CB SLANG CB SLANG AND TECHNICAL TERMS 1962-1998 (from the book "Woody's World Of CB") The list below represents just about every CB-ism you'll run across. Please keep in mind that if you jump on the air with a sentence full of slang words and phrases below you'll sound like an idiot. These are words that you'll run across throughout a variety of conversations, and it's helpful to know what they mean. My best advice I can give you is: 1). Listen well before you speak, many parts of the country differ on their protocols and terminology. 2). Always be polite 3). Minimize the "Slang". When you talk to someone on the radio, use it like you would a telephone with one added restraint - don't use profanity. It doesn't take a BIG man to swear, it's takes a BIG man to convey his thoughts and feelings WITHOUT swearing. (For help with SSB communications - refer to my SSB section) A ALERT -Affiliated League of Emergency Radio Teams All the good numbers -Best wishes.

Alligator-Tread from the tire of an 18 wheeler on the road Alligator Station -All mouth and no ears. A person who likes to talk just to hear himself. Amigo -Friend Ankle biter- Small child or annoying teenager Antenna Farm- Base station with many antennas strung up in the air Antler Alley -Deer crossing Appliance Operator -Non technical person who knows how to turn the rig on, and thats about all. AM -Amplitude Modulation Ancient Mariner -AM, or someone who uses AM Astrodome City- Houston Texas (see Space City) B Baby Bear- Cop in training, or rookie Backdoor -Vehicle behind the one who is ahead of it. Backdoor closed- Rear of convoy covered for police Back em up -Slow down Back off the hammer -Slow down Backslide- Return trip Bad scene- A crowded channel Ballet Dancer -A antenna that really sways Barefoot Using an unmodified CB transmitter Bar city -Forrest City, AK Base Station -Radio installed at a fixed location, house, etc.

Bay City -San Francisco Bit on the seat of the britches -Got tagged for a speeding ticket Blackn White- Cop Blackn White Cber -Cop with CB in his car Black Ice -A patch of iced over blacktop road. Bleeding/Bleedover -Strong signals from a station on another channel, interfering with your reception Blessed Event -A new CB rig Blew my doors off -Pass by me with great speed, sometimes referenced to loud or strong signal Blowin Smoke -Loud signal Boast Toastie -A CB expert Boat Anchor -Either an old tube rig or a radio that is unrepairable. Bodacious- Awesome Boy Scouts -The State Police Box -Tractor Trailer Break -Request to use the channel, while other stations are using the frequency Variations: Breaker, Breaker-Broke, Breakity-Break, Break For Breaking Up- Audio cutting in and out Breaker-Breaker -Same as break. Also the title of Chuck Norriss first mainstream movie.

Breaking the ol needle- Strong signal Bring it back -Answer back Bring yourself on it- Request to move into the right lane Brown paper bag -Unmarked Police car Brush your teeth and comb your hair-Radar trap ahead BTO- Big Time Operator Bubble gum machine- Flashing lights on top of car Bucket Mouth- Loudmouth, or someone who uses a lot of profanity. Bucket of bolts -Eighteen wheeler Buckeye State -Ohio Bug Out -To leave a channel Bumper Lane- Passing lane Button Pusher -Another Cber who is trying to breakup your communication with another station by keying his microphone, playing sounds, etc. C Cactus Patch- Phoenix Arizona; Roswell New Mexico Camera -Police radar Can- Shell of a CB set, or tunable coil in CB set Candy Man -FCC Cartel- A group hogging a channel Casa- House Catch ya on the flip-flop- Ill talk to you on my return trip CB -Radio Cell Block- Location of the base station Chain Gang -Members of a CB club Channel 25 -The telephone Charlie -The FCC (see Uncle Charlie) Chew n choke -Restaurant Checking My Eyelinds For Pin Holes -Tired or sleepy.

Check the seatcovers -Look at that passenger (usually a woman) Chicken Coup- Weigh station Chicken Coup is Clean -Weigh station is closed. Chicken Inspector -Weigh station inspector Circle City -Indianapolis Indiana Chopped Top- A short antenna Choo-Choo town-Chattanooga Christmas Tree -18-wheeler with an excess of running lights Chrome Dome- Mobile unit with a roof antenna Cigar City -Tampa Citizens Band- The radio service used by CBers. Also the name of a popular 70s movie. City Kitty- City police Clarifier -Found on SSB rigs, this control varies the receiver frequency to help tune the other station in (called "delta-tune" on AM rigs). Because sideband is so sensitive, it is a common practice to "open" the transmit side of a clarifier so that the Transmit and Receive frequencies are tied together.

Clean Cat- An unmodified rig Clean Shot -Road ahead is free of obstructions, construction, and police Clean as a hounds tooth -Same as clean shot Cleaner channel- Quieter channel ("Lets find a cleaner channel to talk on") Clear- Final transmission "This is 505 and Im clear" Clear after you -You are ending transmission after the other person finishes signing off Clear as a spring day -Same as "Clean Shot" Coffee Bean- Waiter or waitress Coffee Break -Informal gathering of CBers Coke stop- Restroom Cold Rig- 18-wheeler pulling a refrigerated trailer Collect Call -Call for a specific Cber Colorado Kool Aid -Beer Come again -Repeat your last transmission Come Back- Answer my call Comic Book -Truckers log book Coming in Loudn Proud- Loud and clear signal Container -Chassis and shell of a CB rig Concrete Blonde -Hooker Convoy- 2 or more vehicles traveling the same route. This term was made popular, then over-used by the entertainment industry via songs and movies. Cooking -Driving Cooking Good -Reached desired speed.

