HOBBY RADIO DAILY
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05-03-2025 - At 9:00 PM, I hear faint voices on Channel 19. The voices sound like they're a hundred miles away. As the minutes pass, the voices get louder and more distinct. Finally, I can tell I'm listening to two truckers as they approach the city. As the voices become clear, I hear about Popeye's chicken and other delicacies. After a few more minutes, the voices begin to fade, and the two drivers exit the other side of town. But wait, I hear two more drivers, voices faint, coming to take their place.
05-03-2025 - Today, the latest issue of the DX Engineering catalog was in the mail. Do I dare look inside? What if I order something I want but don't need? Who needs anything hobby-related? If I order something, it'll be because I want it. Let me peek inside!
05-03-2025 - At 4:15 PM, CB Radio Channel 38 is quite busy. Jamaican station 145 is still in there and getting a lot of contacts. All I've been contacting is my yard with the mower, and it's time to get back out there.
05-03-2025 - According to online reports, driverless trucks are making roundtrips between Dallas and Houston. This is the future. They'll still need a human CB Radio operator because I'm not talking to a truck. Not knowingly, anyway.
05-03-2025 - Sometimes, when I hear profanity on CB Radio Channel 19, I'll pick up the mic and politely ask the person to stop. I remind them there are truck drivers on the frequency, and they're not used to hearing such language!
05-03-2025 - At 11:45 AM, Motor Mouth Maul is gracing us with his excellent signal on CB Radio Channel 6. Even with the lousy band conditions, I recognize that one-of-a-kind audio.
05-03-2025 - At 10:45 AM I hear one strong station - 145 in Jamaica - on Channel 38 LSB. I hear several other stations, but they're down in noise, and I can't make out any handles. On Channel 6, I hear that other well-known, powerful Jamaican station who says "I'm gone" a dozen times, but he never leaves. I'm not saying I want him to leave, but why say you're going to leave if you do not?
05-03-2025 - Over a decade ago, in a recreation vehicle forum, someone proposed that RVs out on the road monitor Channel 13 and use that channel to connect with other RV'ers. The idea didn't gain any traction. If I were driving an RV, I'd be on Channel 19 because that's where the action is. You could put the radio on scan and listen for Channel 13 that way, but I've never been one to scan when out on the road. It's Channel 19, or nothing. Your mileage may vary.
05-03-2025 - FEMA National Watch Center - National Current Ops / Monitoring – May 2-3, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Severe Thunderstorms – Southern U.S., Northeast
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration – MO
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
05-03-2025 - At 7:00 AM, I have the CB Radio on a 40-channel scan, and I'm getting hits on several channels, including Channel 38. But Channel 6, the "Superbowl" of CB Radio, isn't one of them. That's interesting. Things may liven up as the morning advances.
05-03-2025 - Good Morning! According to a story at CE Outlook, a company that tracks the car audio, video, and electronics market, K40 Electronics will close its doors after 40 years in business. K40 was known mainly for radar detectors but also manufactured the K40 CB Radio antenna. Speaking of CB Radio, let's see if band conditions improve today. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
05-02-2025 - At 8:35 PM, the band has been as flat as the Texas Ranger's performance tonight. In the top of the 5th inning, it's the Mariners 7 and the Rangers 0. Back to CB Radio, there was a fair amount of local traffic to enjoy. It would be better if there were more than a handful of local operators to liven things up. Still, there's more CB Radio traffic in town than Amateur (ham) Radio traffic, and that's with close to 500 area hams in the FCC database. At the top of the 6th inning, it's 10-0 Mariners!
05-02-2025 - I attended a meeting of one of the local CB Radio clubs in 1970. It was either the Red River Valley CB Radio Club or the Faith City Five Watters CB Radio Club. I have no idea which. The only thing I remember is one member bragging about his radio kicking out a big 6 watts and the others giving him a pat on the back for it. Times have changed.
05-02-2025 – In the 1960s and 1970s, Wichita Falls, Texas, had three CB Radio clubs: Red River Valley CB Radio Club, Faith City Five Watters CB Radio Club, and the Skip Shooters QSL—CB Club, Inc. I just thought I’d throw that out there. The Skip Shooters Club was located at 206 7th Street. See pic.
05-02-2025 - At 11:15 AM, the CB Radio band is flat. I hear nothing on the sideband channels and the rest of the band is quiet. Even Channel 6, the "superbowl" of CB Radio, is weak! Let's see what the afternoon brings.
05-02-2025 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – May 1-2, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Flood Watch – Puerto Rico
• Severe Weather/Heavy Rain/Flash Flooding – Southern Plains to Ohio Valley
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
05-01 - 2025 - Another oversized load is going through town, with pilot cars working on CB Radio Channel 19. What's moving through your city? We probably don't want to know. Just because there's a well-known name on the side of the truck doesn't mean it's not a cover to move "secret squirrel" stuff around the country. Tune in with your CB Radio, HF Ham Radio, or scanner radio.
05-01-2025 - Back in the days before cell phones, there was much more "traveler assistance" on the CB Radio and Amateur (ham) Radio than there is today. The need for such a service has dropped 95%. I still keep a "cheat sheet" handy with the address and phone numbers of needed services such as roadside car repair, clinics, hospitals, eateries near the highway, and other things frequently asked for by motorists. Most of the time, travelers whip out their cell phones, make a query, and pull up a web page or map with the information. But humans still need to fill in the blanks and offer personal opinions about local services, like "color commentators" do in a football game.
05-01-2025 - Someone on X, formerly known as Twitter, reported that in the 1950s or 1960s, their dad was part of a CB Radio club or group that assisted an agency with radio communications at some incident or disaster. The poster said after the event, the group got a bill for the donuts they consumed. What level of donut eatery triggers a bill? Asking for a friend.