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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2009 18:17:46 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2009 18:29:58 GMT -5
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Oct 27, 2009 11:45:31 GMT -5
Yea, but these are all gimmicks. How about bringing the radio design into the 21st century with some real time DSP, low noise GaSFET preamp, or some other performance enhancing circuitry? |
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Post by Tombstone (R.I.P.) on Oct 27, 2009 12:40:19 GMT -5
Yeah, Sandbagger, I agree that there should be real changes to improve performance. It seems to me that the added gimmicks will make repairs more difficult.
Tombstone
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Post by cbrown on Oct 27, 2009 12:42:00 GMT -5
Yea, but these are all gimmicks. How about bringing the radio design into the 21st century with some real time DSP, low noise GaSFET preamp, or some other performance enhancing circuitry? That would be great to have, but I wonder what the actual cost to the consumer those features would be. If they knew they could move enough high end units like that, I'm sure it wouldn't add too much to their manufacturing costs. |
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Post by cbrown on Oct 27, 2009 12:43:39 GMT -5
Yeah, Sandbagger, I agree that there should be real changes to improve performance. It seems to me that the added gimmicks will make repairs more difficult. Tombstone Repairs on radios are easy; you just need the right sized screwdriver...   |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2009 15:53:45 GMT -5
Dave,
3 reasons. Cost, cost, cost. But I agree with you. Still the gimmicks are better than anything we have seen in the last 20 years.
BTW, I am going to buy one of these radio to put in my car, so I can use it when I drive to yours and Spitfires home, to plant bush boogies in the woods!
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Oct 27, 2009 17:54:11 GMT -5
Dave, 3 reasons. Cost, cost, cost. But I agree with you. Still the gimmicks are better than anything we have seen in the last 20 years. BTW, I am going to buy one of these radio to put in my car, so I can use it when I drive to yours and Spitfires home, to plant bush boogies in the woods! Ha ha! Well you might as well join the club, and you can load up your CB's MP3 player with CW MCall's greatest hits on your way up....... Now I wonder how hard it would be to get that MP3 player to transmit over the air, and then it would make a nice bush boogie radio........ ;D And I guess you're right about the cost of innovation. But this stuff isn't exactly rocket science any more. So if they can invest R&D money into "gimmick" bells and whistles, it shouldn't be much more to introduce some real performance enhancements. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2009 19:40:21 GMT -5
The problem is more with cost of low quantity manufactured units. Let's face it. CB is not a mass consumer item that it was in the 1970's because of that, they don't make that many. ANd that increases the cost of adding gimmicks.
What you need is a CB version of a company like Elecraft or Ten Tec. A company that builds quality units, in low numbers. Of course, they would cost more, but I have seen people dump a ton of money in amps, echo, talkback, modulators, and all that junk.
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Post by mark on Oct 28, 2009 12:38:13 GMT -5
Ok... Yes that is fine but lets look at reality for a second. Even the new $12000.00 Icom 7800 does not perform but a SMALL FRACTION better than a PROPERLY aligned Cobra 2000 listening on AM or even SSB in the the CB bands only!!!! Lets face reality and admit that we are really bumping up against limitations in technology which were reached back in the early 1980's with radio performance. Id rather have a good Cobra 2000 at about $300.00USD vs an Icom 7800 at $12000.00USD for CB use ANY DAY!! If you can't hear the guy on your good Cobra 2000, then why the hell would you really want to make your ears bleed trying to pull him out on a $12000.00 radio anyhow... I think I'd rather go mow my lawn...
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Post by cbrown on Oct 28, 2009 14:12:51 GMT -5
I'd like to see one company market a high end radio for CB, like the way they did with the Stoner SSB radios.
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Lonestar
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Post by Lonestar on Oct 30, 2009 3:54:47 GMT -5
I'm in agreement, that 11m CB needs to be technologically updated. With today's microprocessors and manufacturing capability, this can be done for not much more per unit than a current-production mid-to-high-end rig, IMHO. Improved RF stages, full-spectrum audio [receive and transmit] and operating aids [noise blankers, filters, even selcall and CTCSS tones] should be the order of the day. Also, I'd love to see mobile rigs that can be integrated as seamlessly as possible with modern automotive entertainment systems. And we all know how much a PITA it is to mount aftermarket transceivers [CB and Amateur] in today's plasticized cars with center consoles.  |
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Post by cbrown on Oct 30, 2009 13:19:29 GMT -5
Amen. Back in the mid 1970's I mounted a Hy-gain 9 CB in my dad's car. He wanted a radio, but nothing hanging down or strapped anywhere.
With today's remote face mount technology, you could do a really nice radio install.
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Post by woodchuck on Nov 10, 2009 8:16:34 GMT -5
I think it is cool it will bring CB's back.they were losing ground to cell phones and computers so it probably is high priced but what new to the world thing is'nt.
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Post by cbrown on Nov 10, 2009 14:22:34 GMT -5
With the economy in the slump that it's in, I wouldn't be surprised to see some people abandon cell phones and go back to two way.