Copy -Receiving a message: "Do you copy?" Copying the mail- Listening to traffic on a given channel. Also referred to as "Reading the mail" Corn Binder- International Truck Cotton picker- Non-profane profanity. Replaces any variety of four letter words. County Mountie- County police / Sheriffs Dept. Covered Up -Transmission was blocked by interference or high noise level Cow Town- Fort Worth Cradle Baby -CBer who is afraid to ask someone to stand by Cub Scouts -Sheriffs men Cup of Mud -Cup of coffee Curly Locks- Coils in a CB rig Cut Out -To leave a channel Cut Some Zs -Get some sleep Cut The Coax -Turn off the radio CW -Morse Code Ding-a-ling -Goofy or bad operator.

Also referred to as a LID Dirty Side-Eastern Seaboard Dixie Cup- Female operator with southern accent Dog Biscuits -DBs Doing the Five-Five- Traveling at 55mph Doin it to it- Full speed Doing our thing in the lefthand lane- Full speed in the passing lane Do it to me -Answer back Do you copy?- Do you understand? Dome- Houston Dont Tense -Take it easy Dont Feed The Bears- Dont get any tickets Donald Duck -Sideband station Double key- Two stations talking at the same time. Double L- Telephone call. Also referred to as "Landline" Double Nickel -55mph Double Nickel Highway -Interstate #55 Double Seven- No, or  "Negative contact" Down n Out- Signing off / ending transmission Downn gone- Signing off Down and on the side -Through talking but listening. Drag Your Feet-Wait a few seconds before transmitting to see if there is a "Breaker" Dream Weaver- Sleepy driver who is all over the road.

Dress For Sale -Hooker Dressed for the ball -You have your "Ears ON", listening to the road conditions Drop Out -Fading signal Drop Stop Destination -where freight will be dropped off. Drop the Hammer -Go as fast as you can Drop the hammer down -Same as above Dropped a carrier -Keyed the microphone to prevent someone else to talk Dropped it off the shoulder- Ran off the side of the highway Duck Plucker -Obscene term Dusted yer britches- Keyed up at the same time. Dusted my britches -Passed me Dusted Your Ears- Transmission interrupted. DX -Long Distance Eager beaver -Anxious young woman Ears- Receiver / Radio Ears ON -CB radio turned ON Eastbound -Vehicle moving in the eastern direction Easy chair- Middle CB vehicle in a line of three or more. Eighteen wheeler -Tractor trailer truck Eighteen legged Pogo Stick -18 wheeler Eights -Love and kisses Eights and other good numbers -Love and kisses, and best wishes Eighty-eights -Love and kisses Eighty-eights around the house - Good luck and best wishes to you and yours.

Equalizer - High-gain antenna, high-power transmitter, and sometimes "radar detector" Eatum-up Roadside diner Everybody must be walking the dog- All channels are busy. Evil Knievel -Motorcycle cop Fake brake- Driver with his foot on the brake Fat load- Overweight truck load FCC -Federal Communications Commision Feed The Bears -Paying a speeding fine or ticket Feed the ponies- Loose at the racetrack Fender bender -Traffic accident Fifth wheel -Trailer hitch on tractor trailer trucks Fifty Dollar Lane -Passing lane Fingers -A channel-hopping CBer First Sargent -Wife Flag waver -Highway repair crew Flaps down -Slow down Flatbed -Track trailer with flatbed. Flight Man- Weigh station worker on wheels. Flip flop -Return trip Flip-Flopping Bears -Police reversing direction Flipper -Return trip Flop box -Motel, or room in truck stop FM- Frequency Modulation Fog Lifter -Interesting CBer Follow the stripes home- Have a safe trip Footwarmer- Linear amplifier Forty weight -Coffee sometimes Beer.

Forty fours - Childern; kisses Four - Shortened version of 10-4 Four Wheeler - Car Four lane parking lot - Interstate highway Four legged go-go dancers - Pigs Four Roger - OK/ 10-4/ Four / Roger Four Ten - OK/ 10-4 / Four / Four Roger / Roger Fox - Sexy lady Fox hunt - FCC hunting for illegal operators Fox jaws - Female with nice voice, but not necessarily a body to match Free Ride - Prostitute Freight Box - Trailer for big rig Friendly Candy Company - FCC Front Door - The lead car/truck in a convoy Fugitive - CBer operating on a different channel than favorite Full of vitamins - Running full bore Full Bore - Traveling at full speed Full Throttle - Traveling at full speed Funny Candy Company - FCC Funny channels - Channels that are outside the legal 11meter band. G Gallon - 1000 watts of power Garbage - Too much small talk on a channel Gas Jockey - Gas station attendant Gateway City - St.Louis Missouri Geological Survey - CBer who looks under his set Get horizontal - Lie down to sleep Get Trucking - Make some distance.

Getting out - Putting out a good signal Ghost Town - Casper, Wyoming Give me a shout - Call for me on the radio Glory Card - Class D License Glory Roll - CBer who gets his name in S9 Go Breaker - Invitation to break Go Ahead - Answer back. Go Back to him - Talk to him. Go Juice - Truck fuel Go to channel 41 - In the 23ch days  a joke to get someone off the airwaves. Going Horizontal - Lying down;sleeping; or switching antenna polarization Going like a raped ape - Moving fast Gone - Leaving the airwaves or channel Gone 10-7 - permanently Dead, deceased. Goodies - Extra accessories for a CB rig Good Buddy - At one time it meant "Friend" or "buddy", today it means "Homosexual" Goon Squad - Channel Hoggers Got a copy? - Can you hear me? Got my shoes on - Switched the linear ON Got your ears on? - Are you on this frequency Got my eyeballs peeled - Im looking hard Got my foot in it - Accelerating. Go to 100 - Restroom stop.

