CB radio


What are they

CB radios have been around for decades. They are RF transceivers which enable 2-way communications by means of radio waves. Therefore they require neither infrastructure nor subscriptions.


So if you want to communicate with someone in a remote area where there is no telecom infrastructure, all you need to establish communications with someone are:

- 2 CB-radios (one on each side)
- 2 Antennas (one on each side)
- Power (either from the mains or from batteries)

Features

  • 26.965 - 27.405 MHz divided into 40 channels
  • Line-of-sight
  • Max Tx power 4Watts in AM more
  • Max Tx power 12Watts Peak Envelop Power in SSB mode
  • 5-30 km range
  • No licence required

Users and use cases

  • Used by hobbyists, truckers, offroad campers, etc
  • Rescuers can coordinate efforts after natural disasters due to the ease of setup and use
  • Can become the only available means of communication in remote areas with little to no infrastructure


Hint
It is very important to ensure proper installation of the antenna BEFORE you power on your CB radio. Failure to do so could result in device damage.

CB Radio channels

CB Channel

CB Frequency (MHz)

Common Usage

1

26.965

Open to everyone

2

26.975

Open to everyone

3

26.985

Open to everyone

4

27.005

Open to everyone
(Often used for 4x4s/off-roading)

5

27.015

Open to everyone

6

27.025

Open to everyone

7

27.035

Open to everyone

8

27.055

Open to everyone

9

27.065

Emergency communications

10

27.075

Open to everyone
(Often used by truckers)

11

27.085

Open to everyone

12

27.105

Open to everyone

13

27.115

Open to everyone
(often used by marine/RVers)

14

27.125

Open to everyone
(often used by walkie-talkies)

15

27.135

Open to everyone

16

27.155

Open to everyone (and SSB)

17

27.165

Open to everyone
(often used by truckers)

18

27.175

Open to everyone

19

27.185

Truckers

20

27.205

Open to everyone

21

27.215

Open to everyone
(Often used by truckers)

22

27.225

Open to everyone

23

27.255

Open to everyone

24

27.235

Open to everyone

25

27.245

Open to everyone

26

27.265

Open to everyone

27

27.275

Open to everyone

28

27.285

Open to everyone

29

27.295

Open to everyone

30

27.305

Open to everyone

31

27.315

Open to everyone

32

27.325

Open to everyone

33

27.335

Open to everyone

34

27.345

Open to everyone

35

27.355

Open to everyone

36

27.365

Open to everyone (and SSB)

37

27.375

Open to everyone (and SSB)

38

27.385

Open to everyone (and SSB, LSB)

39

27.395

Open to everyone (and SSB)

40

27.405

Open to everyone (and SSB)

The list is courtesy of www.rightchannelradios.com

Pros

  • Easy to setup and use
  • No need for a phone line or internet
  • No need for a license
  • Can be used at home, in a car or while camping
  • Affordable

Cons

  • A range of 5-30km can be considered short compared to other communication methods
  • Can be affected by nearby electromagnetic signals which produces noise
  • Relatively large antennas given the operating frequency