UHF Radio Use

Its a pain allright , but we just use CTCSS and over years have only brought radios with it and it really helps enormously.

It is Citizens Band Radio and is available to everyone to use and is not supposed to be used for commercial purposes ie: running a business which is what you are doing. It is in fact illegal to do so.
While many do use it for commercial purposes (and get away with it) anyone using the service cannot expect a channel to be available for their exclusive use.
Yes you may be using a particular channel for many years but they also may have been using a particular channel for many years as well and only travelling through your area.
A case in point, our local 4wd club uses channel 27, has done for years.
One of our closest available areas to enjoy is also close to a regional centre and as the area involved is mountainous and above the regional centre our transmissions do carry a fair way.
In this regional centre there is a company using channel 27 to run a business and we constantly get threats from him telling us to get off HIS channel as he is using it for his business. As he has done this for a few years someone eventually reported him to the authorities.
we use this channel quite often when on extended trips and often get asked when passing through if we could mind changing channel as often cockies etc are using it to coordinate staff on properties. We usually change or if on 100k on the highway just shut up until out of range.

It would be like telling the blokes at the pub to watch their language.
As was mentioned above, the language is unfortunate but what you are doing is also not right so the best you can do is to put up with it.

R.

Info from various websites - all of which state the same .....

Citizen band radio service
The Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRS) is a two-way, short distance, communications service that can be used by any person in Australia, whether it is for recreational or domestic purposes, or in connection with work or business.

The service may be used for:

any form of voice communications activity, including those activities related to voice communications (ie selective calling); and
telemetry and telecommand applications.
CBRS repeater stations, however, need specific frequency assignments and are licensed individually under apparatus licensing arrangements and are subject to licence fees.


So we are not using illegally.

And I don't take my kids into the pub when there's bad language - they're sat at the kitchen table doing their homework whilst I work from home.

Jothefw, thank you for your Post - like you, I find it extremely annoying and distasteful at times to have to "put up" with what happens on UHF, particularly if I am trying to find out information on the flow of traffic (if I'm on the east coast and wanting to use the Gateway - notorious for accidents) - the replies are truly disgusting in most cases and I wait and ask again - eventually a 'normal' person will get a sensible reply back to me.
As for using the UHF for "business" we do also.
As for the tone of the replies on EO - I am somewhat taken aback today - there is absolutely nothing wrong in asking those using a certain channel to desist or limit - I do, and ask nicely.
I also don't think you had a 'rant' - if so, I must have them frequently. I have over the years on EO written exactly what you have asked above. Please do not be put off by "explorers" not minding their manners here.

I travel with my UHF always on and like others at times have found that there are those that use foul language which I do not like or want to hear and at these times will often either switch channels or turn the radio off.
When visiting cities like Mel and Syd one hears someone ranting on and on which is a bit pointless to me.
I have when out back heard land holders on the radio and will say Gidday then will get my group to drop down or up a channel. We find that it is a simple and courteous thing to do. Sometimes the other party wants to chat and we oblige.
As usual there are those that spoil it for others.

Hear you all on the Radio Sometime.

Jothefw,

Another thank you for your Post

We only have the radio on when "in convoy" which does not happen too often.

We just got sick and tired of the foul language. But that is the nature of the beast.

The radio is there if we need it.

Phil

Hi Jothefw,

No it wasn't a rant - you make a perfectly valid point and I am surprised by some of the responses here. It is quite unnecessary for people to use some of the language that is all too often heard on our radios.

Or maybe we should feel sorry for those who have such a limited vocabulary and who have such trouble getting their thoughts out without every second word (literally) beginning with "f"!

I really cant see why its so difficult when on a public channel to keep the language within reasonable limits - nobody expects saints.

Another annoyance is those users who tie up channels playing music or letting the kids chat endlessley about nothing in particular - its not a mobile phone.

Cheers,

Val

Just a thought that could be a tad off topic, but this thread has some very knowledgeable contributors to it


Is there a way I can use my VHF marine radio to contact a UHF CB ??

When used expressly in a convoy situation, I know they are different bands.

Yes, obviously I've never even turned mine on.

Maîneÿ . . .

Jothefw,

If you lived in the metropolitan area of any city in Australia, you would find foul language and other stupid antics abound to the point that CB radio use is pointless.

The lack of any intelligent mentality whatsoever, let alone courtesy, is the "norm" in suburbia.

We often have scanning on when driving in the country and pick up some interesting conversations from farm based people as we pass. We never join in but simply listen as a form of entertainment to the business of working the farm and organising lunch, or some such thing. All good stuff.


Bill.

I think we have two separate issues here.
Firstly having to put up with the antics of the intellectual midgets with the mental capacity of your common garden cockroach. These are easily identified by the liberal sprinkling of profanities that infest their version of the English language. As distasteful as listening to these cretins is we do have the option of reducing the volume or turning the set off completely. I personally leave mine on when well clear of the city limits and generally tuned to the truckies channel. When approaching a town and this is mostly where the colourful language starts, I turn it off or right down.
The other issue as I see it anyway is that CB radio is just that, there for the use of all citizens (unfortunately the abovementioned morons included) and just like our roads, parking areas, shopping centres and whatever we are just going to have to learn to share. This includes farmers, truckies and us average Joes and Jills going about our business or leisure activities.

Cheers
Pop

If I am travelling in convoy I use the CTCSS on my GME. Then only transmissions preceded by the tone get through. This may already be fitted to your radios.

Cheers

Pete

I have used UHF radios for 25 years in my line of work in taxis.
It has in that time always been illegal to swear on the radio.
The company owns several frequency licenses & it is illegal for anyone to transmit on one of their frequencies.
It is not illegal for any body to listen in on transmissions on these frequencies. Only to transmit.
These frequencies are not on CB radios.
I also have a mate that owns a trawler who owns an HF frequency license he uses to communicate with his wife. Same thing occurs there. Anyone can listen in on his frequency but it is illegal for them to transmit.
People have used the company's frequency from time to time, but not for long. If they persist they are reported to the relavent Federal Department.
I think a parachute company was prosecuted some years back for doing so.
I don't know how they came to have radios with the taxi company's frequency on them. The handsets probably came from another district outside our broadcast range.

AS for the swearing. It is horrible in larger centres. I turn my CB off until I am well out of town unless I am on the Bruce Highway. Too many foul mouthed users there too.