Are we better off without CB? We have FRS....

[n2ize]

What's the purpose, money is the purpose, thousands of dollars change hands based on who was heard.

These are the same guys that built street racers and took them to Edgewater Dragstrip back in the '60's and '70's; it's the same mindset but, instead of the vehicle moving fast to get to a certain point, the vehicles are stationary and the radio signal does the moving.

The "T-Bird / Bluegill" team out of Chicago are "Celebrities", because they attract a audience, they demand an appearance fee from the group holding the function just for showing up.

Oh, BTW, being in one of those trucks is like being in a Faraday Cage with a tiger in the back seat.

.

Yeah, no doubts bets are placed. So then your opponent goes and builds up a bigger amp and antenna array next time he wins. If I have enough money I can build up a tractor trailer with a couple large generators inside and a tower on top and I'll win until someone outdoes that. Maybe eventually one day some guy will build a mobile version of HAARP

Racing I can understand, in addition to equipment and mechanics there is also skill, technique, split second decisions, etc. But, just keying down a radio doesn't seem to cut it. But I guess if it floats someones boat and it's not harming anyone then what the heck. What someone decided to spend their money and time on is their business. I might pay a fee to see a race but I sure as heck am not going to pay a fee to watch some dudes in a parking lot key down a radio no matter how many jigawatts. At least a race has some excitement and some action and some display of skill.

P.S. If some guy eventually does build a mobile version of HAARP for one of these events I might just be willing to pay to see that... from a distance.

[AC8KF WALT]

other than the trucker, mexican and brother channels...37 channels are dead here. once in a great while i'll catch the locals having a qso.

[KG4CGC]

I'm listening to my neighbor trying to get more out of his amp(s). All he's doing is over driving the big one. I think he's trying to use a Maco 250 to drive a 2500w amp. Everything he's trying is just distorting his signal. He runs one at a time and it sounds clear. Anytime he tries to run them both it's just a cluster of crunch.

[KG4CGC]

I should add that every Saturday night they have a keydown contest (home version) in the tri state area. That's NE GA, NW SC and W NC.

[kb2vxa]

Just don't tell them all one needs is one of these things guaranteed to blot out the opponent's signal and every signal for miles around.

[n2ize]

other than the trucker, mexican and brother channels...37 channels are dead here. once in a great while i'll catch the locals having a qso.

That's pretty much how it is around here, except for a very small handful of "local" stations, mostly in the Bronx. At least that is how it was last time I listened to that band. It used to be quite busy round here in the 60's and into the 1990's. CB is pretty much a dead item in my local area these days.

[n2ize]

I'm listening to my neighbor trying to get more out of his amp(s). All he's doing is over driving the big one. I think he's trying to use a Maco 250 to drive a 2500w amp. Everything he's trying is just distorting his signal. He runs one at a time and it sounds clear. Anytime he tries to run them both it's just a cluster of crunch.

In the old days we had a lot of CB'ers who ran their amps like that and were distorted as hell. When I became a 40 and 75 meter AM Gangsta I had my old scope hooked up to my receiver so I could look at the waveforms of the stations I was in QSO with. Most were nice clean with nice positive peaks. Then just for laughs I would tune up to 11 meters and watch the scope go crazy. Nice flattopping, clipping and lots of > 100% negative making those nice big flat lines between the peaks. Even the Atlantic ocean during a cat 5 hurricane runs a cleaner waveform.

[kb2vxa]

"It used to be quite busy round here in the 60's and into the 1900's."

Yeah, in the 1860s those steam rigs splattered all over too, steam amplifiers only made it worse.

[n2ize]

"It used to be quite busy round here in the 60's and into the 1900's."

Yeah, in the 1860s those steam rigs splattered all over too, steam amplifiers only made it worse.

Check. I meant 1990's.

[AC8KF WALT]

this past week i took time to see how many mobiles in my area had 11meter radios. not many but, more than i thought. well, it is the eastern panhandle of w.v..