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Merry Christmas .•..•..•••••••••• 2SSB Transmissions .•••••••••••••. 6Antennas and Transmissions •••• 10DX QSLlnternational Club Spot ••. 1627FM Products ••...•••.••.••.•• 22News Review •••...•••.••••••••• 28Readers Write ••..•.....••.••.•. 32Rufneck •........•...••.••..••• 34Rig Test - Harrier CB ••••••••••• 36Back to Basics •••••••••.••..•.. 38Free Radio .•••••..••••••••••••• 40Round Up .••••••.•••••••.••..• 44Club Spot••••••.•..•••..••..•.• 50Vultures on the Side ••••••••••• 52Ranger - DIY Project ..•••.••..• 56The Law and You .•••..••••••••• 62Government Blunders••••••••••• 66The 1982 CB Show 68Classified Advertisements ..••.•• 7t

Ac.,. Trdl., . JSA~1.. U Cnlnt......... . 70A.O.S. ((lCtl..I~I..... . 20. ClAI~lIdll EII~lflllc ;.B".. nhUlld. • 19AltllmlU Lt.. .... .21Alt.1I1 P,.dlcll It... 60IIUII_t, CB . BBfnklr 1·9 18Bnttkm ~m'lll. 14111_ Br.ntll........ ..35Bflftll A••r. ~,.••U.u •.••. 39I,utu Eltcl'lIlu..... . .... UCU.. . .. 41ClC Tt/m................. . 12. H. ISCl tulnt t",.u I IClIlR . 15Cl Rtf;. C•••1IIUUHI It.. . &5Cl IIt.i. Oilr,. 35Chn,l Jlu .............• • .•••.••• &0Chi." Cl . 30Ctl.,.u,. . 64Cumllll.. .53C.UR. Uf. .61

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FREE RADIOPirates of the aiIWaves ••• page 40

DIY FM RIGBuild a Ranger ..•.•••••• page 56

I PERANGER

BEGINNERS GUIDEBack to basics •••••••••• page 3B

IMPORTANTAS" ....co...lI..e"" CAHflOI eooo__ UK Of..._ 11M01, CQIIlfOoDfT _1$_,-..u._~OIOUOCOl&\GeTIIIUMOfWOloa~o"'o. .......-r. e__u..o-..: Of , .....$001,.1l1+Cll oa M«mHG. W'( 00 100' ..ceU'f MVOM...·IUT'I' loa 1oHnM"'4 'UflJ","eo WITlIIN ow , ..Gt1_»t'fo......oe"OW[VUCAUMO.·lU.1l#ONi-...e AUN1W1'

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RIG TESTThe Harrier •.••..••.•.••• page 50

CB Radio MagazineBritish Breaker ProductionsTudo'Wo..... kaconlfllld Road, Heyes,Mlddtesn, US4 OFl .••• Ol S61 snl

27 FM PRODUCTS (6 pages) •..•.••.•.•••••••••••••••••••..•••••.•••• page 22

CB Radio December 81 1

ChristmasIronl tourdesigned anddrawl by ourown inimitablellkz. Cartoonislexlr.dluire nd orig-inator 'f Rulaek.w~• •lso .Iskn yoo ...., ~."• Merry Ckrislmu 01 page 34. y.t..\"\

errp([ ristmas

from us, the Britishbreakers' magazine,to all CB'ers every-where.

May we wish you all the best forChristmas? To the new FM users, .lefs hope you enjoyyourChrist-

mas and to AM operatorsintending to try a ChristmasDX link . . . . . Season'sGreetings.

73 & 55 to you and yours.See you all with January's

issue to wish you all a HappyNew Year.

From the Editor & Staff,QRT

CB Radio December B1

You've got to go sometobeKingofCBinthe States.

There's no tougher field in the world of CB thanthe States. ;'",-,,-._......-__~ ..

So COLT has got to be some rig to hold its /1: .FIlls -....:~,place as number one- and to dominate the \ lAtlI '1' ~field everywhere else CB has been legalised. ' 11 lI~b ~

The quality, dependability, backup service rJqt-ti~ INand price of COLT radios take care of that. ' ~ \' ;

And now that COLT has at last been released -.;;:;-here in Britain, theres going to be some stampedeamong British CB'rs.

So beat everyone to it- post the coupon below toShellpost for details of your local dealer.

And you'll soon be rubbing shoulders with the CBKing of the States.

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by E. A. Rule. Port 3

This month we shall take a look at some of theproblems that arise from the use of SSB. In fact mostof these problems are common to all types of trans-mission but for reasons which it is hoped willbecome clearer later some of the problems areworse when SSB is used.

CrossmodulationMost operators have at some time or the other

been in a situation where a nearby transmitterseems to put signals out on all channels at once!The first reaction is to blame the other transmitterbut in fact in almost every case its the receiver thatis at fault. In iocations where there are many trans-mitters in use the problem caused can be so bad asto prevent operation altogether with some rigs.

The most common cause of this probiem is in thedesign of the receiver RF amplifier and mixer stagesof the rig in use. The RF stage has to provide amplifi-cation to the weaker signals so that they are at therequired strength for the mixer stage. It also has toreduce the strength of the very strong signals toprevent overloading of the mixer. With a gooddesign the RF stage can handle signals over a rangeof 60 to 80 dB (1 000 to 10,000 to 1), Le., from around0.5 micro volts to 5 millivolts with the top designsable to handle signals up to around 100 millivolts orso. The amount of gain produced (or attenuation) iscontrolled by the automatic gain control systemand/or a manual RG gain control.

At 27 MHz the bandwidth of the RF stage is wideenough to cover all the channels because it is notpractical to obtain enough selectivity at this fre-quency to select only one channel. The result of thisis that all signals get amplified at the same time bythe same amount (the actual selectivity to receiveonly one channel at a time comes later in the IFstages). The reason for the problem now begins tobe seen. If, for example, you are receiving a signalon one channel and the automatic gain has adjustedfor the strength of this particular signal and then avery much stronger signal comes up on anotherchannel it will be amplified by the same amount asthe weaker signal with the result that it overloadsthe RF stage. When this happens it will be distorteddue to the non-linear operation it is causing. When astage is operating in a non-linear manner it will MIXall the signals passing through it, thus generatingmany new frequencies which were not present inthe first place. For example: if we take two fre-quencies only (in practice there would be manymore), 27.305 and 27.315 (Chn 30 and 31), callthese F1 and F2. Now 2F2-F1 =F3. So 27.305 X2=54.61-27.315=27.295, Le., we now have a signalon channel 29 which consists of a mixture of boththe channel 30 and 31 signals. Many more combina-

6

tions of frequencies can occur depending on theamount of overload and the design of the receiver.The problem can be reduced by always operatingwith the RF gain control (if fitted) at the MINIMUMpossible which will still receive the wanted signal.The onset of this type of mixing is quite sudden andoften a small reduction in signal or gain will producea large reduction in interference.

For minimum cross modulation always operatewith the minimum amount of RF gain and avoid theuse of extra RF pre-amps which will only make theproblem worse. To prevent causing the problem toothers, always use the minimum amount of power tomaintain the contact. Big Linears are unsocial! If twostations are located close together their respectiveaerials should be as far apart as possible, possiblywith a building between them. This will keep thesignal strength between them to a minimum, andreduce the problem with cross modulation.

DesensitisingThis is a simiiar problem to crossmodulation but

the effect is different. In this case the stronger sig-nal operates the receiver automatic gain controlcircuits which then reduce the gain to suit with theresult that the weaker signal is reduced as well. Inextreme cases it can completely vanish. If thestronger signal is on another channei it can causethis effect without the operater knowing why thesignal he's trying to copy keeps becoming weak orvanishing altogether. This effect is more commonwith the FM system. The cure is the same as forcrossmodulation, although it is also dependent onthe way the receiver obtains its automatic gaincontrol voltage.

RF feedbackThis is a common problem when fitting external

accessories, such as power microphones, speechprocessors, etc. The cause is exactly the same asinterference to stereo hi-fi equipment and the sametypes of cures will apply. The transmitted RF getspicked up on the external audio leads and thenfeeds into the microphone amplifying stage. At thispoint it is 'detected' and converted to audio, as suchit is treated just like a normal audio signal and willmodulate the transmitter. When transmitted it ispicked up by the external audio leads and goesaround the system again, and again, and ... theresult in practice is either a slightly distorted signalwhere the pick-up is slight or a nasty howl where theRF pick-up is really strong. More than one cure maybe required to completely get rid of the problem andthe recen't series "of artide- on' j'nlerlerElnce pulJ-".lished in CB Radio will be found helpful. RF feed-

CB Radio December 81

back is one of the most com mon reasons why acces-sories often seem not to work as they should. Manyrigs will not tolerate additional accessories due tothe lack of internal RF filtering fitted to the rig. Thelater rigs are very much better in this respect.

