My first posting,having just discovered the site.
Was just wondering how many of you guys and gals use CB? Ive been hgv 2 for 6+ years and use it daily for directions,traffic reports,speed trap locations and just having a chat on the long halls.I reckon 80% of trucks have cb ariels and there are still lots of homebaser’s around and cb suppliers for that matter (thunderpole crow lane northampton,cb shack at lymm truckstop to name but a few).
Dogs Dinner:
.I reckon 80% of trucks have cb ariels and there are still lots of homebaser’s around and cb suppliers for that matter
nearer to 8 % round here 
mainly used by tippers as far as I can see - sold mine on ebay a couple of years ago 
I have one but, it doesnt get used that much any more
Hi Dogs,and welcome to all things trucky,type thingy things.
Have a look at this:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … ight=radio
Ken.
ellies dad:
I have one but, it doesnt get used that much any more
Is that due to the tightening of the rules regarding the controlling of the vehicle whilst on a communication device 
Since the hand held mobile phone law, a lot have not used them for fear of being done for not being in proper control of the vehicle - it aint worth a possible 6 points.
welcome to the site , dogs dinner
Who you on for?
Welcome Dogs Dinner 
Artic soon
ROG:
ellies dad:
I have one but, it doesnt get used that much any moreIs that due to the tightening of the rules regarding the controlling of the vehicle whilst on a communication device
Since the hand held mobile phone law, a lot have not used them for fear of being done for not being in proper control of the vehicle - it aint worth a possible 6 points.
No rog. More to do with the fact that less than half of irish trucks on the road have irish drivers
You guys use AM or FM? We mostly use AM here in NI, i was led to believe that FM is more popular in mainland.
ROG:
[ a lot have not used them for fear of being done for not being in proper control of the vehicle - it aint worth a possible 6 points.
Rog, this is usually dealt with by way of an endorsable ticket…3 points and 60 squids (the same penalty as the specific “using mobile phone whilst driving” offence).
I’d agree with the sentiment though, just not worth it. Shame 'cos I enjoyed chatting away on mine before I sold it, and it was certainly useful for directions and speed traps etc.
Shrek:
ROG:
[ a lot have not used them for fear of being done for not being in proper control of the vehicle - it aint worth a possible 6 points.Rog, this is usually dealt with by way of an endorsable ticket…3 points and 60 squids (the same penalty as the specific “using mobile phone whilst driving” offence).
I’d agree with the sentiment though, just not worth it.
I was thinking about a possible ‘due care & attention’ which, I think, is 6 points - could be wrong 
Yes indeed mate, but that would have to be a court job…it’s in the lap of the Gods then! 
just put my cb for sale on ebay yesterday
You can of course buy voice operated mic’s for a radio, or a switch on one of your stalks would be ok.
As regards FM or AM, as far I know unless the law has changed only FM radios are legal in the UK, as well as there being restrictions on power and aerial size, ensuring that only about 10 watts of ERP (effective radiated power) is emitted.
Of course if you become a radio ham the country is covered with a repeater network which means that you can more than double your range, and you can use much more power.
fmtrucker:
just put my cb for sale on ebay yesterday
How much u want for it and item number etc?
Al
Smart Mart, in the main you are correct but CB is supposed to be restricted to 4 watts and antenna restrictions Ive lost track of.
On Amateur Radio there are now 3 levels of license
Foundation (M3 +3 letters ) 10 watts but NOT allowed to use home built transmitters
Intermediate (2E0 +3 letters) 50 watts and can make own transmitting gear
Advanced (M0 +3 letters) 400 watts and several other priviliges
My callsign was a class B license which meant I never did Morse Code so was restricted to VHF and higher frequencies (Since the Morse requirement for HF was scrubbed Im now an Advanced License holder)
As I have stated elsewhere (As has Quinney) 2 metres wipes the floor on range with 27 MHz on direct contacts.
There is a net over at Sheffield that uses 2 metres, 70 centimetres and 10 metres
(145 MHz, 433 MHz and 29.6 MHz) with my setup 10 Metres was the most marginal by far.
