CB Radios: What it is, why it is so Popular and How to Choose?

Posted by VivianaWise on March 19th, 2020

CB Radio (Citizens' Band Radio) is not connected to a car radio. CB Radio is a local radio link, also known as "civilian radio", "civilian range" or "civilian wave". This is a range of radio waves where anyone can communicate. The connection is legal and prevalent worldwide. CB radio stations can be divided into stationary, portable and car. In this article, let's talk about automotive. Roughly speaking, this is a common way for drivers to exchange information about traffic conditions. To join the CB community, you only need a CB radio station and antenna.

The CB radio operates in the 27MHz band, usually 4W, has AM and FM modulation, 40 channels and supports PL and EU grid. This is standard CB equipment and is fully sufficient. The cost of the devices varies depending on the abundance of additional features, here are a few:

The ANL or NB is designed to eliminate atmospheric disturbances.

ASC or ASQ or DSS is automatic noise reduction.

SSB (Single Sideband) provides greater capabilities. In simple terms, this is a "more modern" wave, which allows the signal to propagate further and "catch" less garbage than when communicating via AM. It is worth noting that standard CB stations cannot decode the SSB signal, so it is only useful if both CB radio speakers have SSB.

Pay attention to the PL grid

It is widely used in Eastern Europe and main in Lithuania. However, if you send a radio station from Western Europe, it will not necessarily have this grid.

Types of antennas

There are two types of antennas - magnetic or drilled. More efficient drilling. The most important feature of an antenna is its length, and the longer it is, the more efficient it is. Under equal conditions, a 1m antenna will never work better than a 1.50m antenna.

The required antenna length is calculated using the formula "Wavelength (feet) = 984 / frequency (megahertz)". The CB radio operates in the range 26.965 MHz - 27.405 MHz, so to cover all frequencies, we divide 984 by 26.965 MHz and get the formula to reach 36.49 feet (11 m). Much more like a roof antenna, they are made at 1/2, 5/8, 1/4 and 1/8 of the required wavelength. The remaining length of the antenna usually takes the form of a wire that wraps around the antenna. Basically, this part loses its effectiveness, so the less truncated the more effective it is. The most popular antenna used with CB radio is about 1.5 meters, which corresponds to 1/8 of the required length.

Since the antenna length is relative, it is recommended to check that the antenna of the selected proportions is compatible with your vehicle. This is done by measuring the SWR (Standing Wave Ratio). The antenna is tuned until the SWR is acceptable. Theoretically, the ideal SWR ratio is 1: 1, and in practice it is considered good if it does not exceed 1.38: 1. An unmatched antenna loses some of its potential and the communication distance becomes shorter, read more from here.

CB radio components

The radio range depends on many components - environment, equipment and even weather conditions. Therefore, even with very good equipment, the communication distance in the city, the forest and the open space will vary. The distance will also vary depending on solar activity or air humidity. The standard CB connection distance is between 5 and 10 km. However, in bad weather it can reach 4 km and in good weather it can be as much as 15 km.