HAM and CB

There are probably more differences but this makes the point pretty clear I think.....

http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-ham-radio-and-cb-radio/
Difference Between Ham Radio and CB Radio


Ham Radio vs CB Radio
Ham has been the general term used to refer to amateur radio and its users. This is restricted to people who actually have a good grip on the subject of radio operations. In order to differentiate between those who are capable and not, the government issues a license and a call sign to those who are able to pass the examination that they give. In contrast, CB or citizens band radio is open to the use of the general public as a quick and easy means of communication. CB is loosely regulated by the government and you would not need to apply for a license unless you want to operate a station.When it comes to the hardware, there are a lot of major differences. CB equipment is limited by law to transmit at 5 watts, while Ham radio equipment can legally transmit at power levels of up to 1.5kW. As we all know with radio, power levels translate directly to range and Ham has the ability for worldwide transmission while CB can only transmit for a couple of miles. Ham radio operators also have a much wider choice of frequency bands while CB radio is limited to the 27 MHz band. The restriction in frequency also reduces the applications that CB can be used to mostly voice transmission. On the other hand, you can use Ham for just about anything, including TV, microwaves, satellite communication, and even high speed data access.Ham radio operators are also allowed to build and repair their own equipment as they have the proper knowledge on how the system works. CB radio users are not allowed to do the same as the stricter limits and the lack of knowledge of the general public can often lead to the equipment to go beyond what is allowed and break the law.Summary:
1. Ham radio is meant for amateur radio communications while CB radio is meant for general public use
2. You would need to pass a licensing exam for Ham radio but not for CB
3. Ham radio can transmit at much greater power levels compared to CB
4. You can use a lot more frequency bands with Ham radio while you are limited to using the 27mhz band with CB
5. You can use Ham radio for a lot of purposes while you can have limited use of CB
6. Ham radio users are allowed to build and repair their own equipment while CB radio users are not allowed to do so

 
The biggest difference to me is who's on the air. I bought a CB at a flea market and drove around with it for a few days. 11meter propagation was great during those days so I heard a lot. It seemed CB is mostly used by low-lifes and people who want nothing more than to hear themselves talk (in a fake southern accent). I didn't hear one person that I'd like to chat with.
 
definitely agree with getting your license....

I got my tech license through Cape Ann Tech in A Day at the Boxborough Event. Looking to upgrade to my General as well....
 
DarthRevan said:
Just took that practice test... 21/35 isn't bad seeing as what I got wrong was mostly about the proper frequencies used.
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Download the question pool, highlight the correct answers and ignore the incorrect answers (distractors). That's the only way I was able to remember those stupid questions. If I can look at a band chart to see where I'm allowed to transmit, I shouldn't have to memorize it. I cruised through both Tech and General that way.
 
cockpitbob said:
It seemed CB is mostly used by low-lifes and people who want nothing more than to hear themselves talk (in a fake southern accent). I didn't hear one person that I'd like to chat with.
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[rofl] That's certainly true most of the time. I use mine for work, so it's a bit different. I need communication with scale houses and equipment operators at the landfill. I try to avoid the "fake southern accent" thing though.
 
CB radios exploded in the late 70's. Prior to that it was mostly truckers and people who spent a lot of time driving that had them. For a while it seemed like 50% of the cars had a CB antenna on them. It really was huge business for a while then it just died back out.
 
Chet0729 said:
CB radios exploded in the late 70's. Prior to that it was mostly truckers and people who spent a lot of time driving that had them. For a while it seemed like 50% of the cars had a CB antenna on them. It really was huge business for a while then it just died back out.
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And the car drivers really used them as a tool. We chatted on the quieter frequencies, but go to ch-19 and just by listening you would know the location of every speed trap and PO sitting or rolling.
 
You HAM guys might be able to explain this. Yesterday I was on CB channel 22 at a transfer station. Got back on the highway and forgot to switch back to 19. All the sudden this guy comes on saying he's out of the Carolinas. When I finally switched over to 19, I picked up a guy out of Manchester saying he was on "that big 40 ft. antenna". He gave what I assumed was his radio operator code. Do the MHz frequencies these guys use just bleed through to CB?


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CB radio transmissions are "line of site", or considered to be short range. However, there are times when the earth's atmosphere acts as a mirror and will bounce signals to distant locations. A lot of operators are now using a 3 number handle for identification.
 
