New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

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danoroth
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
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New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by danoroth »

hey so i am in perth, 16 years old but mature.
i bought some (dick smith)- yeah i know, 3km CB- Radios and they were $40, i know have a job and wanted to get some decent cb radios, just to chat to people on, make new friends etc. I have seen the posts on here explaining all the idiots of perth and i just wanted to clear up, i am not one of them. Anyway, i bought a Midland LXT 118 from USA, it 'says' 18 mile range' and 22 channel, but i wanted to know if there was anyone who could test it out with me, and just tell me what range i should really expect in the Joondalup area?
Zebedee
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Re: New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by Zebedee »

danoroth wrote:hey so i am in perth, 16 years old but mature.
i bought some (dick smith)- yeah i know, 3km CB- Radios and they were $40, i know have a job and wanted to get some decent cb radios, just to chat to people on, make new friends etc. I have seen the posts on here explaining all the idiots of perth and i just wanted to clear up, i am not one of them. Anyway, i bought a Midland LXT 118 from USA, it 'says' 18 mile range' and 22 channel, but i wanted to know if there was anyone who could test it out with me, and just tell me what range i should really expect in the Joondalup area?
Hiya Danoroth,

First of all welcome to WARSUG. Sorry it took a little while for your post to appear, but we've been blasted by spammers a fair bit recently and so now all new user registrations have their posts held back from appearing on the site until an admin can see if you're a legit poster or not. Anyway, you're here now! We're a pretty friendly bunch, and it's great to have you on board.

With regards to your radios, I've got a bit of bad news for you. Those radios you bought from the USA aren't actually legal to use in Australia. You're probably thinking "why not, what's wrong with 'em?" The answer to that is there's nothing wrong with the radios themselves, but the frequencies they are designed to operate on aren't in the CB radio band in Australia.

That's important because every single radio service in Australia has to be licenced. That goes for broadcast stations (96FM, ABC TV, and so on) as well as taxi companies, airports, security companies, etc. Basically if it sends any kind of radio signal, it must be licenced. Some licences are issued specifically to an individual person, or a company, or whatever. Others operate under something called a "class licence". Class licences basically mean "the individual operator doesn't need to have a licence him/herself, but the radio has to be of a certain type and meet a certain set of specifications". 27MHz and UHF CB are examples of things that operate under a class licence. Bluetooth and Wireless LAN devices are another.

The Australian UHF CB Radio band operates in a chunk between 476.4250 megahertz and 477.4125 megahertz. These radios you've bought from the US use their equivalent (called FRS GMRS over there) and operate between 462.5625 and 462.7250 megahertz.

You can see the frequencies for the American FRS system here and the Australian UHF CB system here.

So what's the implications of using those radios here in Perth? First of all, you can't talk to anyone on the Australian CB network. (Some may say that's a good thing! :lol: ). So unless you plan on talking between those two walkie talkies and nothing else, you're not going to have much fun. The second and more serious reasion is because to use those radios here is actually breaking federal law, the Radiocommunications Act 1974 to be precise. As you can imagine, breaking federal laws is a bit of a big deal, the penalties run to tens of thousands of dollars in fines and time locked up in prison.

Would you get caught if you did use them? Possibly. Looking at just one of those FRS frequencies that they can transmit on (462.5625 MHz), that frequency is already licenced here in Australia to other people.

Image

So if you use the walkie-talkie you may be interfering with another company's radios ... and they've paid a LOT of money for a licence to use that frequency so you can bet they're gonna be cranky if they hear stuff that's not supposed to be there. If they were to complain to the ACMA, it's not that difficult to track down the rogue signal (it's called radio direction finding) and it'd cause a heap of trouble for whoever had these FRS radios on them.

So ... sorry to say, your bargain isn't really a bargain :(

My advice is to not take the risk, it could end up having some fairly serious consequences. Forget you ever bought them, and get a couple of Australian UHF CBs instead...
Doug Bell (Zebedee) VK6DB
WARSUG Forum Administrator.

It is very dark.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by danoroth »

I bought it from USA, as I said, so will it be illegal to use in WA, or illegal just to import it? It's on it's way now, so will it be stopped by customs?




