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The CB Phenomnenon

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the CB society phenomenon History of the CB   The Americans Truckers French Pioneers 1980: Citizen Band becomes a plugged leisure The big boom of the summer 92 The tribe of Citizen Band Players :its language, its customs,   The first not of a cibiste The language of cibisteses Indicatives Practices Visuses   The convivial CB   The big family Solidarity between cibistes Anonymity   A few small things thatyou should know   Women in the tribe Porteuseses The violence of middle cibiste   The utilitarian CB   CB and world of the road The day of a happy cibiste Truck drivers, big Lord of the CB, The other decorate-professional uses

THE CB up to TIP OF THE WORLD   The DXseurses Whoare they, what are they doing? Hubert Montailloux, the waves globe Trotter X-ray amateurs and earphones THE CIBISTESS IN THE SOCIETY   The social role of cibisteses: Cibisteses to the service of the road security The CB as new relational means CB and exclude the society of communication The aid to the competitions sportswoman Portrait of SOS CB Carole Institutions of the CB   The associative life The FFCBL The FFCBAR The setting authorized of the CB   The tax The pollution of waves International comparisons   B.A technical BA: THE CB EXPLIQUÉE TO SYLVIE Appendix:   Small convenient advices Dictionary of terms used

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THE CB PHENOMENON OF SOCIETY: THE NEW TAM TAM

You already have all sensible to speak of the CB. But you are some to know all possibilities of it and to have an objective picture of it? Truck drivers, drivers, permit to points, more roguish conversations.... It is probably the first words that come you to the mind. The collective imagery assimilates a little quickly the cibiste to the young driver who serves himself of it as of a weapon anti-radar. Know yourselves that the CB can give place to the multiple uses, of the discussion of district to the call long distance, and that users can be also physicians, the sporty associations or agriculturists.

Appeared in years 60, the CB knew a very strong expansion in the United States in years 70, to reach France in the beginning of years 80. Marginal phenomenon until the summer 92, she/it is passes some to become a leisure of mass, for the same reason as the windsurfing or the microcomputing,: 5 millions of stations on the market, 2,5 millions of occasional cibisteses, 500 000 passionate of waves.... One finds of now and already more cibistes than of people possessing a computer at home.

Although one speaks a lot more of the radiophone, the CB is a device rife 100 times. One can even say that she/it is the middle principal of radiocommunication used of by the world. The CB would be one of phenomena of the most prominent society of the decade 80.

He/it is strong likely, that in the next years, as it is already the case in the United States, the CB becomes in France a current equipment good, for the same reason as the car radio. Some importers of material as Claude Schmitz even go until to bet on a rate of automotive equipment of 70%.

Each in its setting knows a cibiste, but few people appraise to its just value the size of this phenomenon. If the technical manuals abound, one doesn't find, on the other hand, nearly no survey of land on the topic. Our first surprise was to discover that no one, even among cibisteses, didn't know the exact role of the CB in the society. We decided to transform us in cibiste during some months therefore in order to make to share you our experience and to brush a picture, that is not certainly exhaustive, but as exact as possible. We hope through our experience, to permit you to penetrate in the tribe of cibisteses, to discover its dialect, its rituals and its big priests.

While writing this book, we thought about three categories of public: cibisteses themselves, people who want to initiate to the CB and those that wish to simply discover a phenomenon of society remained until then little known.

The first will acquire a more general vision there that the one authorized by the simple convenient. They will learn a set of tricks there also and of << hoses >> to improve and to vary their activities. The second will find many advices there to avoid the beginner's gropings and to spring more efficiently to the discovery of waves. As for the last category, we would wish that the reading of this book permits him to discover the multiple uses and passions that can generate the CB and, why not, gives him desire to experiment it to its tower.

But why to interest itself/themselves to the CB will ask me you? We are convinced that she/it remains one of the rare leisures encouraging the communication between people, while allowing a way back to the primitive tribe: the one where everybody speaks himself and takes conscience of its adherence to the human community. She/it has the advantage besides in these times of crisis to be accessible to all stock market.

On time where one speaks so many the world networks of communication, where the earth would have become a gigantic global village, it is not necessary to forget networks of proximity that, alone, maintain some convivial relations between people. Whereas he/it became current to be able to speak with interlocutors of the whole earth, he/it is more and more rare to converse with its neighbor of landing.

The mass media becomes every day more omnipresent, but the CB is the only means of mass communication put to the disposition of the big public. Our needs can henceforth be satisfy with a minimum of contact human. These yet remain primordial for our emotional balance. The rooms of village empty themselves, the small trades disappear, families disperse themselves..... The modern communication tools are often sophisticated too much for the common of mortals and especially too expensive for an extensive use. The CB proposes an alternative therefore to take out the man modern of its isolation while multiplying its possibilities of contacts endlessly.

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CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF THE CITIZEN BAND

Before landing the practice of the CB he/it is interesting to know this one how was born, is developed himself to finally impose itself/themselves as the first world radiocommunication means.

its history begins with the invention of the cordless telegraphy in 1894 some years after the one of the telephone. But it will be necessary to wait for World War II to see to appear the first portable radio-communication devices, more known as Talkies Walkies. The finished war, troops Americans returned to the country, abandoning a very important material of radiocommunication on which immediately hurried some amateur and old electricians soldiery to the retirement there.

Two years later in 1947 takes place to Atlantic City in the United States a world conference to distribute the hertzian frequencies between the different users: services of broadcasting, soldiery, medical services... Alone a strip, the 27 Megahertzes, remain too much unused because of its propagation aléatoire[1 ]. The conference decides to concede it to the free utilization of citizens therefore: it will be the Citizen Band, CB.

The CB remains however during about ten years a phenomenon very reserved dropout to the aware electricians who they-even construct their emitters with the help of military surpluses. It is the heavy, cumbersome devices and a delicate handling, functioning with lamps that must heat before can be used. We are to hundred small technical marvel miles that we know today.

The CB would not have passed this stadium of the tinkering for learner-wizards without the apparition in 1958 of the transistor that will revolutionize the world of the radiocommunication while permitting the miniaturization of stations. One will see to the middle of years 60 the stake thus on the market of on board usable devices of vehicles and especially conceived for the use of the 27 MHzes.

After the impact of a technical evolution, it will be a political event that will have consequences on the development of the CB. In 1973 explodes the war of the Kippour between Israel and the Arabian countries, dragging an explosion of the price of oil. In order to make savings of energy, authorities Americans decide to reduce limitations of speed severely: to foil controls of Police and to continue to respect their delays of deliveries truck drivers (Truckers in English) equip themselves massively of stations CB[2 ]. This phenomenon remains however typically American: they are already more than 2 millions to the United States when in France one only finds 6000 cibisteses to the time.

