Thirty years ago I would have been jumping around for joy at the news that because of an ECC Decision as of 24th June 20 the use of 27 MHz SSB CB across the British Isles and Europe is to be harmonised.
The new ruling permits the use of SSB equipment running 12 watts PEP output in the frequency band 26.960 - 27.410 MHz. The ECC Decision came into force on June 24, 2011 and the preferred date for implementation of this ECC Decision by national administrations is October 1, 2011.
Read the ECC Decision ECC/DEC/(11)03 - The harmonised use of frequencies for Citizens’ Band (CB) radio equipment http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF
I wonder how many of us would have made the move to amateur radio if this had been done in 1981. Especially as B class licences were only permitted VHF and above back then. It would have been almost a backward step for someone used to eleven metre DXing to only have 144 and 433 MHz to play on, indeed some of my old chums took a lot longer to see the big picture than I did. If you every have listened on these frequencies you will realise just how often ten metres should be open, but there is no-one on there and yet the eleven metre frequencies are bouncing. Some of those UK pirates will wonder what hit them as all those Cobras and Tristars are dragged from lofts and fired up legally for the first time. What worried me for a long time was the number of familiar voices that could be heard on 27, now they can come out of the closet.
As a ham, think of it as an extension to ten metres. Sure there are lids but we have them on the ham bands too and we always have. I am happy for all the old CBers who never gave up. Thirty years what a wait!
CB is dead, long live CB - Back at you good buddie!
Never had side band CB. Is it too late to start? I do remember talking to another ham about using 144 SSB and another CB'er was very quick to tell me using SSB was giving them CB'er a bad name. It was nice to tell him we did it legal.
ReplyDeleteBut will be same problem as we get with TV where some ones Sky box is transmitting analogue and blocking a digital Muliplex. We without a band plan will be messing up each others enjoyment.
I never did the illegal CB, AM or SSB but I was keen to try CB when they made FM legal. Lots of my old pals did though and most of them never had any problems with TVI. Digital TV seems to be more immune to interference in that sort of frequency. I never have any problems running 1oo watts plus on 10 metres, so why should anyone have problems with 12 watts on 11 metres?
ReplyDeleteNoboddy uses SSB in that allocation(well a little LSB towards the top end near 27.405) as all 11m operators use 27.555 and adjacent frequencies, so not only is it too little, too late, it's the wrong frequency.
ReplyDeleteI suppose they could move and make the calling channel 27.355 or something, though I doubt that an illegal operator is going to be that bothered.
I used to use the 555, but got out of it and did the ticket, because quite frankly it was boring !
Hi Steve, firing up those Tristars and Cobras on the legal SSB frequencies still make it illigal. As you need to have a legal radio for that. It is even illigal to use a amateurradio on the CB band.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, 10 years ago I predicted that 11 Mtrs from 25-30 MHz all mode will be a free band in the future. I think this is a step forward to that. I've been a heavy user of the 11 Mtr band in the past and will be back there I think when all is legal. Till then I'll have to play radio on the amateur bands.
73, Bas
Legal or not (until we see something from OFCOM in the UK the position is still uncertain) I would rather that CBers stuck to radios that only did 4-12w rather than running 100w from a modified ham rig and getting theselves nabbed.
ReplyDeletei see all your feed back comes from hams mmmm well as a pirate stayion for over 30 years now i have seen chaps go to the ham bands then come back on 11 ! i wonder why ?? none of them have an answer so if u avnt tried it b4 11 that is maybe you ham folk should stay well away as my bnd is crowded enough !! why wait till its legal its peeps like me that got the bnd open thank god it only goes upto 410 few im so glad respect to all regrds 11 mtrs only pirate mike !
ReplyDeletei think the uk will more than likely opt out
ReplyDeleteI have been on 11mtr for years, even up and around the 27.555 ssb, and I have NEVER heard of anyone getting "nabbed" for using either a modified ham radio or US cobra 148GTL~dx. and since there is no such thing as a CB licence in the uk. I shall keep on using the 11mtr for decent conversations, not just talking about electronics and what not, like which radio and antenna we are using. 73`s from 94 (somewhere in uk)
ReplyDeleteBack in the 80s there were 3 old boys who would call each other on 555 usb. Then go to a qsy frequency, they never swore and was always nice people to chat to. I said to someone one day, hey I haven't heard the old boys for a while. Out of no where another station reveals himself , and goes on to explaine what had happened to them.
