Getting rid of Mumbo Jumbo in preparation for availability long range CB radio equipm

[Lightspeed]

Hi Jonas the probable outcome here in UK will be 4w FM, 1wAM, and 12w SSB.

Here's how the channel frequencies compare:

Column 1 is the original UK CB frequency allocation, it is out of step with all other countries and is FM only.

Column 2 is the CEPT CB frequency allocation. Currently FM only in the UK, but predictable that these will become the channels that will be upgraded to permit AM and SSB transmissions. CW will be specifically omitted from the new allowance.

Column 3 should be the standard USA and rest of world 40 channel allocation, which I think are AM and SSB only?



Channel frequencies in Mhz

Channel / UK 27/81 / EU/CEPT / USA and ROW


1 27.60125 26.965 26.965
2 27.61125 26.975 26.975
3 27.62125 26.985 26.985
4 27.63125 27.005 27.005
5 27.64125 27.015 27.015
6 27.65125 27.025 27.025
7 27.66125 27.035 27.035
8 27.67125 27.055 27.055
9 27.68125 27.065 27.065
10 27.69125 27.075 27.075
11 27.70125 27.085 27.085
12 27.71125 27.105 27.105
13 27.72125 27.115 27.115
14 27.73125 27.125 27.125
15 27.74125 27.135 27.135
16 27.75125 27.155 27.155
17 27.76125 27.165 27.165
18 27.77125 27.175 27.175
19 27.78125 27.185 27.185
20 27.79125 27.205 27.205
21 27.80125 27.215 27.215
22 27.81125 27.225 27.225
23 27.82125 27.255 27.255
24 27.83125 27.235 27.235
25 27.84125  27.245  27.245
26 27.85125 27.265 27.265
27 27.86125 27.275 27.275
28 27.87125 27.285 27.285
29 27.88125 27.295 27.295
30 27.89125 27.305 27.305
31 27.90125 27.315 27.315
32 27.91125 27.325 27.325
33 27.92125 27.335 27.335
34 27.93125 27.345 27.345
35 27.94125 27.355 27.355
36 27.95125 27.365 27.365
37 27.96125 27.375 27.375
38 27.97125 27.385 27.385
39 27.98125 27.395 27.395
40 27.99125 27.405 27.405
41 26.965 26.565
42 26.975 26.575
43 26.985 26.585
44 27.005 26.595
45 27.015 26.605
46 27.025 26.615
47 27.035 26.625
48 27.055 26.635
49 27.065 26.645
50 27.075 26.655
51 27.085 26.665
52 27.105 26.675
53 27.115 26.685
54 27.125 26.695
55 27.135 26.705
56 27.155 26.715
57 27.165 26.725
58 27.175 26.735
59 27.185 26.745
60 27.205 26.755
61 27.215 26.765
62 27.225 26.775
63 27.255 26.785
64 27.235 26.795
65  27.245 26.805
66 27.265 26.815
67 27.275 26.825
68 27.285 26.835
69 27.295 26.845
70 27.305 26.855
71 27.315 26.865
72 27.325 26.875
73 27.335 26.885
74 27.345 26.895
75 27.355 26.905
76 27.365 26.915
77 27.375 26.925
78 27.385 26.935
79 27.395 26.945
80 27.405 26.955

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Hi Jonas,

re your comment: <<12 watts SSB, which would, depending on band conditions, pretty much give anyone enough range to cover the whole country, and Ireland as well.>>

I'm trying to manage expectation for the new CB allocation. The idea is to give an indication of what is likely to be achievable rather than best case and unusual propagation scenarios.

Advice I'm giving is that range will be 2 to 3 x that which can be achieved by a normal 4w FM station, up to a maximum of 35 miles.

From 35 miles (ish) to 200-300miles out it will be very unlikely to achieve any contacts at all. From the outer limit of that band (200 to 300 miles) contacts will again be possible through signal being bouncing off the atmosphere and returned to earth, but these conditions are not reliable and are most likely ( but not always) restricted to summer months.

Intercontinental communications will also be possible, again by bouncing signals off the atmosphere. They are restricted by both atmospheric conditions as well as the state of the solar cycle. Currently conditions are favourable, and UK to USA communications are very do-able using legal power and simple antennas..... but in 5 years time it will be all but impossible to make such contacts, even with extreme high power and big directional antennas. In 10 or 11 years time conditions will revert to what they are today (2014)

[CharlesHarris]

During WW-II, Rommel's Afrika Corps used 27-29 MHz for short range tank communications. Short wave listeners in Virginia and Georgia picked up the transmissions via E-layer skip and soon figured found out what they were listening to, so the US Gov't set up listening stations to relay the intel received to Patton. Short range in a pig's eye!

[Jonas]

Lightspeed, I talk with QRP stations (2-5 watts) on 7.290.00 almost daily, from the length and breadth of Texas. I think you all are going to be quite pleasantly surprised what 12 watts SSB can do, even on the 10 meter band.

I was wondering if you and a couple of other hams couldn't somehow evaluate the new rigs coming out and set up a "group buy" where if you buy 5 or 10 rigs at the same time you get a substantially lower price. I really think these 12 watt CB rigs are a real "game changer" for the preppers in the UK. If I were 30 years younger and in the UK, I'd be setting up a shop for after-market antennas designed specifically for the new CBs - but I'm too old and too far away!

[Lightspeed]

Good morning Jonas,

God to have the forum back on its feet, and good to hear from you.

I operate 100% QRP ( Very low power).

The cross texas communications you are achieving on the 7 Mhz band will be almost entirely NVIS (Near vertical incident skywave...entire threads discussing this on this section). Propagation at this frequency is very different from that which we will experience on CB.

I urge anyone looking to purchase UK legal SSB capable CB equipment, to do so with performance expectation based on the advice I posted earlier. Better to expect less and get more, than vice versa.

Good idea about a review of some of the equipment choices. First we need to see the final regulations, then to await the manufacturer's offerings of compliant equipment.

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Charles, I understand things differently.

My reading* has always indicated that it was ULTRA ( UK Intelligence radio service operating out of Bletchley Park) that made the intercepts of the AM modulated radio communications from Afrika Korps Tank radio comms. ( on 27 to 29Mhz frequencies, just like CB) and that the intelligence gained was used by Montgomery's Desert Rats to ultimately beat the Axis forces.

WWII years were not at solar peak ( propogation wise) the peaks being at 1947 and 1936. That puts war years at lowest ebb of the cycle. At such time transatlantic skip between Europe and USA is almost completely impossible at CB frequencies. But, independent of solar peak ionisation, summertime sporadic E layer ionisation reaches sufficient density to support 10m and 11m communications ( single bounce) between UK and the near continent and sometimes out as far as North Africa. This entirely supports what has been written about the Bletchley Park boffin’s work.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_Campaign
…The primary benefit of Ultra intercepts to the effort in North Africa was to aid in cutting the Axis supply line to Tunisia. Ultra intercepts provided valuable information about the times and routes of Axis supply shipments across the Mediterranean. This was critical in providing the British with the opportunity to intercept and destroy them.

By the way, in the same article:

…The Axis had considerable success in intelligence gathering (in North Africa)through radio communication intercepts and monitoring unit radio traffic. The most important success came through Colonel Bonner Fellers, the U.S. military attaché………

[CharlesHarris]

Lightspeed. I believe your account, that British elint picked up the German traffic is correct, but that was the tale I was told in USN radio school.

The US Department of Homeland Security OEC Version 1.0 of the 2014 Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide (AUXFOG) is available for download at http://www.publicsafetytools.info under the resources tab. This is a valuable resource for those interested in how emergency comms are conducted here.