BCM Community
Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on November 13, 2023, 09:03:11 AM
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How many still use a CB in your Bus Conversion? I have one in mine and use it when caravaning with other Bus Nuts and when traveling with friends in Mexico where cell phone coverage is scarce. It helps to give each person a heads-up of what is ahead, or coming up from behind, such as somone passing on a yellow line, which is quite common in Mexico, believe it or not. Even semi's do it, and cars even do it on blind corners.
I usually turn mine on when I head out on a trip each day in the U.S. too, but sometimes I turn it off if it gets too busy and people are talking about nothing. I always turn it back on though, if I see a traffic jam on my side of the highway to hear what is going on and try to listen for a way around it, or if it is late in the day, as it was last year when traveling east of Albuquerque when the traffic slowed down to a crawl. I heard the backup was still several miles long, so i pulled into a Truck Stop and stayed in their back lot for the night.
The next day, the coast was clear and I headed out, ultimately saving me a lot of wasted time.
What about you? CBs are not as active as they used to be, but I still find them helpful at times. Back in the day, CBs were very helpful when Truck Drivers were solving all of the worlds problems over the airways.
Here is a photo of me when I was in my mid-30's talking on my CB.
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Use it mostly to monitor the local weather
Wayne
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We just recently removed lots of CB equipment from the bus driver area as we didn't use it like we used to. Also the greater need to multi task at the dash was annoying, ie: TPMS, rear camera, GPS, cell phone, added guages, yada. That's not to say we don't have CB. We carry a portable unit if the need arises. When caravaning with other buses we use the tiny walkie talkies. We used to have linear amplifier on a sideband unit with lots of added frequencies for long distance skip talk but those days for us is long gone.
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We use WALKER Talkies. :^ :^
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Sometime I would turn mine on to listen,when truckers get bored they can talk a lot bull
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With the advent of FRS radios and these new devices that use cell frequencies for use in a two way radio, CB has declined but still gets some use. HAM radio has been in decline as well.
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I had Nextell cell phones with 2-way radios built in ,was a good idea on paper I got rid of those in 3 months there was to much chit chat between the employees
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I had a CB in my bus till the day it sold, and then it was moved into the Suburban pulling my Airstream and use it all the time.
While the airwaves for a CB are generally quiet in many parts of the country, I learned while driving a semi that whenever there is a traffic situation the chatter picks up quickly.
More than once when driving the bus I was saved from having to make a panic stop by someone announcing on channel 19 that there was an accident, slowdown, etc. ahead. Often someone would scream something like, "I-35 northbound shutting down at _____" and it gave me time to downshift and start slowing down early.
I never rely on it for general communication, but for times like this is beats a cell phone hands down.
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Still have and use my chrome Courier Classic 23ch w/Turner JM+2U power mic, Wilson 4000 and a custom bi-lateral linear. Been using this rig for many years, many upgrades thru out the years. Cobra 29 as a stand in when still tweaking on the Courier.
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We were gifted one. They sure do come in handy!!!
We don't usually speak unless spoken to. Instead, we listen. :)