The impact to the United States will be as even the movies inspires itself of this new practice and dedicate him in 1975 a movie << The convoy >>, a televised set << The sheriff runs me after >> and a telefilm << White line fever >>. After Westerns, it is the time of glory of them << Road Movies >> that put in phenomenal shoppings pursuit stage between of the armed policemen until teeth and convoys of truck drivers: cibisteses became the new Indian.

The most known movie << The convoy >> tells the history of about ten truck drivers that crosses the big plains and tell themselves of jokes through the intermediary of the CB. But policemen are to the monitoring of the 27 also. A maggoty and half mad policeman takes them in hunt and their fact to undergo one thousand and one kids drew, until the moment where the worn out truck drivers flank him a thrashing. Start an incredible race pursuit then. Thanks to the CB, Rubber Duck, the ringleader of truck drivers, launch a generalized call and succeeds in uniting a gigantic convoy of about hundred trucks, accommodating policemen to let them calm.

The CB becomes so popular to the United States that truck drivers are imitated quickly by the whole of the population. The growth is spectacular, and one will count in 1976 until 30 millions of users, that is more an American on 10 (By comparison one only finds currently a cibiste for 20 French). With 500 000 new licenses granted per month, the CB becomes even during some years the strongest consumption of electronics of all times, far before televisions colors or the pocket-size calculators. Good player, the administration American encourages besides strongly its diffusion to improve the security on roads.

Paradoxically, it is its success that will drag its decline: users become so numerous that the 40 channels are saturated soon permanently. The end of years 70 mark therefore a clean receding of the phenomenon, pushing manufacturers of CB to look for new markets Across the Atlantic. The phenomenon arrives then in France with ten years of shift in relation to the United States and under a well attenuated shape.

Beginnings of the CB French

If it is to the beginning of years 80 only that the CB became a phenomenon of fashion in France, one finds the first cibisteses since the end of years 60. Some daring French, back from America begin to bring back stations of CB, and of others, to buy some in the reserved supermarkets to troops of work Americans of Germany. Some construct their material while recovering some professional stations. They sometimes go until to use boxes of canned food to lodge their station!!!

One even whispers that the first CBS stations contributed to the success of May 68 demonstrations students: the CRSS didn't come back some, stations of students were perfected more that theirs. Jack Drat, that always holds a small boutique in the 3èmth precinct of Paris remembers with emotion of meetings fevered that was held in its rear boutique, one of the alone to the time to sell stations: << One redid the world all the evenings with people come of all social horizons. I never saw an as big social brewing that to this time on the CB. >>

One finds all indeed indeed among these pioneers of waves, of the enthusiast of electronics to the old loaded soldier of transmissions during the war, while passing by the adventurer of the tip of the world, and the ambulance man. Their dawns truly common that is this same thirst of communication with the unknown. It is a passion that to the time costs dear: some spend more than 1500 francs to be able to equip himself, what represents to the time the middle salary of one month of work. And again they arrange that of very rudimentary stations only including 6 channels, that they are obliged to modify as adding quartzes to permit them to give out on frequencies remained unused.

It is sufficient however amply to dive our learners wizards in an entirely new world. Jean Luc Cury, one of these pioneers, doesn't relive with a lot of emotion its first in the ether: << He/it reigned on the frequency a troubling silence and one had the impression to rape a temple curses no one where had penetrated again. One felt surpuissants as if one had possessed a secret weapon >>. He/it remembers with fun to have spoken with children who played with their Talkies Walkieses: these had been astonished so to hear an unknown voice that they had left in tear close to their mother.

At the hour of the Bi Bop and the GSM where we are saturated of mobile communication, he/it is difficult to imagine the revolution that represented the CB. We were again in a very traditional France, the one of << 22 to Asnières >>., where the common of mortals waited of years before having the telephone at home and where the evocation of the pink minitel or the telephone of car would have been a matter for the science fiction. There was not no more the same freedom of speech that today, but one discovered it on the CB.

The enthusiasm of these wave défricheurses causes the creation of an association myriad militating for the official recognition of the CB very quickly: the AFA (Association French of Amateurs Radio) in 1967, then macaws (Friendly Radio Aid Help) and the SNAC(Syndicat National of the Radiocommunications of Leisure). Merchants see them as the party that they can extricate this new fashion. First to get involved in the race, François Tourres since 1974 imported of the CBS devices come from the United States under the Midland mark. The following year opens up to Paris the first specialized store, << Guy Mocquet Electronic >>.

Although she/it begins to take the size, this fashion will pass a long time unobserved of the public powers: only some professions (ambulance men, taxicabs, police...) are allowed to use means of communication by hertzian way (one called these émetteurs/récepteurses of radiophones, although they don't have anything to see with telephones of car that we know today). The other people must be content with small Talkies Walkies for enfants[3 ], toys of which the distance of broadcast doesn't pass about hundred meters.

Curiously the purchase of material is allowed but not its utilization. If the CB is not forbidden as such legalized nor, her in tomb not less under the influence of the existing legislation: all broadcast radio must get the previous authorization of the ministry of the PTTS. The incurred pains can go until one year of confinement and 36000 francs of fine. To make the CB in years 70 was not restful: soon the public powers let make, soon they decided to rage, intervening party to the domicile of cibisteses, dragging them in suit. Gérard remembers of these clandestineness times: << All depended the mood of polices, the actuality and relations that one maintained with them: he/it was sufficient of one moment of tension, or that a neighbor denounces you so that you went to jail. >> One even tells the history of one Radio amateur that spied on the strip of the 27 and rackettait cibisteses, threatening them with denouncing them to the public powers if they refused to pour him the agreed sum.

If the administration grumbled a lot before legalizing the CB, it is that it was about the first open breach in the monopoly of state on telecommunications and broadcastings: everything that passed by the way of waves had to be controled duly there by the state and him had then nor free radio, nor chains of private television.... This attitude can appear a little retrograde today where we live in the days of wild déréglementation, but it is quite comprehensible in the context of the time.

The ministry of the PTT(Poste Telegraph and Telecommunication) had thought to propose to cibisteses to pass by networks of téléconvivialité or to baffle the frequency of the 27 on the 900 MHzes. They never wanted to hear to speak some: indeed they would have had to resort to the a lot more perfected devices then and therefore even dearer for an even more reduced propagation.

The origin merely American of this phenomenon also annoys defenders of the francophonie. In 1979, then same that the CB is not always legalized, a commission essayera to impose the term of Public Strip (BP) instead the CB term. Others to give him a more French-speaking connotation make initials of it of << Disguised Channels >>, transforming word cibistes of it << cébiste >>.