When accessories fail to work as they should,always check for RF feedback before complaining tothe supplier. Put the rig onto a dummy load and getsomeone closeby to monitor your signal. (A dummyload will always radiate a small amount). RF feed-back is very unlikely to occur on a dummy load andthe accessories should work satisfactorily underthese conditions. If they do, reconnect the aerialsystem. If the accessories no longer work, then theproblem is RF feedback. As a matter of interest, it isnot unknown for RF feedback to upset the workingof a stabilised power supply, so if in doubt, alwayscheck the station out using a dummy load.

Distorted modulationThe most common cause of this problem is simply

talking too loud and too close to the microphone!The average microphone supplied with the rig isdesigned to be used at a distance of around 4infrom the mouth and with the operator speakingacross not into the grill. Don't shout, a normal con-versational voice is all that is required. Used like thismost rigs will give a signal out of very good quality,and surprisingly, one that's easier to copy at theother end. It's not a case of the louder you shout thefurther you get, because the rigs have built-inlimiters which REDUCE the overall level of modula-tion if you overdrive the audio circuits. Just thereverse to what you would expect! Power micro-phones can also have the same effect unless theyare used correctly. A 'rule of thumb' method of set-ting up the modulation was given in Part 2 of thisseries. A correctly operated rig will have a better'copy' than one where the modulation is distorted, itis only the distortion which ."akes it sound louderbut when conditions are difficult it will be less easyto copy. Reverb, and similar items all make thesignal LESS easy to copy. If you want to do the jobcorrectly use one of the speech processors avail-able which are designed to improve copy.

AerialsOne question that has come up over and over

again is: Will certain types of aerial work on FM? Theanswer is YES. An aerial will work on ANY MODE oftransmission providing it is designed for the trans-mitting frequency in use. The same applies to TVI fil-ters, etc. The new regulations concerning CB do notchange the statement above. An aerial is for a givenfrequency of operation, the mode doesn't matter.


SWR

Much has been written elsewhere on this subjectbut one point not mentioned as far as the writerknows concerns a simple check. Although metersbuilt into rigs are not on the whole very accuratethere is a way to prove your SWR and that is to notethe reading you are getting on your particular meter.Then to add into the feeder an extra quarter wavelength of feeder. If your original reading was cor-rect, the new reading with the extra length of feedershould be the same. Do use the same type of coax,of course, for the extra length of feeder. The actuallength is not critical and can be between 6 and 10feet. Do use proper connectors at each end. If thereading changes when the extra length is added itmeans that your aerial is not matched and that you'just happened' to have a feeder of a suitable lengthwhich acted as a matching stub. However, it wouldalso mean that the feeder was radiating except by avery small amount. Changes of readings of less than20% are in practice not worth chasing. Be sure toreset the forward referenrE' reading each time youmake a measurement.

To check the actual meter fitted to a rig, connect adummy load directly to the rig's output socket. Donot use any coaxial cable between the two. Thereadings obtained will show how accurate yourparticular meter is. There should, of course, be norefected power when the dummy load is used. How-ever, most meters will show some but it should beless than 1'.2 to 1 if the meter is to be of practicaluse.

Received signal strength metersIn general these are not very accurate and can-

not be relied upon except as a rough indication ofsignals. The gain of the receiver itself will varybetween channels and comparisons between dif-ferent channels cannot be made with accuracy.Rigs, even of the same model, will vary and quiteoften the reports each way will be different evenwhen the same rig and aerial is in use. Don't panic,it's not that one rig is better than the other (althoughthis is possible) it's more than likely that one meteris 'mean' compared with the other. The only thingthat really matters after all is, 'Can you copy or not?'.

However, they can be very useful devices forsetting up aerials, etc., by comparing the readingsobtained on the same rig and on the same channel,but they must not be used for absolutemeasurements unless they have been calibratedagainst a known reference.

Next month we shall turn attention to the FMsystem.

7

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WARRINGTONAs a company involved with the transversion of AM CB equipment to MPT 1320 FM(British specification). as featured in CB Radio Magazine (September). we havebeen inundated with letters and phone calls from the public and trade expressinginterest in this scheme. We will shortly be announcing our list of national agents whowiil be authorised to undertake this work on our behalf and apologise for any delayyou might have experienced in trying to obtain this information.

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9

Flnte.nna5 an£lTran5/Vl/55/lJn5lJnLB fre.£lLJe.nc.Ie.5by F. C. Judd, FISTC. MIOA. Assoc. IPRE. - Part 14

Co-axial cablesThe article previous to this (Part 13) dealt with the

more technical aspects of transmission line which isthe line or cable carrying power from transmitter toantenna. For CB radio, on either of the two fre-quency bands, 27MHz or 934MHz, the co-axial typeof cable with an impedance of 50 ohms is most com-monly used. The construction of two of the mostcommon types of co-axial cable used for radio com-munications are illustrated in Fig. 1. For most27MHz antenna installations where the cable run isrelatively short, e.g., around 50 to 60 feet, the soliddielectric type of cable such as UR43 or RG58U isnormally suitable, the loss or attenuation factor ofthese cables being in the region of 1.5dB perhundred feet (at 27MHz). By comparison, lower losstype co-axial cable such as UR67 has an attenu-ation factor in the region of 1dB per hundred feet.However, 'decibel' figures by themselves are mean-ingless unless properly applied in order to deter-mine actual power loss due to cable attenuation.

The decibel is derived from a logarithmic ratio andwhen related to power the appropriate 'ratio' figuremust be used. (Note: when applied to voltage or cur-rent the ratio figure is different). It must also beknown whether the decibel figure to be used isindicative of loss (negative dB) or gain (positive dB).In the case of power loss in co-axial cables we aredealing with negative dB and to establish the powerloss in a cable the power ratio directiy related to thedB figure must be used. (See Table 1).

(NegQtive)DECIBEL LOSS TO POWER RATIO

TABLE 1

-Decibel losso

0.10.20.30.40.50.60.81.01.52.02.53.04.05.0

10

Power Ratio1.0000,9770,9950,9330,9120.8910.87·10.8310.7940.7070.6310.5620.5010,3980.316

-Decibel loss6.07.08.09.0

10.011.012.013.014.015.016.017.018.019.020.0

Power Ratio0.2510.1990.1580.1250.1000.0790.0630.0500.0390.0310.0250.0190.0150.0120,010

~(r-~~

A

l§31-~

Bng.1CA) Co-axlol cable wlrh single (or stranded) wire In 0 conductor mouldedInto solid polythene core. Outer conductor Is braided copper with 0 cover ofPVC. Overoll diameter of these cobles varIes with types.(D) Typical low loss co-axial coble with single Inner conductor entwinedwith polythene thread contained In Q polythene tube. Outer conductor Isbraided copper with 0 cover of PVC. These cables sometimes hove 0stronded Inner wire conductor within the polyThene tube.

Examples of cable lossThe attentuation factor for a co-axial cable is

normally given in dB per uni length which may beper one, 10 or 100 metres or per foot, 10 or 100 feetand which usually only applies to specific spot fre-quencies, e.g., 1MHz, 10MHz, 100MHz, 1000MHzand so on. to be on the safe side the nearest fre-quency higher than that actually used should betaken, i.e., for 27MHz this would be 1OOMHz. Cablemanufacturers do not normally quote attentuationfactors and other performance parameters for everyfrequency within the normal radio spectrum.

In order to determine the approximate amount ofpower loss in a co-axial cable the following must beknown. Frequency at which the cable is being used(or approximate). The TOTAL length of cable to beused and the attenuation (loss) factor for the cable.For example, at 27MHz the cable to be used (or is inuse) is 60 feet long. It has an attenuation factor inthe region of 2.5dB per 100 feet which is 0.25dB perfoot, so the total for 60 feet is 0.025 X 60 = 1.5dB.The negative power ratio from Table 1 is 0.707. Thepower from ihe transmitter is 4 watts. Therefore, thepower arriving at the antenna is 0.707 X 4 which is2.828 watts. The power lost in the cable is 4 - 2.828which is 1.712 watts.


