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G0TEZ > FILMS 05.01.08 06:52l 62 Lines 2455 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 250623G0TEZ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: "Convoy" & CB (G0TEZ)
Path: ON0AR<GB7YKS<GB7SYP<GB7FCR
Sent: 080105/0550Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:57044 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:250623G0
From: G0TEZ@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : FILMS@WW
I happened to know a few people who were connected with the media in the
late 70s and early 80s, so I do know what I'm talking about.
It sounds as though David didn't use CB or he would know that it was 27MHz
AM not 29 MHZ and there were gaps in the 'straight 40' band which were
left unoccupied to leave room for the radio modellers. The aero modellers
had long ago moved up to UHF mainly to make things lighter but rigs
imported from the 'States kept the gaps.
I started using CB in 1979. It became extremely popular around Christmas
1980. Yes. Part of the fun was the illegality and fighting what most of us
saw as an unjust law.
I was part of the fight, I founded two clubs and got onto local radio
where I was allowed to give our side of the story.
One radio presenter, who had better remain nameless, allowed me the right
to reply to a CB critic, under a pseudonym and, when I had said my bit and
he had gone to the adverts, stayed on the 'phone and said "10 -19 and 73
***** *******" (my 'handle'), then admitted he too was on CB along with
another DJ. The late M.P. Cyril Smith used to play CB, as did most of our
local police, including a Chief Superintendent. I saw his 5/8 wave AE on
his chimney. Some of the police told me it came in very useful for
listening in to real criminals without having the CID park outside their
houses for hours.
Oh yes. We had a lot of criminals.
The 1970 film Convoy and the 'Dukes' were banned because they might
encourage more people to become 'outlaws'.
Notwithsatanding that, there were millions of people using CB.
The introduction of the 'legal' FM CB on 1st Nov 1981 was not very
successful. FM doesn't work too well on 27MHZ. A mass of people moved on
to
Ham Radio around 1982 where, magically, SSB at 400W doesn't seem to cause
the problems CB did at 4W.
Around that time, the rest of Europe allowed 2W AM,4W FM and 4W SSB on the
old 'mid band CB'. Later, they even allowed packet but Britain still said
it was conducting a 'feasibility study' whatever that might mean.
We are now in the strange possition where we are part of the EU and should
have their type of CB but people evntually got bored so it doesn't matter.
I wonder how many people who moved from CB to AR are still around ?
I left it til 1990 before I got licenced BTW.
73 - Ian, G0TEZ @ GB7FCR
Message timed: 05:19 GMT on 2008-Jan-05
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