Grab Bag - Illegal hamming on CB Grass Median - strip along the highway Green light - You have the go ahead. Green Stamps - Money Green Stamp Collector - Police with radar Green Stamp lane - Passing lane Green Stamp Road - Toll road. Grease monkey - Mechanic Greasy Spoon - Bad place to eat Ground Clouds - Fog Hang it in your ear - Response to a foolish remark Hand - Truck driver Handle - Moniker/ Name i.e.- "Whats the handle on that end?" Happy Number - An "S" meter reading Hanker - Getting a "notion" to do something. A "Want". Have a nice one - Have a good trip, weekend, day, etc. Hay Shaker - Trailer transporting a mobile home Heading for a hole - Giving someone advance notice you are going into a low spot for communications. Heavenly Body - Peterbilt semi Hell bent for leather - Traveling really fast. Heres looking at you - Another way to sign off Henchmen - A group of CBers Hiding in the grass - Police on a median strip Hiding in the bushes, sitting under the leaves - Hidden police car. Highball - Go nonstop to your destination at a rapid pace.

High Rise - A large bridge or overpass. Hippie Chippie - Female hitchhiker. Hit the cobblestones - Hit the road. Hog - Harley Davidson Holler - Give me a call. Holler in a short - Ill call you back shortly. Home Twenty - Home location Hot Stuff - Cup of coffee Hot Lanta - Atlanta, Georgia Hotwater City - Hot Springs, Arkansas Hound Men - Policemen looking for CBers using rigs while mobile How am I hitting you? - How do you receive me? How tall are you? - How tall is your truck? H Town - Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hung Up - CBer who cant leave set Hundred mile coffee - Strong coffee I Im gone - Leaving the airwaves, or frequency. Ice Box - Refrigerated trailer. Ice Box - International Crystals first CB rig Idiot Box - TV set Indian - Neighbor who has TVI from you In a short - Real soon. In a short-short - Real soon In the mud - Noise or other signals on the channel. In the Pokey with Smokey - Arrested. Indians TVI from CB transmissions Invitations -Traffic citations, tickets.

Jack - CB term for brother or friend. Jack Rabbit - Police of any kind Jam - Deliberately interfere with another station. Japanese toy - CB Jaw Jacking - Talking, Jaw boning. Jewelry - Lights on a rig. Jimmy - GMC truck. Jingle - To contact a CBer via the telephone. Johnny Law - Cop J Trail - CB Jamboree season Juke Joint - Small, inexpensive eating or drinking place. Jump Down - Switching to a lower channel. Jump Up - Switching to a higher channel. K Keep em Between the Ditches - Have a safe trip Keep the bugs off your glass and the trouble off your - CB Sign-off. Keep the whites on your noise and the reds on your tail - Stay on the road. Drive carefully and have a good trip. Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down - Drive safely. Keep the wheels spinning - Drive safely. Keep your eyes and ears open and your black stack smokin - Be alert and make good time. Keep your noise between the ditches and smokey out of your britches - Drive carefully, lookout for speedtraps. Keep your rubber down and your metal up  Drive carefully and have a good trip.

Kenny Whopper - Kenworth tractor equipment. Keyboard - Controls of a CB set Keying the mike - Activating the microphone without speaking. Same as "Dead Key". Keydown - RF power contest. Operators travel from all parts of the country to attend keydown events. Their trucks/vans put out well over 10kw (10,000 watts) and use expensive amplifiers and many alternators! The object of the game is to see who is "Top Dog", or more powerfull than the others. Kicker - Linear amplifier. Kitty Cat - Catepilar powered tractor. Knock the stack out - Accelerate. Knuckle Buster - Fight. Kojak with a Kodak - Cop with radar. K.W. - Kenworth tractor equipment. Lady Bear - Female police officer Lady Breaker - Female CB operator asking for a break. Lame - Broken down vehicle Land Yacht - Mobile home or camper. Lane Flipper - Car or truck that keeps changing lanes. Lane Lover - Someone who wont budge out of a particular lane. Latrine Lips - One who has a dirty mouth.

Lay an eye out - Take a look at this Let the channel roll - Telling other CBers to break in and use the channel. Legal Beagle - One who always follows the rules Lettuce - money LID - CBer with poor operating skills. The Term LID originated in Amateur radio and the CW mode. It meant "Poor Fist". Lights green, bring on the machine - Road is clear of police and obstructions. Lil Ol modulator - CB Set Line - Freight line company. Mardi Gras Town - New Orleans, Louisiana Mare - Woman Mashing the mike - Same as "Deadkey" Mayday - Distress call. Mate - Good buddy or friend. Meatwagon - Ambulance. Mercy! - Exclamation. "Mercy sakes alive", "Mercy sakes". Mercy Sakes - See above. Mike Fright - Shy person, afraid to talk on the radio. Mikey Mouse - Temporary, non professional fix to a situation. Mile High - Denver, Colorado Mile Marker - Milepost on interstate highways. Mile Post - Same as Mile marker. Mini Skirt - Woman, girl Mobile - CB radio station in a car or truck.

Mobile Eyeball - Checking out another truck while passing it. Mobile - Forrest Logging truck Mobile Mattress - 4 wheeler pulling a camper. Modulate - Talk Modulating - Talking Modulation - Audio portion of your signal. Modulation Booster - Microphone pre-amp/compressor either external or internal to the microphone or radio. External devices between the mike and rig are called Modulators. Modulator - Some refer to it as a linear. Its actually a device to boost the transmit audio. Money Bus - Armored truck. Monitor - To listen, i.e.- "I monitor channel 16" Monster Lane - Speed lane Moth Ball - Annual CB Convention Motor Boat - Rapid fluttering signal. Motor City - Detroit Motorcycle Mama - Woman riding on a motorcycle. Mouth Piece - Lawyer Mr. Clean - Overtly cautious driver. Muck Truck - Cement truck. On the by - Listening, not talking. On the standby - Monitoring but not talking. On the side - Standing by, available for a call, listening on frequency. O.M.

