Remembering old technology: the CB radio
Our kids had graduated from “Pong,’ their first video game, and were now playing Atari. Our new van came equipped with an 8-track player, pushing us into the auto-elite category. Around 1978, we made the leap and purchased a Citizens Band (CB) radio to be installed under the 8-track player in our vehicle.
There was a good reason.
We were living in West Texas, and any direction our road trips took us, we were miles and miles away from anything until we reached our destinations. East to west, we were half-way (about 300 miles) between Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso. North to South, it was 300 miles to Amarillo and about the same to the Big Bend. Being on long stretches of highway, usually with only rare traffic, the CB was a safety net for us and fellow CBers, who were usually truckers.
But, as with most things, the CB came with a catch, well, actually two catches. First you needed a clever CB handle, like “Mustang Mike,” “Texas Toast” or “Yukon Gold.” But I learned that CB handles must be given to you. A relative newcomer to the area, who would I ask -- the pastor of our new church, one of my Cub Scout moms or a fellow PTA-er?
The second catch for being CB owners was to learn to use CB jargon. I quickly realized using this “foreign language” was much harder than it looked in “Smokey & the Bandit” movies or Clint Eastwood in “Every Which Way but Loose.” Why couldn’t I just say, “Hello, this is Alice. I’m on Highway 385, just past Lubbock, heading north… and, by the way, I just passed a police officer with radar.”
Instead, you were expected to say, “Breaker, breaker 1-9. This is Midland Mama. Do you read me? Over.” I’m not sure why, but I felt like I might as well join John Wayne and Robert Stack in the cockpit in “The High and the Mighty” with that “over” and “copy” stuff.
Whomever was within range would answer, asking for your 20/20 (location) then -- and only then, could I offer my helpful message. Somewhere in the conversation, usually at the end, the sign-off would come: 10-4, Good Buddy. (10-14 means message received). Whew! Sure seemed like a lot of work.
Historically, the CB Radio was invented in 1945. A guy by the name of Al Gross invented the CB and also walkie-talkies. In addition, he also founded the Citizens Radio Corp. Shortly after the CB was introduced for public use, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Citizens Radio Service for regulating remotecontrol units and mobile radio telephones. The commission made CB radio a special class of the service in 1958 and permitted its use as a hobby by 1975.
At first CB owners were required, by law, to have a license, but that law was soon dropped because more people were buying CBs on a record pace and were ignoring the licensure issue.
Some of you may remember the 1973 oil crisis caused the gas prices to go up considerably. The United States government issued a 55 MPH, nationwide speed limit. After this, fuel shortages went crazy. Waiting to fuel your car in lines that encircled gas stations became a fact of life. CB's were used to notify other drivers of gas stations who had or did not have gas. With the speed limit change, CB users would also notify other users if they saw any police cars.
Veteran trucker Kenneth Williams, quoted in Overdrive, a trucker’s magazine, said he believes “the biggest difference from the old days to now with a CB is that, in the 1970s, there were fewer trucks on the road…and no way to just call for help if you needed help. Even pay phones were only in towns. As a trucker, you were on your own, except for other truck drivers. So, you made a lot of friends on the road (using your CB)."
According to friends who have been long-time CB users, “The CB radio has been and remains an integral part of the trucker’s highway culture, from the days of impromptu meetups at truck stops ("CB coffee breaks," by some accounts) to real friendships forged over the airwaves. This tool contributed mightily to quality of life for many truckers who spent so many isolated hours.
During the 1970s and 1980s, CB radios trends looked similar to online chats or text messaging today. These good CB buddies, while their real names remained anonymous, their handles became well-known.
Unfortunately, with advances in technology like cell phones and the internet, the CB phenomenon has died down from its original appeal and many CBs followed the 8-track craze into recycled electronics or garage shelves! However, some electronics stores and Amazon still sell CB radios, and they definitely make road trips more interesting -- and safe.
As an example, during the fatal 100-car/truck pile-up in Fort Worth two weeks ago, many truckers were able to steer clear of the carnage, thanks to messages from their “good buddies” using their CB radios to spread the word about the weather, road conditions and traffic.
10-4, good buddies, 10-4!