Zebedee wrote:
danoroth wrote:hey so i am in perth, 16 years old but mature.
i bought some (dick smith)- yeah i know, 3km CB- Radios and they were $40, i know have a job and wanted to get some decent cb radios, just to chat to people on, make new friends etc. I have seen the posts on here explaining all the idiots of perth and i just wanted to clear up, i am not one of them. Anyway, i bought a Midland LXT 118 from USA, it 'says' 18 mile range' and 22 channel, but i wanted to know if there was anyone who could test it out with me, and just tell me what range i should really expect in the Joondalup area?
Hiya Danoroth,

First of all welcome to WARSUG. Sorry it took a little while for your post to appear, but we've been blasted by spammers a fair bit recently and so now all new user registrations have their posts held back from appearing on the site until an admin can see if you're a legit poster or not. Anyway, you're here now! We're a pretty friendly bunch, and it's great to have you on board.

With regards to your radios, I've got a bit of bad news for you. Those radios you bought from the USA aren't actually legal to use in Australia. You're probably thinking "why not, what's wrong with 'em?" The answer to that is there's nothing wrong with the radios themselves, but the frequencies they are designed to operate on aren't in the CB radio band in Australia.

That's important because every single radio service in Australia has to be licenced. That goes for broadcast stations (96FM, ABC TV, and so on) as well as taxi companies, airports, security companies, etc. Basically if it sends any kind of radio signal, it must be licenced. Some licences are issued specifically to an individual person, or a company, or whatever. Others operate under something called a "class licence". Class licences basically mean "the individual operator doesn't need to have a licence him/herself, but the radio has to be of a certain type and meet a certain set of specifications". 27MHz and UHF CB are examples of things that operate under a class licence. Bluetooth and Wireless LAN devices are another.

The Australian UHF CB Radio band operates in a chunk between 476.4250 megahertz and 477.4125 megahertz. These radios you've bought from the US use their equivalent (called FRS GMRS over there) and operate between 462.5625 and 462.7250 megahertz.

You can see the frequencies for the American FRS system here and the Australian UHF CB system [url=www.uhfcb.com.au/80-Channel-UHF-Information.php]here.

So what's the implications of using those radios here in Perth? First of all, you can't talk to anyone on the Australian CB network. (Some may say that's a good thing! :lol: ). So unless you plan on talking between those two walkie talkies and nothing else, you're not going to have much fun. The second and more serious reasion is because to use those radios here is actually breaking federal law, the Radiocommunications Act 1974 to be precise. As you can imagine, breaking federal laws is a bit of a big deal, the penalties run to tens of thousands of dollars in fines and time locked up in prison.

Would you get caught if you did use them? Possibly. Looking at just one of those FRS frequencies that they can transmit on (462.5625 MHz), that frequency is already licenced here in Australia to other people.

Image

So if you use the walkie-talkie you may be interfering with another company's radios ... and they've paid a LOT of money for a licence to use that frequency so you can bet they're gonna be cranky if they hear stuff that's not supposed to be there. If they were to complain to the ACMA, it's not that difficult to track down the rogue signal (it's called radio direction finding) and it'd cause a heap of trouble for whoever had these FRS radios on them.

So ... sorry to say, your bargain isn't really a bargain :(

My advice is to not take the risk, it could end up having some fairly serious consequences. Forget you ever bought them, and get a couple of Australian UHF CBs instead...
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: FAQ: CB regulations and frequencies

Post by danoroth »

I have ordered an 'illegal' cb radio from USA, it is not yet here, but will it get stopped by customs? I didn't know Australia had actually made the most useless laws in the world, caring about how people communicate. So will customs stop it? I didn't know it was illegal when I was buying it. Also if I were to buy a CB radio, with 400-480mhz, would that both be legal in Perth WA, and would it work?
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by danoroth »

ok, so i really am desperate for a CB radio, i want a decent one that has the range of at least 15km o more, and i want it to be under the price range of $150, i really need some good advice as to which model i should buy, and also i do not mind if it is in a 2 pack. And if that is impossible, just give me good advice on a good CB radio that wont burn a hole in my wallet :P
Nosferatu
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Re: New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by Nosferatu »

danoroth wrote:I bought it from USA, as I said, so will it be illegal to use in WA, or illegal just to import it? It's on it's way now, so will it be stopped by customs?
Yes, it is both illegal to use or import it to Australia ( not just WA ) ... Will it be stopped by customs ? Hmmmm .... :-k .... I doubt it ....
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by danoroth »

