How to get the best from your CB Radio
Back in 1982 when I got my first CB Radio I was keen to switch it on even though my dad hadn't managed to buy and install an aerial for it. My first set up in order to hear what was out there was to simply unravel a wire coat hanger and stick one end of it in the hole inside the aerial socket!
It stayed like that for over a week before my dad bought home a home base aerial to go up on the roof. Back in 1982 you didn't need anything more than an old coat hanger shoved in the back of the rig to start hearing people. Obviously I didn't use it to transmit but I sat for hours listening to the rampant chatter and flicking between channels listening to what was going on.
Nowadays, even with the best of aerials and a good quality CB Radio it can still be a problem getting in any half decent signals. Particularly with a home base set up, the amount of success you have with making contact with others is determined by a number of factors.
Location
As we've said in other posts, your location plays an important role in how much you will be able to be heard or hear others. Since Citizen Band was mainly developed to be installed in vehicles it is commonly used in a car. This has the added advantage of enabling you to move to an area nearby that will give you better reception.
If you are in a built up area or on low ground you may experience difficulties getting in touch with other cb radio users in the area. Driving up a hill or to some other vantage point will usually give you more success in receiving signals which ultimately will bring you more enjoyment of your cb radio. Part of the enjoyment of CB Radio is the variation in signals you get at different times and from different locations.
With a home base set up you are tied to your physical location so where you live, your relative height and your local surroundings all play a part in how many signals you are likely to receive.
Atmospheric Conditions
Another interesting factor involved in all types of radio communications is known as skip conditions.
Skip is the name used to describe atmospheric conditions that allow for radio transmissions to travel long distances. These conditions bounce signals from different parts of the country and even different parts of the world. While most people have the impression that only Ham Radio operators can talk long distances on the ham frequencies, it is also a phenomenon which occurs on the CB Radio frequencies.
These conditions are typically quite temporary, occasionally lasting for just a few minutes but at times can remain for a number of hours. Receiving signals from other parts of the country is really exciting and I have enjoyed signals from different parts of Europe and on sideband I once got a signal coming in from Barbados in the Caribbean which totally blew me away!. I find that skip conditions happen more frequently in the summer than in the winter which makes sense in terms of the additional amount of time the sun is out which has a direct coloration with skip conditions.
Time of day
The number of signals you might receive may also be related to the time of day. This isn't just to do with 'skip' but has more to do with when the most popular times to be on the radio are. I often get signals in from nearby drivers on the way to work or in the late afternoon when people are travelling home from work.
It may be that there are not many people on during the day but the channels tend to get busier in the evenings after people have finished work, had dinner and plan to spend the last few hours before bed chatting to friends on the radio. This is certainly true in my area where there is very little 'traffic' during the day but around 9pm in the evenings there can be a dozen or so people being 'passed around'.
Day of the week
As well as the time of day I find that weekends are usually busier than weekdays especially during the day and are at the busiest during the summer when people are out and about a lot more on the various high points around the country trying to talk to the furthest stations they can reach.
Sunday afternoons are also a popular time for 'nets' and other competitions to take place and combining this with the better skip conditions possible in the summer this is usually when you get the best conditions for making contact with other radio users.
For me this is the best time of year to be involved in the hobby and at weekends I like to drive out to various high points within driving distance from my house and 'get some in the log book.'
Regular Breakers
If you leave your radio on for any length of time and hopefully at least occasionally start to hear other Radio users you'll start to recognise familiar voices and certain times of the day when people in your area are on the radio. You can often break into one of their conversations and most people are happy to hear from others and will 'bring you in' on a channel.
More often than not when these breakers hear from you again they will talk to you more and quite soon you'll be making friends and talking to other radio users in your area. Quite often when the airwaves are quiet the more regular radio users will be monitoring the frequency and when someone does 'put a call out' a response will come back and a QSO will commence. Usually when a channel is in use others will hear it and call 'on the side' and more and more people will join the conversation.
Putting Calls Out
It is important to realise that radio users tend to 'monitor'' than transmit on a frequency. There will usually be rigs on and tuned to a calling channel even when their isn't traffic on the channel. By putting out repeated calls eventually someone will come back to you.
Sometimes you'll get no response for long periods and often basic calls for a rig check or just shouting 'Am I getting out?' will eventually bring back a response. If you keep putting calls out particularly when you know the channel is usually busy will normally get a reply.
Regular 'Nets'
Every week there are regular 'nets' up and down the country. Although a lot of these are 'sideband' nets usually on USB (Upper side band) there are a number of nets which are run on the normal uk 40 FM frequencies. The Charlie Tango DX takes place every Sunday afternoon throughout the year and attracts hundreds of Charlie Tango members to call in to the net.
For more information about regular CB Radio nets go here:- CB Radio Network Map
Head to a Hilltop
The best suggestion if you have a mobile rig is head up to some high ground on a night when you know a net is taking place and see what you can hear. If you aren't getting any signals then try putting calls out to see if anyone else is on frequency. With luck you'll get a response and should be able to join the net.
As we've said, there are a number of factors involved in what type of range you are going to get at any particular time but there are ways to improve your chances and for some people the best way is to get up on to really high ground with a portable rig. The Charlie Tango DX Group reserve a special call sign 'CTX' Charlie Tango Extreme for members who regularly check in on from mountain tops and other hard to reach locations.
Power
With a home base its a bit harder to improve your chances of getting more signals. By sticking at it you will make progress and since operating conditions vary on a day to day basis there will be days when you get better results than others.
The key limitation with a home base is the amount of power it can use to transmit and is way many radio users either invest in a CB Radio amplifier or purchase the more modern multimode rigs which are able to produce more power.
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