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YOUR Opinion On Free-Banding
- Thread starter T23
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Up until recently, the 40-channel band was too crowded in some cities. Radio operators are just that - radio operators, enthusiasts of radio not the telephone. For whatever reasons, CB ops always sought out a "private" channel to talk without interruption, or eavesdropping. This is natural for any radio enthusiast.
After about 1974 or so, when two radios hit the market - the Swan/Siltronix 1011, and the Yaesu FT-101B, CB operators found two "big radios" that covered additional frequencies that a regular CB didn't. When skip comes in, the regular 40 (or 23 back then) was a constant cacophonous roar of heterodynes and noise. The only relief was "private" channels, or the "uppers". With the band open, CB'ers found DX and and other operators on these new channels, and freebanding as born. The original freeband group was HF International, started about 1973, or so. There were others over the years. In the late '80's, Gruppa Alfa-Tango was formed, and the rest is history.
RatsoW8
Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
At the end of the day freebanding is illegal. It also gives us insight into the freebanders character and level of integrity. And holy crap how much easier does the FCC have to make it to get a amateur radio license? And how unmotivated does an individual have to be to pass up the opportunity vs operating in the closet like a juvenile when they could be enjoying the entire ham spectrum legally with just a little effort.
Not to mention that feeling of accompishment when you pass the test. Or maybe it's just tooooo hard for them.
I remembering reading an article about the FCC going to give 27.415 to 27.545 to Sidebanders of the 11 meter crowd. I am also guilty of doing a little freebanding in the early 80's going 2 or 3 channels below 26.965 just for that reason it was quiet and we could talk, I'm sure freebanders have not bothered anybody if they stay within those frequencies, never heard anybody else there other than real radio loving guys
Well mercy sakes good buddy, that's just crazy talk. All those unused, unassigned, unloved frequencies screaming out like channels in the wilderness "talk on me! talk on me!" Cannot possibly go unanswered.
CB'ers are the quintessential outlaws and bad boys of the modern era. Ask them not to peak out their rigs and flip them band switches and energize their amplifiers is like asking a marshmallow not to be soft and fluffy and delicious.
So you just watch your ass mister
I couldn't agree more... except.... there are many Freebanders who have a mistaken idea about ham radio. Some believe that its too structured and formal. Some believe that one needs to be an electronics engineer to pass the test. Some have no idea that ham radio even exists!!! And then there are the "outlaws", the renegades who just bristle at the thought of any administration knowing about them, or "keeping tabs" on them. (We have a few of those "free-thinkers" up here
) In Europe, many freebanders there are hams.Do I do it? Not at all; I'm happy working DX on the amateur bands. The only time I use the "freeband" is for a quiet conversation with locals, but that is extremely rare.
Oh my....you misspelled "accomplishment." Sorry
Is this our next elitist Extra in the making?
CB'ing in FUN. Free enterprise industry along with lax regulation has provided for all these additional sideline spheres of "enhanced operating capability" for today's best-dressed hillbilly CB'er.
CB is Anything Goes Radio and many CB'ers stay there because they chafe against the controls and procedures placed on ham radio operators, the stuffy dinner table etiquette (pssst! don't listen on 80M at night), all that and the heavily inbred pirate nature which all CB'ers enjoy.
So let the baby have his bottle.
Wire weasel I'm with ya on this one so what if I my radio equipment is worth more than the car I drive I just enjoy the radio and have since 1967 when all I had was 2 channels to talk on
That's right !! And when you're right you're right. Right as rain Batman
You see folks, it's all good. Who cares what what anybody thinks about freebanding? Or ham radio? It's all about personal enjoyment and having fun with radios. We all need fun hobbies to keep us off the streets and out of jail...most of the time*
* there are always exceptions. Mack and GLR will tell you about the exceptions.
and out of Bars and away from nasty women LOL radio does it for me, it's even cheaper than drinking booze, CB constant buying
DXman
Yes, that's 3100 degrees F. Nine yrs of hard work.
Same thing here in North America too. I've talked to lots of ham's over the years in this part of 11 meters.
I am kinda opposite here - I don't use that portion for local talking, just for DXing only and I do talk to many, many guys from Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec province in that area also. There are thousands of people operating in the "freeband" area in North America and I am sure you will still use that area again - right?
QUOTE:
Originally Posted by RatsoW8:
At the end of the day freebanding is illegal. It also gives us insight into the freebanders character and level of integrity.
Watch out now - you are also talking about a lot of ham op's that do "freebanding" too and I am not just talking about Tech's here either, but General's also.
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My opinion? It is a conflicted unresolvable dispute.
All this energy spent and we've learned that we all have navels, or is that opinions?
All this energy spent and we've learned that we all have navels, or is that opinions?
A lot of those "elitist" snob hams are guys who have been licensed for 35 years or more, and got their tickets during the '70's CB boom. Their exposure to CB was during it's the worst era, and they have an view of CB that is all negative. As well, being proud hams, they will disparage any "competing" hobby. They are completely out of the loop, ignorant of what CB is today. They have a view that is based on the CB movies of the '70's, and popular culture. They still laughingly use "10-4 good buddy" as a verbal CB icon. Totally out of touch. (And for the record, I've been licensed for 42 years. No elitist here.)
What I tell them is to look at the new hams getting into ham radio today. Where are they from? Up here, about 90% or more are ex-CB'ers. We hams, crying out for new blood, ignore CB'ers at our peril. The elitists don't understand this.
