The Citizens Band Radio Service, or CB as it is commonly known, is a type of radio communication belonging to the category of personal radio services. As with other types of PRS, such as FRS, GMRS, MURS and LPRS (Low Power Radio Service), CB is intended for personal and professional use. BC falls under Part 95 of the FCC Rules. A CB radio does not need a license to operate. Glen commented that antenna height is not as important as the «setting» of your radio. This is incredibly false. You can «tune» your radio however you want, but if you have a bad antenna or an antenna at very low altitude, your ability to contact other stations will be severely limited. I know there are a lot of fish stories about a mobile antenna mounted on the trunk lid talking to Mars or something like that… But antenna design and height above the ground are the two most important factors for hearing and being heard. Have you ever seen the antenna of a television station mounted on ten feet? There is a reason for that.

I hope this will give you a better understanding of legal CB radio and illegal CB radio. If the FCC comes to your home and inspects your station and your CB transmits even half a watt of power in addition to or exceeds 100% 1% modulation, they can take legal action against you. It is a well-known fact that millions of radio stations have been illegally modified and are used daily in the United States, and in 99% of these cases, operators will never be harassed by the FCC for operating an illegal radio station. The FCC doesn`t have the manpower to track every person with Roger echoes or beeps or extra frequencies that exceed 100% modulation, and frankly, even if they did, it wouldn`t be an efficient use of government resources. The FCC focuses on capturing troublemakers, people who broadcast recordings for hours, people who broadcast with large amounts of illegal power that cause interference, and operators who interfere with other tapes. Legal CB radios can be operated by anyone, as long as the operator complies with all FCC rules for the citizen band. However, these height restrictions do not apply to devices mounted on vehicles or handheld computers. The frequency channels for CB radio are different and allowed by each country.

These country-specific restrictions must be respected. Among the channels, channel 9 can only be used for emergency or travel assistance. One-way connections are also excluded, with the exception of emergency tests, travel assistance and radio. CB also cannot be used for entertainment purposes such as transmitting music or sound effects. The transmission of the word «MAYDAY» is also prohibited unless you are on board a ship or aircraft threatened by imminent serious danger. If you set your CB radio to a modulation greater than 100%, the transmission of your radio is now illegal. If you set your radio so that the output power exceeds FCC rules, your radio should no longer be transmitted. Output levels for CB radios are clearly defined in Rule 10 of Part 95.410 of the FCC Rules for Personal Radio Services.

www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_10/47cfr95_10.html. I am still wondering if I need a low power amateur radio license for SSB, which can be found on CB radios. Remember, if you buy twenty export radios and then try to sell them, you suddenly fall into a new class of sellers (someone with the intention of distributing) and distributing export radios to end users is illegal. While the rules aren`t entirely clear, it`s safe to assume that if you`re trying to make money selling multiple export radio stations, you`re probably breaking the law and the FCC might try to pin you down. Do you want to know something about Power on ssb? Most long-time SSB users like 20 to 30 watts. Why is it only 12. and if we only use 12 watts with an antenna that buys that 30+ power that`s OK. Like a 4th quod. I`ve been on the track for 40 years. And I don`t understand why there are only 40 Chanels for cb. And thought they had made it much easier to access amateur radio. Over time, much is lost.

There is no minimum age for the operation of a CB radio. In fact. almost anyone can use CB. According to FCC rules (95-403), «You are authorized to operate a CB station unless: (a) you are a foreign government, a representative of a foreign government, or a federal agency; OR (b) The FCC has issued you a cease and desist order, and the injunction is still in effect. Follow us closely here. The FCC considers that the rule-based licensing system applies only to CB radios that comply with technical rules. Mr. Hays` overwhelming radio did not fit and therefore did not fall under the licensing rule. This was an offence on the part of Mr. Hays because he did not have a licence. The basic penalty for the offence is $10,000. The FCC increased the amount to $15,000 in light of the repeated violation.

Wait a minute. You do not need a license for a CB radio. Well, okay, technically you do, but it`s not something you have to ask. Anyone with a CB radio is automatically considered as such. The FCC calls this «license by rule,» a legal fiction that makes life easier for everyone. Including the FCC, which has long had enough of licking stamps to send real licenses. It is simply illegal to make changes to your CB radio. What does that mean? You can`t legally change anything on the radio and then use the radio to broadcast. That means you can`t legally add an echo card, you can`t add a Roger beep, you can`t remove the modulation limiter, you can`t replace the final transistor. You can`t legally change anything on the radio as it invalidates the FCC certification. The CB service operates on 40 shared channels in AM mode or Single SideBand (SSB) mode.

SSB offers less noise and greater range than AM mode and is usually found on high-end CB radios. SSB has two modes, Upper Sideband and Lower Sideband. You can only communicate with other SSB-CB radios in SSB mode. CB radios are also standard. Popular brands include Cobra, Galaxy, Midland, President, and Uniden. Cobra is one of the most well-known and established CB radio brands in the world. There are two basic types of CB radios from these manufacturers: mobile (usually mounted in vehicles) and portable (such as standard radios or walkie-talkies). Mobile units cost between $40 and $200. Uniden PC68LTW, Galaxy DX 959 SSB and Cobra 148 GTL SSB are all mobile CB radios that offer many high-end features for experienced CB users in the high-end range. For the beginner CB user, the equally mobile Uniden PRO510XL is a good simple entry-level radio that costs just $39.99.

CB portable radios like the Cobra HH roadtrip and HH 38 WX ST CB radios typically cost between $40 and $180. Now, let`s talk about the things that are legal with your CB radio and the things that are illegal with your radio. If the FCC determines that a user is violating any of the above rules, the user can be fined up to $10,000 by the FCC. Even if you don`t need a license, always follow these rules when using a CB radio. Although no license is required, CB radio must be operated within the technical parameters of the FCC rules.