OK so guys, i contacted the transmission or whatever agency, it IS illegal to use in australia, but not illegal to import into australia, so i have now found a pretty good deal, but it is UHF 400-480mhz, would that be both legal and operate-able in Perth WA?
Zebedee
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Re: New CB- Radio(er), need some advice

Post by Zebedee »

Nosferatu wrote:
danoroth wrote:I bought it from USA, as I said, so will it be illegal to use in WA, or illegal just to import it? It's on it's way now, so will it be stopped by customs?
Yes, it is both illegal to use or import it to Australia ( not just WA ) ... Will it be stopped by customs ? Hmmmm .... :-k .... I doubt it ....
Absolutely. It's illegal to use anywhere in Australia, but customs probably won't stop it being delivered. They care more about things like drugs or weapons. But just because it's not confiscated at the border, doesn't mean you've been given any kind of "permission" to use the radios. In other words, trying to say "but they allowed it to be delivered so I figured it'd be OK to use" isn't going to work...
danoroth wrote:I have ordered an 'illegal' cb radio from USA, it is not yet here, but will it get stopped by customs? I didn't know Australia had actually made the most useless laws in the world, caring about how people communicate. So will customs stop it? I didn't know it was illegal when I was buying it. Also if I were to buy a CB radio, with 400-480mhz, would that both be legal in Perth WA, and would it work?
They're really not "the most useless laws in the world" - they're actually exactly the same as the laws in pretty much every other country. Imagine if the Australian government said "go nuts, transmit wherever you like, have fun!" What kind of dramas would that cause? Imagine a plane trying to land at Perth Airport and suddenly a couple of jokers with radios that will transmit on the same frequency as the control tower start having a conversation about what they got up to last night ... that's a serious safety issue. Or what if someone decides to start streaming the music from their iPod over the top of the same frequency that Channel 7 uses for its tv broadcast ... you could end up with several houses in a suburb that can no longer watch that channel... That's not a safety issue, but would you be happy if the guy next door was blocking you from being able to watch TV?

The only radios that you can buy are ones that conform to the Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2002. If the radios you are now looking at can operate anywhere in the 400-480MHz range then they aren't approved under that same class licence and so would be just as illegal in Australia as the other ones.

Some information from the ACMA:

Citizen band radio stations

Citizen band radio fact sheet

My advice ... steer clear of online shopping sites like eBay etc and any radios that aren't specifically listed as being compatible with the Australian CB network. Stick to a general retailer here in Australia such as Dick Smith Electronics or Prestige Communications in Malaga, etc.
Doug Bell (Zebedee) VK6DB
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It is very dark.
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Zebedee
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Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by Zebedee »

danoroth wrote:ok, so i really am desperate for a CB radio, i want a decent one that has the range of at least 15km o more, and i want it to be under the price range of $150, i really need some good advice as to which model i should buy, and also i do not mind if it is in a 2 pack. And if that is impossible, just give me good advice on a good CB radio that wont burn a hole in my wallet :P
What is it that you're trying to accomplish where a range of 15km is required? And is that from a fixed point to a fixed point (ie your place to a mate's place?), or is it while in a car, or while walking around in the street, etc?

15km is a fair distance for a little handheld unit, especially in an urban area. But if you had a base station unit and a good antenna as high up as you could get it (e.g. on the roof of your house) then you might be more successful.

Give us an idea of what you're trying to achieve and we might be able to give more specific advice.
Doug Bell (Zebedee) VK6DB
WARSUG Forum Administrator.

It is very dark.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by danoroth »

Zebedee wrote:
danoroth wrote:ok, so i really am desperate for a CB radio, i want a decent one that has the range of at least 15km o more, and i want it to be under the price range of $150, i really need some good advice as to which model i should buy, and also i do not mind if it is in a 2 pack. And if that is impossible, just give me good advice on a good CB radio that wont burn a hole in my wallet :P
What is it that you're trying to accomplish where a range of 15km is required? And is that from a fixed point to a fixed point (ie your place to a mate's place?), or is it while in a car, or while walking around in the street, etc?

15km is a fair distance for a little handheld unit, especially in an urban area. But if you had a base station unit and a good antenna as high up as you could get it (e.g. on the roof of your house) then you might be more successful.

Give us an idea of what you're trying to achieve and we might be able to give more specific advice.

