Does anyone still use 27meg CB?

Hi John, I still have an old CB in use. A few mates also have them and they are handy when cruising the beach on Fraser etc.... Apart from the few beach trips, we never have the old thing on.

Up on Fraser it was like having the world to our self. Over two weeks we never heard another voice, so we had our own personal channel.

We still have access to a UHF, juts in case it is needed.

May pension off the old CB in 2007 when updating vehicle.

Regards

Graeme

I still have a Uniden SSB 27 mhz in the Toyota & whilst it continues to work i will take it from vehicle to vehicle as i've done for the past couple of 4x4's but if the day comes when it drops its tounge out i probably wont replace.......

Cheers

My mate and i have 27mhz as well as uhf.
When we return to the city after a trip, the UHF is usually soooo crowded with wannabe radio jocks that we usually switch to am so we can speak uninterrupted by foul-mouthed idiots who have nothing to say.
There is another mate who only has AM so i need it to talk to him as well.

Mine is SSB and may be useful for long distance in an emergency too.
I didn't know they still sold new units though, mine is 2nd hand bought through this site's trader.

Just three years ago when we were doing a trip from Melb to the Gold Coast we used 27 meg.

There were four cars travelling and I had three old handheld 27 meg CB's and the old Kraco. We scammed a few magnetic base aerials from Tandy at a bargain price, hooked up some power and away we went.

"Looks like we got us a convoy".......CJ McCall.

Bugger me, I was surprised at how many Truckies were still using the old "CB".

Those magnetic base antennas aren't much chop. The bloody things kept blowing off the boot at anything over 165 km/h.

I still use mine now and then ,It is handy when on an Escort job if the other Pilot if 2 needed has one too we can have a yap and it don't bother the main UHF transmissions, mine is one of these .

Magnum Delta Forze
Features: PLL Synthesised mobile all mode tranceiver with large illuminated LCD Digital Bargraph Display, 5 digit LCD frequency readout Frequency: 25.160 - 29.700MHz (Export Version) Frequency Tolerance: 0.0005% Frequency Accuracy: 110ppm or better Output Power: 30watt AM/SSB/CW PEP & 25watt max. FM Spurious Emission: -60dB or better Carrier Suppression: -40dB or better Meter Functions: Signal S/RF, RX Receive Signal Strength, Modulation, SWR Calibration, SWR Others: Mic - 600 Ohms, Dynamic PTT Dimensions: Size 2 3/8" x 7 7/8" x 9 1/4" Weight 1.8kg
Manufacturer: DeltaForce
$549.00 incl. GST

Check out some of the other products this bloke sells ,he has some terrific gear
www.syncroelec.com.au/

Doug

Hi John,

27 meg still has a purpose as the lower frequency and higher transmission power are much more versatile in the hilly country. As the bandwidth is so much broader it will bend around corners a bit more rather than be limited to virtual Line of Sight communication of UHF.
We have 9000 acres that borders 50,000 acres of state forest. It is all very steep and mountainous and we have fitted 27 meg in each vehicle as well as base stations in the houses. We also have UHF but it is useless when you can't trigger a repeater and you are 20km from the house and down the bottom of a valley. In these conditions the 27meg works perfectly and has been used in a couple of emergencies in the past.
As a previous post mentioned it is useful for example on trips to Fraser Is. etc when travelling with company as it is not always that the vehicles are within UHF range of each other. With 27 meg each can go their seperate ways for the day and yet still communicate wherever they are on the island.
I must admit our 27meg radios are cranked up a bit with most running between 40 and 55 watts but the secret is still in a good quality and well tuned antenna.
Something else that can be a bit of fun with 27meg is when the skip comes in you can talk to any number of places around the world depending on where the skip is bouncing. Last time I was in Victoria I was able to talk back to my family on the Gold Coast every single day I was there.

Cheers,
Brett

My PC122XL is still in the Jack - took it on a long trip to the topend recently and ran it for a few hours here and there - never heard a sausage - put out a call or two on SSB but nothing back - we also use UHF of course - my view was to keep it as a backup to my long distance HF - if I could get $250 for it I would move it on, but with no call for them, it can stay until I trade the vehicle- it won't be going into the next vehicle.

On the same subject
I have a collection off 27mg swr meters, can they be used for UHF or are they as redundent as the radios
Bob

I have a couple of GE SSB units (18 channel I think) and a very small Tandy 40 channel if anyone wants to give them a good home. I'm in Yarraville Vic or will post at your expense. They were all working when I packed them away many years ago.

Adrian

Hi John,

I still have my original Pearce Simpson Super Panther SSB unit in the Toyota, was 23 ch then 40 chand now 120 ch LOL, and I turn it on every now and then, turned it on a while back at lunch time and 2 blokes were talking as though they were in the same town, so gave them a call and they were in New Zealnd, that brings back memories of many hrs spent in the cold in the old ute up on a hill in the hay day of skip, still have a couple of AM sets lying around too.
Must be thousands of them laying in cupboarbs around the place.

Cheers Pesty

I still use my 25 year old Uniden 27 meg SSB when on the road in conjunction with the UHF. However when travelling with a number of members in our 4x4 club many prefer to use 27meg then UHF, due to the foul and obscene language. 27 meg has better coverage and the kids who used them back in the good old days have now grown up - one hopes, and I guess many 27 meg radios are sitting in cupboards gathering dust. Still think there is a place for them when out in the country, and will continue to use it.

John, In Sydney it is very quiet on 27 meg. No one uses AM that i can find but you can usually find someone on ch 35 or 36 on SSB.. It is really great if you have a second vehicle travelling with you, no interuption, turn the squelch up and no annoying background noise. You would almost think you are on UHF these days... Michael.