TABLE 2

50 OHM CO-AXIAL CABLES FOR 27MHz

The above example represents a fairly largepower loss which can be reduced by using a cablewith a lower attenuation factor. Let us say that for atotal length of 60 feet an alternative cable has anattenuation factor of 0.75dB total. The power ratiofor this is 0.875. The power from the transmitter is 4watts. The power arriving at the antenna will there-

The cables listed above have been selected from available manufacturers'lists but may not 011 be stocked by CD radio deolen. UR(M) and T(M) typesore from current DICC lists. Those with the prefix RG ore of American originand the most common being sold in the UK ore type RG58U and RG8U.Many cables mode to British Standards spedflcotlon 2316 ore equivalent toAmerkan RG types.The only cables that would be suifable for 934MHz ore UP.(M)74 or 75,!T(M)3319, RG17U, UR(M)91 and UR(M)112 which at this frequency hoveon offenuotion foetor In the region 2 to 3dD per 10 metres length.

fore be 0.875 X 4 which is 3.5 watts. The power lostin the cable is therefore 0.5 watts. The use of a cablewith lower loss has, in this case, ensured another 1.2watts at the antenna.

BEWARE OF CHEAP CABLE. Make sure that anycable you purchase is of good quality and that thereal attenuation factor is what il should be. There isa lot of cheap foreign made 50 ohm cable being soldwhich, even though marked with a recognized typenumber, may have a high loss factor. The perform-ance characteristics of various 50 ohm co-axialcables generally available in the UK are given inTable 2.

Checking co-axial cable for 1055A method of checking co-axial cable loss was des-

cribed some time ago in CB Radio (March, '81) butfor the benefit of new readers can be done wilhreasonable accuracy with the aid of a 50 ohmdummy load and a VSWR meter used as illustratedin Fig. 2. The output from the transmitter is first con-nected to the VSWR meter via a very short length ofco-axial cable. Set the VSWR meter control to readthe power level produced by the transmitter. TheVSWR itself will be 1 to 1. Now connect the length ofcable to be tested between the transmitter and theVSWR meter as shown. Loss due to the cable will beindicated by the meter as a drop in the power leveialthough the VSWR itself will remain 1 to 1. As anexample, if the power from the transmitter is 4 wattsdirect into the dummy load but 3 watts with thecable being tested connected in, then the indicatedpower loss of 1 watt expressed in decibels, would be10 Log 10 '14 which is 1.2dB. If the cable being testedhad an impedance of other than 50 ohms then theVSWR would not be 1 to 1. For instance, if a VSWR of1.5 to 1 were obtained then the cable impedancewould be 1.5 X 50, or 75 ohms. You could have beensold a cable of the wrong impedance.

Cable plug connectionsIt is very important that co-axial cable plugs are

properly connected. Open or short circuits, orscreening braid not in contact with the plug bodywill cause a very high VSWR with a reflected powerlevel high enough to damage a transmitter outputstage, especially if this is transistorized and has nooverload protection.

0.0045 1900 0.870 Up 10100 leelor more

0.0045 1900 0.870 Up to 100 feelor more

0-01 600 0.405 Up to 100 leel

0.01 540 0.405 Up to 100 feel

(".015 130 0.195 For average50-60 leet run

0.025 130 0.195 For average50·60 feel run

0.02 170 0.285 For average50-60 leet run

0.01 2 200 0.270 Up to 100 feet

0.01 1450 0.433 Up to 100 feet

0.01 1450 0.433 Up 10 100 feel

Approxlmare Moxlmum CADL£VELOCITY attenuation 01 27MHz Power outside NOTE ONFACTOR raring diameter CABLE LENG1l4

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CAOLETYPE

NUMBER

UR(M)74 0.664 0.45

UR(M)75 0.664 0.45

UR(M)4 0.666 1.00

UR(M)67 0.666 1.00

UR(M)43 0.674 1.5

UR(M)76 0.674 2.5

UR(M)115 0.674 2.0

T(M)3234 0.820 1.2

UR(M)91 0.666 1.0

UR(M)112 0.666 1.0

UR(M)115 0.666 1.95 0.09 440 0.275 For average70-80 leet run

T(M)3319 0.686 0.625 0.0062 1400 0.53 Up to 100 feetor more

RG58U 0.659 1.5 0.015 175 0.195 For average50·60 feet run

RG8U 0.659 0.625 0.0062 800 0.405 Up 10 100 leetor more

RG17U 0.659 0.5 0.005 2300 0.87 Up la 100 leelor more

RG8AU 0.75 1.0 0.01 800 0.405 Up to 100 leelor more

Transmitter VSWR 1 101DummyLoad 50 ohms

1--~:_;;re_~~O_;'_""_"-i"-Power

indicated -8-------wilh cablein circuil

Referencepower level

Fig. 2Method of checking the power loss in 0 length of cable. Flnt set meter toread TX output power with very short cable to VSW'R meter. Note feodlng.

Connect In cable to be tested. Note difference In reading and subtracf thisfrom original reading to ascertain cable loss in· power/wafts. See text forexample.

CB Radio December B1 11

F1fltEflfle5 efl£!Trefl~1Vl/55/lJfl5 lJllC.B frE£lLJEflc.IE5

~-I ' .12Bmma

c

b\ .

Coupling andlock ring

"'-COUPling andlock ring

Solderhole

Plug assembly, ~Cobie inner-.solder here

The commonly used PL259 plug will take largediameter cable but may otherwise be available withan adaptor for small diameter cable. Some versionsare made for one or the other only. When an adaptoris used for small diameter cable the method ofconnection is as illustrated in Fig. 3. The method ofconnection for large diameter cable is show in Fig. 4.

Co-axial cable is reasonably tough and capable ofwithstanding wide changes in climate. It willnormally last a long time providing it is properlyinstalled in the first place. When handling co-axdon't try to straighten out kinks by pulling on thecable as this can damage the inner conductor. Care-fully 'unwind' any kinks before installation. Avoidsharp bends along the run between transmitter andantenna. A join could be made between two lengthsof co-ax by means of small electrical connectors orby soldering, although a join of this nature would

$Oldu ~Ole

Fig. 3Connecting 0 Pl259 co~oxjol plug to 0 small diameter cable. (0 and b)Preparation of cable. Cc) Fitting adoptor if used. (d) Final connection faplug body.

Fig. 4Connecting a Pl259 co·axial plug 10 0 large diameter cable. Ca and b)Preparatian of cable. Cc) Connection 10 olug body.

almost certainly cause an impedance change andconsequent loss of power. The best way to join twolengths of co-axial cable is to use a proper 50 ohmcoupler which has the equivalent of a socket entryeach end to take a PL259 plug. AT 27MHz thesecouplers will not cause an 'impedance bump' or lossof power. If a join of this nature has to be locatedoutdoors it must also be well taped to prevent mois-ture entering. In fact the most important of all pre-cautions with the installation of co-axial cable is toprevent moisture getting into any outside con-nection and which will eventually find its way intothe· cable and ruin it completely for all time. Themost common point of moisture entry is via con-nection at the antenna. PL259 plug to socket con-nections, even when tight, are by no means water-proof of their own accord and unless a weather pro-tection sleeve of some kind is used should be wellcovered with adhesive insulation tape. Carelesshandling of co-axial cable can cause the outer coverto split and this will let moisture in which in a veryshort time will cause the screening braid under-neath to become corroded, the result of this alsobeing permanent damage to the cable.

d

c

a

b

Orold

~-

F.M. RIGS NOW AVAILABLEIIf you are confused by thechoice come to the ~pecialists.

Quality engraved handle badgesnow available. Send £1.00,details of your handle + selfaddressed envelope. Clubdiscounts available, also cardlaminates, button badges.key·rings, T. Shirts etc.Please phone lor details.(Trade enquiries welcome)

!!!!!!!!!I

12 CB Radio December 81

"HomeinonHalfordsforCBrigsandaccessories~'

The BinatoneSpeedway. A perfectbuc)get·priced set for either the novice orCB user who requires just a basic unit.Features - Rotary Channel Selector- On/Offvolume control- Squelch controlGreat value at just £69.95

The Barracuda HB 940.Real value·far·money in this feature·packedunder·dash unit. Features - Rotary ChannelSelector - On/Offvolume control - Squelchcontrol - RF gain control - Microphone gaincontrol - Delta tuneA super buy at only £89.95

The Binatone 5 Star.A superb model for the real enthusiast.Features - On/Offvolume control - RotaryChannel Selector - Squelch control- RF gaincontrol- Microphone gain control - Delta tune-Internal/External speaker switchAmustat£99.95

The Binatone Breaker Phone.Ideal for cars where under·dash space islimited. All controls within telephone typehandset with special mounting clip supplied.Features - On/Offvolume control- CB/PAswitch - Squelch control-Internal/Externalspeaker switch - Up/Down channel shift buttonsReal value at £95.45(available December).

