CITIZENS BAND RADIO
CB Radio
Citizens Band Radio is commonly just called CB Radio or even just CB. CB is in the lower half of the 11m band and uses 26.965MHz-27.405MHz with a few exceptions for radio controlled hobbies. CB Radio is in the HF or High Frequency Shortwave Bands.
CB Radio originally started off on the 460MHz-470MHz range in the mid 1940's. The radios were expensive and not very practical. In 1958 Class D CB Radio was created and allocated to the 11m band or 27MHz frequencies. There were 23 channels. In 1977 the CB gained additional channels and is now 40 channels or frequencies. When you look at a chart showing channels and their assigned frequencies you will see the frequencies are out of order near the middle of the chart.
- 26.965MHz
- 26.975MHz
- 26.985MHz
- 27.005MHz
- 27.015MHz
- 27.025MHz
- 27.035MHz
- 27.055MHz
- 27.065MHz
- 27.075MHz
- 27.085MHz
- 27.105MHz
- 27.115MHz
- 27.125MHz
- 27.135MHz
- 27.155MHz
- 27.165MHz
- 27.175MHz
- 27.185MHz
- 27.205MHz
- 27.215MHz
- 27.225MHz
- 27.255MHz
- 27.235MHz
- 27.245MHz
- 27.265MHz
- 27.275MHz
- 27.285MHz
- 27.295MHz
- 27.305MHz
- 27.315MHz
- 27.325MHz
- 27.335MHz
- 27.345MHz
- 27.355MHz
- 27.365MHz
- 27.375MHz
- 27.385MHz
- 27.395MHz
- 27.405MHz
The following frequencies are reserved for radio control hobbies and are not accessible to proper Class D CB Radios. Most, if not all, export or freeband radios can access the following frequencies.
3a. 26.995MHz
7a. 27.045MHz
11a. 27.095MHz
15a. 27.145MHz
19a. 27.195MHz
CB Radios are permitted to operate in 3 modes or types of modulation. AM or Amplitude Modulation, SSB or Single Sideband, and the newest allowed mode FM or Frequency Modulation in September of 2021.
The CB Radio had reached it's peak in the 1970s but is still in wide use today. Some will say CB Radio is dead and compared to its use in the 1970s I would agree with them. But CB Radio is still in use by many people for many different reasons. Just because you don't hear chatter on the airwaves doesn't necessarily mean its dead. There are people all over that still use CB Radio on a daily basis.