I'm a new CB user, what channel do people hangout on?

I just installed a Uniden 520XL on my 82, and I was wondering what channels people hang out on, because I don't even know if the damn thing works. Just a little background info: I tuned it properly with an SWR reading of 1.0, and I'm in the state of WA. What channel do you guys hang out on?

 

9

 

just to avoid those police traps?

 

Jk. I don’t know about your area but CB radios aren’t as popular as they were in the past.

 

yeah I get it. I know there are some people out here and there though. I mainly got it for road trips and offroading anyway.

 

Nobody really hangs out on channels anymore. Truckers will often use 19 to call out road hazards or conditions, but people don’t really hang out on them unless there’s a reason. Truckers and worksites are what you’ll usually pick up. I’m only on mine when off-roading. Even in the backcountry, my dual band yaesu radio gets more use.

 

Yep. Turn it on in a traffic jam and it gets lively. Otherwise...silence

 

Yup and even then it’s usually just truckers shouting obscenities haha. Here’s my CB and dual band comms setup. CB is good out to maybe 3 miles depending on terrain. Got the midland 75-822 so that I can go mobile with it if need be. In SAR situations where dedicated comms haven’t been established, I can always take it to the top of a mountain and try to reach out. The dual band is basically limitless and almost always more effective.

 

9 used to be the emergency channel, back when it was monitored in the 70's, don't know how long it lasted. 19 for truckers on the highway, listen more than you talk and you'll be fine. I've talked to base stations on 14-15, with cb everything will be local, except for the powerful base stations talking skip, thus the reason for more channels to use.

 

what is a base station? sorry still learning

 

Nerd at home talking on cb.

 

its just a fancy term for nerd then lol.

 

I have to admit that I’m a cb troll.

 

Base station- nerd at home
Mobile-nerd on the move... or sitting in the parking lot at a shopping center

 

Have you tried 69?

 

71 is better

 

nerds erywhere