S ~ .ACCESS.BARCLAYCARDAND I-lALF'ORDSo PROVlDENT/PRACTICALCHEKS •el"""';;' AND VOUCHERS ACCEPTEDAT ALL MAINLAND STORES. ~Alioffers are subject to avatlability and while stocks last and may not apply in ~N.lreland and theChannel Islands. Prices correct at time orgoing to press. ~ _


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AdvertiserON SALE EVERY WEDNESDAY

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NOW!GOOOHEAO PUBLICATIONS LTO, BICESTER. OXON

CITIZENS BAND HANDLE REGISTER

Post to The Dechand. CBHR. PO Box 45, Ipswich IP8 3AW

D Tick if you ore 0 Club Sec & want further info

D Tick if only the handle is to be printed on the Certificate

Rig Serial No

Rig Type ..........•.•.•.•.•.......•.•..•....•.....••..

County .

Post Code ...............................•..•••.•.•.......••.

D Tick if you wont to receive further information on CB free of charge

All the above information will be held on our big computer system for12 months from date of registration.

Signed .............•. , .•.•..............• _ .

Dale

I Please rush me my Registration Certiflcpte. Membership Card andBadge. Please find enclosed cheque/money order for £2 payable to

I CBHR.

I

=

10·10 BREAKER, BREAKTHE DECHAND

REGISTER NOWI WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGYI

0\1 HIR'\ \ I I ~ /

BREAKERS~ WITI'\ MORE I AND/ MOR~ PEOPLE ICOMING ON CHANNEL, NOVo( IS TH~ TIME TO IPROTECT YOUR \HANDLEI AND YO)JR RIG BYREGISTERING, BOTH W1rH US: llLL IN THE FORM I Handle.......... .. :~~~~'~.~'~)OPPOSITE, SEN\ U~~tl;~gE~:HI728DAYS YOU I Name ...............................Inlllol.- A COMPUTERISEQ REGiST~TI9N CERTIFICATE I Address...

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IIIIIIII

A MEMBERSHIPBADGE


D~-Q3~- -- ---~~ --- ~~--~=11= == =11= _ -= =_IJ_ _ _ _U_ _ _ _

~I- T~II-.rllll-AL-------- ------ --==-= = = =~= =-: = = = = = =-= = =;: =--= ;: = === =--= =j= ;: ;: ;:~;: =--==1= ;:- -- - - -- -- -- - - - - -- = -== =- == == == == =- .=--::. == == ~ == =-= .=-=. ==CnJU-BIpgnr-- --- ----- - - - - --- - - - ...- -~- -~~~ ~~~;~ ==~&J=~~ ~Our regular tune round the dial for International News

Anlhony V Campbell94 Oflllnnagoon RoadPo'1adownC1algavonCo ArmaghBT635AF

QSl Ult

Sieve EvansIKooper Nob)The M,lreYm.eaPwl1hel~ GwyneddN Wales

Mark K,erle ,,,PO Bo. 283 t91 E 0081AYR .801 PO Box 595OUeen....nd 8enduhgAustlatlll Indohesle

Terry Meyers Knu' L"6enBo. 105 PO Box 606M.mand NSW 2320 "'~ ,........ trallll NOIWay

Keyn A..~ Alfred PuhalaPO Box 38 JSC 562)Tal",ml 30 Slu"l C,e$Cen'Kobe 655 MeatellonJap.n New Zeeland

Eduardo G.v1ril J' Ran VerheslPO Box 100497 {Slereo KlnglBogoI. COlombl. PO Box 410South """ellcl 5800 AK

ElndhQVen. Hollend

MlCh..' Reye. Fern8ndoPO Box 218 (SC 589)eer.le Ciry Bo" 495. e.lem • PABeli18 118000 BrezilGentlal America South America

All. Janl Brill' HoraeheltSC 266) lSC 5491... 3 PO Box 130261420 Trbovlle Bul.wayo. ZimbabweYI,IQOIlavia Alric.

Gerardo Huerta Spencor FOldAve MellcO 568 NTE 1171 So",'h G SllaalTeQlc. Nayarll Lakllvlew, 011190

Gre:enpeace QSL Club, Netherlands0;,

Star RatingVn F.ir

ThirdFirst S.cond NoCl••• Cf.... Rate

1 World R~cognition *2 Distribution *3 QSL Response Time *4 Club Stamp *5 Club QSL Cards *6 OX Unit Number *7 Wall Certificate *8 10 Card *9 ClUb Roster *10 Club Patch/Badge *11 DX Log Book *12 Club Accessories *13 Club Information * •14 Toutist Information15 Casselle Swap *18 Club Postage *17 Life membership *18 XYL Membership *19 Value For Money *20 OveraH Presentation *

To..l s.., Ratlns Cl 16 1 3

cards,-tho because some people havebeen holding on to them like you did).

:'Sorrya number 10 envelope is std.office size so I don't fold up stuff toomuch. That little CE application isgonna change considerably on thenext printing because lotsa folks don'tknow what a No. 10 envelope is!!!

"And its no longer free to join andthe zip code has added four morenumbers and we now have a rosterand will soon have a club stamp.Maybe next year. Ya see, the club isn'teven a year old yet (started last Oct·ober) and we have 360 Cheese Eatersall over the World! What started out asa card collecting hobby has devel-oped into expensive work. But I loveit!! As for aSLing Stateside, Chris,from what I can understand, its kindaslow. The postage stamps costing 18chas kinda separated the men from theboys, so to speak. As for DXing, thechatter, noise level and general 'Hor-nets Nest' has taken all the fun outa itfor me. Besides I live less than 3%miles from the FCC East Coast Head·quarters for training them how tocatch all those crazy DXers!! Thats thebiggest reason I started this swapclub I guess. I have often talked withsomebody I shouldn't have beentalking to only to have some 'twit'come in there and say "Hi Galley Rat",I could have murdered them!!!"

Well there's not much I can add towhat Linda says other than to offerher my sympathy. Fancy living next toUncle Charlie's training HQ. It's likehaving Willie White law as your nextdoor neighbour. The Cheese Eatershave grown considerably since I firstmentioned them. What was originallyjust a small free club has developedinto a fully grown OSL club.

Greenpeace QSL ClubBefore I go on any further, I am

going to admit straight off that I am100% biased about this next club. Andby a happy coincidence it has one ofthe highest star ratings on my chart.But bias doesn't enter into that, its justgood quality, presentation and excel-lance. After reading about the Green·peace OSL club of the Netherlands Ithink you will agree with my thoughts.By the way, the biased situation arisesout of my beliefs for what Green-peace stands for. But thats enough ofthat, on with the show.

The Greenpeace OSL club OTH isPO Box 33,8855 ZM Sexbierum,Netherlands.The founder and president is Ben

Van Popering. He was born in theRoyal Resident City of Holland, TheHague, but about four years agodecided to go to the northern part ofHolland (Friesland). His occupation isa maintenance carpenter but heleaves woodwork behind when hegets involved with his two big hobbies- photography and CBing.

Ben first got involved with CB aboutseven years ago but like most of us dosometimes, got a bit fed up with it andpacked it in for a few years. About 1%years ago, the bug bit him again andhe was hooked once more. It was


shortly after this that the idea of theclub came to him. Ben is a firm'believer in Greenpeace and is astrong supporter of its aims andprinciples. He approached Green-peace Amsterdam and got theirapproval to use the name inconjunction with the club. In March81, Greenpeace aSL club was estab-lished and it wasn't long before theclub stamp and aSL card becameestablishe~ on the DX/QSL scene.

The stamp features a seal with themessage 'Save the Seal' around it.The ID card has a copy of the sealstamp, as has the certificate. The clubaSL car is a super picture of theGreenpeace ship 'Rainbow Warrior',the patch is actually a rainbow withthe word 'Greenpeace' underneath.

And last but not least, the car stickeris a drawing of 'Rainbow Warrior' withthe whale message again. All, I mayadd, of super quality.

By the way, when you join you willnotice on the certificate that youbecome an 'Honorary Support Mem-ber'. In other words, you haven't justjoined the Greenpeace club but havesupported in a small way the Green-peace movement.