Old Sol has been acting up lately really charging the ionosphere. The aurora was visible down into Maine yesterday. That really "polishes the mirror" BillT mentioned allowing atmospheric skip for the shorter wavelengths that normally don't skip.

BTW, CB was intended for nothing but short range comms. There are very specific rules about CB antennas designed to minimize chances of skip propagation. A "big 40ft antenna" would be outside those rules.
 
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Infinite Jester said:
You HAM guys might be able to explain this. Yesterday I was on CB channel 22 at a transfer station. Got back on the highway and forgot to switch back to 19. All the sudden this guy comes on saying he's out of the Carolinas. When I finally switched over to 19, I picked up a guy out of Manchester saying he was on "that big 40 ft. antenna". He gave what I assumed was his radio operator code. Do the MHz frequencies these guys use just bleed through to CB?


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CB is on the 11m band in the 27MHz range...which is just below the HAM 10m band. Big difference between CB and HAM is that CB is almost always using a vertically polarized antenna. HAMs can do either vertical or horizontal. Horizontal gives you better propagation. At least, this is what I've been told. Not saying you can't get good propagation off of verticals; it just isn't as good as horizontal.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
 
blindfire said:
CB is on the 11m band in the 27MHz range...which is just below the HAM 10m band. Big difference between CB and HAM is that CB is almost always using a vertically polarized antenna. HAMs can do either vertical or horizontal. Horizontal gives you better propagation. At least, this is what I've been told. Not saying you can't get good propagation off of verticals; it just isn't as good as horizontal.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
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Well, you asked for it [grin][wink]

Polarization really doesn't affect propagation, but it can make a giant difference in reception. If your antenna is 90 degrees from the other guy's antenna (vertical vs. horizontal polarization) you lose a lot; like 10-40dB. This is really only matters for VHF/UHF line of sight or ground wave propagation. Bouncing the signal off the ionosphere scrambles the polarization. This is why for the HF bands you'll see vertical antennas and horizontal wire and Yagi antennas. It doesn't matter, or doesn't matter enough to be worth the effort mounting a Yagi vertically or a flag pole horizontally. For VHF/UHF most people use vertical polarization simply because that's the easiest way to mount a stick antenna on your car or roof or on an handheld. And the VHF/UHF Yagi antennas are small enough that it's easy to mount them vertically. I think the people into the challenge of working Dx with VHF mostly use horizontal polarization. I'm guessing the reasons for that are 1) the other antennas on their tower are mounted horizontally, and 2) they will receive less interference from all the repeaters and etc. using vertical polarization.
 
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cockpitbob said:
Well, you asked for it [grin][wink]

Polarization really doesn't affect propagation, but it can make a giant difference in reception. If your antenna is 90 degrees from the other guy's antenna (vertical vs. horizontal polarization) you lose a lot; like 10-40dB. This is really only matters for VHF/UHF line of sight or ground wave propagation. Bouncing the signal off the ionosphere scrambles the polarization. This is why for the HF bands you'll see vertical antennas and horizontal wire and Yagi antennas. It doesn't matter, or doesn't matter enough to be worth the effort mounting a Yagi vertically or a flag pole horizontally. For VHF/UHF most people use vertical polarization simply because that's the easiest way to mount a stick antenna on your car or roof or on an handheld. And the VHF/UHF Yagi antennas are small enough that it's easy to mount them vertically. I think the people into the challenge of working Dx with VHF mostly use horizontal polarization. I'm guessing the reasons for that are 1) the other antennas on their tower are mounted horizontally, and 2) they will receive less interference from all the repeaters and etc. using vertical polarization.
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Yep...I definitely asked for it! [rofl2] Thank you for clearing that up! Another day where I learned something = a good day!
 
I'm noticing the 2m amateur band sounding more and more like CB every day? Some of the repeaters in MA get so rowdy I get flashbacks to 70's era CB. People using vulgar language, stations not ID'ing themselves so they won't be reported. I know this because the people using the bad language say directly they're not ID'ing so they wont be reported. I've been a ham less than 12yrs and I was on CB the 30 before so I'm familiar with both bands. I bought my first amateur radio in 1995 and listened on and off for a decade before I actually got my license. It was. 2006 before I had the time available to put into the hobby.

