CB radio was promoted for short range communication, whether for business or personal use. In 1958, Class D CB radio service at 27 MHz began, including a band for public use. Requests from truck drivers and others for a cheaper mode of communication led the government to allot 18 channels for CB radio communication. During the 1960’s, CB radio service was popular among indicate trade people, such as plumbers and electricians, and transportation services, like taxis and truckers.
The popularity of CB radios during 1970’s was mainly due to films, television shows and popular songs. Public service codes that were initially used by police and fire services were allowed to be used for short acknowledgement services. The codes were often used in shortened form, and gradually slang terms developed. The advancement of technology also increased the popularity of CB radio services. The equipment became cheaper and smaller. This gave regular people access to technology that was previously available only to experts. These CB radios were mostly plug-in quartz crystal-controlled and AM only.
CB Radio Service in the United States
In the United States, there were initially 23 CB radio services. During the 1960’s, channels were categorized by intra-station and inter-station communications. In the 1970’s, channel 9 was designated for use only for emergency purposes. Channel 10 was promoted for use in highway communications, while for general purposes, channel 11 was used. Later, channel 19 was switched to highway communications use.
From the beginning, CB radio services didn’t require licensing, but the use of a call sign was required. Soon, people ignored these basics and started using nicknames, or “handles,” as they are popularly known. These handles were primarily used by truck drivers to send road condition or traffic warnings to other truck drivers. There were still many restrictions on antenna size and the distance the signal could be sent, but gradually the call sign regulation was dropped.
In 1973, several groups in the United States campaigned for allocation of frequencies near 220MHz for Class E band services. Although initially opposed, the government sponsored the Multi-use Radio Service in the 1980’s, Family Radio Service, and General Mobile Radio Service.
CB Radio Service in Australia and Britain
CB radio service was a world-wide phenomenon during the 1970’s and 1980’s. In Great Britain, CB radio service was finally legalized in 1981. In Australia, CB radio services began in the 1960’s when American walkie-talkies became available at selected outlets. The 27 MHz was intended to be temporary, with the users required to move to the UHF band within five years, but due to its popularity the Australian government included all the 40 channels in the band.
At present, CB radios have lost many users due to the presence of mobile communication services and the popularity of the Internet, but it remains widely used on American highways and, most likely, always will.
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