 

And the CB becomes a plugged leisure

In spite of the public power reticences, the media interests himself more and more to this new means of communication. The new stations that arrive on the market become perfected more and more for a price still lower: quartzes are replaced henceforth by synthesizers of frequencies that permit to have a bigger number of channels. During the summer 80, the CB that was not until then the appendage that of some hurluberluses, becomes a phenomenon of fashion. It is sudden the euphoria: truck drivers equip themselves massively, about hundred associations see the day. Five magazines paraissent[4 ], strap each to more than 40 000 copies... It is the time where one leaves to make the tour of the world with a " President Grant " for all viatique, where one organizes them << visus >> (meetings in the CB language) collective Place of the Concorde in Paris.

To make the CB, it is also a shape of contention and call to the conviviality. The hour is to the creativeness all azimuths: magazines of the time look further like the alternative newspapers that to the substitute of "Auto motorcycle " that they became today: one hesitates there before no graphic or verbal delirium.

The public powers observe this effervescence of a bad œil and decide in November 1980 to forbid the import of the material CB merely. In weeks that follow, a tradesman lyonnais, Raymond Marti sees so the administration of customs to seize the 12 000 stations of its stock. This episode gives place to a suit of 12 years that has just been exactly won by the importing poor wretch: customs have been condemned to pay for the strongest indemnity that they never had to repay all their history.

But cibisteses don't hear him of this ear and multiply the spontaneous demonstrations. One among them will gather more than 15 000 of them on the circuit of the 24 hours in the Mans. Perceiving of the importance of the reaction, the Giscard government changes strategy and announce a law for the end of the year. The associative middle is delighted but its joy is short length: he/it is not consulted by the administration and the norm published (answering to the soft name of NFC92411) is completely maladjusted to needs of cibisteses: she/it only permits 22 channels and 2 watts of strength whereas most stations on the market make more than 80 channels and are declared therefore of illegal office. Associations put down a recourse before the Council of state: the norm is annulled for vice of procedure. Return to the slot departure. All remains to make.

Conscious of the electoral stake, the left writes down the liberation of waves in its common program and doesn't promise less than 100 channels.

The showbiz and the world of medias also infatuate themselves of this new means of communication: Coluche, Gainsbourg, Renaud, Jean Claude Bouret, Jean Pierre Foucault, Herbert Leonardo, Gérard Lenormand.... get to modulate. The famous collection of charm " worldly " Brigade publishes " A pink channel for cibisteses ", while Dalida sings " Confidence on the Frequency ". The CB is beautiful and become well therefore a social phenomenon a strength that will count in the next presidential elections: one appraises to this time the number of cibistes to 300 000.

The station peripheral " Europe 1 " mingles himself of it to its tower and dedicate him very quickly a daily broadcast between 1 and 2 hours in the morning: cibisteses come to speak of their passion, one launches some general calls.... Meynier max also opens to cibisteses its famous broadcast " truck drivers are friendly " on RTL.

The first lounge of the CB opens up to the Park of Exhibitions of the door of Versailles. He/it welcomes several ten of cibistes thousand whereas today Saradel, the most important lounge, hardly totals 5000 of them. The magazine QSO Magazine publishes a directory of cibisteses, so that they can meet according to their affinities.

In 1981, benefitting the launching of the second Paris-Dakar rally, François Tourres, importer of the Midland mark, team gracefully each committed vehicle in the competition of one of its stations to permit them to communicate between them, to order spare parts, or same to have news of their families remained in France.

These stations prove to be more effective than the official radiocommunication means and journalists use them even to be able to dictate their articles to their respective writings. The demonstration is conclusive, the CB made its proofs.

During the month of July of the same year, broadcast télévisuelle " files of the screen " dedicate a debate to the CB at hours of big monitoring. To make a demonstration of the efficiency of this new media, a " visu collective " passer-by in direct to the broadcast is organized in the 18èmth precinct. The place of appointment is given only one time on the channel of call: in less than one hour, more than 500 cibisteses will arrive to the big astonishment of promoters of the broadcast.

What the Giscard government had hesitated to achieve, the new government of left is going to drag him definitely. The hour is to the liberty of waves; the free radios are legalized and the most open their antenna to cibisteses. Yet, the new government remains more finicky screw to screw of cibisteses.

One doesn't change ten years of censorship of the day to the following day, of as much more that lobbieses anti-cibisteses are numerous: high commissioners of the Télécomses, ministry of the inside, Broadcasting of France but as radio amateurs ...Des meetings and negotiations take place however and clear currently in force in December 1982 on the adoption of the norm: 40 channels in FM, AM and BLU, maximum strength of 4 watts.

The opening is so complete that some years later, noting that a lot of young see themselves private of their favorite leisure at the time of their conscription, Charles Hernu will allow the use of the CB barrack-loud in the place if he is some of the freedom of speech!

More seriously, one will see a national symposium of the medical emergency dedicating a sitting to the CB theme " and road " security. Finally, roof of the official recognition: the Parliament European takes a resolution in thankful March 84 " the importance and the development of the CB as middle of expression and communication.

One counts to this time a few 600 000 cibisteses: their number has been multiplied by two in less than one year. But paradoxically, on time where the CB finally sees its fully recognized role, she begins to lose little by little of its dynamism.

Associations don't have more of reason to fight; the CB become legal, disguises himself; one speaks less of them and one nearly comes to forget him. What doesn't prevent sales of materials to continue to progress and figures of the ministry of the Télécomses count a million of cibistes at the end of years 80.

The permit to points

Two events stroke on stroke is going to throw back the CB fashion during the summer 92: the permit to points and the strike of truck drivers. To pull up the road hecatomb, the Bérégovoy government institutes the permit to points: the serious infringements will drag the shrinking of points henceforth and therefore the progressive loss of the permit. Panic at drivers: there where they only incurred a fine, they risk to see to withdraw itself/themselves their permit during several months henceforth.

Truck drivers who make of kilometer thousand every week to the wheel of their trucks feel especially vulnerable and menaced. They oppose firmly to the permit to points and ask for the specific amenities for professionals of the road. To get satisfaction and to show their discontent, they organize dams that paralyze France during about fifteen days at the time of the big departure of vacations therefore. The CB, of which they are nearly all equipped, becomes their essential weapon: launching of words of order, signaling of the police strengths... To every instant every truck driver communicates with its friends.

French don't linger to discover the efficiency of this technique to the televised newspaper. The effect is immediate; dealers of materials are taken of assault and their stocks are exhausted in some days: 500 000 stations traitors between months of July and September, that is to say as much that to the course of the 5 previous years. Noting this obstruction the property men auto, the big surfaces and professionals of the mail order starts proposing the material CB.