(old man) - A CBer On a [insert city name] Turn - i.e.- "Im on an Alamo turn" (Ill make my return from San Antonio). One eyed monster - TV Set One foot on the floor, one hanging out the door, and she just wont do no more - Full speed. Open Season - Cops are everywhere Other Half - The wife, or husband. Boyfriend or girlfriend. Out - Through transmitting. Over - Your turn to transmit. Over and out - Closing the transmission. Over modulation - Talking too loud; audio is distorted or otherwise unreadible. OW - Old woman. P PA - Public Address. This feature isnt used a lot nowadays except as a switch for internal, illegal modifications. Pack it in - Ending transmission Pair of sevens - No contact or answer. Panic in the streets - Area being monitored by the FCC Papa Bear - State trooper with CB. Paper hanger - Police giving ticket. Paperwork - Speeding ticket Part 15 - Relates to the section of FCC rules which pertain to unlicensed stations Part 95 - FCC Rules and Regulations.

Pass the numbers - Best wishes Patch City - Town Peanut butter in his ears - Is not listening. Pedal against the middle - drive fast Pedaling in the middle - Straddling both lanes. Peeling Off - Getting of the freeway. PEP - Peak Envelope Power; most often refers to SSB output. Petro Refinery - Truck hauling gas or oil. PF Flyers - Truck wheels. Pill (s) - Reference to transistor finals in linear amplifiers. The greater number of "pills", the larger the amplifier is. Plain Wrapper - Unmarked police car Play Dead - Stand by Penman - CBer to-be who has filed for license Pedal to the metal -Running flat out, in excess of the speed limit Peel your eyeballs - Be on the lookout. Peter Rabbit - Used in the Western US for "Smokey" Phone Patch - A device which hooks a base unit to the telephone. Pickem up - Pickup truck Picture taking machine - Radar Piece of paper - Speeding ticket. Pigeon - someone caught speeding. Pigeon Plucker - Police ticketing speeders.

Pig Pen - Another name for weigh station / chicken coop Pink Panther - Unmarking police vehicle; one with CB Pink QSL Card - Warning ticket. Pinning the needle - Strong signal being received. Pipe Line - Specific Channel Pit Stop - Gas stop; Restroom stop; just about any kind of stop. Play Dead - Stand by PLL Phase-Lock-Loop. The digital circuitry which determines your frequencies. One chip does it all compared to the "olden" days where a separate transmit and receive crystal was required for each channel. Polack kids - Cattle Polack school bus - Cattle truck Pole Cat - Black and white patrol car; sometimes refers to sneaky person. Politz-eye - The police Porcupine - Car with a lot of antennas on it. Porky Bear - Cops PTT Switch - Push-to-talk switch on microphone Professional Beaver - Hooker Pull in for a short - Quick stop. Pull the big one - Signing off for good Pull the hammer back - Slow down  police ahead. Pull the plug - To signoff the air and turn the radio OFF. Pushing a truck - Driving a rig. Put an eyeball on him - Saw him.

Put it on the floor and looking for some more - Full speed. Put the word on the base - Mobile unit to a base unit with phone patch. Put your foot on the floor and let the motor toter - Accelerate. Q Q-bird - An intermittent tone generator QSL Card - Personalized postcard sent to confirm a conversation. QSL - Term used on SSB for "Roger"; i.e.- "QSL on that". While the Q signals were originally used on CW in the Amateur Radio Service, and often are the butt of complaints, they have found their way into CBs society, and live with them we must. QSK - Another Ham term, reformatted for CB. Means  "Break" QRM - Noise or interference QSY - Change or changing channels/frequency. QRT - Off the air; Signing OFF. QRX - To wait, or standby. QSB - Noise QSO - Pronounced "Que-Sew", meaning "conversation" or "communication". QSY - Move to a different channel or frequency. QTH - Location Quck trip around the horn - Scanning the 40channel band. R Radar Alley - Ohio Turnpike Radio - "Rig" or CB transceiver.

Radio Check - Meter reading, Signal report, statement of the quality of the signal. Often mis-used, and a joke on channel 19. Too many people use this as an excuse to start a conversation. Radio Runt - Child or young person breaking in on a channel. Rain Locker - Shower room Raise - To try and contact someone Rake the leaves - Last vehicle in a CB convoy Ratchet-Jaw - Non-stop talker REACT - Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams. Read - To receive; or "hear" ("How do you read me?") Rebound - Return trip. Red Lighted - Police with someone pulled over. Redneck radio - Someone who talks on the CB using only slang terms. REST - Radio Emergency Safety Teams Rest-em-up - Roadside rest stop RF - Radio Frequency RF Gain - This control, found on many CB radios, comes in handy when you have a station close by, which is overloading your radios "Front-end". It de-sensitizes the incoming signal. Rig - Radio Rig Rip - off Stolen CB Riot Squad - Neighbors who have TVI River City - Memphis Tennessee in the Southeast; Paducah, Kentucky in the midwest. Road Jockey - Driver of tractor trailer.

Road Ranger - Smokey Rock City - Little Rock, Arkansas. Rockin chair - car in the middle of a convoy Rodeo Town - Cheyenne, Wyoming Roger Dodger - Same as "Roger" Roller Skate - A car Rolling Bears - Cops on the move. Rolling Ranch - Cattle truck Rolling Refinery - Truck hauling gas or oil. Rookie Rig - Newbie CBer Rubber City - Akron, Ohio Running Barefoot - Using a radio at the legal output  no extra "help" Run interference - CB-less car speeding along past you. Running on rags - Driving a vehicle with little to no tread on the tires. Running Shotgun - Driving partner Running together - CBers traveling in the same direction, keeping in contact with each other. S Sailboat fuel - Running on empty Salt mines - Place of employment. Salt Shaker - Highway department Salt truck San Quentin Jailbait - Under age female hitch hiker. Sandbox Dump - truck hauling dirt or stones Savages - CBers who hog the channel Scale house - Weigh station School twenty - Location of school.