DeleteLong story short all 3 were visited simultaneously, equipment taken away etc. I never did hear any of them again. So it did happen
gm4zji,glad to see part of 11m being legalised,its been a long time coming!i was an alfa tango from 1978 til 1984 i had many friends and worked all over the world.i had a visit from the dti which prompheted my becoming liscensed,if 11m had become legalised back then i would still be there!fantastic see you on 11m soon 73s.
ReplyDeletethe uk wont make ssb legal they and another country abstained from the ruling , the uk have said from the good ole days of cb there will never be ssb in this country and the band plan that has been put forward is the polish band plan or has nobody noticed its from 26.960 to 27 410 in 10 kc steps not 26.965 to 27 .405 which is the norm band plan
ReplyDeleteOwned...!
DeleteApart from freedom of speech on 11m what does it offer that is better than the amateur bands..? I to was on SSB using a Cobra 148 GTL DX etc and having had enough of the looking over my shoulder every time I went on the air, then finaly running out of luck and getting collard by Bodie and Doyle as we used to call them (DTI), I took and passed the RAE, yes I was confined to VHF/UHF for a while which was a pain but as a keen DX'er I managed to make SSB contacts into Europe from the car which wasn't bad with 10w on 2m SSB. Things have changed and it's easier to get the Amateur ticket now than it used to be. Think about it, 11m (1 band) or Ham radio with Various modes & 12 plus bands.
ReplyDeleteI'm a licensed amateur and I must say there are a lot of hams that should follow the "CB's" radio etiquette. Even now it’s very rare to hear another 11meter operator tune, call, over somebody in QSO. I am so sick of amateurs calling, tuning and not waiting for the QSO to be over before they start making conversation to the person you are talking to.
ReplyDeleteHi, I've been using HF equipment on 11m for a long time now (on and off), I know a few Hams who prefer 11m for proper conversation..
ReplyDeleteThe only Ham stations I did like listening to were the ones who had decent quality audio... and they only liked listening to their own voices (rip W2ONV).
I'm not knocking Ham, but I tell you what, I'm sick of emailing RSGB and so called 'examiners' to get myself on a course to get my legit callsign !!!! These hams must be the ignorant people who have no etiquette on the Ham bands !
I like your blog...
Signed
Someone who wants to be a ham !!
When it all boils down, SSB CB (freebanding and otherwise) will always be around. I think the reason why nearly all activity in the Americas (North and South America) is SSB or AM, because the U.S. has had AM/SSB from the beginning. Nearly all the guys you hear running SSB on 11 meters are licensed hams who are looking for a more relaxed operating atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteWe don't want SSB 27.555MHz making legal! It will only suffer the same fate as when they legalized CB back in the 80s; I say keep it illegal it's much more fun!!!
ReplyDeleteOfcom will just put up their usual wall of silence until information is extracted from them somehow, it's like having a tooth pulled with them. There should have been an official statement on their position, are they going to behave sensibly like the rest of the world or remain insular and unduly resistant? So far but nothing. Interference isn't their concern, clearly, in any case we've known for years that a badly built station will cause QRM even with half a watt of FM, a well assembled station can use 12 watts and more of SSB with no ill effects. Ofcom's position on power line network adapters as provided by BT among others is equally ridiculous, the damn things create endstop qrm right across the HF range from 2 to 40 mhz for anything up to half a mile around the household where they're in use, yet they, in Ofcon's opinion, comply with the regulations which state clearly that no apparatus should cause interference to radio comms/reception. Have a look at the link below and join the campaign before you get these things in your street. If you do, your hobby's finished.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ban-plt.co.uk/
no good stamping your feet and throwing soldering irons out of your pram! ssb on 11meters is here and has always been there for all to use.freeband all over the world.