The reason I switched to amateur bands was to get away from all the childish behavior on the citizens band. Unfortunately you have to go up to the extra frequencies to get the professionalism of years past. Even there your starting to see behavior devolving into chaos.

AE1Y

Here's an old photo with the CB still in the shack. It's long gone now and the shack looks quite different now. I'll update the photo when I can.

IMG_0231.JPG
 
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bigblue said:
Does anyone actually have Ham plates? Any privacy issue concerns?
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I know a lot of people who have ham plates.

There was another thread on this awhile ago. If you are a gun owner and a ham..you are on plenty of lists already. If you are worried about it, just use a PO Box with the FCC.
 
radioman said:
I'm noticing the 2m amateur band sounding more and more like CB every day? Some of the repeaters in MA get so rowdy I get flashbacks to 70's era CB. People using vulgar language, stations not ID'ing themselves so they won't be reported. I know this because the people using the bad language say directly they're not ID'ing so they wont be reported. I've been a ham less than 12yrs and I was on CB the 30 before so I'm familiar with both bands. I bought my first amateur radio in 1995 and listened on and off for a decade before I actually got my license. It was. 2006 before I had the time available to put into the hobby.

The reason I switched to amateur bands was to get away from all the childish behavior on the citizens band. Unfortunately you have to go up to the extra frequencies to get the professionalism of years past. Even there your starting to see behavior devolving into chaos.

AE1Y

Here's an old photo with the CB still in the shack. It's long gone now and the shack looks quite different now. I'll update the photo when I can.

View attachment 180722
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Which repeaters are you seeing this on? Out here in the sticks of Central MA, I don't know that I've ever heard a discouraging word. HF is a whole 'nother story. 7200KHz, 14.313MHz, 3910KHz and 3977.5KHz can get pretty raunchy.

I frequent Paxton, Westford and MMRA are all pretty clean.
 
radioman said:
I'm noticing the 2m amateur band sounding more and more like CB every day? Some of the repeaters in MA get so rowdy I get flashbacks to 70's era CB. People using vulgar language, stations not ID'ing themselves so they won't be reported. I know this because the people using the bad language say directly they're not ID'ing so they wont be reported. I've been a ham less than 12yrs and I was on CB the 30 before so I'm familiar with both bands. I bought my first amateur radio in 1995 and listened on and off for a decade before I actually got my license. It was. 2006 before I had the time available to put into the hobby.

The reason I switched to amateur bands was to get away from all the childish behavior on the citizens band. Unfortunately you have to go up to the extra frequencies to get the professionalism of years past. Even there your starting to see behavior devolving into chaos.

AE1Y

Here's an old photo with the CB still in the shack. It's long gone now and the shack looks quite different now. I'll update the photo when I can.

View attachment 180722
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Where is this rowdy 2M stuff you're talking about? I want to listen in. [rofl] I thought that guy Kykker was dead? I remember him and 'CLN? forget his call, the overdeviated guy on the paxton machine all the time) would go into these drunken tirades in the middle of the night, discussing tinfoil BS etc... was pretty
amusing.

Some of the funniest radio I've ever heard was all the "Shit Talking" that went on the Mount Disappointment repeater in the LA area back in the 90s. [rofl]

With the way 2 way is going these days we will be lucky to get anyone to use one, swear or no swears, license or no license. I was an addict and I barely have time to use my gear now.

I guess I'm just desensitized and never really bought into the false piety/piousness often imbued to ham radio. Professionalism? It's amateur radio. Kinda contradictory if you ask me. Even 10, 20 years ago it wasn't that hard to find people with gear that drifted all over the place, shitty sounding audio chains, etc. Then its about choosing poison. At least some of the guys on 75/80 had good taste in equipment. Yeah, amateur radio is more orderly but sometimes its a little TOO orderly if you ask me, and it doesn't take very long to figure out that some of the operators are just as big of *******s as some of the people on the CB, the only difference is the jerks on ham radio act like jerks while holding a copy of Part 97 over their head in a procession like manner, like it's a bible or something, shouting WOUFF HONG! RETTYSNICH! while they are probably part of the problem. [laugh] Some of these repeater control ops, you try to get into a friendly convo with them and they talk to you like you just pissed in their cornflakes, despite the fact that you're using a repeater listed as OPEN in the book. I've met a lot of good hams over the years but the harumph hurr durr factor is high, too.

-Mike
 
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