Why not a RV CB Channel?

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Clark Griswold

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I did a quick search on the forum and noticed that most agree that CB channel 19 is best for gathering road conditions, etc but of course you have to 'filter' through the language.  I'm also aware that channel 13 is used by Good Sam members and 9 is used as the universal emergency channel.

What seems like a reasonable thought to me is for RVers to have a universal CB channel.  In that way you could contact a passing RV, communicate with fellow RVers in your group while travelling or in a campground, gather and pass information while in a campground such as during storms, etc.  I am curious if I'm the only one who believes that there is nothing to be lost in suggesting such an idea?  What are your thoughts?  ???
 
Mike,

I don't think Channel 13 is exclusive to Good Sam members. I'm sure you can use that channel to communicate with any RVer that happens to be on it. Personally, I don't use the CB anymore since it's too hard for me to understand what is being said. My wife usually does the interpreting. :)
 
Any one can use any channel they choose, it is just that GS chose to all use #13.
 
There is one "Exclusive" CB channel, that is Channel 9, which is reserved for emergency/priority traffic only (Calls for assistance)  The remaining 39 are first come first serve.

Truckers, by tradition (originally by mutual agreement) hang on Channel 19, which makes it the best palce to be if you are on the freeway..

Good Sam claimed 13 for RVers, not just Good Sammers but ll RVers, still kind of dead.

11 is often a "local calling" channel.

But save for Nine, they are all first come first serve.
 
There's a lot more trucks than RVs on the road, which is why CB works for truckers.  Dedicated RV channels have been tried in the past, but there just isn't the user base to make a separate RV channel work.
 
Okay....I give.  Obviously a 'traditional' RV channel is not meant to be.  But it's all good information and I appreciate the feedback.

I started in CB about 1974ish and ended in HAM (before the days of no code requirement).  I'm not an avid user of either CB or Ham now-a-days but it simply crossed my mind that it would be nice to have a channel that was away from the 'trash of CB' and somewhat likely to have a RV voice on the other end.  Oh well......alls good.  ;D
 
Pick one, say 21, then start writing letters to all the RV magazines suggesting that people try it.  Put a sign on your RV saying that you monitor 21.  It's the 21st century, it's a BJ winner, and it's legal to buy booze... easy to remember.
 
Have always had one in vechicles since 1974 but haven't had it on more than 2 or 3 times (in stopped traffic from accidents) for past several years because of the nasty language....Just for the heck of it, I'm going to start monitoring 13 ... why change something Good sam may have started ...
 
WhiteEagle said:
Have always had one in vechicles since 1974 but haven't had it on more than 2 or 3 times (in stopped traffic from accidents) for past several years because of the nasty language....Just for the heck of it, I'm going to start monitoring 13 ... why change something Good sam may have started ...

I like your idea and I too believe that since Good Sam has started using 13 that it simply makes sense to build upon that base.  I'm all for writing RV magazines, etc and seeing if there can't be a movement in that direction.  I think it would better the entire RV community.  :)
 
RV caravans, whether commercial or private, often pick one CB channel to communicate with one another.  For example, when we went on the Copper Canyon train (no longer available for caravans) we had one channel on all the time so the wagonmaster could communicate what we were seeing, what to expect ahead, and when we were going to do what.  When a small group of us travel together we do the same thing.  When on the road we tune into Channel 19 if there's a traffic problem and we've also talked with truckers when we've noticed something about their rig that they might want to check.  Although we don't use the CB often, we still like to have it on occasion.

ArdraF
 
I listen to 19 most of the time. Have had truckers notify me of hanging wires( toad electric cable disconnected), burned out bulbs, etc.  Also let them know when they've cleared me when passing. If language gets bad, turn down volume, but usually don't have a problem.
 
My father bought his first CB radio in the 50's to use in his construction business.  He had CB radios put in all of his work trucks.  Back then there was no one else on the air in Modesto, CA.  They were very large radios with tubes.  If I remember correctly some of the radios were six volts.

Jump forward to 2009.  My wife and I traveled from Washington State to Southern California, turned left and headed for Washington DC.  I have a CB walkie talkie that I tuned to channel 19.  We traveled from Washington State to Southern California and I didn't hear a single call on the CB radio.  It had been awhile since I used a CB and I was used to lots of traffic and skip.  I decided that the CB walkie talkie no longer worked so I purchased another one.  The new one finally picked up a trucker talking to another trucker.  That is when I learned the cell phones had replaced the CB radio.
 
Yellowboat said:
Jump forward to 2009.  ....  It had been awhile since I used a CB and I was used to lots of traffic and skip. 
Skip has been really bad this last five years or so due to the solar cycle being at a very long minimum in the 11 year cycle.
 
I normally monitor 19 while travelling and I hear a lot of chatter most of the time. I installed a small speaker near my left ear next to the seat belt loop so I can monitor without too much concern for "colorful" language being broadcast to the kids. The CB has been a great tool for accident avoidance especially on major routes like I-95. I find out about traffic conditions 20 or 30 miles in advance in most cases and have plenty of time to re-route off the highway and back on after the stoppage.


I didn't know about channel 13 being claimed by GS for RV use, but I will give it a go.


I have wondered for a few years now why RV'rs haven't claimed a channel on FRS. Seems those walkie talkie radios are everywhere and CB's not so much.
 
We placed a sign in the lower left of our rig's back window stating that "Sundance" monitors channel 13.  When getting close to town limits we switch to channel 19 to see if there is any problems. 
 
I can't figure out the language.  I don't mean the swearing.  I mean the English (?) dialect they use.  It's like a hillbilly with marbles in his mouth.  If that isn't enough, most truckers seem to have installed amplifiers between their microphone and the radio apparently thinking it will boost their signal, but all it does is distort it.  Then they all try to play like "Convoy" talking about bears, mounties, and handles.

Go figure?
 
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