Scrub brush - Street cleaning truck Seatcover - Attractive female occupant in a car Set of Dials - A CB rig Seven-thirds - Best regards Seventy-Thirds - Sign-off meaning "Best wishes" Shake the bushes - Lead CBer looking for radar traps or other police. Shakey City - Los Angeles Shaking the windows - Clear reception of signal. Shim - To illegally soup up a transmitter Shoot the breeze - Casual conversation. Shout - Calling someone on the CB Short-short - Soon. Shot an eyeball on it - Saw it. Shovelling coal - Accelerating. Show-off lane - Passing lane. Skates - Tires Skip - Atmospheric conditions that cause signals to travel much farther than they normally would. Typically signals are line-of-sight, but when the ionosphere is "charged" by the sun, signals that would normally pass through it are now reflected back to Earth, or "Skip" a large distance. Hams refer to this as a "Band opening". Skipland - Distant stations Skippers - CBers who talk a long distance. Skip Talkn - Someone who has been talking a long distance. Sidedoor - Passing lane.

Sidewinder - Someone talking on sideband. Sin City - Cincinnati, Ohio (Midwest); Las Vegas, Nevada (West) Sitting in the saddle - Middle CB vehicle in a line of three or more vehicles Six wheeler - Small truck. Slaughter house - Channel 11 Slammer - Jail. "S" Meter - The meter on your radio which indicated incoming signal strength. Usually calibrated in "S" units (1 "S" unit = 1DB). S units are also referred to as "Pounds". Slave Drivers - CBers who take control of a channel Slider - VFO, sometimes referred to clarifier Smile and comb your hair - Radar trap up ahead. Smokey - State Police Smokey report - Police location report. Smokey Beaver - Woman police officer. Smokey Dozing - Police in a stopped car. Smokeys thick - Police are everywhere. Smokey with a camera - Cop with radar Smokey with ears - Cop with CB in car.

SNAFU - Foul up Sneakers - Linear amp i.e.- "Do you have your sneakers on?" Sneaky Snake - Hidden patrol car Snooperscope - An illegally high antenna Solid-state - Electronic device that doesnt use tubes. Someone spilled honey on the road - State troopers ahead everywhere. Somebody stepped on you - Another station transmitted at the same time and was stronger Sonnet - A CBer who advertises products over the air Souped Up - A rig modified to run illegally high power. Sounding Choice - Clear, strong signal. Sport City - Shreveport, Louisiana Splashed - Getting bleedover from another channel Splashover - Same thing as splashed Splatter - Same thing as splashover Spreading the greens - Cops giving out tickets. Spud town - Boise Idaho Squelch - Control on radio which silences the speaker until a signal of a certain strength breaks through it. SSB - Single-Sideband State Bear - State Trooper. Stepped on - Reception squashed by bleedover or another strong signal. "Come on back, you got stepped on" Stepped all over you - Similar to "Stepped On" Stop to get groceries - Stop and eat.

Straight Shot - Road is clear of police and other obstructions. Stroller - CBer with a walkie-talkie Struggle - Trying to "Break" a channel Sucker - A CB rig on the service bench Suds - Beer Superdome city - New Orleans, Louisiana Suppository - Negative. Sunbeam - A CBer who livens the channel with witticisms. Sweet thing - Female CB operator. SWR - Standing Wave Ratio. An incorrect impedance match can cause some of the transmitted signal to "reflect" back to the transmitter, which can reduce your signal, and possibly damage the Finals section of your transmitter. While a good match (1:1) is desirable, anything under 2:1 is safe. In my opinion, if you have two identical stations, at the same location, with one station having an SWR reading of 1.2:1 and another at 1.7:1, a receiving station at the other end, wont see a noticeable difference between the two signals. Sometimes referred to in the plural sense (SWRS) which makes about as much sense as "We" (see WE in the "W" section).

T Taco Town - Corpus Christi, Texas Taking pictures - Police radar Taking pictures each way - Two-way radar Tanker - Truck hauling liquid Tennessee Valley Indians - TV Interference Tearjerker - A CBer who always cries the blues 10-1 Receiving poorly Ten-ten - well do it again Signoff. The dirty side - New York City Thread - Wires in a CB rig. Threes and eights - Signoff- Best wishes. Thin - A very weak signal Thin Man - CBer with a weak carrier Ticker Tape - The FCC rules Ticks - FCC rules Tighten up on the rubber band - Accelerate Tighten your seat, were running heavey - We are accelerating. Tijuana Taxi - Police car; Wrecker; Taxi Tinsel City - Hollywood California Toenails are scratching - Full speed. Toenails in the radiator - Full speed Toenails on the front bumper - Full speed. Toilet mouth - Foul mouth. Someone who uses obscene language. Tooled-up - A souped up rig Top Twenty - National CB Jamboree held 3 days each year in a different city. Trading Stamps - Money.

Transceiver - Combination of Transmitter and Receiver in one box. Treetop Tall Strong, - Loud signal Trick babe - Prostitute Tricky Dicks - San Clemente, California Truck em easy - Drive safely Truck em up stop - Truck Stop T-R Switch - Transmit Receive switch found on older radios. T  Town - Texarkana Turkey Call - An intermittent tone generator Turning around my house - Rotating my antenna for better reception. Turn Over - Stop Turn Twenty - Location of exit or turn. TVI - Television Interference. Twelves - I have company present. Twenty - Location. Two Stool beaver - Very fat woman. Twin huskies - Dual antennas Twin Pets - A CBer who has 2 sets from the same manufacturer Two miles of ditches for every mile of road - Drive safely, keep in the middle. Tx - Transmit U.C.B.T.A. - United CB Truckers Association Ungowa Bwana - O.K.

