subject: Cb Radio: A Historical Origin [print this page] The Federal Communication Commission of the United States designated for the first time, frequencies for the use of the public just after the end of the Second World War. The group of frequencies was called the Citizens Radio Service Frequency Band.
Intended to be a short range system of communication between ordinary citizens, it may be used for private or business purposes, to control model boats, planes, cars, helicopters, etc, the CB frequencies were the only ones that did not require a license. It is necessary for users to share the system, since there is no limit on the number of radios sold. Courtesy becomes critical.
After WWII the FCC allocated the first frequencies to be used for personal radio services and called it Citizens Radio Service Frequency Band. This was a system of short distance radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the 27MHz band and came to be called CB radio, it is quite different from FRS, MURS, GMRS or (ham) radio as it can be used for both business and family communications as well as radio controlled models and doesn't require a license.
Like many two way services Citizen Band channels are shared by many users, only one channel may transmit at any one time leaving all other stations listening and waiting for the shared channel to become available to them. The 40 channels within the 27 MHz band soon had the name shortened to Citizens Band or CB radio.
CB radio began with 23 channels. 22 of them were in the 11 meter amateur band and the 23rd was shared with radio control hobbyists. After 1960, small business 'discovered' CB as a way to keep in touch. Electricians, carpenters, plumbers, appliance repair had a way to work in the field and still be in touch with home, where the phone was being answered.
Truckers saw it as a means to keep alert on long boring drives and for road information. The development of solid state electronics such as transistors allowed the size, power draw, and price of the radios to be reduced dramatically. Now the public could use radios that were previously only used by emergency services, and the military.
Groups of new users formed clubs and set up networks to use to help regular emergency services. Users began to develop their own slang and used it along with the 10 codes that were adopted from the police, fire and ambulance services who used them first.
The government of the US, in response to the 1973 oil crisis put a nationwide speed limit on traffic of 55mph, 'double nickel'. Some gas and diesel stations ran low on fuel and the truckers used CB to find fuel, either diesel or gasoline and to avoid speed traps. The CB was also used to organize a strike against the reduced speed limit. CB use increased rapidly in the 70's and 80's, as more and more people made friends of strangers they never met and thus the CB sub culture kept growing.
As the numbers continued to grow, the 40 channels became more and more busy, more crowded and finally overloaded in the 90's. The level of static and noise was so high the using the radio became virtually impossible in any urban setting. Only on the open highway was it still possible to communicate.
As with any overcrowded population, use died out. People used it less, and even stopped using it. When cellular phones came on the market, it was believed that this would kill CB radio. Enough people switched to cell phones to unjam the airwaves, and CB is coming back. It is much less expensive than using cell phones and still lets a group communicate, which cell phones will not do.
