripsnortingvtwin - 14-05-20
hi there
it used to be night school then a test they you a ham radio man , not sure if its still the same now but worth a call to your local night school
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - NorthWestern - 14-05-20
Before I got a scala I used to use a cb on the bike for bike to bike comms ( the old autocom stuff) along with its fm radio (hooked to a headset in the helmet). You certainly come across a fair amount of cb enthusiasts as you ride around. That was only about five years ago.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - NorthWestern - 14-05-20
Oh yeah, I broke my kenwood cb unit so ended up getting a baofeng one for £20,it was actually better, still have it somewhere
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - BBROWN1664 - 14-05-20
CB isnt what it used to be. Most truckers now rely on traffic updates and sat-nav to tell them stuff or spend all their time talking on the phone/watching TV while they drive . I believe some specific areas of trucking use them. Not aware of anybody thats not a trucker using them these days though.
As for hamming, I am sure it is as popular as it was in the 80's with people chatting to each other over the other side of th eworld. Unlike CB licences which I believe you can still get at the post office, to be a ham you need to get a specific licence from OFCOM and (I believe) pass an exam including morse code still.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - characticus - 14-05-20
Have a play around on some of the SDR sites like http://hackgreensdr.org:8901/
Will let you listen in, see how much activity there is on the bands and whether its of interest.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - Streetbudgie - 14-05-20
(14-05-20, 07:20 PM)characticus link Wrote: Have a play around on some of the SDR sites like http://hackgreensdr.org:8901/Cheers buddy I'll check it out
Will let you listen in, see how much activity there is on the bands and whether its of interest.
Re: CB or Amateur Radio - Streetbudgie - 14-05-20
I've been doing a bit more research this evening and HAM radio seems the way to go, there are a couple of tests and certificates to get but I should have all that knowledge anyway, if not I'm sure it's doable
I wonder if I could apply for my Dad's old call sign, that would be nice.