Some specialized stores create themselves in all the France. The price of the CBS stations is the even that there are ten years and it is henceforth easier to buy some than to equip itself/themselves of a car radio thanks to the direct branching on lights him cigar.

It is a real godsend for the 5 importers sharing market French: they see in some weeks the business number multiplied by three. One among them, Dirler its is classified even among the 100 the most effective enterprises of the year 92 by an economic magazine. To adjust to this new clientele importers multiply the small stations, the CBS in shape of car telephone and the discreet antennas.

In the beginning 93, the last available figures announce a few 2,5 millions of cibistes, but most optimistic, as Philippe Clédat, director of the magazine CB Connection thinks that there are not less 3,5 millions of churchgoers for about 5 millions of stations on the market.

The CB is not anymore the appendage of the small youngster that decorates its car of rims chromium-plated, of a multicolored sunshade and fuzz on the back shelf. Henceforth everybody uses him, as well the pensioner who wants to come out of its solitude that the superior setting making conferences to the four corners of the world or the SAMU of province. This movement doesn't have anything of comparable however to the phenomenon of society that could have represented the CB in the beginning of years 80. She/it was then the last space of liberty to conquer, the one of years 90 became an individualistic consumption product. The conviviality gets lost to costs of the utilitarian there: one chats less all and of nothing, one wants to know rightly << if the road is own >>, that is to say if if there are not radar or policemen on the horizon.

He/it creates himself/itself however a new generation of cibistes that after having bought some small mobile stations mainly in an utilitarian goal, equip themselves of upscale stations and discover himself a real passion for the CB. Figures of the mark President importer, show besides that one finds as many people that buys a station for the first time of their life henceforth nearly that of people who renews their material.

After one year of very strong consecutive growth to the boum of the summer 92, sales are nearly today come back to their previous level. Importers who had felt wind in stern must review their hopes to the decrease, of as much more that they are supervised closely by the ministry of Telecommunications and the fiscal administration, that make hunt to the material no ratified. For the first time of its history the ministry of Telecommunications suspended for three months approvals of two importers, not allowing them anymore to sell their stations.

Philippe Clédat appraises that we arrive in a period hinge of its development and he becomes of as much more urgent to institute a real code of deontology institutionalizing the CB like the other leisures of mass. It will permit him not to stay a marginal practice and to the sulfurous reputation, vaguely fought by the state.

Opinions are shared very on the future of the CB. For some as Claude Schmitz, director of the society President, the CB is going to become an as indispensable equipment good that the car radio, of others as Marc Bernard of QSO Magazine appraises that she will remain a marginal phenomenon, computers of car and the radiophone giving back it to obsolete term.

Indeed of now and already some constructors car put on the market of computers embarked.... But the time seems again far where one will be able to use to least price its radio-telephone outside of agglomerations and the big road axes. The CB keeps of beautiful days before her.

 

Some prominent dates: 1894: Invention of the cordless telegraphy 1939: Invention of the Talkie Walkie 1947: Conference of City Atlantic that concedes the use of the 27 Mhzes to the free utilization of citizens 1958: Invention of the transistor 1965: Apparition of the first cibisteses in France 1967: Creation of the first associations 1973: One counts a few 6000 Cibisteses in France 1980: Gigantic demonstrations through France First legalization of the CB in 22 channels and 2 watts 1981: Creation of 5 magazines of CB 1982: Legalization of the CB 40 channels 4 watt AM FM BLUS 1990: Creation of a norm European of the CB 1992: The individual license is replaced by a tax of 300 francs directly paid by the importer 1994: The tax is modulated according to the price of the station.

 

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CHAPTER 3
ALL WHAT IT is NECESSARY to KNOW HOW TO to BECOME A MEMBER OF THE TRIBE: A LANGUAGE AND its CUSTOMS.
 

You that have égaillé my long evenings of winter

When in my Mike I delivered to open cœur

My joy renewed for a new world

That he/it was local or far my QSO.

Read poem at random of a CB magazine

The conviviality:

Imagine that he/it is sufficient you, quietly installed at you, to light your CB station to recover you sudden with about ten ready friends to discuss with you. It is what can arrive you if you exercise the CB during some weeks, the time to meet the different cibisteses of your city. Indeed, if she/it is used mainly on the road and in an utilitarian goal, the CB also gives place to numerous convivial practices: she/it becomes then a way to chat with buddies without having to nor move to spend money. There are the accustomed of the 27 as there are the accustomed of the Coffee of the Trade. They find again all evenings, after work to discuss events of the day, to tell itself/themselves their small misfortunes and their small daily joys.

During the day conversations remain brief and utilitarian: it is the CB of drivers. The frequency begins to only enliven itself/themselves toward 18 hours. At 22 o'clock the feast beats its full. It is the hour of the détente: One went in from the job, the meal is finished, children are lain down, the social life takes its rights. Everybody calls while trying to make the middle of porteuseses hear itself/themselves.

" Périgord in frequency, Choupette are you there "? " Here Neptune, do you copy me Atlanta "? - Didn't " you hear Métallica "? Breako " " Vas there the station wagon ", The newcomer is often welcomed heartily on the frequency. Each presents himself and give its " QTH ". To the picture of that that happens on the big boulevards, the crowd attracts the crowd and it is not rare to hear ten station wagons that arrive the some following others. One sometimes attends real proceedings, called " rotating " QSOS, organized around a theme of actuality and that can last several hours in a row: floodings, the sporty meetings, the new governmental measures....

The 27 is besides particularly saturated at the time of the big events that raise the collective emotion. Everybody tries to express its feelings, to give its opinion and to know the one of others.

On every channel organize himself of the small groups according to affinities of each with to its head a cibiste chevronné called " captain of QSO " who distributes times of word and play the role of moderator. On the 11 it is rather amateurs of motorcycle, the 15 is the channel of the original cibisteses of the south of France: one discusses gastronomy there, one annotates the last match of rugby there. It is sometimes about spontaneous and casual grouping of people that speaks themselves for the first time of their life, but often also of group of friends that gives themselves appointment daily on waves. In villages one even hears of old agriculturists to speak of the last vêlage, of the crop that arrives and of rains that risk to compromise the harvest.

The CB is a means very efficient to bind knowledge with people of its district. In two years of Arnaud modulation, high school student to Compiègne, be proud to recognize the voice of all cibisteses of the region. Even in an as big city that Paris most cibisteses << convivial >> know themselves more or less or possess relations in common.

One also finds a lot of teenagers on waves and he/it is not rare to modulate with a young of 12/13 years. Life in a small city is often monotonous: one finds again well alone after having gone in from the college, if one doesn't have the age to recover all buddies to the coffee of the corner again.

