Rifleman
Premium
join:2004-02-09
p1a
clubs:
 ·Cogeco Cable
| I have Question About Old Modded CB
Years ago I had a buddy who had a base station set up in his home. He had a CB radio that he had modded with extra frequencies. I know now he was running illegally but I used to spend hours listening and calling out on that thing. I don't know what frequencies he was on but the language was "CQ DX---I'm QRT and standing by" About all I remember.
I was just curious--what was done to the CB and and what frequencies was he using?
I did have some walkie talkies that we used for deer hunting---saved miles of walking. We got lots of interference from local CB so I took them apart to add channel crystals. Looking at the tables of frequencies-it came to me if I reversed the send and receive crystal---it put me in frequency ranges where there was no CB at all. It increased the range quite a bit and no interference.
Please---I know now this is all frowned on. I was thinking of getting a license and getting back into it but my hearing has degraded to the point hearing the radio would be very difficult. |
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sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Budd Lake, NJ
·Optimum Online
| said by Rifleman  :I was thinking of getting a license and getting back into it but my hearing has degraded to the point hearing the radio would be very difficult. I'm not a Ham, but I do know there's a bunch of neat data stuff now, including on the frequencies that can "talk" around the world. I wouldn't let the hearing issue steer you away, merge your computer and radio interests! |
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evilghost
Premium
join:2003-11-22
Springville, AL
 ·Windstream
edit:
May 19th, @06:49PM
| reply to Rifleman
Probably the CB was modded for the 10 meter band (28 MHz) since this is fairly common. CB is 11 meter (27 MHz) and they are both fairly close in wavelength.
CQ means "any station" and "DX" means long distance, he was essentially calling for any DX contact (illegally). The FCC requires that you identify with your FCC issued call-sign every 10 minutes and at the end of communication.
10 and 11 meter is HF (high frequency) and bounces off the F layer of the ionosphere, hence the "skip" and propagation to DX stations.
If you want to upgrade remember not all traffic is phone (voice), you can go data and CW (Morse Code). My father's hearing isn't very well but he enjoys working DX on PSK31 (digital mode) using a computer with his HF rig as well as DX phone. On the contrary, I spend most of my time on 2 meter (144 MHz - 148 MHz) phone.
Consider getting your Technicans class license (what I have) and you'll end up with a small slice of phone-capable HF from 28.300 MHz to 28.500 MHz in addition to tons of VHF/UHF allocations. |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
edit:
May 19th, @10:21PM
| reply to Rifleman
The thing that always cracked me up about these bozos, was the "QRT and Standing By!" way they ended their CQ.
"QRT" means "OFF THE AIR", which is where they all belonged.
"Frowned on"? It's EXTREMELY illegal to transmit on an Amateur Frequency (or any other except where allowed, like legal CB or FRS) without a license. Besides having your equipment confiscated, you're subject to a $10,000 fine, and possible imprisonment.
Maybe that was some of the excitement of it....
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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Rifleman
Premium
join:2004-02-09
p1a
clubs:
·Cogeco Cable
| We were always polite. It may not have bee QRT--it's been 20 years. And yes----I enjoyed it immensely. Except for the bozos who would try to overpower everyone repeating the same thing over and over.
The closest I ever got to being in trouble was we deer hunted right next to a military base training area. Every once in awhile someone picked up whatever frequency the walkie talkies were on and ask who the hell we were. |
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evilghost
Premium
join:2003-11-22
Springville, AL
·Windstream
edit:
May 20th, @11:34AM
| said by Rifleman :I enjoyed it immensely. Except for the bozos who would try to overpower everyone repeating the same thing over and over. Possibly intentional QRM from a legitimate amateur station who's frequencies you were illegally encroaching on. 
Polite or not, remember, you had no right to be there.  |
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KA3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to drjim
said by drjim :The thing that always cracked me up about these bozos, was the "QRT and Standing By!" way they ended their CQ. "QRT" means "OFF THE AIR", which is where they all belonged. "Frowned on"? It's EXTREMELY illegal to transmit on an Amateur Frequency (or any other except where allowed, like legal CB or FRS) without a license. Besides having your equipment confiscated, you're subject to a $10,000 fine, and possible imprisonment. Maybe that was some of the excitement of it.... drjim, I think that $10,000 fine is PER OCCURRENCE of violation of FCC rules, and can also tack on a 5-YEAR FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE.
