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Subject: rec.radio.cb Frequently Asked Questions (Part 4 of 4)
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Archive-name: radio/cb-faq/part4
Revision: 2.0 1993/11/07 21:32:24

Rec.radio.cb Frequently Asked Questions (Part 4: Technical Trivia)
------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS ARTICLE IS INTENDED TO BE A FREE RESOURCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF USENET
READERS.  YOU MAY COPY AND REDISTRIBUTE IT UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THIS
MESSAGE AND CREDIT TO THE EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS ARE INCLUDED WITHOUT
MODIFICATION.  Material from the FAQ may be used to answer any questions.
Corrections and updates are welcome.

Questions discussed in Part 4: (dates indicate last modification)
* What is single sideband? (11/92)
* Do I really get 120 channels on a radio with single sideband? (12/91)
* What are "linear amplifiers" and can I use them with a CB? (7/93)
* Who is "Skip" and why can I hear him all the way across the continent? (7/93)
* How can I reduce engine noise on my mobile CB? (3/92)
* What is GMRS? (9/93)
* Where can I learn more about radio? (3/92)

--Rec.radio.cb Frequently-asked Questions-----------------------------Part 4--

* What is single sideband?
--------------------------

To understand single-sideband (SSB), one must first have a picture of what's
going on in a normal AM (amplitude modulation) transmission.  For example, on
Channel 21 (in North America, Australia, and Europe), a "carrier" is transmit-
ted at 27.215 MHz.  Your voice (or whatever you're transmitting) is used to
change (modulate) the height (amplitude) of the signal so that it can be
reconstructed as your voice on the receiving end.

Actually, the amplitude of the carrier does not change.  The addition
(modulation) of another signal, like your voice, onto the carrier will increase
the amplitude at other frequencies adjacent to the the carrier.  A 300 Hz tone,
for example, would add signals 300 Hz above and below the carrier.  Every
frequency component of your voice has the same additive effect.  These modula-
tion effects are the upper and lower sidebands of the transmitted signal.
Normal AM transmissions include the carrier signal, the upper sideband (USB)
and lower sideband (LSB).  The difference in frequency from the bottom of the
lower sideband to the top of the upper sideband is called the bandwidth of the
signal; it will be twice as wide as the highest frequency modulated onto the
carrier.  (For poorly filtered radios, this can unintentionally interfere with
adjacent channels if the bandwidth is too wide.  Poor filtering becomes easily
noticeable at higher power levels.)

There is enough information in either sideband to reconstruct the original
signal.  Therefore, radios which can use single sideband are able to filter
out the carrier and the opposite sideband before transmitting them, leaving
either the upper sideband or lower sideband, as selected by the CB operator.
Obviously, for a conversation to take place, both the transmitting and
receiving radios have to be on the same channel and sideband setting (i.e.
Channel 25 LSB.)  Some additional tuning will be necessary with a "clarifier"
control.

Assuming proper filtering within the radios, it should be possible for sep-
arate conversations to occur on the upper and lower sidebands of a given
channel without interfering with each other.


* Do I really get 120 channels on a radio with single sideband?
---------------------------------------------------------------

[This applies to the USA, Australia, Canada, and any other countries that use
AM and SSB on the same 40-channel band.]

Yes and no.  SSB does give you 120 different communications paths (40 AM, 40
USB, and 40 LSB) but they are not free of interference from each other.  The
upper and lower sidebands will interfere with the AM channel and vice versa.
With some radios, even the opposite sidebands can interfere with each other.

For example, (and this works for any channel - just fill in a different
number from 1 to 40) Channel 17 has an AM channel that every radio can use.
Radios with SSB will also be able to use the upper and lower sidebands.
However, within a few miles of each other, you can't effectively use the
AM channel if people are talking on either sideband.  Though not as strong,
users of sideband will know if someone is using the AM channel but the higher
legal power settings on sideband give them an advantage.


* What are "linear amplifiers" and can I use them with a CB?
------------------------------------------------------------

In the USA, UK, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, and
Russia it is ILLEGAL to use a linear amplifier on Citizen's Band radio.  In
the USA and Australia, the maximum amount of power that is rated for CB is 4
watts on AM and 12 watts PEP (peak envelope power) on sideband.  In Japan,
the Citizen's Radio band is limited to 1/2 watt on AM and the Personal Radio
band is limited to 5 watts on FM.  And the list goes on... we have not yet
heard of any country that allows more than 4 or 5 watts on AM/FM or 12 watts
on SSB.

