CB Lies

[n2ize]

I remember some of the myths that I and a few friends used to perpetrate on unsuspecting CB'ers.

Case and point. We were trying to discourage a rather naive local CB'er from becoming too ambitious and running illegal power (although many of us did) and ultimately getting him off the air altogether. Of the myths were...

1) Exploding capacitors. We instructed him to avoid buying a linear as they come equipped with deadly electrolytic capacitors. As these capacitors age the oils inside build up "Nitro" which will eventually detonate killing the operator and destroying the neighborhood.

2) "GRIP Conditions". Similar to skywave "skip" conditions there was "GRIP"... ground propagation where the signal penetrates the earth and travels the world via the bedrock and mantle of inner earth. We told him that the best way to take advantage of superb, year round GRIP was to dig a very deep hole and bury his antenna as deep underground as he could manage. The deeper the better.

3) "Voltage backup"... Use of a linear amplifier can result in an unstable voltage equlibrium as capacitors build up millions of joules of raw electrical energy. Eventually this energy creates a "super EMF" condition and backs millions of voilts into the power system, blowing out the buildings wiring, blasting into the powerlines and blowing out lines and transformers for miles. WWe also explained that in every case of "Voltage backup" the operator of the amp was sued by the power company and was forced to pay millions of dollars for replacement of the electrical infrastructure.

We had at least a dozen more fibs including a new ultra tough FCC enforcement campaign that rivaled the rise of the Third Reich. We were bad.

[NQ6U]

Good GRIP conditions on 11m yesterday. I talked to a guy in China but everything he said came out upside down.

[KG4CGC]

Wut's up sassy, wur ya at? Yew gotta grip on mah liyup?

[N2CHX]

We didn't lie, but pins sure came in handy.

[KC2UGV]

I always pass off the SWR grease... Seems to work often, really. Or the ground-short line. Ground the antenna to the earth (Or 0VDC) for more "swing".

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

I hear that sort of crap from hams, leave alone CBers.
One guy did call the FCC on me, dozens of times, a CBer turned ham.
Had a nice long talk with the FCC, they looked over the station and were happy.
I gave them a copy of the recordings I had made, both CB and Amateur Radio.
After a few minutes of that chit played back to him, he was told to "Quit screwing around".
His agenda than was that I just HAD to be in violation of FCC rules.
At one point he ripped an antenna off the truck I was driving, in a DoT weigh station.
He was found guilty of several minor charges and left AR.

[n2ize]

Good GRIP conditions on 11m yesterday. I talked to a guy in China but everything he said came out upside down.

2 ways to fix that. Either bury the antenna upside down to compensate for the upside down signal or, simply invert the radio when conversing with China.

[n2ize]

I always pass off the SWR grease... Seems to work often, really. Or the ground-short line. Ground the antenna to the earth (Or 0VDC) for more "swing".

Be careful. Too much SWR grease and incoming signals will just slip off the antenna.

[kb2vxa]

Number 3 sounds very much like Tesla's famous power surge only I don't remember if it was in Shoreham, LI or Colorado Springs, CO. In any case HF currents backed up into the power station frying the generators.

[W3WN]

Good GRIP conditions on 11m yesterday. I talked to a guy in China but everything he said came out upside down.

He must have been on the other side of the record. I'd better check...