Radio Pirates should be hung from the same wire as their illegal BPL operator counterparts as far as I'm concerned.
I am only wondering if someone was hearing wrong and hear QRT instead of QRZ?
Phonetically, QR-'Tango' vs QR-'Zed/Zulu' sound very dissimilar, but many operators don't use phonetics.
QRZ is commonly used by net control operators, asking others who 'checking in, or in working a Field Day pileup.
Essentially exchanging station and operator class, then 'QRZ Field Day'(who is calling me, or who else is calling me) .
I can't count the times that I have called CQ CQ CQ de KA3SGM, then listened carefully, and then sent QRZ de KA3SGM if I heard a weak signal station trying to reply.
--
"Lithium is no longer available on credit" |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| I've heard the "QRT" thing several times, so I'm sure that's what they were saying.
And if you read the FCC enforcement actions on the ARRL website, you see lots of trucking companies getting busted for using 10 Meter and 2 Meter radios, and truck stops getting nailed for selling them.
Not something to take lightly, fer sure!
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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DrStrange
Technically feasible
Premium
join:2001-07-23
West Hartford, CT
 ·magicjack.com
·Stephouse Networks
·EarthLink
| reply to Rifleman
They were probably using frequencies between 27.405 Mhz [CB channel 40] and the bottom of the 10m amateur band [28 Mhz]. Those are [or were] allocated to the land mobile service. Since there were very few users in that spectrum [at least in this part of the country], there was a lot of out-of-band CB traffic. The other [less-popular] out-of-band area was the range between the top of the 11m shortwave broadcast band [26.1 Mhz] and CB channel 1 [26.965 Mhz]. As I recall, there are some US Government allocations in that range [notably the Civil Air Patrol at 26.620 Mhz].
Of course, everything everyone has said about out-of-band operation being extremely illegal applies. The least that would happen is confiscation of the equipment and a fine in the range of $5,000 - 10,000. |
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Rash
Ouch
Premium
join:2002-09-27
Walkersville, MD
clubs:
| reply to Rifleman
As has been said, there are modes other than voice you can use with ham radio that you might have fun with. Getting licenced isn't hard. With a Technician class licence you can operate APRS, Packet and a few other digital modes that only require the ability to type. With a General or Extra class licence you can operate the digital modes on HF as well and make worldwide contacts with just the keyboard.
I work PSK31 on occasion and have done RTTY and a few other modes as well. I am getting ready to get into APRS and check out some VHF digital work. Not to mention there is Slow Scan TV and a ton of experimental things I have no idea about.
So ham radio isn't just about talking and listening, there is a niche for most people and it sounds like you have had an experience in radio that sparked an interest.
Please look into getting licenced and try some new things out!
Emmett |
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neonhomer
Honoray Mythbuster
Premium
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
| reply to Rifleman
We used to have a big CB following here in the Daytona Beach area. It was before cell phones really became mainstream. You would have the clowns who "modded" their radios by clipping modulation limiters, cranking up the power (or replacing the power transistor with a larger one), and other stuff. You usually ended up with a radio that sounded like crap.
Unfortunately, I was caught up in that, and let my first radio (a Cobra 29LTD Classic) get butchered. I finally sent it to a proper radio tech who undid all the hacks and re-tuned the radio back to specs. After this he then properly re-tuned the radio to get more power. (Supposed to be 4 watts, it now does around 10, but cleanly with no bleed over or over modulation.) The radio was bench tested, and then that was the last time it had power. It sits on my shelf.
I still have my "Sweet 16" 1600w amp, and a couple of others as well. They haven't seen the light of day for almost 10 years now. They probably never will. While I had the power to "walk" over other users, I often didn't. Mostly it was for cheating at hide & seek and talking to my uncle in Dade City.
I am working on getting my Technician's ticket. I want to start venturing into proper amateur radio, not the days of butchered CB..
--
"I reject your reality and subsitute my own!" - Adam Savage, Mythbusters
"We're either gonna die or gonna fly...", Jamie Hyneman, Mythbusters - M5 Industries |
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evilghost
Premium
join:2003-11-22
Springville, AL
·Windstream
| reply to Rifleman
neonhomer, hope to see you on the bands when you get your license. 11 meter has it's purpose but it's not like what's legally possible in Amateur Radio. The past two days while the bands have been dead I've been working Canada pretty steadily on 100W on 20m. Remember, the CB you are running now is illegal if 'deadkey' it transmits more than 4W. |
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