Well i just want to talk to randoms, truckies, people with CB radios in their house, just casual use. So basically the frequency must be nothing but 476-477Mhz? and 5W, if so the Australian government are once again stealing money from people making the only available CB radios EXTREMELY expensive. The seller on eBay selling the LXT 118 has sold MANY of the products to Aussies, and all the feedback were all good, and that's just from this year. I'm now wondering if using it in my local area would be good because i can not interfere with any licensed channel, because the list that guy gave me had only 1 WA channel, far out 158km away from me. So what's the worst that can happen? are there government agencies ALWAYS listening to the same channel, hoping to find some teen on the wrong frequency?
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by danoroth »

Zebedee wrote:
danoroth wrote:ok, so i really am desperate for a CB radio, i want a decent one that has the range of at least 15km o more, and i want it to be under the price range of $150, i really need some good advice as to which model i should buy, and also i do not mind if it is in a 2 pack. And if that is impossible, just give me good advice on a good CB radio that wont burn a hole in my wallet :P
What is it that you're trying to accomplish where a range of 15km is required? And is that from a fixed point to a fixed point (ie your place to a mate's place?), or is it while in a car, or while walking around in the street, etc?

15km is a fair distance for a little handheld unit, especially in an urban area. But if you had a base station unit and a good antenna as high up as you could get it (e.g. on the roof of your house) then you might be more successful.

Give us an idea of what you're trying to achieve and we might be able to give more specific advice.

what does this mean, it is the actual law:



Conditions — general

A person must not:

(a) except in an emergency — operate a CB station on:

(i) carrier frequency 27.065 megahertz; or

(ii) carrier frequency 476.525 megahertz; or

(iii) carrier frequency 477.275 megahertz; or


isn't 477 and 476 the frequency we MUST operate on?????
Zebedee
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Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by Zebedee »

danoroth wrote:Well i just want to talk to randoms, truckies, people with CB radios in their house, just casual use. So basically the frequency must be nothing but 476-477Mhz? and 5W,
Yep, that's right. Five watts is the maximum permissible output power for a UHF CB radio. And it must comply with the frequency requirements which is that the radios must have either 40 or 80 channels and each one of those channels is on a specific frequency.

So for example, channel 1 is the frequency 476.4250, channel 2 is the frequency 476.4500, channel 3 is the frequency 476.4750 and so on, all the way to the other end (which is either 40 or 80 channels depending on if it's the old or the new standard).

The radio must lock onto those 40 (or 80) specific channels/frequencies and nothing else. So you can't have a radio where you can tune up any frequency you like between 476 and 477, it has to comply with all the regulations not just some of them ;)

This is no different to those FRS radios that you've bought from the United States. The US regulations basically say the same thing, but with the frequencies slightly different. Other countries have something entirely different again.
if so the Australian government are once again stealing money from people making the only available CB radios EXTREMELY expensive.
The Australian government are doing no such thing, that's just silly. The government do not sell radios, and they don't set the prices. If you want to complain about the price of the goods, talk to the manufacturers or the retailers, don't blame the government.
The seller on eBay selling the LXT 118 has sold MANY of the products to Aussies, and all the feedback were all good, and that's just from this year. I'm now wondering if using it in my local area would be good because i can not interfere with any licensed channel, because the list that guy gave me had only 1 WA channel, far out 158km away from me. So what's the worst that can happen? are there government agencies ALWAYS listening to the same channel, hoping to find some teen on the wrong frequency?
If you use those handheld radios, you absolutely ARE breaking the law and you can be fined a lot of money and possibly jailed. The second you press the transmit button on one of those FRS radios you've committed an offence and yes, the ACMA are very strict on that kind of thing. It doesn't matter if anyone else is licenced to use that frequency or not, the offence isn't "causing disruption to someone else", it's "transmitting on a frequency you're not licenced for".

And yes, the ACMA and private companies contracted to the ACMA can radio-direction-find you very very easily. Don't assume that nobody will care because when it comes to unlicenced use of a radio, they treat it very seriously. Do you have a spare $165,000 lying around that you can pay off a fine with? Or how about spending two years in prison?

http://engage.acma.gov.au/acmai/radioco ... ons-iblog/
ACMA Blog Post wrote:Did you know that using or having non-compliant or unlicensed high-frequency radio equipment could land you in serious trouble? Did you realise that unlawful possession of this equipment or using it without a licence you could end up with a fine of $165,000 or two years in jail?