Part of the membership fee goestowards Greenpeace Amsterdam, hencethe 'support member'. This is statedon the club application form and alsoexplains the rather clever slidingscale of membership fees. On theback of the application is a world mapsplit up into zones. Each zonerepresents a different mailing charge.(Everything is mailed first class airmail). We, being very close, are in zone1, membership costs US$14. Aust-ralia and NZ are way out in the far-thest zone, a member from there willbe charged US$17. However, whenthe dollar is falling, new members areall requested to pay as per zone 5,which is US$17. One thing I wouldstress is cash only, please don't use a

cheque. It costs money to cash acheque and therefore it is impossibleto provide a donation to Greenpeacefrom cheque memberships.

As is usual with most clubs, XYLreceives a Unit No., ID card and certi-ficate. But that's not all. I am 99.9%certain that Greenpeace is unique inthat it actually does give somethingexclusively for XYL. What it is, is abeautiful silver necklace with a smallsilver whale's tail as the pendant. Itreally is a beautiful necklace. Ireceived my Greenpeace packagequite a while back and AlIison wasreally taken with the necklace. She'snever taken it off since she received it.One thing I'll say about AlIison is thatshe has good taste. (Well, she marriedme and that proves it) and thenecklace certainly met with herapproval.

Speaking about the package, I musttell you about the smart way in whichthe club package is mailed. Not forGreenpeace the usual battered brownpaper envelope. As I keep saying,everything about the club is qualityand it's summed up in the packaging.You receive your club package in asolid heavy duty cardboard tube. Yetanother Greenpeace exclusive. There'slittle more that I can say here aboutthe club other than suggest you join.You'll be doing yourself a favour ontwo counts:

1. Joining an absolutely top qualityclub.

2. Supporting a movement whichbenefits all mankind.

Well, that's about it for this month.Next month details of the firstInternational aSL club competition.This is being run in conjunction withEnglish 1nl. DX Club, CB Radio andCee Bee World, New Zealand.

Well, I hope Santa is good to youand you have a grand time over thehols.

Charlie Hotei - Echo India 25 Ciear.

17

Ensure peak reception with the uniqueAmstrad CBA 1500 anlenna. A 1.5 metreshock spring.. base-loaded, stainless s1eelwhip with a choice of magnetic. £15clip-on or hard fixing. Around

PERf~~ RECEP110NPERf~~'

LOOKFOR THESIGNOF1HECBUADERS~

Nobody knows more about in-car electronics than""'., Amstrad. That's why we're at the forefront of CB in the

,:.f,B~ GB with everything you need for wall to wall reception.tMaP A choice of two high performance, 40-channel rigs-both.•1 deSigned from the ground up for the 27MHzFM band... ' and featUring MOSFET technology. Plus a unique

1.5 metre triple-fixing antenna.All come supplied with full fixing and mounting kits.

And, with the rigs, we also give a free operating manualand CB guide.

Smokey and Buzby like Amstrad CB equipmenttoo-it all fully conforms to the UK legal £79specification, MPT-1320.Amstrad CB Rigs start from around

Amstrad CB901 Super Rig. FeaturesRoger Sleep. CB/PA, instant Channel Around9 SWitching. squelch control, RF gain, £95LED "pound" meter, ALe system,lone control and LED transmiV ~receive displays.

For full details of Amstrad Citizen Band Radio and the address of your nearest stockist, writelo Amstrad Consumer Electronics Limited, (Dept B1 ) 1·7 Carman Road. London N17 OUF.

Amstrad CB900 Rig.. Highly advanced ..........rig with squelch control. RF gain, LED A d"pound" meter, ALe system, tone fQUncontrol and LED transmit! receive £79displays. Note the CB 27/81 Certificateof Compliance symbol.

AVAILABLE AT SELECTED STORES OF:

,~ ~01WEr Currys I-lAJ..F~RDS RVMBELOWS ~&t

'WALLTO WALLAND TEN FEET TALL,

a~~~.x

'-


Sure, you can buy a cheap antenna. But the wholeperformance and range of your rig will suffer. Far betterspend that bit more and get the best. The best? AntennaSpecialists are absolute top CB antenna choice with USfans ... and they should know! AS mak,e professionalcommunications antennas, and their CB range gets thesame components, same high-grade materials, samequality standards. They offer the highest VSWR figures.. better than 1.5: 1 across all 40 CB channels, and

power handling way beyond any you'll ever need. Theymeet Home Office MPT 1320 spec ... take ourAntiference word for that. We've field tested them for UKuse too, and as antenna makers ourselves we'll tell younow ... AS are the best. And latest news, they come viaAntiference, so you'll be seeing the AS 'quality strioes'everywhere now.

andt""\~~

Address _

To Antiference Ltd.,Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 3BJ Telephone Aylesbury 82511I'm sending you a large SAE.Send me your folder on AS mobile CB antennas, the whole range.Name _

\

Thereare


Squ.lch Conl!ol

RldlO F,.ou.ncy GlrnConllol

21 ....H. F....

AmOllnt 01 C~,,,".I,

cr.,n""'CNt"ll• .",Mic'o-"","

End T,en"mlulon Signl!(Rag.,_ Etc,l

®

T'....mIIlR.c."'~ 'ndiC.'@'lot LIIl~" 1:Ill

T.",eC.",I,ol

Volume Conllol

C~'""el C~,nge Com'ol tII!,1

0.11. Tun. SwllC~

IID~·

MIC'OPllon. Glln ContrOl -"', Slgn,1 Suengln/powor'\ SWR .....1.'

speakers, patch leads, antennas andSWR meters.

HARRIER

iD·'.-PubliC Add'... Sval.mCnann.1 9 S.I.ct Swllcn

You may well have spent the last \.'-

month trying to obtain one of those ~., ®@"CD @'~rare objects known as a 27MHz FM ..aI u.L:....:J ~ 1J.Urig. Judging by the amount of tele-

t.:< W/phone calls we receive daily, very few ~people have actually managed to get t.:

," •"' _1J~"""" ..

(ii\~

@@lE]lie

(ii\~

@;®I£Jlie

The Binatone Route 66

a«:f«~~~~~ lA«lA«~:

! Colt 295~ Both Colt Radios and HMP antennas

~~lA«• lA«:JJKlA«lA«lA« lA«lA«:JII! lA«~ lA«lA«:J«lA«:ilKlA«:.I (more about HMPlater) are dis-tributed nationally by Shellpost Ltd.Known by AM users over the world,Colt are now marketing redesignedFM sets for the UK market.

Whilst Shellpost oniy supply to thetrade, their accessories, filters, meters.antennas, etc., are being stocked by alarge number of retail stores throughwhich the Colt FM CB sets will soonbe available.

Binatone's clock radios, TV gamesand personal hi-fi systems can be pur-chased in most High Streets thelength and breadth of Britain and thisshould soon be true of their CB rigs.

Binatone have published their ownguide to CB equipment which althoughpraising the merits of their own branddoes give the new breaker some veryuseful information on installing andusing CB generally. You will also findaerials and SWR meters being soldunder the Binatone name availablefrom the Binatone rig stockist.


take the Cybernet CB products.Cybernd Beta 3000To say that Cybernet are the world's

largest manufacturer of CB rigs is noexaggeration. Cybernet produce rigsfor the majority of the so-called'British manufacturers' under a wholeselection of different names.

Just to create a bit of competition,Cybernet have launched their ownbrand transceivers under their ownname which are being marketed byGoodmans Loudspeakers Ud. Norm·ally Goodmans manufacture anddistribute their own loudspeakerswhich they have been doing success-fully for over 60 years. They are thelargest speaker manufacturer in theUK and as such will have plenty ofestablished retail outlets ready to

·.iil·:q>'

(ij\~

[1]~

£+-:f:r~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Midland 4001Midland have the reputation of

being the No. 1 rig in America andthrough their distributors, Plustronics,they hope to achieve a similar positionin the United Kingdom.

Although the casing of each of theMidland rigs may look familiar (theyresemble Midland AM sels) thecircuitry has been totally revamped tomeet British specifications. Plus-tronics were the first importers of the5Y2in colour TV, so they are not new-comers to consumer electronics.

@@£J118

@I21/11

24

[1]~

£+:f:


DNT Model HF FM(Yfalkie Talkie)

If you've been looking around theshops for CB, the name DNT shouldbe fairly familiar to you. Our breakerfriends in Germany. Holland andFrance have been using DNT equip-ment for nearly 20 years.

Radiotechnic of Jersey are distrib-uting the four DNT models in theUnited Kingdom and although thecompany was originally formed withCB in mind, their combined talents willensure that both hHi and CB shopswill be able to sell you their products.