Arnaud makes left of these wave jeunotses. He/it discovered the CB thanks to a teacher of physics. This one had brought a émetteur/récepteur in progress to illustrate the principle of electric wave propagation. Captivated by possibilities of the CB, Arnaud decided with four friends to equip itself/themselves in order to be able to make their duties in common.

Although the CB is mainly a lone activity, one sometimes hears of couples to modulate together. He/it is me thus several times arrived while rolling in countryside to follow some domestic conversations: the son made its duties home, the mother sold its bread in its bakery and the father made its deliveries; some kilometers separate them the some of others but the CB permits them to remain in permanent contact.

At Métallica, road of profession, one is cibiste of father in son, each modulating at its hours. All began when he/it installed a station in its domicile to be able to communicate with Mona, its wife, at the time of its displacements. What was only a work tool became very quickly the family's favorite hobby, each there finding a particular use. Mona discusses while doing with its friends all the household. As for their sons, more attracted by the technical aspect, he/it passed its license of radio amateur then. Even their big mother of 80 years is equipped of it, what replaces the téléalarme very advantageously,: to the least pip he/it is sufficient him to push on its microphone so that someone is alerted.

The CB it is made to discuss and to give itself/themselves strokes of hand. Some tell to have found an use thanks to the CB. She/it can also give more or less place to all one small traffic heap licit and advisable: resale of stations flown, or even of weapon sales.

The solidarity of middle cibiste:

The newcomer on the modulates won't miss to be surprised by the fraternity and the courtesy of exchanges: Everybody himself tutoie on the CB and interlocutors himself seer doesn't multiply the courtesy signs. " All my regards to you the station. I send you my better numbers. " One warms itself on waves thanks to a multitude of small emotional rituals: one elects the station of honor of the night, one congratulates himself, one doesn't present himself one another ...Rien is worth the feeling to belong to an oppressed and vaguely clandestine minority to tighten itself/themselves elbows.

Station to chatterboxes and the impolite: they made to glue itself/themselves a bad reputation quickly and no cibiste will want to go in in contact with them. And those that notice surmoduler others are reproven unanimously.

On the modulates, one is all equals, all equals,: there is not young, nor old, nor poor, nor rich ...on is all lodged to the same sign. In spite of anonymity and the briefness of exchanges, the CB relation creates a feeling of immediate complicity and sympathy: " if you make of the CB that is that you are well a guy, cool... .comme me." Of studies scientific Americans showed that the CB permitted to reduce the social segregation while allowing interlocutors of races and different classes who never met to find a place of communication.

One gives himself strokes of hand, one palms off to itself hoses: he/it even happened to me to make explain to repair me how my lava dish by the way of waves. When one asks for a radio-control, he/it is not rare that the station that answers you is going until to move to drive you until the indicated address. He/it is sometimes sufficient that a car, that possesses an antenna, crosses you so that its driver invites you to eat lunch.

One enough often sees in the specialized press of petitions to defend a friend cibiste facing rigors of the law. And if a dies its friends of waves contribute to help its widow in the need. We must confess that we were very pleasantly surprised by the extreme solicitude and heat human of cibisteses that we met: some not hesitating to lengthen their journey of several hundred of kilometers to permit us to attend a lounge or to shelter us at home....

THE VISUSS

As in all relation comes from afar one day where the curiosity carries away him and where one wishes to compare the reality to the picture that one made himself of the correspondent. Who didn't have the temptation to be going to see the mirror on the other hand? When two cibisteses modulated a certain time together and that he/it discovered himself/itself of affinities, they can decide to meet in a public place. One also finds in most cities of France of the collective practice places, often situated to the top of a hill, place where the propagation is better and permits the more faraway contacts. Evenings of week end one attends real crowds of cars parked the some next to the another one of where escape an uproar of conversations.

Don't deduct some while visuses are current currency: everybody speaks some but alone a minority himself devotes there regularly. Contrary to the convivial carrying trades whose goal is to permit the meeting in the face for the majority of users to face, the CB enough rarely gives place to relations out frequency. The emotional reports are there besides rare enough. Whereas carrying trades on minitel have for final objective the meets sexual, the CB encourages rather a communication on the friendly fashion. An excites the imaginary and fantasize them, while the other disguises the human reports that remain built-in in a social group: the minitel permits relations to two whereas with the CB it is always about several intervening party relation.

It doesn't prevent the specialized press to nearly announce every month marriages of cibistes however and some associations even organize the dance-visus to encourage unions " endogameses ", that is to say within the tribe.

The most beautiful history of love been born by the CB us heard him of the mouth of Daniel and Chantal. All two original some Central Massif worked in Toulouse, Chantal in its lounge of beautician and Daniel to the aerospace. Newcomer in the region, they felt isolated. The luck wanted that they buy a CB station to occupy their long evenings of winter. What had to arrive arrived and they found again one day on the same channel. Of question in question he/it discovered himself/itself of multiple affinities. Since the first evening him troubled became love at first sight. << Channel 11 tomorrow at the same hour. >>... ..Jour after day during several months. And then disaster, the station of Chantal fell in breakdown. The anguish seized it: would she/it succeed in recovering Daniel? Nearly one week before its station is repaired. What joy to recover Daniel on the usual channel. It was not necessary to take this risk more. He/it decided to make their first therefore << Visu >> and to exchange their coordinates. Since, they didn't leave themselves anymore. Unite by the CB they decided to make their life of it and left their respective professions to get involved in the adventure of the trade. Their store France CB opened its doors thus in January 92, just after their marriage..

Well more numerous are however disappointments caused by the CB: " It is not obvious to have relations in the face to face when one knew himself on the modulates: one has sudden more anything to say itself/themselves, one perceives that one is not at all the same world. " It is what explains that most cibisteses prefer to avoid visuses systematically, leave to go without from a good meeting. " The CB it is made to remain an imaginary relation and it is a lot better so. Often it is with the visu that all boredoms begin. " Martin, VRP in the south of France, remembers to have exchanged heaps of QSL thus with a neighbor of Toulouse without having ever wished to meet it.

If we found a lot of heat on the Citizen Band, we also met the disappointed of this inn Spaniard. Dynamite, cibiste Parisian questioned on waves, doesn't remember in two years of intensive practice to have had only one really interesting relation: " the CB it is as in a disco, the communication is biaisée, one sweeps, one gets in stage. One mistrusts, one knows that all that it is the game. Then one meets and then one throws itself. Passes the first moment of surprise, some too either ask for some don't bring enough themselves. They quit one day or the other collects them of friendship to be content with to make jokes and << to speak of ass >>.

