I want to set up a SSB rig in my house, big ariel on the outside etc, I realise its not legal, but how illegal is it? What are the likely consiquences of being caught?
SSB isn’t CB for a start, it’s amateur band, although I appreciate the CB band is an amateur band too when it comes down to it (26MHz). SSB = single side band which has an upper and a lower part to it, ie. USB & LSB. CB is transmitted on FM.
I’d strongly advise against transmitting on SSB altogether unless you are familiar with the amateur band frequency allocations and the ‘lingo’. If you transmit on a non-amateur band frequency there is a strong likelihood you’ll wind up in all sorts of trouble, licence or not 
.
Assuming you do know the amateur band frequencies, be aware that the dxers who you talk to will ask you for your callsign and they’ll know if it’s real or not because of a publication that lists them all. If it isn’t real then they’ll know you haven’t got a licence to transmit and could well grass you up.
For the price of the licence, it isn’t worth risking it.
On the side, 
and off topic as usual 
Last week I was running down to the Pyrenees with another bloke from work, so was persuaded to invest in a 40 + 40 Euro / UK rig. I fiited it while Chris slept, and the next 2 days we talked utter nonsense It was as clear as a bell form the off with good signals and copies while the trucks were out of sight of each other, especially in Paris.
However due to a change of plan, I did a changeover in Limoges and came home. The thing is I have hardly heard another sole on the cb since.
Does anybody else have one now, or do they all use mobile phones?
Just fitted a dual AM/FM 12v/24v CB in the truck this week.(bought from an advert here on TN )Vast majority of truckers especially anybody working out of the quarries here in Northern Ireland have them fitted. The band most of us use is AM,illegal I know but it has better reception and I think the powers that be don’t really care anymore!!
SSB isn’t CB for a start, it’s amateur band,
SSB is CB Rob but probably not CB as you know it.
27mhz AM CB started off in the mid to late 70’s over here & became increasingly popular thru to 1981 when our powers that be offered us the 27/81 setup on FM (27mhz 1981). Many of the old boys of AM refused this new fangled garbage & continued to run illegaly (I know theres more than a few of us here !).
In 1978 I was in my first year of driving for a living at the tender age of 18 & did London overnight multidrops 6 nights a week in my little Dodge 
K40 mounted on the roof & a Tristrar 747 SSB rig , it WAS a CB … certainly SSB (+ AM + FM). Could get some fantastic straight distances running in the early hours, there was a real following on USB / LSB in those days & regular channels to “CQ” on … sadly, being such an old ■■■■, my memory fails me.
Back on topic … I would guess these days unless you find a jobsworth that wants to make an example of you, it would probably mean coinfiscation of the equipment & a fine (no idea but would guess enough to make you think … £100 £200 £500 ■■?).
Being a base unit, be careful you don’t interfere with the neighbours TV - many people were caught simply by the neighbours blowing the whislte because it interfered with TV. (Frined of mine had a HI Jumbo & a kilowatt of boots & wondered why he had a visit 
)
SSB - I presume you want it for DXing ■■ IIRC, it all runs on a 9 year cycle of high peaks. 1979 I think was a peak, so that means 1988, 1997 & 2006 should be … Maybe worth a shot - might even have a go meself.
Who remembers the Delta Tango clubs of the 80’s …
Toytown:
SSB isn’t CB for a start, it’s amateur band,
SSB is CB Rob but probably not CB as you know it.
27mhz AM CB started off in the mid to late 70’s over here & became increasingly popular thru to 1981 when our powers that be offered us the 27/81 setup on FM (27mhz 1981). Many of the old boys of AM refused this new fangled garbage & continued to run illegaly (I know theres more than a few of us here !).
In 1978 I was in my first year of driving for a living at the tender age of 18 & did London overnight multidrops 6 nights a week in my little Dodge
Back on topic … I would guess these days unless you find a jobsworth that wants to make an example of you, it would probably mean coinfiscation of the equipment & a fine (no idea but would guess enough to make you think … £100 £200 £500 ■■?).