DeleteI've been on 11 metres since 1973, DX'ing to Western Australia, Japan etc on 12 watts SSB, using a home made 4 element beam. CB'ers of my vintage campaigned for CB to be legalised, to a very hostile government. When it eventually was, many lost interest because the band filled up with wallies and dead-keyers.
ReplyDeleteI crept back on 27 with my original Cobra GTL150 a few years ago, and have never had so much fun. Nice also to hear radio amateurs on 11m. I look forward to the day it returns to how it was in the 70's - a band of gentlemen. Best regards and 73's to all. DF, North Cambridge, UK
I have been a ham For 6 years, no CB use, using only the ham bands and sticking to what my licence allows power wise. When I heard Ofcom was going to opt out I was disgusted, Hams can use up to 400w on am on ten metres I believe but cb users not going to be allowed to use 4w on am 11 metres, were is the fairness in that. I was so disgusted I opened up my radio, activated my passport to freedom (removed diode) went to 27.555 and blasted out at 100w talking to Greece 5/9, great fun. Gone to be a Pirate, as a radio lover I cannot let the government kill CB radio. I t has its charms it has its faults just like anything in life.
ReplyDeleteI pirated the Combined Cadet Force frequencies here in the UK (5.3 mcs) in 1966 to 69 on a 19 set modified to get half-decent mod. We also had the occasional foray onto C.B. but the kit was rare and receivers didn’t work too well at 27 Mcs. Ahh valves......
ReplyDeleteMy illegal experiences resulted in me having a very interesting career in communications and having now retired, I looked again at 11 metres and was surprised to find a band that had grown since the 1980’s, was run by consent of the world and not ruined by draconian laws drawn up by “biased interested parties”. True there are a few childish people using it, but I have heard many idiots on the ham bands as well! On the whole, 11 metres is very democratic. If the governments of the world could just set out basic rules on power and antennas and let the users get on with it, I feel that this band would encourage more people to become interested in radio and also help break down barriers between countries. You learn a lot when you talk to a stranger....
On the issue of power. You can legislate a limit of 4 watts, but how are you going to implement it?
There are now so very few paid Government enforcers there would be only one other option. Ask the amateur community to form a type of “Home States Police” to do the reporting and that would never work in the UK!
By the way, I still use the band to this day.
I was the first person in the uk to get nicked and go to court over haveing a ssb cb back in the late 70s.I must say its about time this was all sorted out BUT im glad to see it is now coming about and cant wait to get back on..My old handle was valentino.
ReplyDeleteIts all radio at the end of the day...ham or cb...its a good thing, pity it took so long.
ReplyDeleteI liked the cb for its "freeness" but did'nt like the bad language. So as long as people behave...I'm all for it and i'll be back....not that I stopped. but had to take RAE to use my favourite mode.
So come on people...lets look to the future and enjoy.
73s n 88s de PSEUDONYM
so what's the position now?
ReplyDeleteIs ssb legal on 27 MHz or not?
cheers.
I have been a legal FM cb user for many years but only recently found the joys of 27.555. I think with very little enforcement from ofcom why not enjoy the hobby for what it is. If they legalised ssb in the uk it would open up the band to even more users and make those overseas contacts even more difficult. The uk government know what goes on with 11 metres but they turn a blind eye for two reasons, 1 they cannot legislate for overseas users so using them for other purposes would be useless. 2 it would cause even more red tape and would then have to be enforced causing more strain on already overstretched resources. So while they have their heads in the sand it leaves us to carry on regardless. Enjoy the hobby.
ReplyDeletenah , i dont think that getting ssb will result in a new influx like happened in the 80's when fm became legal - cb to most "young " people is old hat tech - after all why bother when they can fire up a pc and get virtually 100% comms via skype or whatever - with video , any time of the day ??
