CB channel

[Jsmith2211]

Hello all, recently got a CB for the tractor as the combine came with one, and im quite honestly sick of hand signals! Father's phone is rather old and tired and takes about half an hour to register that there's someone trying to phone it, so before you say it thats why we dont just use the phone... Just wandering what channel i should set the CBs to? I imagine for when its me and dad combining it's just pick a random channel with nobody on it, but is there a standard channel for when on the road? i see a lot of people have CBs on their tractors so i imagine theres a standard channel for everybody to communicate on? Also anything else i should know about the setup of the radios? the antenna has a good ground and everything so i think its all set up right. Thanks in advance.

 

[Lofty1984]

Channel 9 allot use around here

 

[Al R]

Being in Somerset you may well pick up ships/tankers, stay off these ones or they go nuts - often in Spanish or polish.
Find out what channels your local contractors etc use or use one in the 30’s. Round here contractors use a channel for each silage and slurry gang

 

[Jsmith2211]

Channel 9 allot use around here

thought that was reserved for ambulances and that to use? Also is there a simple way to test that everything is actually working, i dont know if the radio in the combine works or not, looks like it does but i'd like to know for sure. i also dont know if i've set the tractor's up right...

 

[Al R]

thought that was reserved for ambulances and that to use? Also is there a simple way to test that everything is actually working, i dont know if the radio in the combine works or not, looks like it does but i'd like to know for sure. i also dont know if i've set the tractor's up right...

Big objects like combines, foragers and beet harvesters quite often block out the signal to the far side of the machine I’ve always found, I could hear 6-7 miles away when going forward but put a tractor 20 metres behind me and I often couldn’t hear them at all. Higher aerials so no obstruction would have helped but they wouldn’t have got into any sheds or would have been to close to electric cables

 

[Jsmith2211]

Big objects like combines, foragers and beet harvesters quite often block out the signal to the far side of the machine I’ve always found, I could hear 6-7 miles away when going forward but put a tractor 20 metres behind me and I often couldn’t hear them at all. Higher aerials so no obstruction would have helped but they wouldn’t have got into any sheds or would have been to close to electric cables

antenna on the combine is mounted on the wingmirror so no issues there! one on the tractor is mounted on the handrail on the right hand side by the door, the tip of the antenna is about 6" above the top of the cab. we have some low sheds and i dont really want the antenna bouncing and banging on every tree and phone line about. should be good enough for relatively short range communications in the field which is mainly what i want. not expecting to be able to tell dad to get a shift on with the trailers when he's 4 miles down the road at the other farm!

 

[Lofty1984]

thought that was reserved for ambulances and that to use? Also is there a simple way to test that everything is actually working, i dont know if the radio in the combine works or not, looks like it does but i'd like to know for sure. i also dont know if i've set the tractor's up right...

Never hear anyone else other than other contractors on 9, just make sure you park close to test them out and make sure you have a good earth point

 

[feilding]

I just put my set on scan, so I can hear what is about on any channel from 1 to 40.
Far better than what's on any radio station. I find contractors all use different channels.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

You'll probably find that your signal is quite directional where you have your aerials, best to have them as central to machine as possible, make sure the mount is onto metal and has a good earth, to test them out set both on same channel be a couple of hundred metres apart and try them, most truckers will use ch19 but some will pick another channel if they don't want to hear all that's going on, just pick a channel that is quiet and use that between yourselves

 

[Speedstar]

Hello all, recently got a CB for the tractor as the combine came with one, and im quite honestly sick of hand signals! Father's phone is rather old and tired and takes about half an hour to register that there's someone trying to phone it, so before you say it thats why we dont just use the phone... Just wandering what channel i should set the CBs to? I imagine for when its me and dad combining it's just pick a random channel with nobody on it, but is there a standard channel for when on the road? i see a lot of people have CBs on their tractors so i imagine theres a standard channel for everybody to communicate on? Also anything else i should know about the setup of the radios? the antenna has a good ground and everything so i think its all set up right. Thanks in advance.

You need a SWR meter to set the CB arial up right , we run CB radios & they work very well, but we run the old ones with cybernet boards in them

 

[Speedstar]

Channel 9 allot use around here

Channel 9 should not be used unless in an Emergency ,

 

[Andy12345]

32

 

[oil barron]

Stay on the odd channels start at the base and switch every time.

 

[Two Tone]

Channel 9 should not be used unless in an Emergency ,

Yes, in its heyday, 9 was the emergency channel and there were people who would have base stations that would automatically listen to and switch to 9 if somebody started talking on it.
I once used it in an emergency and was grateful that somebody was listening who rang the fire brigade.

Channel 19 was supposed to be for truckers, but almost everybody used it.

 

[How much]

As has been said an aerial works in the middle of vehicle with a good earth ( metal ) all around the mirror arm is not good position although for use in and around a field and average farm all likely god enough.
you should use an swr meter to set it correctly but adjusting the aerial up and down so the meter on the CB goes near the top of its range without hitting the end of its travel would again probably work ok

 

[7610 super q]

27. But only if you have a Burt Reynolds moustache

 

[oil barron]

27. But only if you have a Burt Reynolds moustache

 

[Timbo]

One of the best movies ever made.

 

[Robt]

Channel 9 should not be used unless in an Emergency ,

Does anyone actually monitor it though? Remember being told that 35 years ago

 

[Two Tone]

Does anyone actually monitor it though? Remember being told that 35 years ago

They used to monitor it. Not sure now though.

In the days before mobile phones,
when Radio 1 played too much Soul music,
Radio 2 was listed to by your Mum,
Radio 3 was listened to your school music teacher
And radio 4 by sad old barstewards……(like what I am now!)
CB radio was bloody good fun.

We were supposed to have a license but I never knew anybody that did.
Probably including the Smokies!