@@lE]lie

IT!\~

Barracuda rigs will only be avail-able from Halfords stores. However,this should not make them difficult tofind as Hal10rds have 360 shops in theUK selling car accessories, in-carentertainment, bicycles and muchmore.

Halfords will have a line up of sixrigs plus aerials, SWR meters andtheir own book called Big Hals CBGuide aimed at the new and inex-perienced breaker. In case you·haven't already met Big Hal, he's big,butch and handsome and is used topromote CB in Halfords stores.

@@ @~WIIt=] ill ~lieid1.~ GJa@

fij @ £+ -:"-~ 11/11

cll Radio December 81 25

Fidelity CB 2000 FMHi-fi, music centres, radios and tele-

vision are all amongst this company'shost of products. Fidelity now havetwo British specification rigs avail-able from many of their normaldealers and through the CB specialistshops.

Fidelity are very enthusiastic aboutCB and its potential uses and as acompany they feel quite able to copewith the supply and service of a verylarge number of sets. Fidelity will belaunching their base station rig duringthe early part of 1982.

@@ @~WIlE] rn ~118A GJ~

-

Your guide to legal antennasHow is it that such confusion can

exist over what constitutes a legalantenna? Phone calls should not bedirected to us but to 01·213 4050.These are the people who have leftthe matter of legal CB antennas opento much speculation and interpre-tation. By the way, the telephone num-ber belongs to the Home Office." Weare presenting here what we under-stand to be legal twigs, in other wordsbase loaded with single elements notexceeding 1.5 metres. We believe thatthe same type of antenna must beused for both mobile and home baseoperation.

This contentious issue will only befully resolved when a breaker getsbusted for using an item which theHome OfficA then pronounces illegal.

K40Well known already as the antenna

with the money back guarantee, K40promises to refund the purchase priceof the antenna if it doesn't out·perform any other mobile antenna onthe market. Available with a number ofmounts allowing fixing to either bootlip, gutter (standard), magnetic or mir·ror mount (optional). Available frommultiple stores and CB specialistsalike.


Antenna Specialists M2000Super Scorpion

Antenna Specialists have beenproducing communications antennasfor 25 years and at the present timeseven of their models meet up to ourinterpretation of the Home Officerequirements.

CB aerials are only one part ofAntenna Specialists' total production,the other areas for which theyproduce equipment are marine, avia·tion, radio telephone and defence.Some distributors of legal CB rigshave adopted AS products as recom·mended for use with their sets.

.

Cherokee Dial A MatchCherokee are well established

manufacturers of CB antennas. Importeddirectly from the USA by Breaker 1-9of Hitchin, Herts, Cherokee aerials aregenerally accepted as representinggood performance antennas at a re la·tively low cost. Cherokee antennasare easy to spot because of theirdistinctive packaging which incor·porates the face of a macho·lookingRed Indian (Cherokee ... get it?).

WlplashMarketed by C. Brit of Wembley,

who specialise in British·made antennas.Our technical adviser, F. C. Judd,designed this particular 'legal twig' foroptimum performance at a realisticprice. C. Brit have plans for a legalhome base antenna in the not toodistant future.

For details of how to install a rig andaerial successfully an article called"Back to Basics" in this month's maga·zine will be extremely useful. If youare a new breaker, please read 'Backto Basics' before doing anything withyour equipment.

27

Legalisation filled the press, but there were one or two different approaches!

CPO

Morning Telegraph(oro r t in

d

'~r\t:~ from tc ....kh wiU OCMtbelween £1' and JUlt o....r£1111.

Thell ,tu will be all lel toJoln tllo world el CB, "'blchenth~IUII ..y 1101 onlypro...ldn • 101 01 flln and tbo

~::'::..~'lt~j~~d~O~d:;~b::11 a.II.o an 11IValuabte lifelineto dl.aIlled" motortllta a.Ild