Uncle Charlie - FCC Uppers and Lowers - Indicates that the radio will go above channel 40 and below channel 1 USB - Upper Sideband USCRC - United States Citizens Radio Council Use the Jake - Slow down V Valve -Tube V.F.O. - Variable Frequency Oscillator, sometimes called a "Slider". VOX - Voice operated relay. Allows the operator to transmit with the sound of his voice, rather than using a microphone push-to-talk switch. W Wall-to-wall - Very strong signal. Often used in conjunction with "Treetop Tall" Walkie-talkie - Portable, battery operated, handheld transceiver. Walking in here blowing smoke - Clear signal. Walking on you - Covering up your signal i.e.- "Try it again, the other guy is walking on you". Walking the dog - Clear reception Wallpaper - QSL cards Wall-to-wall bears - Police are everywhere. Wall-to-wall and treetop tall - Strong, clear signal  the loudest. Wall-to-wall and ten feet tall - Strong clear signal Warden - The wife, the FCC Walked on - Same as "Stepped On" Watch the pavement - Drive safely Watch your donkey - Police are coming up behind you.

Water hole - Truck stop Watt - RF power rating. "My rig puts out 5 watts". Way is bueno - The road ahead is clear. Wear your bumper out - Following too close. Welfare station - CB setup bought with welfare money. Were c lear - Signoff Were down - Signoff Were down, out, and on the side - Through transmitting but listening. Were listening - Monitoring the channel We - While "We" normally means two or more, in most cases when you hear someone say "we" on the radio, he is referring to himself only. This strange use of the word "we" is not confined to the CB band spectrum only. Many hams use (or mis-use) this as well. Wearing socks - Has linear amplifier. Were trying - Trying t CB Radio or Citizens' band radio Information All About Scope The Citizens' Band radio service in the United States is one of several personal radio services regulated by the FCC. These services began in 1945 to permit citizens a short-distance radio band for personal communication (e.g. radio controlled models, family communications, individual businesses).

Originally CB was located in the 460-470 MHz UHF band. There were two classes of CB, A and B. Class B radios had simpler technical requirements but were limited to a smaller range of frequencies. At the time, the technology wasn't advanced enough to make a UHF radio practical for the average consumer. So, in 1958 the Class D CB service was opened at 27 MHz and this is what is popularly known as CB. Previously, this was a government band (primary allocation to US Forest service, military, etc.) with a secondary allocation for the amateur radio service. Most of the 460-470 MHz band was reassigned for business and public safety uses, but Class A CB is the ancestor of the present General Mobile Radio Service GMRS. Class B, in the same vein, is a more distant ancestor of the Family Radio Service. The Multi-Use Radio Service is another two-way radio service, in the VHF high band. An unsuccessful petition was made in 1973 to create a Class E CB service at 220 MHz, but this was opposed by amateur radio organizations and others.

There are several other classes of personal radio services for specialized purposes such as remote control devices. While parts of this article are specific to the United States, several countries have similar radio services. While they may be known by other names, they often use similar frequencies (26 to 28 MHz), and have similar uses. Licenses may or may not be required but eligibility is generally simple. On the other hand, some foreign personal radio services, such as the European PMR446 and the Australian UHF CB are more similar to the American FRS or GMRS services than the CB service, and so are not covered in this article. History In the 1960s the service was popular for small trade businesses (e.g. electricians, plumbers, carpenters) and transportation services (e.g. taxi and trucking firms). "10 codes" originally used in the public service (e.g. police, fire, ambulance) and land mobile service were used for short acknowledgements. With the advancement of solid state technology (transistors replacing tubes) in the 1970s, the weight, size and cost of the radios decreased. US truckers were at the head of the boom.

Many CB clubs were formed and a special CB slang language evolved. The prominent use of CB radios in mid- and late-1970s films (see list below), television shows such as The Dukes of Hazzard (debuted 1979), and in popular novelty songs such as C.W. McCall's "Convoy" (1976) helped to establish the radios as a nationwide craze in America from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Originally CB did require a license and the use of a call sign but when the CB craze was at its peak, many people ignored this requirement and used made up nicknames or "handles". The use of handles instead of call signs is related to the common practice of using the radios to warn other drivers of speed traps during the time when the United States dropped the national speed limit to 55 mph (90 km/h) beginning in 1974 in response to the 1973 hike in oil prices. The FCC recommended the use of ten-codes and these were used, often in a shortened form, but also many slang terms were developed.

The low cost and simple operation of CB equipment gave access to a communications medium that was previously only available to specialists. The "boom" in CB usage in the 1970s and in Britain in the early 1980s bears several similarities to the advent of the Internet in the 1990s. The many restrictions on the authorized use of CB radio led to widespread disregard of the regulations, most notably in antenna height, distance restriction for communications, licensing and the use of call signs, and allowable transmitter power. Eventually the license requirement was dropped entirely. Originally, there were only 23 CB channels in the U.S.; 40-channel radios did not come along until 1977. In the 1960s, channels 1-8 and 15-22 were reserved for "intrastation" communications among units under the same license, while the other channels (9-14 and 23) could be used for "interstation" calls to other licenses. In the early 1970s, channel 9 became reserved for emergency use. Channel 10 was used for highway communications, and channel 11 was used as a general calling channel.

Later, channel 19 became the preferred highway channel in most areas, as it did not have the adjacent-channel interference problems with channel 9. Until the late 1970s when synthesized radios appeared, CB radios were controlled by plug-in quartz crystals. Almost all were AM only, though there were a few single sideband sets in the early days. In 1973, various groups petitioned the FCC for an allocation of frequencies near 220 MHz for a new "Class E" Citizen's Band service. This was opposed by amateur radio organizations as well as other government agencies and commercial users who desired this allocation for their own usage. While the "Class E" initiative was not successful early on, the Reagan Administrationï¿½s sponsored some of these requirements for the development of the Family Radio Service, General Mobile Radio Service and Multi-Use Radio Service. These services fulfilled a majority of the requirements (e.g. eliminate some of the interference and skip that existed on the shortwave frequencies) proposed by the petitioners in 1973. Today these radios are quiet, affordable and readily accessible. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s a phenomenon was developing over the CB radio.