Indeed. Our local club, the Manotick Amateur Radio Group, is an example of the new style of ham club. Many of our members are ex-CB'ers, and we actvely seek out interested CB'ers for both membership, and for advancement into ham radio. We are succeeding. Our meetings have abolished ham politics. They are stripped down to the bare essential administrative stuff at the beginning, and then right into the evening's agenda. We have discussed 220 Mhz operation and how to get on 220. One of our members is a Jetstream dealer and has offered Jetstream radios at a discount. He is working on putting up a 220 repeater.
We actually talk about CB and freebanding on our local 2M machine. Sure, some local elitists don't like it but screw 'em. I and Mike, VA3MPM are in competition to see how many 10M export radios we can acquire and put on 10M. So far he's winning with an AT5555, a General Grant, a Superstar 158EDX, a Magnum Omega Force S45HP, and an Alpha Max 1000. We both have stacks of 2510's from years ago. We are on 28.420 daily. And yes, we are also on CB. Some of the local idiots, know nothing about the legality of using such radios in Canada, and have threatened to denounce us to the authorities. They are complaining that we are talking about "10M linears" on the air. :headbang Where do you begin? For radio amateurs in Canada, it's all legal. And we are having a blast. About 10 members have already joined us up there, with their own "export" radios. We have also sourced out and specified a Larsen 10M antenna. It's a Larsen NMO34 coil, with a 65" whip and spring. The total length is about 70", same as a Wilson 5000. Since it has an NMO mount, users can instantly swap it out for a Larsen VHF antenna. About 10 locals are already using it with both great DX success, and excellent local performance. One local idiot disparaged the antenna, suggesting that an NMO27 with the short 49" whip was better.
The idiot is ignorant of basic antenna theory. You don't want a longer coil and shorter whip, as that is inefficient. You want a short coil and a long whip, like the Wilsons. That cretin does not understand how Larsen markets their antennas. They are marketing to commercial users and land-mobile companies, that don't want a DX antenna, but something for short-range commercial use that will take abuse.
Our club sponsors monthly dinner meetings besides the "formal" meeting. At these dinner meetings we have a show-and-tell. We have a nightly rendezvous at the local pub or coffee shop with various members attending. We have a monthly breakfast meet. The club is extremely social and many of the wives attend our functions.
Behavior on our local machine? The local Pecksniffs and elitists have decried our behavior as CB-like. They don't like the fun, quick quips, jokes and general camaraderie and the fact that it's not "the stuffy dinner table etiquette" as you describe. One moron has even recorded the conversations and posted them on YouTube (see: "VA3MPM"). He believes the recordings show us in a bad light. I believe those recordings are a wonderful promotion for the hobby and the club. This is the kind of resistance to change that we are meeting. It's sad.
VA3ES
Good post, pretty much sums up the state of the older "Elitist" hams which are coming few and far between as the days go by.
The local club around this area is sort of split between the older generation and new generation hams.
All new hams that I know started out in CB, free band and what not.
Within the last two years I would say half the members of the local coffee club ( morning rag chews on the weekends on SSB) have obtained their tech and moved on from the cb freqs, sometimes still stopping by to check in with the friends who did not take the time to get their license.
FREEBAND, if DX is running on 10 meters, it will be blasting on free band.
For every contact that is made legally on 10 meters, there can be a ratio of 20:1 on free band with 20 contacts on free band and only one made on 10 meters.
Free band has more ops, some of their QTH are pretty exotic, more potential for DX contacts.
Is it legal in the US? No, are those frequencies used on a daily basis? Yes.
There are even 11 meters DX clubs on net that make regular schedules for on the air time to increase there chances of making contacts.
I used to monitor free band when I was deployed to all directions of the globe, it was surprising to find out just how many different countries were using the free band frequencies. Of course I could not transmit from a Naval warship but I could recieve.
I can say without a doubt that free band is globally accepted. Unregulated except for the countries where it is actually licensed.
Thoughts on free band? The next generation and the generation after that one will still be using it for dx'ing and local coms.
Good post, pretty much sums up the state of the older "Elitist" hams which are coming few and far between as the days go by.
The local club around this area is sort of split between the older generation and new generation hams.
All new hams that I know started out in CB, free band and what not.
Within the last two years I would say half the members of the local coffee club ( morning rag chews on the weekends on SSB) have obtained their tech and moved on from the cb freqs, sometimes still stopping by to check in with the friends who did not take the time to get their license.
FREEBAND, if DX is running on 10 meters, it will be blasting on free band.
For every contact that is made legally on 10 meters, there can be a ratio of 20:1 on free band with 20 contacts on free band and only one made on 10 meters.
Free band has more ops, some of their QTH are pretty exotic, more potential for DX contacts.
Is it legal in the US? No, are those frequencies used on a daily basis? Yes.
There are even 11 meters DX clubs on net that make regular schedules for on the air time to increase there chances of making contacts.
I used to monitor free band when I was deployed to all directions of the globe, it was surprising to find out just how many different countries were using the free band frequencies. Of course I could not transmit from a Naval warship but I could recieve.
I can say without a doubt that free band is globally accepted. Unregulated except for the countries where it is actually licensed.
Thoughts on free band? The next generation and the generation after that one will still be using it for dx'ing and local coms.
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