et~~::::::...tlt';.nIlCI:OtU.1 _ ca '--Ill" ~m"mlllp1ac:e, _e ef the lpeCIal

~~~r·~e ~~t~;,,~~e;:~I;;amlkltll - will berlll to dieH'.

Citizens' Band radio, which becamelegal on 2 November, is worryingBritish car development engineersand fuel economy experts because itcould interfere with your engine'srunning efficiency, they say.

Development engineers at one ofEurope's biggest car research centressay that CB radio if not properlyscreened inside a car could upset amodern computer-controlled engine.

The research experts say thatuncontrolled transmissions from a setcould upset electronic fuel injection,transistorised ignition and even causea double spark, creating enginedamage.

damage

Daily Mail

Ruthyn Avenue, Barlborough."She still had the transmitter in her

hand and there were loud noisescoming from it," he said. "There wasalso a pad with a list of call signsbeside her."

~::8~~"t'::.J:~1:e:::'l(lallted by Ihe Home Ofllcebefere Ule olllelel date t'Nt.,ember I, when CObe

Modern engines on upmarket luxurycars, such as BMW and MercedesBenz, are being equipped withcomputer control for engine mana-gement and maximum fuel economy.

Many more cars also have fuelinjection and transistorised ignition.

The research experts say that radiointerference from a CB set inside a carcould affect electronic advance-retardsystems, so affect the engine ignitionsparks and in turn alter runningefficiency, performance and fueleconomy.

So if you decide to fit CB radio intoyour car make sure that you can do itproperly, or have it done by expertsand ask them to ensure that it is ade-quately screened inside.

Daily Mirror

eFrightened tenants are asking the

Home Secretary if they can form avigilante group - using CB radio.

They claim police are not protectingthem from a wave of vicious muggingsand robberies on their giant housingestate.

And members of the official tenant'sassociation at the 900 homeNightingale Estate in Lower Clapton,London are determined to take thelaw into their own hands.

The group, led by unemployed RayWhite, had 25 people keeping watchon the tower blocks of the GLC estatefor six weeks. They claim the spate ofmuggings and robberies halteddramatically.

'There aren't enough police,' saysMr. White, "That's why pensioners arebeing mugged in the streets, the frontdoors of the flats are being kicked inand the people inside terrorised."

Mr. White says some tenants arealready using illegal CB radios and amobile base, to keep watch on theestate.

But local police are not convincedabout the vigilantes. "It's true thereare muggings and robberies on theestate, but taking the law into theirown hands is not the way, and canonly lead them into trouble," aspokesman says.

"We have a special squad able tohandle this, and we are also advisingtenants on extra security."


Daily Express

CB n ear, a t's I"Britain tuned in to CB radio legally

- for the first on 2 November," we aretold by Graeme Boyd of the Express."As the new breakers were taking tothe airways, the police were keeping asharp eye out for those using illegalAM equipment," he said. The first'official' call on the 2nd was made byAmerican "Father of CB, AI Gross, whosupposedly bought the first licence atTrafalgar Square Post Office. AI Grossspoke briefly from his Rolls-Royce to'Tasmanian Devil', who was parkednearby in a Jaguar. AI, from ClevelandOhio, founded the American CBsystem back in 1947 and cam-paigned for many years to get it legal-ised. Friends who queued overnighton AI's behalf, in order to be the firstinto the Post Office, said that theywere honoured to have queued forhim as he was their hero.

The Journal

Invalid Noreen Makim, whose CBradio lifeline to the outside world wasunder threat from the authorities, hasbeen saved by the Law. Noreen, wholives in South Shields, suffers from acrippling disease and claims that sherelies on her CB friends to keep a con-stant watch on her condition. Shesaid, "I can't tell you what a wonderfulrelief it is to know I can go on the air

legally. I was terribly worried waitingfor them to take my AM set away." Astrong warning was also issued yes-terday by the Coastguards to anybreakers intending to use CB as asubstitute for the more expensivemarine radio, which operates at VHFfrequencies and is capable of directlycontacting the Coastguard station.

The Times

ng ade I c

In the United States the CB fad hasfaded. From a peak of 15 millionlicences reported by the FCC inOctober 1979 the number hasdropped by one third to less than 10million. The licences are being del-eted at a rate of 300.000'500,000 amonth.

The CB boom in America was aresult of the 55 mph speed limit intro-duced because of the 1973 oilembargo. The truckers, whose profit-ability was threatened by the limit,used their CB's to maintain speedwhilst avoiding detection by 'TheSmokies'.

9A CB enthusiast who fell asleep

beside his set started an alert in Nott-inghamshire. Mrs. Ann Bonnes thoughtthat the loud snores on her set were adistress signal. She told the policethat she thought a man had suffered aheart attack, and put out an emer·gency call. The situation was smoothedover later on.

29

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Dear CB Radio,How's this for a FIRST?Saturday, 3 October, purchase

Avanti Moonraker, spend two or threehours fitting to Ford Capri hatchback,co·ax under carpets, etc. Looks trif onwheels. Now sit back and wait for rigsto come on sale at local emporiums.

Saturday 23 October (2.30pm)couldn't stand the sight of legal FMrigs in Dixons shop window, had to goin and eyeball a Harrier CBX 40 chan-nel. Looks great, can't resist it, buy itwith newly acquired Access card.Race home chuffed to little appleswith rig (3.00pm). Proudly show it toMum and Dad. We all sit in wheels toagree on best location. Everyone sayson tunnel in front of gear le.ver, tiltedup at an angle is ideal. Tools out ofbox, commence to drill holes, etc. Allfixed, looks great, SWR'd - peakefticiency, no problem. (4.30pm) Go toseat cover's and show off new rig.(7.30pm) Come home, settle down towatch Wild Geese on the box.

(Midnight) Seat cover wants to gohome. Pouring with rain outside, getbrolly and rush to Capri! 'Ello, 'ello,wats all this then. Car door open.Quick butchers inside. Can feel brainhaemorrhage about to start. Mouth alldry. Can't speak. "BLOODY RIG'SGONEI" Co-ax cut, Moonraker tol-lowed rig down road.

Inform local smokies.Come back, Buzby, all is forgiven.

Mark Thornsby (Seven ball)(Paint Town)

Dear Sir,I'd like to start off by congratulating

you on what I consider to be Britain'sbest CB magazjne. Currently a little bit'Good Buddy' for my personal taste,but still interesting reading. Hopefullythe 'Good Buddy' style will graduallybe replaced by serious hobby radiocontent as it was in Australian CBpublications, and hopefully yourreaders will follow suit with theiroperating procedures. Nothing soundsmore ridiculous than a Yorkshiremanattempting to talk American CB slangin a phony Alabama accent, don't y' allknow, 10·4, Rubber Duck, c'mon.

I have been writing columns andarticles for Australian CB magazinesfor the past three or four years. (I'mcommonly referred to over here as'The Nastiest B...... on radio' and if youever read any of my scribblings you'llsee why).

I'm all for CB radio and have beensince 1965, long before it became the'in thing'. I take no sides in the 'legalversus pirate' argument. To me, radiooperators are radio operators,regdrdless of whether or not they holda licence. This attitude has brouQht

32

me mountains of hate mail from the'Good Buddy' set over the years, butthe fact remains that, without thepirates of the sixties and seventies,there would be no Citizens BandRadio Service in Australia today.

Our Department of Communicationssaw fit to offset us from the rest of theworld right from the start by crammingtheir 18 channel allocation down ourthroats in the face ot opposition trompractically everyone who had anyinterest in the matter. Now DOC hasrealised that the American 40 channelsystem is the only way to go, and thiswill be legalised on January 1st. nextyear. (We also have a 40 channelUHF-CB service on 476/477 MHz, butonly a very small percentage .ofoperators use it).

Looks like your Home Office RadioRegulatory boys are all set to makethe same mistake over the 27MHzissue as our DOC made years ago. Itseems a shame to me thatGovernment Departments everywhereseem incapable of learning anythingfrom the stuff·ups of others. Perhapsthey have nothing better to do thanwaste their time, and our money.

I don't wish to incite anyone tobreak the law, but I feel that if aparticular law is patently unjust then itis up to The People to have that lawchanged. If the only way to accomplishthis task is by the pressure caused bymass defiance of that law (byoperating a 27MHz CB radio illegallyin this case) then piracy is the onlyweapon available to The People.

If British CS'ers want the American40 channel system to be legalisedthen they're going to have to fight forit, just as we had to fight for it here inAustralia. If they wait for a bunch ofsilly old poofters who ponce about intop·hats and wing·collars to get offtheir collective arses and hand it overon a silver platter because of a fewmiserable begging petitions andletters from voters they'll be waiting along, long time.

Good luck in your second year.South Pacific RadiO

Dear Sir,Could you please resolve this

matter for me. I have just purchasedPeter Chippendales The British CBBook the problem being Page 197The Law. It states, it emphasized thatthere is no power under the W.T. Actfor the Smokeys, Buzbys and Customsto detain any apparatus for evidentialor any other purpose apparatus mayonly be removed with the ownerspermission, yet in your Oct. '81'edition Page 61 heading Who candetain your rig? Quote: As previouslystated the customs and excise

management act 1979 empowers thepolice to seize or detain anythingliable to forfeiture under Customs andExcise acts. The British CB Book ismarked publication 1981. Could youexplain the difference in facts as thiscould have serious effects on othergood buddies.

10-10 till we do it againSpiderman

The honest answer is dear old Peterdoesn't know our October 81 editioncontains the correct information asdoes the July and August, with thefacts in these three' issues you willknow the whole situation. So will Peterand no doubt any future re-writes willbe correct.

C.R.E.S.T_

We are the happy little bandWho monitor 'Channel Nine'We'll get you all the help you needWe are all on the old'Land Line'

Be it your child who's not come homeBe it your dog that's lostWe'll organise a search partyAll at no extra cost.

If you ever see an accidentor anyone unwellGo on channel nine my friendand the services Crest will tell

We aim to be reliableWe always aim to pleaseSo please do not use 'Channel Nine'Unless its help you need.

German Shepherd.Leeds.

Dear Sir,I am a great fan of SSB and enjoy

DX'ing a great deal. The new FMsystem is of no use to operators likemyself, as it is designed only for shortrange communication, many peoplewill say 'why not become a radioamateur' well it's just not that easy ifyou pass the R.A.E. club test· you canuse only VHF bands ie: 2 metreswhich is not really intended for DX'ingabroad. To get on the HF bands youhav.e to pass the class 'A' test whichinvoles morse code tests - I think thisis ridiculous if you don't intend tooperate morse equipment, - anotherthing is the equipment costs about 3times as much - so why bother.

I will carry on the fight for 27MHzAM SSB to FCC spec. and I hope otherbreakers will carry on.

73 & 51Bravo Mike Oscar

Bimbo . North B'ham


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HARRIER

The Harrier CB from Dixons, their basic rig