And there is good reason. Non-compliant or unlicensed HF radio equipment can potentially cause harmful interference to other licensed HF users, particularly Airservices Australia or state and territory emergency services.
So yeah - ask yourself, is it really worth it over a couple of cheapie walkie talkies? Getting a criminal record that will stick with you for the rest of your life, ruining your chances of employment, costing you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, and spending time in jail? Is it really THAT important to you???
danoroth wrote:what does this mean, it is the actual law:

Conditions — general
A person must not:
(a) except in an emergency — operate a CB station on:
(i) carrier frequency 27.065 megahertz; or
(ii) carrier frequency 476.525 megahertz; or
(iii) carrier frequency 477.275 megahertz; or

isn't 477 and 476 the frequency we MUST operate on?????
Certain spot frequencies between 476 and 477 yes. For the full list, see here.

Those two spot frequencies mentioned are UHF CB channels 5 and 35. These channels are reserved for emergency communications only. Out of the 40 or 80 channels that your radio is capable of transmitting on, you are not allowed, by law, to use 5 or 35 for general chit-chat because they are set aside only for emergency (safety of life) transmissions.

From the link above with the channels list, it mentions the penalties for misusing channels 5 and 35:
The Australian Government has legislated that channels 5 & 35 on the UHF CB Band are reserved for emergency use only. As at January 2007 the maximum penalties for the misuse of the legally allocated CB emergency channels are:

For general misuse - if an individual 2 years imprisonment, otherwise $165,000 (a $220 on-the-spot fine can be issued in minor cases); or
For interference to an Emergency call - if an individual 5 years imprisonment, otherwise $550,000
Doug Bell (Zebedee) VK6DB
WARSUG Forum Administrator.

It is very dark.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
danoroth
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:12 pm
Scanners and Receivers: Midland LXT 118, 22 channel, 18 mile range (yeah right)

Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by danoroth »

Zebedee wrote:
danoroth wrote:Well i just want to talk to randoms, truckies, people with CB radios in their house, just casual use. So basically the frequency must be nothing but 476-477Mhz? and 5W,
Yep, that's right. Five watts is the maximum permissible output power for a UHF CB radio. And it must comply with the frequency requirements which is that the radios must have either 40 or 80 channels and each one of those channels is on a specific frequency.

So for example, channel 1 is the frequency 476.4250, channel 2 is the frequency 476.4500, channel 3 is the frequency 476.4750 and so on, all the way to the other end (which is either 40 or 80 channels depending on if it's the old or the new standard).

The radio must lock onto those 40 (or 80) specific channels/frequencies and nothing else. So you can't have a radio where you can tune up any frequency you like between 476 and 477, it has to comply with all the regulations not just some of them ;)

This is no different to those FRS radios that you've bought from the United States. The US regulations basically say the same thing, but with the frequencies slightly different. Other countries have something entirely different again.
if so the Australian government are once again stealing money from people making the only available CB radios EXTREMELY expensive.
The Australian government are doing no such thing, that's just silly. The government do not sell radios, and they don't set the prices. If you want to complain about the price of the goods, talk to the manufacturers or the retailers, don't blame the government.
The seller on eBay selling the LXT 118 has sold MANY of the products to Aussies, and all the feedback were all good, and that's just from this year. I'm now wondering if using it in my local area would be good because i can not interfere with any licensed channel, because the list that guy gave me had only 1 WA channel, far out 158km away from me. So what's the worst that can happen? are there government agencies ALWAYS listening to the same channel, hoping to find some teen on the wrong frequency?
If you use those handheld radios, you absolutely ARE breaking the law and you can be fined a lot of money and possibly jailed. The second you press the transmit button on one of those FRS radios you've committed an offence and yes, the ACMA are very strict on that kind of thing. It doesn't matter if anyone else is licenced to use that frequency or not, the offence isn't "causing disruption to someone else", it's "transmitting on a frequency you're not licenced for".

And yes, the ACMA and private companies contracted to the ACMA can radio-direction-find you very very easily. Don't assume that nobody will care because when it comes to unlicenced use of a radio, they treat it very seriously. Do you have a spare $165,000 lying around that you can pay off a fine with? Or how about spending two years in prison?

http://engage.acma.gov.au/acmai/radioco ... ons-iblog/
ACMA Blog Post wrote:Did you know that using or having non-compliant or unlicensed high-frequency radio equipment could land you in serious trouble? Did you realise that unlawful possession of this equipment or using it without a licence you could end up with a fine of $165,000 or two years in jail?