For other countries, if there is a power limit on CB transmissions, any
amplifier that boosts a radio's power beyond that point is obviously in
violation.

Linear amplifiers allow a radio to transmit using much greater power than
is legal.  They may range from 30 watts to above 1000 watts.  The problem is
that, in reality, you can't communicate with anyone you can't hear.  But you
can easily interfere with people you can't hear if you use more than legal
power.  So a good antenna is the best solution for getting better range out of
your CB.

The reaction to questions about linear amplifiers on this newsgroup will vary
with the country you are from.  In countries where they are illegal, you will
probably find yourself severely flamed...  In other countries, to avoid a
negative response, you may want to limit the distribution of the article to
your country or continent, as appropriate.

Besides, most black-market linears are low quality and will distort your
signal and interfere with consumer electronics or other radio services.
(Stray signals from a linear outside of the CB frequencies can bring a swift
response from whoever it interferes with.)  It is far better to run a clean
radio with a clean signal into a high-quality coaxial feedline and antenna
tuned for low SWR.

Most radios are deliberately undertuned from the factory (to make sure that\
they are well within type-acceptance limits).  Take it down to a 2-way radio
shop and get it a "full-legal maxout" to 4 Watts AM, 12 Watts SSB at 100%
modulation.


* Who is "Skip" and why can I hear him all the way across the continent?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've heard the term "skip" before, it refers to a condition where a radio
signal bounces (actually, refracts, but that's getting technical) off the Iono-
sphere, a higher layer in the Earth's atmosphere.  For all practical purposes,
this only happens during daytime hours because the Sun's radiation charges up
the Ionosphere and allows the signals to be bounced back to the surface.  (Some
residual "charge" remains in the upper atmosphere during the night but it is
normally not as noticeable in the 11-meter band.)

It's called "skip" because, in terms of where a given signal can be heard, it
skips over a long distance before reaching the surface again.  The distances
vary but they can easily be over 1000 miles (1600km).  For example, in Califor-
nia, under skip conditions it's possible to hear signals from Alabama or other
eastern states.

However, skip is often not a reliable means of communication.  Besides, it may
also be illegal to intentionally use skip for communications.  For example, in
the USA you may not use CB for communications beyond 150 miles.  (150mi =
240km) CB is intended for local communications.  However, in Russia, there is
no distance restriction so skip is legal when conditions allow you to make a
contact.

Skip signals are normally weak, though enough of them from different places
can add up to a lot of noise.  If you hear a strong signal, the person is prob-
ably using a linear amplifier which, as discussed above, is illegal in at least
the USA, UK, Japan, France, and Germany and frowned-upon almost everywhere.
Though there are some conditions when a legally-powered station with a special
antenna can create a strong signal via skip, these are rare.

Most CB users' experiences with skip is to turn their squelch higher to cut
out the heavy background noise during the daytime.  This is a bigger problem
with AM than with FM because FM has a "capture effect" where the stronger
signal wins.  Anyone you talk to (locally) will have to be close by to send a
strong enough signal to overcome the background noise and your squelch setting.
If you use AM, there's really no way around this so get used to it.


* How can I reduce engine noise on my mobile CB?
------------------------------------------------

If you have problems with engine noise in a mobile installation, there are
several things you can do to reduce or eliminate the problem.
- Make sure you've completely installed your CB and the antenna is grounded
  properly.  Check the amount of noise with and without the antenna connected.
  If the noise is greater when the antenna is connected, the source is probably
  the ignition system.  If the noise remains unchanged after disconnecting the
  antenna, the source is probably in the CB's power supply.
- For ignition noise, there are several parts of the vehicle that can act like
  RF noise transmitters if not properly grounded.  Check (and connect to
  ground on the chassis/frame, if necessary) the engine block, hood, muffler,
  and exhaust pipe.
- Ignition noise can be further reduced by installing "magnetic suppression"
  spark plug cables.  (These are significantly more expensive than normal
  spark plug cables.)
- For power supply noise, check if you have a capacitor attached to your
  ignition coil, alternator, and distributor.  These can act as filters right
  at the source of the noise.
- Ensure that your antenna feedline and power lines are as far as possible from
  any of the noise sources mentioned above, especially the engine block.
- A shielded power cable can help as well.  Make sure it is of sufficient
  guage to handle your radio's power consumption and that the shielding has a
  good, strong connection to ground on the vehicle chassis or frame.
- Electronics stores such as Radio Shack sell cheap power filters for noise-
  reduction purposes.  You get what you pay for, though - most comments on this
  newsgroup are that they are not as effective as the other measures above.
Of course, the best performance can be obtained from a more expensive radio
with better noise suppression circuits.  These measures, however, will improve
the engine noise levels for nearly any mobile radio.