It is necessary to be realist, don't hope that all QSOS " give place to proceedings of ideas. The layman will be surprised on the contrary by the immense triviality of exchanges that it hears on the 27: one speaks there a lot, of rain and good weather, of the circulation, but one doesn't say anything of important there practically. For that didn't initiate, the CB it is a succession of conversation scraps. And then a beautiful day, by dint of to plug itself/themselves, one becomes a member of the tribe: what one found banal one appreciates him because it is the life of the group. And after all this is not the exact reflection of the daily life?

The pleasure of anonymity

Did you never feel the desire to manufacture an ideal picture of yourself and to communicate with the unknown? Not with the faraway planets, but simply with people whom you cross about hundred time in the street without ever having the opportunity to go in in contact with them. One of our interlocutor told us to have known its neighbor to palliate thanks to the CB: << before that is exactly if one told himself hello and if he/it didn't look at me of shortcoming. Since one modulated together, one became the best friends of the world. >>

The anonymity of exchanges is one of aspects most important of the CB: no one knows you, you finally feel free to say what you want. This anonymity permits to go farther that in relations of face-to-face and to break rules established of the plain socialité, encouraging so confidences; nothing is programmed and all can occur.

As underlines it well the sociologist Marc Guillaume in its work " The contagion of passions " the anonymous media permit to arrange a strength of commutation without limit to choose its privileged partners: this is not anymore one, but of about ten different people that you have in front of you.

Dominique Boullier, only sociologist to have bent on this phenomenon, go again farther since he/it affirms << The protection of the intimacy that permits the CB changes so in a game of mask allowing all transgressions. >>

Suspense is played at two levels, the one of the fiction and the one of the passage of the imaginary to the real: go one to meet? What is the real identity of my interlocutor?

Even characters the better built-in to the social life feel this need. One of my most extraordinary meetings was the one of Joël L, a professor of medicine reputed and admired. its work brings him to surrender hebdomadairement in province to give conferences there. One day while stopping to a station service to make the full, he/it discovered a station " President ". Curious, he/it bought it impulsively as doesn't import what gadget. And he/it is let take itself/themselves to the game. With the CB he/it can come completely out of the social role in which its statute and its respectable age quarter it. Behind the microphone, he/it is not anymore the professor of medicine but a cibiste as others; he/it can say whatever to approve all fantasies to invent itself/themselves all characters: the filmstar, the lone navigator, the butcher of the village.

The CB is oldest and the used more of the anonymous communication media, as one knows them with the pink Minitel or networks of téléconvivialité. One finds to the United States of very numerous CB Simulator, way of convivial electronic carrying trades, whose working has been traced on the one of the CB, besides. Every channel is dedicated to a particular activity: the Channel 22 is reserved to the aged people, while youngsters find again of preference on the Channel 10. An interactive newspaper allows every user to distribute its own information. An organizer is in charge of presenting the new members of the network to elders.

CHAPTER 4 A FEW SMALL THINGS THAT IT is NECESSARY to KNOW THERE BEFORE HIMSELF how to PUT:

All tribes have their social features and their problems. Cibisteses don't escape there. One of the most striking features is the weak proportion of woman and their difficulty to integrate this virile universe. Reflection of our world, the CB is not to the shelter of pests nor the violence.

Women on waves: the YLS

You will realize very quickly that one meets very few women on waves: about one for ten men. Rare are those that use the CB like a real fashion of sociability. This is very often that the passenger of a " push " (car) that distracts himself while its conducted OM and that their QRPPS and QRPPettes (small boys and small girls) listen, on the backseat. As for purchasers of CB stations it is to 95% of men.

All YLS (young ladies) will say it to you, as soon as they start modulating the OMS are legion to ask them of Station wagons, of as much more that the sharp " voices pass good " on waves.

Some OMS fear so for the morality of their YL (wife), that they prefer to keep the " Mike " home before lending them the car. " At least, like that one is on that she/it is not going to make bad meeting.

A YL on waves doesn't have the easy life: Sarah even remembers of have been tracked with the help of gonioses and directional antennas. More more that in the plain life, a woman must know to make respect itself/themselves. Annie makes left of those that have knew to tame men: " I have the reputation to be a hard to cook. When a OM passes limits, I make him know it. And generally he/it doesn't restart two times in succession. Others no more. All knows himself very quickly on the 27.

If a lot of women feel attacked on the modulates, on the contrary for others this one is an element of security. Chantal lives alone in a freestanding house: " I am always afraid of rovers. I am reassured since I have the CB: I could immediately warn the other cibisteses of my aggression. It is even more convenient than the telephone: my friends live far from here and the Police would put a lot more of time to intervene ".

the wife of the cibiste: the XYL

In this world of the CB, he/it is another YL that, such the Arlesienne, didn't make its apparition again. It is yet about a very important actor, even though he/it doesn't take the microphone. The CB goes can be to fill you, but know that she risks to make a poor wretch, your wife, your XYL as one calls him on waves.

For good number among them, the arrival of the CB has been discerned like a blessing: in short the husband is going to remain home in front of its station. More of meetings in coffees, more of drink abuse, the husband doesn't risk any more to be driven to make the tour of taverns and to spend the money of the household. He/it finally subtracted the pack of men, this so dangerous society shape for the family's cohesion, for the education of children! One knows where he/it is, one knows what he/it makes, one will have him under the hand to repair miles and a tinker that fall in breakdown in the house.

But well often, the victory is short length and the wife realizes that its husband's cibiste is absorbed so by waves that it is not at all available for the remainder of the household quickly: more question to plant a nail or to make recite the multiplication table of the last. Very quickly he/it is content more to modulate in AM and gets to contacts long distance. He/it passes there its nights, its weekends and vacations are chosen according to the propagation of waves. He/it becomes impossible to listen to the television, the chain Hi Fi or same to phone: all the household resounds CQ DX ". Complaints for scrambling Television follow each other. The family becomes soon the object of all gossiping ways: One even whispers in the vicinity that its husband is an agent to the service of the CIA.

The situation worsens our cibiste indeed bitten of the DX when writes down himself to a club and go from meeting in meeting. The dear half begins to achieve that it shouted victory well too early. But the worse is to come again when its husband's DXeur goes in while announcing him that he is going to participate in a Contest during a Week End in top of the White Mount or to a DX expedition of three weeks in the Faeroes islands in the so terrible conditions that he is not evidently question that she is the journey!

It explains that the CB is sometimes conjugal rupture reason. Laurent and Myriem that hold a specialized store in Bordeaux, don't count their customers more pending of divorce: << It is besides often our turn to play referees, to explain to our customers to the leeway that it would be necessary that he/it spends a few less times in its attic and a few in bed with its wife. >> As for the other leisures, the best way to avoid these small problems will be to interest your woman to the CB.
 