Having started our legal rig testslast month with a practicalloak at howthey perform, this month we can getright down to facts.

The first thing you should look for inany magazine review is how the teslwas carried out and on what equip·ment. When CB started in America,many magazines had no facilities toaccurately test equipment, thus reportsrun by some magazines Iit~rallyamounted to "Oh, this is a nice sort ofrig (Thinks to himself, 7hey advertisewith us, I'd better give it a good writeup' or 'They don't advertise yet; maybethey will after this1- Well it works and ithas some lovely fiddly little knobs. Iwould definitely recommend this one."Then to bolster up the review andmake it look good a few of the manu·facturer's facts and f!Jures werethrown in and Hey Presto one review.In some cases the magazines oftenprinted the manufacturer's own test!Naturally this procedure was easy anda nice way out for the editorial staffbut not really cricket, eh, what!

Now with our own British systemthis laxed method of reporting or so-called testing may happen, so bewareand don't accept a review on facevalue.

36

r cRig tests printed by us will be

factual, based on carefully obtaineddata and they will be truthful I. Wehappen to believe that a test whichcould easily swing the balance andhelp you decide which set to pur-chase needs to be covered in aresponsible manner and not a light-hearted, "this one's not bad", attitude.Therefore, we offer readers and manu-facturers alike the following guar-antee:

Now all that remains is for you tounderstand and get the most out ofthe test.

Di onsDixons, that well known High Street

chain, surprised quite a few people inCB - including us. It was a foregoneconclusion that CB would be coveredby and retailed through the Dixonschain; the surprise really came in theirannouncement.

On 20 October, 14 days beforelegalisation, we received a phone callinforming us that deliveries weretaking place and most of the 240branches would now have stocks.Prior to their call we were wondering ifany shops would have stock in timefor 2 November. Dixons had kept quietand beaten everyone else.

Two transceivers are available fromthem, the Harrier CBX at £99.99, onepenny beneath the hundred poundmark and the Harrier CB at £69.99.Obviously the 99 pence psychologyplays a large part in the Dixons pricestructure and with Christmas almostupon us we decided to look at the lessexpensive of the two rigs.

CBConstructed in Japan, the exterior is

black plastic-coated aluminium whichbutts to a black plastic face plate. Thishas grey aluminium trim printed anddesigned to display the Volume,Squelch, Channel Change, ChannelLED, Signal Power meter and TX light.The loudspeaker is mounted on theunderneath surface and the grille iscovered internally with a fine mesh toprevent dust getting inside.

Microphone

The socket is a four-pin screw typemounted on the left hand side of thecase. This would stretch the lead if theset was mounted centrally in the carand operated by the driver. Alltransmit and receive switching Is donevia the microphone so the receiver willnot operate without the microphoneconnected. This is quite normal tomost CB transmitters.

Internal constNctlon

On the whole this is quite good. It isnot a converted or modified AM setbut a purpose-designed FM unit. Thesoldering is generally good but therevue sample failed to work when firstconnected. This was found to be dueto two minor faults; a dry joint on thecrystal caused no TX/RX and secondlya poor solder joint on the microphoneplug. Both faults were easily repaired


@@lE]lie

and we understand that the set wouldhave been exchanged immediately byOixons."However, the worst comment regardinginternal assembly is that on many ofthe components their legs were ratherlong and the cutting machine hadbent them over. Thus one or two of theremaining stumps were almost touchingother parts of the circuit, as theprinted circuit is coated then if thesestubs were to touch they would besomewhat insulated. With the test setthere were no cases where the circuitwas bridged or touching the board.

This criticism may already not applyto sets as in all honesty time musthave played a major role in theirconstruction to meet the Novemberlegalisation deadline with the firstconsignment of Harri~rs_

Input

GJ£-

Input Frequency

1OdS quietIng at 0.16uV

20dB quieting al O.flOuV

30dB quieling at 1.80uV

eceiver stAudio output

Measured j nto an 8 ohm load at13.2 volts supply:

±1.SkHz @1,250Hz audio

Two 01 the most basic operations toCB are installing and SWR'ing a rigand these are the operations thatcause most grief to a CB'er - and themosl damage la a rig! Thi!'t feature willgive some basic advicE' on how tocope with installing and SWR'ing andwe shall be repealing it regularly fornew breakers.

Having purchased your rig, the noxtdecision is the antenna. This is a per-sonal choice (and fairty restricted ifyou are sticking to the legal types).From our point 01 view the decisionyou need to make is whether you wantto mounl the antenna on the body-work and actually drill holes. etc.• usea mag mount (an anlenna with a mag·netic base which will 'stick' to themetal bodywork 01 a vehicle) nr a gut-ter mount which clamps on to the gut-ler of the car. The problem with the

Fitting the rig1) Make sure the mounling area Is

suitable and strong enough.2) Ensure that you don't drill

through the wiring or instrumentpanet.

3) Check that the wire carrying thepower comes from a fused source orthat an in line fuse is fitted.

4) Don·t try putting a 12V rig in a24V lorry or a 6V car. They don't mix!

5) Connections direct 10 the batteryensures no voltage drop and helpseliminate engine noise. You can runthe feed from an ignition switchedaccessory terminal on the fuse box.

po~~hr~;~ l~~~~ ~ufk~~~~~~~~rp~~~through or that there is free space fora hole.

7) Cars are either positive or nega'tive ground. CB's are also positive ornegative earth (although some setsare dual polarity). Mosl modern carsare negative. Negative sets cannot beinstalled in positrve cars and viceversa. Consider this when buying a ri!l.

8) When connected do not try totransmit without the antenna cor-rectly installed. sited, in circuit andSWR·ed. (Transmissions whilst SWR'ingshould be as brier as possible).

last two is running the cable into thecar. The location 01 the antenna on thecar will influence the radiation 01 yoursignal- see diagrams. Location of theset is also down to you but rememberyou r:eed to change gear. your pas-sengers might want to use the set andyou should be able to reach it easily tochange channels without runningdown the pedestrian population ofyour area. Some breakers leave therig loose on Ihe parcel shelf or use aslide mount lor easy access.

The basic instructions lor con-necting your rig and/or antenna willbe included with them and you mustgo by their recommendations. The tal-lowing points are to give some extrahelp bul they are only general and IIyou really have problems then go to aprofessional or 'someone in the know'.

SWRSWR stands for standing wave ratio

and gives a reference figure for howmuch of the transmitter power is actu-ally radiated away from the anlennaand how much is reflected back downthe co-ax to the sel. How much is radioated away depends on the physical orelectrical length of the antenna and itmust be tuned correctly to cover thefrequencY used. The ligure is e,,;pressedas a ratio, i.e. 3:1. 2:1 or 1.5:1. Youshould concentrate your ellorts intogetting it as much below 2:1 and nearto 1:1 as possible. If substantiallyhigher you won't 'get out' too well andyou could permanently damage yourset.

You need:SWR meter (some rigs have a builHnmeter - instructions will come with theset): a patch lead - a short piece ofcable with PL259 connectors at bolhends.

1) Park Ihe car in a relatively openspace, away from large amounts ofmetal, lamp·posts, trees or buildings.

2) Make sure car doors, boot andbonnet are closed.

3) With the rig switched off, discon-nect the antenna co·a,,; and connecl itto the meter terminal marked ANT.

Usmg lhe patch lead connect themeter terminal marked CB or TX to therig antenna plug.

4) Switch on the set and turn tochannel 20. (It Is anti'socialto SWA onany oflhe breaking channels). Switchthe SWA meler to 'Forward'. Press thetransmit button. The needte on thedial will move. Adjust the knob on themeter until the needle swings over togive the maximum reading (oftenmarked SET or CALIBRATE).

5) Now switch the meter to 'Rellected'and key the transmit bullon. Theneedle should drop back and give areading along the marked scale. Ifless than 2:1 there is no real need toworry

You willlind on all antennas a pro·vision lor adjusting the mast length.To find if it needs lengthening orshortening take two readings. one onchannel 1 and the other on channel40. If the reading on 40 is higher thanon 1 then the antenna needs short-ening. 11 lower on 40 than on 1 theantenna needs lengthening. MAKEVERY SMALL ADJUSTMENTS eachtime untit the reading is satisfactory. I!you need to actually trim the mastwith a hacksaw, as opposed to slidingthe mast up and down. cut 011 a minuteamount each time. It is very easy tocut oil/adjust too much.

ss

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Installing the antenna1) The antenna should ideally be

mounted as high as possible. Thehigher the percentage of the antennalenglh mounted above roof·top thebetter the performance.

2) Put the cable as far away fromnoise sources as possible (ignitionsystems. etc.).

3) Mount antenna with a good metalto metal ground. removing painl, mudor rust where the antenna is to bemounted.

4) AVOID ANTENNA COAXIAL CABLEDAMAGE. This is the problem withmag or gUll er mounts as the cable willneed to pass through the window ordoor opening. Shutting the window ordoor on the cable can cause damageto lhe cable and conseQuently to theset.

5) Again. before drilling, check thatyou aren't damaging anything (fike thepetrol lank!) and that there is enoughIree space for any mountings.

6) Make sure th?tthe cable can leadto the rig without kinking. stretchingor working against anything. DON'lWINO UP EXTRA CABLE INTO ATIGHT COIL This can drasticallyinfluence the performance of theantenna.

7) Use proper, soldered connec·lions and make sure that all plugs,etc.• are screwed tightly. Don't leavecable and connections hanging orwhere lhey can be pulled or dam'aged.

8) If you need to lengthen theexisting cable or buy new cO'axialcable It must be RG58U 50 ohm cable.

9) Still don't transmit! Wait untit youhave SWR'ed and are satisfied with allthe connections and Installation.


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39

An alternative radio or determined lawbreakers?

very disreputable overtones which thelabel 'pirate' gives. However, music orpop isn't the only subject for FreeRadio. At one time Jesus Radio pro-duced half~hour programmes com-bining classical music with religiousservices derived from the Book ofCommon Prayer. Unusual but com-pulsive listening. Political stationshave their say and alternative tech-nology is a popular subject as peoplehave become aware of the need toconserve energy and the ecology.Radio Verte in Paris concentrated onecological subjects and tied in withthe more politically-minded sup-porters active in France. The Voice ofComtek (community technology) startledlisteners in Bath by replacing Radios1 to 4 on the FM band and urginglisteners to give up their cars in favourof bicycles.

Telegraphy Act) as illegal breakers.The one crucial difference is thatbreakers use CB for their own enter-tainment but in addition to that, broad-casters hope to offer entertainment orenlightenment to others. The otherdifference is, of course, that while Bri-tain, in common with other cou

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