![]() Years prior, CB radios required a licensed to operate. Later the United Kingdom added more than 40 channels giving UK citizens 80 CB radio channels to work with. Al Gross made the first British ceremonial CB radio call from Trafalgar Square in London. The citizens of the United Kingdom took to the streets in high profile public demonstrations and UK government officials bent to the will of the people. ![]() The British government told its citizens that the CB radio would never be legalized on the 27 Mhz wavelength and instead, proposed a different technology on the 860 Mhz “open channel” instead. Novelty songs about the new electronic toy, such as CW McCall’s Convoy and Cletus Maggard’s White Knight (see lyrics below), were played regularly on the radio.ĭuring the CB radio craze, citizens of Great Britain began illegally using American made CBs. CB Radios began to play prominent roles in movies such as Smokey and the Bandit and Movin’ On. In several instances, blockades were organized using CB Radios where trucks would fill all available highway lanes in protest of the high gas prices and new trucking regulations. Truck drivers used the radios to organize convoys ( huge lines of trucks that travelled down the nation’s highways). Newsworthy events related to CB radios further added to the excitement. The CB radio became so popular, by 1977 additional channels were opened up and 40 channel radios were introduced to the market. Drivers quickly learned that CB radios could be used to communicate with other drivers to inform them of gas stations that had gas and to notify speeders where police (smokeys) had speed traps set up. In response, the United States government issued a 55 MPH nationwide speed limit. ![]() The CB Radio Crazeīy 1973, the oil crisis caused the cost of gasoline to skyrocket and shortages quickly developed. CB radio clubs were formed and hobbyists developed their own unique CB slang language along with 10-codes similar to the codes used by emergency services. Suddenly, the general public had access to a communications medium that previously had only been available to specialists. By the late 1960’s, advancements in solid state electronics allowed the size of the radio to be greatly reduced as well as the cost. CB radio channels are shared by many users at the same time and other stations must listen and wait for the shared channel to be available.īy the 1960’s, the CB radio was popular with businesses and radio hobbyists. Unlike amateur radio, CB radio does not require a license (although at one time, they did require a license to operate). In the United States, Citizen’s Band Radios operate on the 27-Mhz band whereas in Canada it is known as General Radio Services and operates on the 26 Mhz and 28 Mhz bands. Most countries have similar radio services. When Al Gross invented the CB radio in 1945, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) quickly opened up radio services for personal users of the radio. FCC opens up CB radio channels to the public By 1973, coinciding with the onset of the oil crisis, the CB Radio craze erupted. By 1960, the costs to produce the 23 channel radio were low enough that everyday Joes could afford to buy one. The radio became popular with small businesses and blue collar workers like carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who used the radio as a tool to communicate with coworkers. The CB radio was invented in 1945 by Al Gross, the inventor of the walkie-talkie and owner of the Citizens Radio Corporation.
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