And there is good reason. Non-compliant or unlicensed HF radio equipment can potentially cause harmful interference to other licensed HF users, particularly Airservices Australia or state and territory emergency services.
So yeah - ask yourself, is it really worth it over a couple of cheapie walkie talkies? Getting a criminal record that will stick with you for the rest of your life, ruining your chances of employment, costing you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, and spending time in jail? Is it really THAT important to you???
danoroth wrote:what does this mean, it is the actual law:

Conditions — general
A person must not:
(a) except in an emergency — operate a CB station on:
(i) carrier frequency 27.065 megahertz; or
(ii) carrier frequency 476.525 megahertz; or
(iii) carrier frequency 477.275 megahertz; or

isn't 477 and 476 the frequency we MUST operate on?????
Certain spot frequencies between 476 and 477 yes. For the full list, see here.

Those two spot frequencies mentioned are UHF CB channels 5 and 35. These channels are reserved for emergency communications only. Out of the 40 or 80 channels that your radio is capable of transmitting on, you are not allowed, by law, to use 5 or 35 for general chit-chat because they are set aside only for emergency (safety of life) transmissions.

From the link above with the channels list, it mentions the penalties for misusing channels 5 and 35:
The Australian Government has legislated that channels 5 & 35 on the UHF CB Band are reserved for emergency use only. As at January 2007 the maximum penalties for the misuse of the legally allocated CB emergency channels are:

For general misuse - if an individual 2 years imprisonment, otherwise $165,000 (a $220 on-the-spot fine can be issued in minor cases); or
For interference to an Emergency call - if an individual 5 years imprisonment, otherwise $550,000

Well I'm getting now a 400- 380MHz UHF CB radio with 128 channels, it is programmable, and the supplier is giving me the programmable cable, and manual etc. It is an expensive piece of hardware and i can't wait to get it. And i currently have 2 CB radios, mini ones that were bought in about 2007, and went on channel 5 and 35 saying "is anyone there" and there was no response, pretty good life saving channel. (sarcasm)

So when i do receive the new CB radio i will be all set, with a 15KM range and 5W radio. Can't wait, is there anyone in Perth wanting to chat??
Zebedee
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Re: WANT TO BUY A CB RADIO

Post by Zebedee »

danoroth wrote:Well I'm getting now a 400- 380MHz UHF CB radio with 128 channels, it is programmable, and the supplier is giving me the programmable cable, and manual etc. It is an expensive piece of hardware and i can't wait to get it. And i currently have 2 CB radios, mini ones that were bought in about 2007, and went on channel 5 and 35 saying "is anyone there" and there was no response, pretty good life saving channel. (sarcasm)
Seriously, did you read any of the links I sent you? Channel 5 might be reserved for emergency use but it doesn't necessarily mean someone is there waiting for you to call. It's not like 000, there's various people around who do monitor those channels but strictly on a volunteer "best effort" basis.

You do realise that this "expensive piece of hardware" is still illegal to use on CB and when (not if) the ACMA come knocking on your door they will simply confiscate it and you will never see it again? And that's before they start handing out big fines and taking you to court.
So when i do receive the new CB radio i will be all set, with a 15KM range and 5W radio. Can't wait, is there anyone in Perth wanting to chat??
You're not likely to get 15km range on UHF CB in an urban area. And if you're not transmitting on the correct frequencies, there'll be nobody there to reply to you anyway.

I'll say it again for the last time - don't be a tool, stay on the correct side of the law. You're now fully informed on what is and isn't legal so when the ACMA and the Federal Police come and kick in your front door, the excuse of "oh but I didn't know" won't fly. (Oh and don't forget the ACMA can read this forum and can subpoena the posts as evidence in court if they prosecute you.)

A lot of people on here don't have a great opinion of CB'ers as it is and the things you're saying and doing aren't helping change that image. In fact they're just reinforcing the idea that CB'ers are a bunch of cowboys who couldn't care less what the laws are, they'll do what they please.
Doug Bell (Zebedee) VK6DB
WARSUG Forum Administrator.

It is very dark.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
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