Who's on what channel and why?

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Choirboy

Who's on what channel and why?

#36074

Post by Choirboy »

I spend most of my drive time on and near I35 in Austin, TX and I can't seem to get a word in edgewise on 19. Are other channels set aside for more specific purposes than "mother****er this" or "**** that"? If so, what are they and what will I find on them? Don't get me wrong - my language off the air is saltier than most. I just want more interesting conversations to participate in.

OR, do I need the big watts to play in this game so I don't get trampled on? Regardless, I'm having loads of fun....

Thanks, y'all
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theonlysilentbob

#36076

Post by theonlysilentbob »

If you want a "mature" conversation you have to look to side band or avoid 19 during the busy times, although I have yet to find a place in Texas where 19 is not busy 24/7.

Usually you will just find someone to talk to on 19 and then take it down to another channel.

You can try calling CQ or saying "I am bored, anyone wants to talk" etc, on any of the AM channels, but you probably won’t get a reply.

What you should do is try to find a local on 19, see what channel the local guys hang out on and then call on that local channel. It is different everywhere, but that is one of the best ways. Just avoid the really weird guys... don't identify who you really are until you get to know the person or whatever, seriously.

Using an AMP on Ch.19 is not a good way to make friends when everyone is killing each other, you will probably have 100 guys saying "shut up, $^%# off", plus if you find someone who does not have an amp and they try to respond you probably wont hear them through all the other traffic since they will be trampled on.

Listen for common voices and names/handles.
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theonlysilentbob

#36081

Post by theonlysilentbob »

Oh yeah I forgot to say WHY....

Back when CB was 23 channels, 9 was the emergency channel, 10 was the traffic info channel and 11 was the calling channel.

They were all sort of in the middle of the band and beside each other making it nice and easy to get from one to another just using a dial.

When CB went to 40 channels, that did not change much but eventually the action from channel 10 spilled over onto channel 9 (interference) and R.E.A.C.T basically told the government to tell everyone to move. For some reason people chose 19 (I would have chose 20). Easier to spin the knob 10 times rather than 11 to get to 9? LOL

The only official channel on CB is 9. There was some stuff before that with the 23 channel radio's but that all changed. The SSB call channels and AM channels are just loose guides, nothing official except for 9.
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humanphibian

#36089

Post by humanphibian »

I hear some local guys on 16 when I'm down there. I'm not sure if they are on there all of the time or not though.
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Phaze91460

#36090

Post by Phaze91460 »

During the day 19 is the hot spot and drivers jumping to other chans to talk from 19. In the evenings though I hear a lot of guys on different chans talking all the time. Local here I talk to guys on 12 on a regular basis.
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BigBubbaBD

#36092

Post by BigBubbaBD »

9 is the only ''official" channel on CB.. is suppose to be for emergency use.
19 for truckers.

Asking for someone if they want to talk on 19 and having them to switch works around here. Ive had plenty of conversations from either doing this or being on 19 when someone asked and I switched.
Locally around here alot of channels are used. The big bases run on 28 and 14 for the most part. 33 is where the rock querry runs.. There tower and all there loaders un 33.
Theres alot of local truck drivers (12wheels) that run all over the place. you can find alot of them on 24 at any given time during the work day.
Not hard at all to find CB traffic in these parts.
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rayray1963

#36096

Post by rayray1963 »

Knowing that Austin has gone through a lot of construction lately if your flipping through the channels and hear people talking you might just listen in a few minutes before jumping in on the conversation, a lot of company's still use the CB freq. for company communications, and drivers that are working in the area maybe also using it. Would be common courtesy not to interfere.

Just a thought.
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theonlysilentbob

#36105

Post by theonlysilentbob »

Do you mean they are actually using it for business or just drivers talking to one another on a construction site?

It would be nice if they were using it for business comms :D

Just about all the commercial yards and construction companies out my way use CB for yard coordination and stuff but I can't find businesses that still use it for business comm. There was a gas company out here that used it hevily from the 1960's through the 80's but they were the last to leave in 1989. They did not go far, now they are up around 45 MHz in V-low.
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Choirboy

#36145

Post by Choirboy »

Thanks for the info. 19 is so jammed around here during rush hour that I have to turn the squelch way up just to get rid of the noise, so I have a hard time following conversations and joining in.

Also, I have not heard anyone using a handle or calling for a break. I must live in a freaky town (well, they say, "Keep Austin Wierd").

I have no plans to get an amp, but I have a Wilson 5000 Mag Mount on the way and I'll probably have to get a better radio. This hobby is like golf - you get sucked in fast before you realize that it's too late.... :twisted:
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Phaze91460

#36165

Post by Phaze91460 »

Its not unusual to not hear handles on 19. Most drivers just chatter and banter without any real contact requiring a handle.
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rayray1963

Choir Boy Wrote

#36195

Post by rayray1963 »

I have no plans to get an amp, but I have a Wilson 5000 Mag Mount on the way and I'll probably have to get a better radio. This hobby is like golf - you get sucked in fast before you realize that it's too late....



welcome To The Dark side[/i][/b]
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theonlysilentbob

#36329

Post by theonlysilentbob »

LOL.. Golf :D

That banter on 19 is the normal stuff, 95% of guys who use the CB radio don't really know what it is, how it works or much about it period. They just have it because they drive a truck and someone told them that they need it to talk to other people so that is what they do.

If you have a SSB rig you will see a total difference, the use of 10 codes is far less and people like to use Q-codes and say things like 73' when they sign off from a convo. Very different and very clean.

If you are stuck on AM, just use 19 late at night when the banter dies. Trust me; it is pretty much the same everywhere. 19 is so congested you often miss a lot of the good traffic info, you have morons having entire conversations on the channel, multiply 100 guys talking within lets say 10 square miles and the channel suddenly has 3, possibly 4 s-units of noise... that's probably one of the highest noise floors in the whole radio spectrum to occur from just normal usage. With 3 S-units most people have their squelch almost at half way lol.

I sometimes have to use 15 watts just to get out when it is really bad. I don't bother using more since people who I can't hear will respond thinking I am closer than I really am.
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theonlysilentbob

#36332

Post by theonlysilentbob »

Actually, if you get something that does FM too you will be cooking.

The guys I know who hang out on 19 I will just call by using FM. It kills the AM noise dead, was able to talk to a few guys 10 miles always during rush hour on 19 using FM. Could not hear any AM noise and some guy was running 1kw to try and cut through my 10 watts... hahah nice try =).

That is how we switch channels, give a call on FM on 19, then usually jump to 37 and go AM or SSB.
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troy

#36335

Post by troy »

WELL FROM YOUR I.D. ... IF YOU HAVE A HAND HELD RADIO IT'S NO WONDER YOU CANT GET OUT... 19 IS THE BUSIEST CHANNEL. I WOULD SAY. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR YOU & RESPOND.
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#36380

Post by jessejamesdallas »

Not sure about Austin, but in Dallas, most can be found on either channel 28, or 15... (channel 2 is the Mexican channel!)

When skip is rolling, try 28 or 26...If your running alot of power, then try channel 6...But unless your running say over 2500w's or better, then dont even bother with channel 6! :shock:

If your radio has extra channels (like the export radios) then try channel 26.915....
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