 

THE PARASITAGESS:

Became you therefore a fierce cibiste. Very quickly you are going to perceive that he/it exists numerous disruptions giving back or even sometimes in a row all impossible communication during some seconds, some minutes, several hours. These disruptions can even come sudden to interrupt a conversation.

It is necessary to distinguish two types of parasitages. Some, the QRMS, have for atmospheric or industrial disruption origin. Sometimes it is cibisteses that are some responsible. It is then about a " porteuse ".

The QRMS:

Let's speak first of all of the QRMS. The strip of the 27 Mhzes is used by very numerous electronic devices, machines of radio-therapies, Pagers, systems of sound of certain enterprises.

It explains that he/it is sometimes impossible to give out close to a hospital or a thick enterprise. But disruptions can come from the various objects: he/it happened one day to me to be scrambled by the device to depilate of my companion.

All device electric controlled pain is susceptible to disrupt the frequencies radio: cars, mopeds, electric motor... .Alain Milhaud, old person responsible of the SAMU of Amiens, remembers of one year or the channel of emergencies was disrupted systematically.

Exceeded and menacing presumed it agitator of worse torment trouble, he/it asked for the help of TDF. TDF arrived a beautiful morning with its truck radiogoniométrique[9 ]:. What was not the surprise to note that the agitator of trouble was not other that a restful specialized doctor in the electric treatment of arthritises: every time that he/it took care of a mamie he/it scrambled the 27Mhz.

Porteuseses:

Unanimously reprobate by the tribe of cibisteses, porteuseses are however very numerous on the 27 Mhzes. Rather than to normally communicate, some individuals prefer to prevent others to make it.

To " make a porteuse " consists in giving out in continuous, while reading a porno book, in réémettant the music of the auto radio, while either singing while hissing, just to bother the world. The simplest porteuse consists in pushing on its " Mike ". Most vicious will resort as for them to répétiteurses ". As their name indicates him, these permit to repeat the same message, often silly besides, endlessly. Invested by a porteuse, the channel becomes unusable for stations situated in a some kilometer radius.

The CB procures a complete anonymity indeed and can make feel a feeling of strength, since one to the possibility to impose its will to the other stations while stopping them from communicating. The temptation is so big that most cibisteses are let go itself/themselves to make a porteuse one day in a bad mood or because they found a particularly uncongenial station. He/it arrives that the porteuse gives ideas to other stations, then it degenerates in a happy concert of interference: " if he/it makes a porteuse, why not me "?

However it is not necessary to confound these temporary defaults to the courtesy with the real << itinerant porteuseses >>. One tells so the Portable " Pig case that has rages during nearly ten years in Seine Saint Dennis, in spite of all researches enterprises by the state police. He/it had installed amplises of 3000 watts in its barge and this one changed every day of point of belaying: he/it was impossible to give out in a radius of 20 kilometers to the round.

It is sometimes about selective porteuseses that only work away at certain stations, others can also follow stations that tempt to escape on another channel. To sow it, a station can ask its interlocutor " to pass on the usual ", that is to say on a known channel of them alone. But as there are only 40 channels, avoids him is short length! If the porteuse is intermittent and if the station is patient, the contest will be able to be to convince it to quit these harmful maneuvers and to accept the dialogue. It is indeed well often about a cibiste that doesn't know to that to either speak of what to speak. He/it is therefore all happy that a station wants well to interest itself/themselves to it.

So no negotiation can be found, some are tempted by the more radical methods. Joseph says << Porteuse Buster >> is made himself a specialty to track then with the help of a directional antenna the especially obstinate porteuseses to oblige them to crush their station with their own car.

These big Goliaths of waves are often revealed of the weak and shy beings that feel to push wings thanks to anonymity and to the room of echo. Daniel, dealer of material in Bordeaux met a lot of it in its life. He/it hears them to insult everybody on the 27 and he/it sees to come the following day in its store, talking low and hardly daring to look at it.

THE VIOLENCE

The CB it is as the street... .Si you are shy, if you are afraid of the vulgarity, she/it is not probably made for you. We told you that the modulates was the territory of the friendship but know also that she/it can turn into real fair of grasps either all becomes pretext to the dispute.

To exercise the CB, it is necessary to like the violent social reports and to have of distributed it in abuses. As among cibisteses in all tribe that respects himself, there are some quarrelsome and very finicky beings as for their honor.

Jean Luc Cury, president of SOS Carole, told me thus with a lot of humor its meeting with Véronique Neïertz, to the time secretary of state to the Consumption and member of honor of its association. At the time of a demonstration, she/it had been horrified completely while hearing the salacious subjects exchanged on waves and had regretted to have accepted to become member of honor of a cibistes association momentarily.

He/it is not better to land too controversial topics: politics, religion, money.... That risks to finish badly well. He/it is sufficient a spark, of a badly placed word, so that all explodes. Stations give out all at the same time and that becomes quickly the generalized shambles.

On the 27 contrary to what happens in the social life where each learns to repress its impulses, everybody gives them free course under the table setting of anonymity. The CB gives an incontestable feeling of strength. The " Mike " looks alike besides there to mistake to a " punch " of the type of those used by our ancestor the man of Néandertal. One says << I rock him a porteuse >> as others brag about to have << broken the muzzle >> to someone.

The middle of cibisteses is completely cyclothymique and can pass total individualism very easily to the communal fusion: one starts with slanging itself/themselves as of fish rotted to make up two hours after and to become the best buddies of the world. As summarized it to me one of my most virulent interlocutors: << The CB it is passionate: one slangs himself, one calls himself all names, but made some, one adores himself. >> The oratorical joust is pushed to such a paroxysm that it becomes an art of the formula, a ritual dance way simulating the fight as one recovers some at the Indian of America. One attends the organization of strips rivals, hating itself/themselves cordially between them, each occupying a specific channel, besides sometimes.

The tone goes up very quickly. One hears some of the green and steps wall up with the certainty to enrich its index there! After the personal injuries, it is the wife who lacks virtue completely as it is known well of everybody. The mother is submitted to practices regularly little advisable and the father would especially serve to clean the most pestilential soils. Children started very early on the way of the turpitude and he/it is not a dark place that doesn't have to blush their agissementses. Besides the dog is going to undergo the last outrages soon and the house is going to flame since one perfectly knows where it is. Without speaking of brothers and sisters whom one won't recognize anymore after the treatment that is reserved them.

If all threats uttered on the 27 were put to execution the whole France would become quickly a real field of ruin. Strong fortunately, the violence on the CB remains especially verbal. One can water the other of injury and can affirm its virility, without risking no physical contact, thus.

Even when the threat is very precise, that the place of meeting is designated, and the chosen weapons, one only spends very rarely to the act.

