10 Meter CB Radios

What are 10 Meter CB Radios?

When someone hears the term '10 meter CB radios', he or she often does not know what this means as far as CB radios are concerned. This is understandable; the concept of 10 meter CB radios can be a bit confusing as to what the term is referring. The truth is that 10 meter CB radios are pretty simple to understand, if you know a little about radio transmission.

A CB radio works by using radio waves to propagate signals across distance. Most systems today operate in the 27-Mhz range in most countries; in the United States, the 27-Mhz band is established by law. 10 meter CB radios, by contrast, operate in the 28-29.700 Mhz range. This is one of the key differences, since both 10 meter CB radios and regular CB radios are both shortwave radio transmitters. (10 meter CB radios are also meant for daytime use.)

Across the globe, 10 meters is allocated to amateur radio use. In the United States, the usage for the 10 meter band range is broken up into classifications that state which individual can use which transmission methods (continuous wave or single-sideband modulation) and at which frequencies. Both novices/technicians and advanced users can use CW, radioteletype (RTTY) - basically a radio link between two electrical typewriter-like machines - and data. This is from 28.000 Mhz to 28.300 Mhz.

From 28.300 to 28.500 Mhz, novices and technicians can use CW and SSB. This is probably the most active band in the world. In Canada, the system for classification for 10 meter CB radios is more complex.

When CB radios were first adapted to work within the 10 meter band, they had to be modified to be able to transmit and receive in the higher frequency. Now, though, you can purchase 10 meter CB radios that do not require any special modification or additional pieces of equipment. You can even get mobile systems that can be carried anywhere, like other CB radio sets.

10 meter CB radios are pretty popular these days, as is the 10 meter band itself. Many clubs and associations across the world have been created to gather users from all over the world - which is made possible by the fact that 10 meter radios can actually use skip propagation to communicate all over the world. Ten-Ten, one such group, has been operating since the 1960's. Anyone who is interested in 10 meter CB radios should contact one of these groups to learn even more about this highly interesting hobby.