Similar to the Internet chat rooms a quarter century later, the CB allowed people to get to know one another in a quasi-anonymous manner. Many movies and stories about CBers and the culture on-the-air developed. In Britain, some people were using CB radio illegally in the 1970s, a craze which suddenly peaked in 1980, leading to legalisation on 2 November 1981. However, in the summer of 1981 the British government were still saying that CB would never be legalised on 27 MHz. The government wanted a uhf frequency around 860 MHz named 'Open Channel' instead. Eventually 40 channels at 27 MHz, plus 20 channels on 934 MHz were legalised. Both allocations used frequencies unique to the UK; the 934 MHz allocation was later withdrawn in 1998. CB's inventor Al Gross made the first legal British CB call, from Trafalgar Square, London. CB was so popular in the UK by 1982 that it was featured in a Coronation Street storyline - fame indeed!

In more recent years CB has lost much of its original appeal due to the advancement of technologies and changing values. Some of this rapid development includes: mobile phones, the Internet, and Family Radio Service. The changing radio wave propagation for long-distance communications, due to the 11 year Sunspot cycle is always a factor for these frequencies. Australia In Australia, Citizens Band radio had its beginnings in the 1960s when small numbers of American branded 1-watt ï¿½walkie-talkiesï¿½ started to become available from a handful of outlets. In those days, households were required to hold licenses to operate a TV set, but no such licenses were available to the general public for the use of 27 MHz band radios. By the early 1970s CB radio began to gather pace as bigger and better transceivers appeared on the market. Designed for in-car installation, these units began to be sold from well recognized and specialist retail outlets.

As the popularity of CB radio grew in cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, the 27.240 MHz calling frequency became congested at times and users were forced to find other less popular channels to have conversations and to organize an ï¿½eyeballï¿½ (meeting). By 1974, the transceiver of choice was the American designed Midland 23-channel, 5-watt transceiver with upper and lower single sideband (SSB). The Lafayette and Tandy/Realistic brands were also popular. These higher-powered units, when coupled with high-gain antennas and linear amplifiers, often sent out spurious RF emissions which attracted unwanted attentions. The Federal Postmaster-General (PMG Department) was solely responsible for Australian radio spectrum management and radio licensing since the end of World War 2. For the 27 MHz/11-metre band however, the only persons who could legally operate transceivers were licensed radio amateurs who had passed a technical examination, and most had nothing but contempt for the persons operating illegally on the 11-metre band.

A small team of radio inspectors began covert surveillance of the ï¿½radio piratesï¿½ (as they were known) using the 27 MHz band in major Australian cities. They built a database of regular, or nuisance users, particularly those using the higher-powered transceivers, or those boasting of the use of home made linear amplifiers. Radio inspectors, most of who were licensed radio amateurs, had extraordinary powers in those days and it was not uncommon to hear of or meet CB operators who had been on the receiving end of a visit from overly zealous inspectors with a search warrant. Such visits often resulted in the forced entry of houses and rooms, a confiscation of all equipment, (illegal or otherwise), and a summons to appear in court for various breaches of the ï¿½wireless telegraphyï¿½ laws and regulations in force at the time. Running battles and cat and mouse-like games developed as radio pirates tried to keep one step ahead of inspectors. Some pirates developed elaborate hiding places in their homes or cars for their equipment. Various State polices forces were mainly ignorant of the illegality of the use of CB radios since it was a Federal jurisdiction issue.

CB radios or giveaway antennas were however viewed suspiciously by some individual police who saw them as a means to warn other drivers of speed traps established by the police. Unsure of the legal position, they usually took no further action if they found a CB radio fitted in a car. By the mid-seventies, a number of CB clubs had developed around Australia including the KT (Kangaroo Territory) Club, the GL Club and Delta Whisky Club, all of whom assigned call-sign numbers to radio pirates interested in ï¿½joiningï¿½ the club. The exchange of QSL cards become popular (like with the licensed radio amateurs), and if atmospheric and sunspot activity was suitable, long-distance ï¿½skipï¿½ communications could be achieved between pirates thousands of kilometres apart. As the popularity of CB continued to grow, pressure began to be applied to the Federal Government to permit the legal use of the 27 MHz band The GL Club in the Gippsland region in the State of Victoria was particularly active with representations being made to locally based Federal politicians.

In February 1975 an informal but widely CB-advertised convention was held in a hall on the outskirts of the town of Morwell, and a newly formed lobby group known as the Australian Citizens Radio Movement began life. Its primary aim was to get CB radio legalized. On 1 July 1977, after more than two years of relentless pressure from public lobby groups, interstate truck drivers, rural fire brigades and volunteer emergency service units, the Federal Government finally legalized CB radio on 27 MHz with an initial allocation of 18 channels. Not surprisingly, the radio inspectors who had so zealously attempted to protect the airways prior to this time imposed industrial bans because they opposed the new laws. Hence the initial flood of license applications were slow in being processed. In 1980 a total of 40 channels was approved for 27 MHz band and it was aligned with the 40 channels used in the USA. From the outset, the Government attempted to regulate CB radio with license fees and call-signs etc, but some years later abandoned this approach.

After peaking in the 1970s and early 1980s, the use of 27 MHz CB in Australia has fallen dramatically in the last decade. The later introduction of UHF CB Radio and the proliferation of cheap, compact handheld and portable transceivers have been a part of the reason. But other emerging technologies such as e-mail, IRC chat, mobile phones/SMS, and the Internet have played a role by providing people with many choices of communication. Over the years there have been repeated attempts by the Federal Department of Communications to close down the 27 MHz band. To date, these attempts have failed in the face of opposition. CB Radio today CB is still a popular hobby in many countries though its utility as a method of communication among the general public has diminished, due to developments such as mobile phones and Internet chat rooms and IM. CB radio is still a near-universal method of communication among semi truck drivers in America and also remains very popular in rural areas with farmers and hunters, plus sometimes even acting as a sort of "party line" phone system in deep-rural areas too far in the boonies to have phone lines.