Also I have heard drivers getting into GB3CF (2m repeater to the west of Leicester) while driving near Spalding under FLAT conditions.
In hilly terain I’ll admit CB slithers over the lumpy stuff better than 2 metres. But then I’d go to 80 metres (3.5 MHz) and go for the short skip
Smart Mart, in the main you are correct but CB is supposed to be restricted to 4 watts and antenna restrictions Ive lost track of.
On Amateur Radio there are now 3 levels of license
Foundation (M3 +3 letters ) 10 watts but NOT allowed to use home built transmitters
Intermediate (2E0 +3 letters) 50 watts and can make own transmitting gear
Advanced (M0 +3 letters) 400 watts and several other priviliges
My callsign was a class B license which meant I never did Morse Code so was restricted to VHF and higher frequencies (Since the Morse requirement for HF was scrubbed Im now an Advanced License holder)
As I have stated elsewhere (As has Quinney) 2 metres wipes the floor on range with 27 MHz on direct contacts.
There is a net over at Sheffield that uses 2 metres, 70 centimetres and 10 metres
(145 MHz, 433 MHz and 29.6 MHz) with my setup 10 Metres was the most marginal by far.
Also I have heard drivers getting into GB3CF (2m repeater to the west of Leicester) while driving near Spalding under FLAT conditions.
In hilly terain I’ll admit CB slithers over the lumpy stuff better than 2 metres. But then I’d go to 80 metres (3.5 MHz) and go for the short skip
Also there is a 10 metre repeater near Northampton but it is unusable by the time I get to Kettering. This is with an Icom IC706 mk2G which is NOT deaf like most CBs and using a DX27 (mobile 5/8 wave) trimmed to 29.6 MHz
Further to the above…
Last weeks foggy and cold conditions,brought out the best in VHF 2m operations in certain parts of the UK.
On my local repeater,and I kid you not,I worked 2 stations together,in contact.One was in Cromer,in North Norfolk,and the other was in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham,and I’m based near the GB3YW repeater near Wakefield.This was on my way home,using my mobile radio,a Yaesu FT 7800,running at about 10 watts.
At one point when I was on local work that day,I had a lengthy conversation with the guy in Cromer,as I was sat at J41 M1,on my Yaesu FT 60 handheld with a partially charged battery,into the repeater,at about 3 watts. He also had a back to back conversation the same day, (Or simplex as we call it,) not using a repeater,into Doncaster,using 50 watts.
And it’s surprising how many truck drivers are switching to amateur radio nowadays,so much so,I’m Chairman of my local radio club.
If you would like to know more about where to get into ham radio,and are interested in perhaps taking the M3 foundation course,then pm me your details,including your town,and I will get you the details of your local club.
Ken.
M3SSQ and 2E0SSQ.
Quinny:
Further to the above…At one point when I was on local work that day,I had a lengthy conversation with the guy in Cromer,as I was sat at J41 M1,on my Yaesu FT 60 handheld with a partially charged battery,into the repeater,at about 3 watts. He also had a back to back conversation the same day, (Or simplex as we call it,) not using a repeater,into Doncaster,using 50 watts.
And it’s surprising how many truck drivers are switching to amateur radio nowadays,so much so,I’m Chairman of my local radio club.
Does’nt really make any difference if it’s VHF or FM you still cant use it on the road, though I think either is worth having especialy if you happen to be on nights out
hi all,thanks for the replys,firstly to shade im with Porrettas haulage of coventry, how bout yourself? And quinney,yeah had a look at that thanks but theres still many of us out there.I think it will always be tho numbers will obviously go up and down with people leaving the industry and new (yeah im told there are a few NEW drivers out there!! taking it up. Like i said before i find it great,i mean sure some people have it on all day, some switch on when the moterway stops to see whats happened and how to re-route around it and some just stay on there channel if there in convoy. American truckers all have them,and i think we could use them alot more eg,when a wagon pulls into the warehouse yard the driver could be told to wait in his/her cab and go to a channel and wait to be called to bay whatever.There must be many more ways to help driver and operations flow more quickly with cb.