Anybody listening to CB lately?

[Northcutt114]

I know, I know...but I'm curious. The skip has been crazy the last couple of days. Channels are just absolutely eaten up with it. I just ran to the store to return something from amazon and was listening to a guy in Tuscon AZ and it was like he was sitting in the truck next to me. It's almost on every channel. Last night there was some guy on 9 just making police siren noises. Anybody else noticing this or is the CB too pedestrian for this crowd?

 

[WRYS709]

2 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I just ran to the store to return something from amazon and was listening to a guy in Tuscon AZ and it was like he was sitting in the truck next to me. 

Like we are supposed to know where you are??

What’s the FT8 channel??

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

Like we are supposed to know where you are??

My location is clearly listed under my username, but I'm in the south eastern part of these US of A.

 

[Davichko5650]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

. Anybody else noticing this or is the CB too pedestrian for this crowd?

 

I check in with the Outhouse Net with NCS Outhouse 15 on Saturdays at 9:00 pm Central. 38 lower. Then at 10 it's the Saturday Nite Sidewinders on 40 lower.  That's local here in ST Paul, MN. When the skip is in they get a number of DX members calling in.

With Sat. Night HamTalk on the 145.450 repeater here and then the Insomniacs Net at Midnight on the 145.85 machine, a busy evening on the radio.

Mondays at 6 pm local is the St Paul GMRS Wolverines Net on Ch 19 Simplex.  Usually a good group on there as well.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

My location is clearly listed under my username, but I'm in the south eastern part of these US of A.

 

What you see and what we see are different:

[Northcutt114]

53 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

What you see and what we see are different:

Underneath my post count on the left hand side of the screen, you don't see "Location: ECONUS?"

 

[OffRoaderX]

3 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

Underneath my post count on the left hand side of the screen, you don't see "Location: ECONUS?"

I see it (I thought everyone sees it).

[Northcutt114]

Just now, OffRoaderX said:

I see it (I thought everyone sees it).

Your original response was much better. But yes, I thought we all saw it.

Anyhow, just curious if anyone regularly listens to CB and has noticed a pretty dramatic uptick in DX over the past few days, regardless of where you live. I imagine if it's hoping near me, it's probably hoping elsewhere.

 

[UncleYoda]

2 hours ago, Northcutt114 said:

My location is clearly listed under my username, but I'm in the south eastern part of these US of A.

 

Me and my ancestors have been in the Southeast since those pesky pilgrims stepped on that rock up North.  And I have no dadblame clue where you are except I remember mentions of Charleston and GA.  [But I can find out if I want to.]

ECONUS might almost spell East coast of US, but the N doesn't fit.

Or is it Eastern Continental US?

[SteveShannon]

21 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

Underneath my post count on the left hand side of the screen, you don't see "Location: ECONUS?"

 

Yes, but I don’t see how that “clearly” means “southeastern coastal USA.”

[Northcutt114]

20 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

Or is it Eastern Continental US?

That would be correct. 

[Northcutt114]

16 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Yes, but I don’t see how that “clearly” means “southeastern coastal USA.”

Fair enough. But in terms of DX on CB frequencies, I felt it was enough of a location. 

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, Northcutt114 said:

My location is clearly listed under my username, but I'm in the south eastern part of these US of A.

 

“Clearly”?!?

is “Posted 3 hours ago” a suburb of Acworth?!?

 

[marcspaz]

I don't mess with CB anymore. Even with 1,000w and a dipole at 100 feet, I couldn't compete with the powerhouse stations these guys have today. I have my little Cobra 75 All Road in my center console, but couldn't tell you the last time I plugged it in, never mind turned it on.

[WRYZ926]

I haven't listened to CB in a while but the 10m band has opened back up lately. HF bands die down during the summer do to atmospheric absorption. As we go into fall and winter then all HF bands will pick back up. This includes CB as it is the 11m band which is right below the 10m band.

It wouldn't surprise me if I start hearing that one Puerto Rico station on channel 9 again. He comes in super out like he is sitting right next to me yelling.

[Northcutt114]

15 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

“Clearly”?!

I guess you use a different format than the rest of us.

[WRXB215]

7 hours ago, marcspaz said:

I don't mess with CB anymore. Even with 1,000w and a dipole at 100 feet, I couldn't compete with the powerhouse stations these guys have today. I have my little Cobra 75 All Road in my center console, but couldn't tell you the last time I plugged it in, never mind turned it on.

This is an area where I wish the FCC would actually do something. These yahoos should not be allowed to screw it up for all the normal people.

[marcspaz]

6 hours ago, WRXB215 said:

This is an area where I wish the FCC would actually do something. These yahoos should not be allowed to screw it up for all the normal people.

 

No doubt. When I was a kid, linear amplifiers were common among owners, but they were a few hundred watts and the overall population was a fraction of what it is today. So back then, during peak solar activity, someone using a stock 12w SSB radio could talk from New England to Dominican Republic with a good antenna. Now, when 'skip is in' there is so much trash on the band, you're lucky to hear someone local to you over all the noise.

[BoxCar]

13 hours ago, marcspaz said:

 

So back then, during peak solar activity, someone using a stock 12w SSB radio could talk from New England to Dominican Republic with a good antenna.

I had a Star Duster back then.

[SteveShannon]

 

On 9/26/2025 at 4:08 AM, marcspaz said:

I don't mess with CB anymore. Even with 1,000w and a dipole at 100 feet, I couldn't compete with the powerhouse stations these guys have today. I have my little Cobra 75 All Road in my center console, but couldn't tell you the last time I plugged it in, never mind turned it on.

 

19 hours ago, WRXB215 said:

This is an area where I wish the FCC would actually do something. These yahoos should not be allowed to screw it up for all the normal people.

So who are “yahoos” and who the “normal people”, because Marc was using 1000 watts on CB.

[marcspaz]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

 

 

So who are “yahoos” and who the “normal people”, because Marc was using 1000 watts on CB.

 

I think if you key-up your CB and all of your neighbors can hear your voice coming through their refrigerator, microwave, TV, clock radio, birds are falling from the sky and at least 1 car starts by itself, you probably need a visit from the fed boys. LoL

[WRYS709]

Haven’t read this thread: TL; DR

That being said the 11 year solar maximum was October 2024 and everyone who is interested should get into HF before this phenomenon goes away!

if that means:

General Class Ham Radio: the most optimal experience. 

Tech Class Ham Radio: 10 meters SSB, CW and FT8

CB on 11 meters AM, SSB and now FM: Enjoy!

[RoadApple]

I listen to CB every once in a while and those guys running massive amplifiers are all over the band.  Ironically, for as much talking as they do, they don't seem to say that much.  They are just clogging up the channels with jibber-jabber noise.   I do tend to enjoy a more relaxed radio protocol, but these guys are crazy.

CB today is truly the Wild West of radio...

* Back in the day, any linear powerful enough to allow you to take over 'Jack' at the local Jack-in-the-box drive thru was good enough. 

 

[WRZD727]

I still run a cb in my truck and a base station at home. It’s still fairly active where I’m at in OH. I still like talking skip on SSB, and it’s still king of the road for traffic and weather info. 

[wayoverthere]

i've got a 40 channel radio shack CB in the garage that gets turned on occasionally (with a mag mount antenna stuck on my vw), but it doesn't hear much.  also have a newer am/fm Presdent (Bill II, I think) that gets thrown in the truck for road trips.  

Actually have another trip coming up this weekend (Pacificon-bound), and I'll probably have the little Anytone and the CB on board with a couple of mag mounts on the roof.