Most of the stations on channel 6 are running 1000 watts or more. Skip is an atmospheric condition in which your signal can travel thousands of miles and reach a distant station. For the SSB operator, skip is pretty reliable. On any given day an operator should be able to talk out of state to somewhere. I have had or heard many conversations on side band which lasted an hour or more.
Atmospheric skip makes the radio a good source of information on a national scale.
Even a totally stock, out of the box CB has the capability to make contact with other states occasionally. With the year 2000 problem rapidly approaching, there is a great deal of speculation that the telephone system that we, as Americans, rely upon so heavily will cease to function. Small groups need a means of communication, this communication is not optional, it is essential. I hope I have been able to convey enough information in this short article to get each person who reads this started on the right path for family or group communication.