Being a base unit, be careful you don’t interfere with the neighbours TV - many people were caught simply by the neighbours blowing the whislte because it interfered with TV. (Frined of mine had a HI Jumbo & a kilowatt of boots & wondered why he had a visit
SSB - I presume you want it for DXing ■■ IIRC, it all runs on a 9 year cycle of high peaks. 1979 I think was a peak, so that means 1988, 1997 & 2006 should be … Maybe worth a shot - might even have a go meself.
Who remembers the Delta Tango clubs of the 80’s …
Yeah I know it’s classed as SSB but in these circles CB and SSB are known as separate things.
I used to regularly talk to a friend of mine who moved to Gibraltar using a home made 200 watt kicker and directional beam. I’ve had all the grief from the neighbours about the tele picture as well … 
.
The cycles you are referring to are known as sun-spots. The sun’s sun spots directly correlate to the ionization of the atmosphere. The number of the sun’s solar spot’s are a strong indicator of the amount of solar activity on the sun’s surface. When the sun spots increase, the amount of solar energy increases dramatically causing the ionosphere to become heavily charged.
The sun goes through a cycle called the Sun Spot Cycle. The sun spot cycle lasts a period of about 11.1 years. About every 5.5 years the sun reaches a low in sunspots where the surface of the sun has almost no spots. In another 5.5 years the sun’s surface is dotted with hundreds of the dark sunspots. This is called the peak of the sunspot cycle.
When sun spot numbers are high, HF propagation becomes increasingly improved through out the world. Hams especially await with anticipation for the peak of the sunspot cycle for the experience of enhanced amateur radio propagation on the HF bands.
The last Sun Spot cycle peaked in 2001 and the next Sun Spot peak will be in 2012.
The only real trouble you can get in is with the DTi if you’re interfering with the neighbours television.
my advice is go to a cb newsgroup…Rob is talking out of the part of the anatomy incapable of facial expression
kcb.co.uk/index2.htm
then follow the links
Why take the risk of having your gear confiscated and incurring a large fine. I am a Radio Ham with a full licence and know that you can now get what is called a foundation licence. No morse code requirement and just a few hours one weekend will get you your licence. This is a restricted licence in respect of the amount of power you can use but it will allow you to use most of the Amateur radio frequencies legally. Most of the “CB” SSB DXers that I knew have now changed to this Amatuer radio license. You will find that there are far more stations on the air than on CB 27mhz and very few “muppets” It is possible with a radio costing less than £100 pounds to talk anywhere in the world with the help of the internet. You will also find a growing number of “truckers” using this form of radio. You will be able to talk for a far greater distance than with any form of CB whilst mobile as well.
At the moment we are at the low end of the sunspot cycle so long distance communication on the 26/27mhz part of the band is practically non existance and won’t be for a few more years. You will get long distance on 14mhz which is one of the Amateur radio bands but only during daylight hours.
Take my advice and look up the Amateur radio web sites for a radio club in your area which will get you your Foundation license. Try www.rsgb.org which is the site of the organisation which governs radio amateurs in the UK. or search for foundation license.
If you need any more info let me know and hope to hear you on the Amateur bands soon, my callsign G0SBP.
Regards
Westie
westie:
Take my advice and look up the Amateur radio web sites for a radio club in your area which will get you your Foundation license. Try www.rsgb.org which is the site of the organisation which governs radio amateurs in the UK. or search for foundation license.If you need any more info let me know and hope to hear you on the Amateur bands soon, my callsign G0SBP.
Regards
Westie
Advice taken, I looked on the RSGB site and theres a guy in my area who instructs on the foundation courses, so he has an email in his in box. Time to wait and see what happens.
In the early eighties I used to have a President Adams with a Zetargi amp which regularly got me to far off british destinations, and just fancy giving it another go, preferably without getting too much greif.
I’m sure Westie’s advice is the way to go. I too had the bug right from the very earliest days (smuggling my little President Veep through Dover in the middle of summer under those big (then) fashionable tartan wooly jackets, wouldn’t do it now - could get shot 
), and a pretty powerful homebase set too. My neighbour complained, to me fortunately, and the problem was quickly solved by the introduction of a couple of little do-hickeys in his aerial wire.