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Post by wd8nia on Nov 10, 2009 16:03:39 GMT -5
Ironically, I've been seriously thinking about a commercial repeater and paging system. The one-time expense calculates out to be less than 2 years of cell phone charges.
The difficulty is in getting a frequency I want in my area.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 10, 2009 18:33:51 GMT -5
Ironically, I've been seriously thinking about a commercial repeater and paging system. The one-time expense calculates out to be less than 2 years of cell phone charges. The difficulty is in getting a frequency I want in my area. Nothing available on GMRS? |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 10, 2009 18:37:48 GMT -5
With the economy in the slump that it's in, I wouldn't be surprised to see some people abandon cell phones and go back to two way. I seriously doubt it. The typical cell-phone geek would probably rather give up their cable TV. A 2-way radio system can't call other phones, or do text or web surfing, and without those gadgets, it's pretty useless to most non-radio types. |
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Post by cbrown on Nov 11, 2009 13:30:34 GMT -5
Nothing available on GMRS? In some places the people are terrible on GMRS. The New York City area especially.  |
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Post by cbrown on Nov 11, 2009 13:33:04 GMT -5
I seriously doubt it. The typical cell-phone geek would probably rather give up their cable TV. A 2-way radio system can't call other phones, or do text or web surfing, and without those gadgets, it's pretty useless to most non-radio types. I was thinking more about the older people who may have used a two way radio in the past. People who don't spend every waking minute texting people or updating everyone on facebook about their latest bowel movement. I doubt you'd be able to pry a cell phone out of a kids dead hands.  |
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Post by wd8nia on Nov 11, 2009 16:39:15 GMT -5
Ironically, I've been seriously thinking about a commercial repeater and paging system. The one-time expense calculates out to be less than 2 years of cell phone charges. The difficulty is in getting a frequency I want in my area. Nothing available on GMRS? It's in my short list of options and it's relatively underutilized in these parts. Still, the sharing factor's a negative along with equipment cost; would require three repeaters and commercial grade units for the coverage I need. I'm looking at PCS Broadband for the moment. Good used equipment is available at bargain basement prices. |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 12, 2009 7:56:13 GMT -5
I seriously doubt it. The typical cell-phone geek would probably rather give up their cable TV. A 2-way radio system can't call other phones, or do text or web surfing, and without those gadgets, it's pretty useless to most non-radio types. I was thinking more about the older people who may have used a two way radio in the past. People who don't spend every waking minute texting people or updating everyone on facebook about their latest bowel movement. I doubt you'd be able to pry a cell phone out of a kids dead hands. Speaking as one of those "getting older" folks who wasn't brought up with twitching text fingers, I can say that I'm far more comfortable using a 2-way radio than a cell phone. I know several long time hams who feel similarly. The fact that a cell phone uses radio waves doesn't seem to count. I think part of it stems from the fact that we've been doing mobile communications for decades (and were often looked at strangely by the public at large while doing it), and now that everyone else is doing it, it's no longer a big deal. I remember when I used to vacation up in the mountains back in the 70's. Most of the people there didn't have telephone service at their vacation cottages, and they used to rely on CB radio to communicate around the area. Most of the stores, marinas, and service providers were similarly equipped. So it was a simple matter to just call for someone on the radio if you needed something. I'd be happy to wind the clock back to that time...... |
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Post by cbrown on Nov 12, 2009 14:19:33 GMT -5
If I've sent 10 texts to people, I'd be amazed. I prefer voice communications. I'd rather talk than type. Probably come from the fact that I hate typing. The only thing I don't miss about the 1970's radio was the huge influx of people that weren't willing to learn how to operate the radio and figured everything they saw in the movies was the right way to do it. That was a nightmare to deal with. |
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Post by crazybob on Nov 12, 2009 14:29:44 GMT -5
..I'd love to be stuck in the 60's, & the early 70's. As far as I'm concerned, January 1st 1977 was the day that CB radio died.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 12, 2009 19:49:57 GMT -5
..I'd love to be stuck in the 60's, & the early 70's. As far as I'm concerned, January 1st 1977 was the day that CB radio died. Well, that was the day 40 channel radios became legal, but the band didn't really start to die until sometime in the early 80's, right about the time the sunspot cycle peaked and drove away most of the locals. |
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Post by wd8nia on Nov 13, 2009 10:04:53 GMT -5
Cb hasn't changed much in my area from what it was in the 1970s. No coffee breaks, per se; REACT's dead; and, the old 70s crew is thinning out via attrition.
On the other hand, what's left of the crew meet up occasionally for breakfast and long coffee sessions at Hardees. A couple of folks monitor Channel 9 and let the rest of us know about stranded motorists, etc. Trucker info's still alive and going strong....there's surely the same amount or more of radio checks, 10-36s, and the likes, and still plenty of truckers on 19 (was 10 until the dawning of 40 channels). Channel 10's still the "Bozo" channel and there's never been a shortage of bozos on it. As members of the old crew have gone to their just rewards, new people have slid into their slots and have become oldtimers while we weren't paying attention. Every morning clusters of us meet on channels 17 and 22 and people from both interact.