Commercial drivers use CB to communicate to other truck drivers directions, traffic problems, and other things of importance. Channel 19 is the most commonly used for this purpose, to the point that some radios even have a dedicated button to bring up channel 19. In some areas of the U.S., different channels are customarily used on highways running North-South versus East-West, and sometimes even for specific roads. Other channels regionally used for this purpose include 10, 17, and 21. Legitimate, short-range use of CB radio is sometimes made difficult by uncooperative users or illegal high-power transmitters, which are capable of being heard hundreds of miles away. In the United States, the vast number of users and the low financing of the regulatory body mean that the regulations are only actively enforced against the most severe interfering stations, which makes legitimate operations on the Citizen's band unreliable. Other services, such as Multi-Use Radio Service in the VHF band or FRS and GMRS in the UHF band, exist now to provide the reliable short-range communication service originally envisioned for the Citizen's Band.

The maximum legal CB power output level is four watts for AM and 12 watts (peak envelope power or "PEP") for single side band, as measured at the antenna connection on the back of the radio. More powerful external linear amplifiers are commonly and illegally used. Citizens' Band radios in the United States use frequencies near 27 MHz. During periods of peak sunspot activity, even low-powered transmitters can sometimes be heard for hundreds or even thousands of miles. This "skip" activity, in which signals which bounce off the ionosphere, contributes to interference on CB frequencies. Working "skip" is illegal in the United States, since it contradicts the short-range intended use of the service, though the regulation is widely ignored. Many radio hobbyists operate illegitimately in the so-called "free band", (which is often referred to as 11 meters, similar to how hams refer to their bands by the approximate wavelengths) using either Citizens' Band equipment that has been modified for extended frequency range and higher power, or else amateur radio equipment operated outside the assigned amateur 10 meter band. Such operations are not part of the legally authorized Citizen's Band service and should not be called "CB".

Out-of-band operations may interfere with licensed, public safety, commercial, or military users of these frequencies. Illegal transmitters may not meet good engineering practice for harmonic distortion or "splatter", and resulting interference to licensed radio spectrum users will often attract the attention of regulating authorities. In its heyday in the 1970s, you were likely to find CB Channel 9 monitored by parties who could relay messages to the authorities, or even directly monitored by the authorities themselves. However, with the popularity of cellular phones, support for Channel 9 as an emergency channel has largely vanished. If you are in dire need of help on the road and your only communications tool is a CB radio, you are much more likely to find help on Channel 19. CB Usage in the United States In the United States Citizens' Band (CB) radio service is intended to be a private two-way voice communication service for use in personal and business activities of the general public. Its communications range is from one to five miles. The Citizens' Band radio services are described in part 95 of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) and is defined as a personal radio service.

Eligibility There are no age, citizenship or license requirements to operate a CB radio in the United States. You may operate on any of the authorized 40 CB channels, however channel 9 is used only for emergency communications or for traveler assistance. Usage of all channels is on a shared basis. Foreign governments and their representatives are not eligible to operate a citizens' band radio station within the United States. You may operate your station anywhere within the United States, its territories and possessions. You may also operate your US station anywhere in the world except within the territorial limits of areas where radio services are regulated by another agency; such as the United States Department of Defense or of any foreign government. You must use an FCC certified transmitter. No modifications are allowed to your equipment. Equipment output power is limited to 4 watts for AM transmitters and 12 watts PEP (peak envelope power) for single sideband (SSB) transmitters. There are no restrictions on size or type of antennas, except the antenna must not be more than 20 feet above the highest point of the structure it is mounted to and may not be more than 60 feet above the ground.

Channel Assignments To simplify selection of an operating frequency, the Citizens' Band radio spectrum is divided into 40 numbered radio frequency channels from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz, with channels generally spaced 10 kHz apart. Channel numbers are not strictly sequential with frequency; there are gaps for frequencies used by radio-controlled devices. Furthermore, there is a gap between Channel 22 and Channel 23 (which was later filled by Channels 24 and 25) for historical reasons. Before CB was in existence, there was an Amateur 11-meter band from 26.96 to 27.23 MHz, and a frequency for radio-controlled devices at 27.255 MHz. The 11-meter band became CB Channels 1 to 22, and the radio control frequency was shared with Channel 23.

The frequencies for the 40 North American/CEPT channels are as follows: Channel Frequency Channel 01 26.965 MHz Channel 02 26.975 MHz Channel 03 26.985 MHz Channel 04 27.005 MHz Channel 05 27.015 MHz Channel 06 27.025 MHz Channel 07 27.035 MHz Channel 08 27.055 MHz Channel 09 27.065 MHz (emergency channel) Channel 10 27.075 MHz Channel 11 27.085 MHz Channel 12 27.105 MHz Channel 13 27.115 MHz Channel 14 27.125 MHz Channel 15 27.135 MHz Channel 16 27.155 MHz Channel 17 27.165 MHz Channel 18 27.175 MHz Channel 19 27.185 MHz (unofficial highway channel)

 Channel 20 27.205 MHz Channel 21 27.215 MHz Channel 22 27.225 MHz Channel 23 27.255 MHz (Note frequencies not in ascending order} Channel 24 27.235 MHz Channel 25 27.245 MHz Channel 26 27.265 MHz Channel 27 27.275 MHz Channel 28 27.285 MHz Channel 29 27.295 MHz Channel 30 27.305 MHz Channel 31 27.315 MHz Channel 32 27.325 MHz Channel 33 27.335 MHz Channel 34 27.345 MHz Channel 35 27.355 MHz Channel 36 27.365 MHz Channel 37 27.375 MHz Channel 38 27.385 MHz (lsb, national calling frequency) Channel 39 27.395 MHz

 Channel 40 27.405 MHz The frequency allocation list is supplied by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) from Part 95 - Subpart D - Rules for CB Service Citizens Band (CB) Radio Service.

Remote Control

Question: What word do citizen’s band radio enthusiasts use for the police?
Answer: Bears