C B Radio

[Boscoppa]

Hi ' does any boater use a c b radio when they are cruising or moored up , cheers,

[bottle]

There are some out there that do but when discussed some time ago the general thought was that as connection is by 'line of site' then it is almost useless.

 

Small 'walkie talkies' are used by some but usually only to communicate between crew members, such as if the crew member has gone forward to set the lock and to inform steerer of any problems.

[Alan de Enfield]

Maybe its just our location, but why buy something that doesn't do the job, when for the same price you can buy something that will work, and, contact lockies and other waterway users.

[bassplayer]

Maybe its just our location, but why buy something that doesn't do the job, when for the same price you can buy something that will work, and, contact lockies and other waterway users.

I'm guessing you think Amateur Radio is pointless too then Alan...

 

It's a social thing more than practical thing really. You also get to 'meet' new friends in the same way you do with boating. I've still got a couple of freinds who I met back in the early 80's through CB.

 

I always say, if you enjoy it and it's not doing any harm then you don't need to make excuses for doing it (like I just have).

[gazza]

Vhf for proper communication.

 

CB OK ON the Broads for reasons given above.

 

PMR OK on a canal to yell at lockwheelers, shout for a brew over the din of your vintage engine - or even communicate with other boats in a tight convoy.

 

I've mentioned it once before, a cruising club on the GU did themselves no favours with me due to their squawking over CB radio whilst on a club run.

 

 

I hate the things, along with constant chatter on mobile phones. Its all a bit unnecessary IMHO.

[b0atman]

who wants to be Rubber Duck !

[Alan de Enfield]

I'm guessing you think Amateur Radio is pointless too then Alan...

 

It's a social thing more than practical thing really. You also get to 'meet' new friends in the same way you do with boating. I've still got a couple of freinds who I met back in the early 80's through CB.

 

I always say, if you enjoy it and it's not doing any harm then you don't need to make excuses for doing it (like I just have).

 

Don't go making assumptions - you will just end up looking a fool.

 

I met my wife on CB. AM

I DX'd all over the world on 27Mhz sideband.

I was 'busted' by Busby and ended up in court.

I was (no longer operating) a Radio Ham (G3LCR)

 

Each radio system has its own place and CB is fine for the radio equivalent of Facebook, but for boating use the correct marine band VHF radios.

[zenataomm]

I bought a CB for my boat in 1982 and threw it in a skip in 1984 (radio not boat).

[Southern Star]

I used to have one in my truck, they seemed to be a compulsory fitment in trucks from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s until the airwaves got taken over by "Council House FM".

[bassplayer]

 

Don't go making assumptions - you will just end up looking a fool.

 

I met my wife on CB. AM

I DX'd all over the world on 27Mhz sideband.

I was 'busted' by Busby and ended up in court.

I was (no longer operating) a Radio Ham (G3LCR)

 

Each radio system has its own place and CB is fine for the radio equivalent of Facebook, but for boating use the correct marine band VHF radios.

Ok, you got me there Alan

[Laurie Booth]

who wants to be Rubber Duck !

That's a big ten four, catch you on the flip flop and watch out for the kojacks with the kodaks.

[Peter X]

Looking at this from a crew point of view, I'd say there's little need for any sort of radio. If I'm up ahead organising a lock, I want both hands free and it's nice to just concentrate on doing what's needed to get to the point where I open the gate(s). Usually the steerer doesn't need to be bothered with the details, they can see enough to know what they need to do. The limited information I need to give them can be done by visual signals, typically to indicate whether I think they should wait at the lock landing or approach the gate(s).

[Dyad]

I used to have a CB in my van but now it's just bucket mouths talking to each other with every second word beginig with F, usually squelched right up so not letting anyone else in

 

I've kept my rig for the day I get a boat in the hope there may be civilised chat on the air but i might as well just do my VHF course by the sounds of it

[Alan de Enfield]

VHF is very, very rarely used on the canals and if is only the canals you plan to use then it is probably not worth doing your certificate.

 

VHF comes into its own on the rivers (obviously the Trent is local to you) and is an absolute boon. Not only as a safety feature, but for convenience, you can call up the Lockie 10 minutes before arrival and the lock can be emptied / filled and the gates open for your arrival, if there is a problem they can tell you to slow down until the lock is ready, they can tell you which side of the lock to use, etc. etc.

[wreckferret]

I suppose if you were cruising as a group CB could come in handy ??

I have CB in the Land rover but only use it when green laning in a group, but, depending on a number of factors that are beyond me, they can sometimes work over quite long distances rather line of site ??

I have a hand held VHF on the boat (local to the Trent) and have a pair of PMR's but never seem to use them so they are probably not needed

Edited August 16, 2015 by wreckferret

[Alan de Enfield]

Mayday - Mayday - Mayday, this is wreckferret, wreckferret, wreckferret,

 

Unlike on the radio you do not have to repeat yourself 3 times on the forum.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[b0atman]

I have seen the occasional one repeat but never to the extent of 3 posts

[Scholar Gypsy]

We used a set of four Motorola walkie talkies on our recent Wash crossing. to keep in touch with the other two boats and with the navigator (down below). Very handy. I had an earpiece on mine, which caused some teasing.

 

VHF was also handy - eg listening to the Kings Lynn pilots give the new pilot boarding point to an incoming ship, and to a yacht talking to Sutton swing bridge (unfortunately we fitted underneath it, so did not have to ask to have it opened .... )

[TheBiscuits]

Unlike on the radio you do not have to repeat yourself 3 times on the forum.

You can say that again!