* What is GMRS?
---------------

[This applies only to the USA.]
The General Mobile Radio Service is another personal radio band.  Its frequency
allocation is in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) spectrum, co-located with some
other radio services in the range from 460-470 MHz.  It requires a license but
there is no examination.  Though GMRS is not CB, it is listed here because it
is intended for use by individuals.  A single GMRS license also covers the
members of the licensee's household.  The license fee is US$35 for 5 years.

   frequencies (MHz) modulation    description
   460 - 470         FM            General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
                   regular channels (simplex or repeater
                   outputs, repeater inputs are 5MHz higher)
                   462.550   462.575   462.600   462.625
                   462.650   462.675   462.700   462.725
                   simplex low-power channels
                   462.5625  462.5875  462.6125  462.6375
                   462.6625  462.6875  462.7125
   31.0-31.3 GHz     any mode      microwave band now open for individuals
                                      to use, requires GMRS license

GMRS is used for mobile-to-mobile or base-to-mobile communications but
base-to-base communications are prohibited.  One useful aspect of GMRS is that
repeaters are allowed so that a mobile GMRS station can extend its range well
beyond the limits of an ordinary 5-watt mobile transmitter.

Only individuals may obtain GMRS licenses.  Some businesses still have licenses
from before the rules were changed in 1989 but no new licenses are being issued
to "non-individuals."

Recent changes in regulations have given GMRS licensees access to the micro-
wave band at 31.0-31.3 GHz for both fixed and mobile use.  The licensee must
notify the FCC of each transmitter with a standard FCC form.

For more information, you can obtain compressed text files via anonymous FTP
at ftp.amdahl.com in the /pub/radio/other directory in the files called
gmrs.intro.Z and gmrs.microwave.Z.  If you don't have access to the Internet
or need help with FTP, see the rec.radio.amateur.misc FAQ, Part 3.

Another source of information is the Personal Radio Steering Group.  A reader
said they have lots of good information and are enthusiastic about GMRS.
   Personal Radio Steering Group
   PO Box 2851
   Ann Arbor MI 48016
   Phone:      (313) MOBILE 3
   BBS:        [phone]
   Compuserve: 73016.163


* Where can I learn more about radio?
-------------------------------------

If you like what you see here and want to learn more about the technical
aspects of radio, you may be interested in getting an amateur ("ham") radio
license.  These licenses are available in almost every country in the world,
including all of the countries that have CB.

Amateur radio is very different from CB.  This is neither good nor bad - they
have different purposes.  With the training that a licensed amateur radio
operator is expected to have, much more powerful transmitters are allowed -
but the operator should know when that power is not necessary and refrain from
it.  Amateurs have no limits on the range of their communications (at least,
by law or treaty) so it is possible to make distant "DX" contacts using atmos-
pheric skip, satellites, or even bouncing signals off the Moon.  Again,
training and the willingness to cooperate (to avoid interference with others)
are necessary for obtaining and using these privileges.

Japan, Sweden the USA and many other countries have authorized a new amateur
radio "no-code" license which requires only a written test (no morse code).
However, the test is challenging enough to necessitate several weeks of study
(or a few days if you already have some familiarity with the subject) so
don't go unprepared.  More information, see the FAQ articles in the
rec.radio.amateur.misc newsgroup.

Even if you don't want the license, books intended for amateur radio operators
make available a wealth of information on understanding transmitters, recei-
vers, antennas, modulation, signal propagation, electronics, and many other
topics which also apply to CB.