The biggest changes over the years have been most of us oldtimers are now HAMs and the equipment. Otherwise, either things haven't changed a whole lot or the transition was so smooth and drawn out it changed without us noticing it.
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Post by cbrown on Nov 13, 2009 13:28:37 GMT -5
..I'd love to be stuck in the 60's, & the early 70's. As far as I'm concerned, January 1st 1977 was the day that CB radio died. Around here Christmas Day 1977 was pretty bad. Smokey & The Bandit was a huge hit, and almost every parent got themselves and their kids a CB radio. It was a nightmare. Those of us who had extended frequencies took off to them as fast as we could tune them in. |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 13, 2009 15:11:58 GMT -5
Cb hasn't changed much in my area from what it was in the 1970s. No coffee breaks, per se; REACT's dead; and, the old 70s crew is thinning out via attrition. On the other hand, what's left of the crew meet up occasionally for breakfast and long coffee sessions at Hardees. A couple of folks monitor Channel 9 and let the rest of us know about stranded motorists, etc. Trucker info's still alive and going strong....there's surely the same amount or more of radio checks, 10-36s, and the likes, and still plenty of truckers on 19 (was 10 until the dawning of 40 channels). Channel 10's still the "Bozo" channel and there's never been a shortage of bozos on it. As members of the old crew have gone to their just rewards, new people have slid into their slots and have become oldtimers while we weren't paying attention. Every morning clusters of us meet on channels 17 and 22 and people from both interact. The biggest changes over the years have been most of us oldtimers are now HAMs and the equipment. Otherwise, either things haven't changed a whole lot or the transition was so smooth and drawn out it changed without us noticing it. Well, in my area, it's a little bit different, although some of the elements of what you stated are true as well, at least to some degree. Activity peaked in the late 70's, where practically every other channel was taken up by one group or another. We had teenagers groups, "old farts" groups, working Joes (and Janes) groups, and there were occasional squabbles between them over bleedover and what not. Once the CB fad died (hastened on by the brutal noise from the DX cycle which made it rough to hear people more than a few miles away), the whole landscape changed in the 80's. Rougher talking, more power driven, and gadget crazed people took over for the "good clean fun" people of the 60's and 70's. A lot of technical experimentation went on and people spread out from 26 to 28 Mhz. But as the years went on, the old timers who still hung in there, slowly started packing it in, and even some of the newer folks lost interest and faded away. By the late 90's, only a handful of channels had any sort of regular activity. Today, we have one channel with regular local activity, and a few others with more distant people. There seems to be a revival of sorts with people trying to reconnect with their inner 70's again, so all is not lost. At least not until the next sunspot cycle peaks again. |
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Post by crazybob on Nov 13, 2009 16:03:10 GMT -5
Christmas morning 1974. I was living in Ventnor, NJ, near Atlantic City. Our home channel was 14. You guessed it! About a thousand kids got walkie talkies!
We used 27.125 as our club channel, "Channel 14 Control". I had a beat up TRAM Titan II, a Kris Big Boomer, & a A/S Mighty Mag ant. on the roof of the Ventnor theatre where my $100.00 a month apartment was, & I worked as a projectionist.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Nov 13, 2009 22:53:15 GMT -5
Christmas morning 1974. I was living in Ventnor, NJ, near Atlantic City. Our home channel was 14. You guessed it! About a thousand kids got walkie talkies! We used 27.125 as our club channel, "Channel 14 Control". I had a beat up TRAM Titan II, a Kris Big Boomer, & a A/S Mighty Mag ant. on the roof of the Ventnor theatre where my $100.00 a month apartment was, & I worked as a projectionist. Every Christmas morning throughout the 70's we used to jump up to channel 14 just to hear the dozens of new walkie-talkie users. I was one of them myself in 1969, and for a couple of years afterward. As a teenager myself back then, my friends and I used to look for those voices which sounded like they might be a little more serious about radio than just playing "secret agent" or "I spy" with their WT's. We used to Elmer those more serious guys and kindle their interest in radio, and before you knew it, they were following the same evolutionary path that most of my friends and I had taken, from 100 mW WT to 1 or 2 watt WT, to 4 watt radio. By Christmas 1975, the "fad" had started and some of those newbies got full fledged CB radios on Christmas. Some would enjoy the hobby for years, while others would be gone in less than a year. A couple I'm still friends with to this day. On Christmas in 1974, I was running my Lafayette Comstat 25 into a Radio Shack "Super Maxim" 1/2 wave ground plane. I received my first ($20) CB license for Christmas that year, with the call sign KIN-4577. Sometimes I'll fire up that radio and try to bring back those old memories. I'm glad I still have it....... |
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