BTW, now we know where Rob’s life-changing move is taking him - as the successor to Patrick Moore. Hope you’re _suit_ably attired Rob .
Despite a certain anatomically derogatory comment from Hitch it sounded like sense to me, but then what do I know?
Malc, is the Euro CB the same as the old 40 AM channels? If so, all my mates here in France use it (19) and also the Irish I think (channel 30?).
Salut, David
Spardo:
Malc, is the Euro CB the same as the old 40 AM channels? If so, all my mates here in France use it (19) and also the Irish I think (channel 30?).Salut, David
No David, as usual the UK do everything different and introduce a CB which operates on a different FM frequency to anyone else
There are still a lot using the AM sets, but the new FM is supposed to be the way forward.
You can still get some French drivers as they use the FM Euro, which comes in handy if Im running with our Bordeaux lads.
There is still a lot of bleed over from the Italians. (bleeding Italians)
The post about smuggling them through Dover reminds me.
When I use to go into Czech, they used to make you put them in a plastic bag and put a seal on the bag As long as the seal was intact at the next border, they wouldnt bother you. So we just ripped the bag open Not the brightest buttons in the box in Rozvadov
The sun goes through a cycle called the Sun Spot Cycle. The sun spot cycle lasts a period of about 11.1 years. About every 5.5 years the sun reaches a low in sunspots where the surface of the sun has almost no spots. In another 5.5 years the sun’s surface is dotted with hundreds of the dark sunspots. This is called the peak of the sunspot cycle.
I stand Corrected Rob
In my defence, it was all off the top of my head & subject to the limitations of my failing old memory AND at gone midnight
You’re obviously either
-
Much younger than me with a better memory
-
Far more intelligent
-
Good at using Mr. Google
SSB on 26 / 27 Mhz is CB & no it’s not a shooting offence I have been prosecuted for both SSB operation & under the Marine Offences Act (MOA)for “setting up & operating” a SW radio station & it’s little more than a smack on the wrist.
The worst you are looking at is loss of equipment & a few hundred pound fine.
A mate was fines £99 +£30 pounds expenses on his last offence of “Setting up & Operating”.
I also use to get some hassle as I ran a P O box used by many of the UK’s SW stations (& a few others,) but despite being a prime target for prosecution & despite being named in the House of Commons as a known prolific offender against the MOA it never went beyond the odd attempt to catch me collecting the mail.
fm euro is what i call the CEPTic band or depending on your persausion FCC mid block
i call our band (UK) what it is, 27/81
anybody go to the black holes
The 27mhz band is quite open at the moment i have had quite a few good contacts back to the UK on the 27/81 FM band and also on the 27mhz ssb Freq. It is up and down so some days there’s not much on but with the sudden changes in the weather there’s been some very good openings.
Customs in Dover are not that bothered about which radio you got in your cab, there got better things to worry about i was talking to a guy in Spain while leaving the port while they was asking where i had been and for my copies of my CMR’S.
DTI will only coming looking for you if they have had a report of interference and only after the complainant has paid the necessary fees to them to investigate if you are caught you will lose all your equipment and a fine.
The Foundation Licence is a great way to start off there’s loads of ways to stay in contact with people who are say in Scotland and you may be in Northampton, if you like to use the SSB side of things like westie says 14mhz is a good band for long distance contact and with only 10watts of power, the only think with this Licence is you can not transmit from over the water.
I pass/ see many trucks with twigs in over the water and when you call them on 19 there’s no answer so if you got one fitted leave it on with the squelch up, you never know who might be calling you or what you might hear.
There is still people who use them over the water channel 24 is popular you can now buy one of these UK/EU spec ones now from Trans marck for £55 so you get the best of both worlds remember most of the Dutch and French truckers speak English.
Right time for bed 10-10 Good Buddy 
Catch yer on the Flip Flop