[Boscoppa]

Hi, many thanks for all the comments,quite varied, I still have several CB rigs,A M and F M, also a Baofeng Vhf handheld ,I had my first cb. Radio over 35 years ago. I believe Cb is much quieter these days ? . I was thinking it might be nice to chat to boaters on the cut , There is always someone trying to spoil things in any group, cheers ,Brian

[FadeToScarlet]

We use PMR walkie talkies on the trip boat I captain, to communicate from the wheelhouse in the bows to a crew member who can be 80' or so away on the stern, be that routine mooring or emergency communications about passengers overboard etc. (only drills so far, touch wood) and, with ear pieces, the only real way to communicate when there's 110 passengers having a rave with loud music.

but when I'm boating myself, we never use them; when we're on the cut, hand signals are generally clear enough.

[Morat]

Hourses for courses.

Most people who criticise CB are not CB users, same for Amateur, VHF or PMR.

Then you get people who just hate radio full stop.

 

I have a VHF ready should I ever need it, but we tend to take CBs on the boat because I have a couple of handhelds with autosquelch. I've never heard anyone else on CB who was on a narrowboat, but I've normally been sitting on one obscure channel talking to my wife at locks or when one of us has gone ahead to look for a mooring spot. Whatever radio you use, they're extremely useful in those situations, or just for asking for a cup of tea if you can't be bothered to shout.

 

I guess in my ideal world there'd be a common channel for narrowboats that any canal based CBers could monitor, but getting people to agree on one would probably be impossible. At least in the 4x4 community they've got 16 as a pretty logical number to use. If anyone can think of a number between 1-40 (apart from 9 and 19) that would appeal to narrowboaters, feel free to chime in!

 

CB has a bit more range than PMR especially over open countryside but they're all limited when you're in close proximity to walls, bridges, locks, trees etc.

The good news is that you can't really get a better ground plane than the roof of a steel narrowboat. Sadly it's true that a lot of what you hear on 19 these days is a small local clique talking to each other day in and out about nothing. That doesn't mean that if you've got something to say and someone to say it to, CB can't be used as a perfectly good means of comms. PMR is definitely cheaper, though.

 

And for anyone still talking in 80s slang, no one waffles on about convoys or rubber ducks any more than they wear red specs and braces with their leather filofax - you're just showing your age.

 

One day I'll get round to doing my amateur license and then I'll think about some handhelds on a higher frequency but they'll never be commonly used because they cost and they're restricted to licensed operators.

 

edit: Don't forget that CB can now use SSB and AM legally so there's a bit more capability over the standard UK FM that we've had since the 80s

Here are some radios

http://www.kcb.co.uk/shop2/contents/en-uk/d151_Multimode_%28AM_FM_SSB%29.html

Edited August 17, 2015 by Morat

[Jess--]

Hourses for courses.

Most people who criticise CB are not CB users, same for Amateur, VHF or PMR.

Then you get people who just hate radio full stop.

 

I have a VHF ready should I ever need it, but we tend to take CBs on the boat because I have a couple of handhelds with autosquelch. I've never heard anyone else on CB who was on a narrowboat, but I've normally been sitting on one obscure channel talking to my wife at locks or when one of us has gone ahead to look for a mooring spot. Whatever radio you use, they're extremely useful in those situations, or just for asking for a cup of tea if you can't be bothered to shout.

 

I guess in my ideal world there'd be a common channel for narrowboats that any canal based CBers could monitor, but getting people to agree on one would probably be impossible. At least in the 4x4 community they've got 16 as a pretty logical number to use. If anyone can think of a number between 1-40 (apart from 9 and 19) 25 used to be common around hemel / berko, 14 was common around daventry / rugby/ northampton that would appeal to narrowboaters, feel free to chime in!

 

CB has a bit more range than PMR especially over open countryside but they're all limited when you're in close proximity to walls, bridges, locks, trees etc.

The good news is that you can't really get a better ground plane than the roof of a steel narrowboat. Sadly it's true that a lot of what you hear on 19 these days is a small local clique talking to each other day in and out about nothing. That doesn't mean that if you've got something to say and someone to say it to, CB can't be used as a perfectly good means of comms. PMR is definitely cheaper, though.

 

And for anyone still talking in 80s slang, no one waffles on about convoys or rubber ducks any more than they wear red specs and braces with their leather filofax - you're just showing your age.

 

One day I'll get round to doing my amateur license and then I'll think about some handhelds on a higher frequency but they'll never be commonly used because they cost and they're restricted to licensed operators. Look for the Baofeng UV-5*** (replace the *s with anything) they are a good cheap 2m (144-146 mhz) and 70cm (430-440 mhz) handheld, they are pretty robust but for the price (around £30) we treat them almost as a disposable radio (not bothered if they get run over / dropped in the cut etc), they will also cover the PMR frequencies (although using them on there would be illegal due to the higher power output)

 

couple of comments added in red.

 

Jess (M0VBR & Repeater Keeper for GB7DL)

Edited August 17, 2015 by Jess--

[Hair Bear Bunch]

As I put in previous similar threads, I have CB and VHF. As I'm often single handed I wouldn't be without them. You don't have to use them but it's nice to know it's there if you need it. As for line of sight - I can guarantee 5+ miles using a small self swring antenna on a fibreglass boat. You would need take into account on a Nb with a roof groundplaned antenna centrally mounted length/widthways you will get a very long narrow signal pattern greatly favouring the bow/stern alignment. Wherever you mount the antenna the greater send receive area will be in the direction of the most groundplane.

Ch 16 would be the ideal as a novice would know that it didn't matter which radio it is, it's ch 16.

Just my thoughts...