ReplyDeletewhat WILL happen is a few of the " iv'e never BEEN on CB amateurs may come out of the closet , you know the ones who WHERE on there then got a ticket and became holier than thou types - and the rest of us including the amateurs ( like myself ) who are fed up with AR and the poor operating standards - continuious contests etc etc - will be able to play without worrying - after all most of us know (or should do ) , how to use 12 w to best effect - use decent antennas etc and minimise any interferance to other services
so if you are reading this and doing a colonel bilk job of outrageious indignation that "mear " cb'ers should be allowed ssb - and 2 more w than the much vaunted foundation licence - consider this - IF the "london wireles club " had not set against cb years back - then it could have been the defacto route to AR -as it became for many - BUT NOPE i still remember how they got in a RIGHT tizzy when cb was brought in and some of the comments made to "fellow " hams ??? - if one was known to have ANY interest in cb - THANK GOD THE SNOBBERY OF THOSE DAYS IS OVER - WELL NEARLY ANYHOO .LOL
I was on the 11m band back in the 80's also using usb/lsb, some good DXing to USA on my Ham International Jumbo (wish I still had it). had a Starduster and then tried a Sigma 4, very good antenna's in the day. If someone reported you for interference, you would get a telephone call from the home office to arrange someone to come and have a look at you equipment (Ho they must of been so thick). I just replaced my usb rig with a normal fm one, but got told to take antenna down. Don't know of anyone getting done. I had the best set up with echo box and power in the Bfd area. I have now moved on to ham and staying there, better people, not the idiots what you got on UK-FM. might be different now, don't go there. 30 years too late - I agree.
ReplyDeleteSo how the hell is it they can use 12 watts but a foundation license ham can only use 10.
ReplyDeleteJB, WHEN?
ReplyDeleteI used ssb in the late 70's, great medium, range is superb, common sense dictated it was all done mobile away from anything that could pick up interference, which in those days was most kit, what you find now is all the low grade electronics from China and the East radiating hash across the HF bands, bad news!
ReplyDeleteI can see advantages all round when the MUF Is often at 27 mghz and not at 28 mghz as 28 is where I can legally use Datamodes And USB .it would be very interesting to use datamodes such as ROS . Currently there are a large number of illegal ops using ROS In the UK and opera .I think we have all got to be patient . I fully support this move , would I have stayed on 11m all those years ago no way , it was awful . I went from a class b to a class A quickly and would encourage anyone interested in using this band legally on SSB. To remain QRP . When 10m is open datamodes are capable of incredible distances with a couple of watts or lower , the same would apply for 11m. ..Be patient guys and girls it will happen , probably spring 2014 .. As for equipment , i cant see the ofcom allowing rigs like the superstar , which is lovely piece of kit being used . A new market will be created lets hope that datamodes is part of that . 73 and 88 Stu G4WCP
ReplyDeleteAs a long time user on cb radio from 70s till 96 on its good to here old users I used to run with a kenwood 850 sat 150 foot tower with a 6 ele beam and I loved every min blowing smoke into every corner around the world so happy to see ssb coming back yours 26fc158
ReplyDeleteI've been on cb ssb before Cobra's or Tristars etc were invented, and once again Europe leads the way with the UK dragging its feet as usual, being out of step with progressive modern thinking. CB SSB is used by many hams, myself included, those of us not possessed by overinflated egos and a desire to rule the world that is, those of us who are proud of our roots and are delighted to see them still thriving and growing after all this time despite the efforts of grumpy old Victor Mildrew types who want all the cake for themselves!
ReplyDeleteAnd now it's legal and nothing has changed, there was a bit of activity in the UK for a few days on Mid band and now it's back to normal, after a long 23yr break I'm enjoying it just like I did as a boy in the early days. Although I have H.F. equipment I don't use it on CB. Wepons of choice are a 148 GTL-DX and an ST-9F-DX. Loads of fun catching up with old friends. 73 to all of you and catch you soon de 26SW07
ReplyDeletejust found this site, ssb and am on 27 mhz now legal, oh well I had better move, I have had my ham ticket since 1976, moved to Cornwall seven years ago to retire, then a ham/cber moved in next door and life has been hell with the TV, Stereo and even my hearing aids getting blasted by high power CB FM transmissions, not to mention the legal ham transmission, the guy has 13 antennas all for to close to each other and the house, RF gets in everywhere even with ferrite beads on all the cables!!!!!! Bad move by ofcom!
ReplyDelete