On December 22nd, 2022, I got on the road at 2:00 AM for what would amount to a 767.2-mile drive from Connecticut to Indiana.
Now I’ve heard from lots of sources that CB radio is dead. Truckers have digital communications in their cabs to stay in touch with their dispatchers. And for consumers, the FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies in the 462-467 MHz FM band are available in blister packs at every Walmart. They’re cheaper and have better range than any CB radio in a similar form factor. And of course we all have cell phones wherever we go. So why would a CB walkie-talkie still be desirable in 2023?
You may recall that a winter storm rolled into much of the nation just ahead of Christmas, 2022. I found myself driving through more than three hours of steady snowfall on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The highway was effectively down to one lane in each direction for several miles and came to a near standstill from time to time. And despite the snow and cold, a car hauler full of BMWs caught fire and burned alongside the highway near Napier, PA. I was wondering if at any moment I might find traffic grinding to a hault and be stuck for hours. I wanted to know what to expect on the road ahead.
Thankfully I had a Wouxun KG-S72C handheld CB radio sitting in my center console alongside other travel accessories. For those who know anything about CB radio, a longer antenna is better, especially for transmitting. A short 7.5” antenna on this handheld radio running inside a metal vehicle isn’t going to transmit beyond a mile or so. But on a day like that one, I didn’t care much about transmitting. I turned the radio on to channel 19 and began listening to the truckers. When truckers are driving slowly in inclement weather, channel 19 is far from dead. The drivers heading east let those heading west know what to expect ahead, and vice versa. I was relieved as I heard lots of chatter but no reports of road closures.
Eventually I left Interstate 76, and with it the snow, at least until later that night. But I noted that aside from my cell phone, which I used for both navigation and phone calls, the CB radio sitting in my center console was my most useful accessory of the trip. I definitely recommend it.
Let me mention some quick technical notes for anyone who has a Wouxun KG-S72C or buys one. This radio supports both AM and FM CB modes. Where CB is concerned, FM is brand new and was approved for use in the US in September 2021. To listen to or talk to truckers with their legacy radios, make sure you’re in AM mode and tuned to channel 19. Also set the squelch down to about 1 to hear signals from a greater distance. These are all things you should do before you get underway, not when you find yourself in a jam. Note that this radio includes a USB-C charging port, allowing you to keep it charged in the car fairly easily.
Safe travels.