On the other hand, when they occur, passages of the insult to reprisals can become a rare violence. One saw visuses of fight thus, real battles rows between inimical wave gangs that nourish pages " various " regional daily facts. One of the last murder in date goes up again to the month of January 1994: a cibiste stabbed another of it because it accused him of scrambling it.

Verbal violence, exercise of style, the CB encourages by its such excess anonymity. All as the sport permits to appease its aggressive impulses, the CB is a great verbal outlet for individuals in lack of social insertion. They cannot bawl then after bobonne, after their boss, they pour their anger on waves.

Some associations cibisteses militate so that such subjects are forbidden, as it is already the case in several other country Europeans. We think for our part that it doesn't certainly give still a very good picture of mark of the CB, but that makes gone incontestably of its picturesque charm and after all, he/it is not good to allow some to unwind without risk for the setting.

CHAPTER 6

CB AND ROAD:

It is definitely the middle of the road that gave its letters of nobility to the CB. Almost all cibisteses that we met began to modulate on the road, it is only thereafter that they are himself for some installed in stationary. 95% of cibisteses have a station besides in their car, against 20% at home.

The flight of the CB can understand himself without knowing room that the car occupies in the daily life and the imaginary social of French. Among our multiple dependences to technologies of the daily life, those concerning the car are from afar most numerous. In spite of the economic crisis and the increase of the price of oil, the number of registered cars has more that doubled since 1973 and French are more and more numerous to move, so much for their work that for their vacations. They browse 16 000 Kilometers thus on average per years and for as astonishing as it appears you, they spend as much for their car as to feed itself/themselves: he/it is therefore normal that this one makes the object of a very strong emotional investment.

If so many men likes the CB, it is because they like their car. There to put a CB that is a way to personalize it and to give him a supplement of soul for the same reason as beacons long reach or rims in aluminum. It is not about more of the useful CB but of the CB gadget, the one that permits frimer and for some to satisfy their megalomania. And it is true that we met a lot of in love with literally mad cibisteses of it their car, decorating it of 36 000 small tinkers: the moumoute, dogs in plush who make " Ouha Ouhas " and the rear fires that blink as in a disco.

Figures of the importing President show that purchasers of CB are men of less than 30 years who possess cars well dearer than the average of French.

Another explanation of the development of the CB on the road is the progressive déshumanisation of this last: the road became a way of " no place " where each individual finds again cloistered in its metallic shell, coupe of all contact with the outside: freeways permit to cross the whole France without meeting only one village, there is not anybody anymore to serve you in pumps to gas, hotels Formula 1 replaces little by little inns of the good old time... Interrogated to this topic by CB Connection, Georges Sarre, old secretary of state to Transports, think that the CB decreases the aggressiveness of drivers while permitting them to feel less isolated in their vehicle. Who didn't know the anguish and the long past road tiredness in hermit where one fears to fall asleep at all times and to be victim of an accident: one is offered, one is angry at everybody. The only makes to be able to speak, to intervene in a conversation, relieve tension and finally guard in awakening mind and reflex. An investigation of the magazine CB Connection achieved close to 2500 readers watch that 58% among them say reassured himself by the presence of the on board CB of their vehicle.

An important fraction of the population constantly moves and spend several hours per day on the road: truck drivers, VRP, sales representative, craftsmen... Their vehicle becomes then their second house and they try to recreate a personalized ambiance there and cordial. It is the main users of the CB and they form to them alone more than 50% of the clientele.

You will be able to observe besides that he/it is rarer to meet cars equipped of CB in Week End that days of week.

The CB Arme anti-radar:

As we told it to you in our chapter " History of the CB ", the setting up of the permit to points caused a real electroshock at drivers and notably at professionals of the road. For a lot of between them she/it has been felt like a real " passport for the ANPE ". Fines could be expensive, but with their permit it is their work and therefore the totality of their income that is threatened. Alain Ankerman PDG of the Difaura society, one of the main sellers of CB in France, is convinced that a proportion important the 400 000 drivers who are seen withdrawing itself/themselves of points during the year 1993 became of faithful client. If this law had the number of accidents incontestably decreased, it also incited drivers to find a parade against the radar controls. This systematic signaling of polices would be, for some, responsible of the resumption of the rise of the number of deadly accidents which one attended during the year 93. And he/it is true that feeling in shelter thus, some drivers feel to push wings and become again dangerous. Besides, she/it embarrasses polices considerably in their struggle against delinquency since malefactors are warned of their presence.

More of the half of purchases of CB are caused by the radar control fear. She/it proves to be a weapon indeed dangerously efficient: thanks to the CB he/it is possible to cross France of a tip to the other as being warned constantly of the policeman presence and therefore to never be surprised. To the inverse, you cannot let your CB lit more than 10 minutes without hearing: << the ribbon is he/it own? >>

But the tranquillity of drivers could be revealed of short length. State police are more and more numerous to equip itself/themselves of disguised vehicles and of mobile radars. According to information of a federation of CB, the state police of the Drôme put in room a systematic monitoring of the Channel 19 and the imprudent driver who announce the presence of << Dad 22 >> is stopped immediately and put to the fine. This system would be able to according to them to become widespread in whole France.

Preferring to play the map of the prevention that the one of the repression, of other state police, as the one of the region of Toulouse decided to bet on the transparency on the contrary and to indicate in advance on the Dispatch of the South of France, the regional daily, places where are placed the famous radars.

The strengths of police and firemen are more and more numerous to equip itself/themselves of CB, of as much more that a lot of between them exercise it in the civil life. He/it arrived to more of a cibiste to see an accident occurring before him besides, to launch some desperate calls and to have the surprise to hear: " Here the State police, one heard you and one arrives! >> One whispers that policemen make the intox on the Channel 19 while affirming to drivers: " the road is own ", whereas they arranged a radar carefully..

If you listen to the CB regularly you have can be as the opportunity to hear of policemen to make call to truck drivers to stop drivers in flight: he/it is sufficient that these get to three of forehead on a freeway to form a plug preventing the runaway to pursue its road. This collaboration remains exceptional, it is necessary that truck drivers are convinced of the vital importance of the business. You don't risk this kind of misadventure because you made an excess of speed...

Information traffic

For as rife as she is, it is not necessary to limit the picture of the CB on road to the one of a weapon anti-radar. She/it serves to good of something else: information on the road traffic, prevention of accidents, radio guidance..... Traffic jams are the wound and the daily big rouleurs share. Certainly the media informs risks of plugs on vacation at the time of departures and the local radios make them << points circulation >> permitting to be warned of the main difficulties But nothing is worth, there no more, the CB to be warned instantaneously of problems of circulation and itineraries of diversion: ever no system of broadcasting, conceived as well either him, won't be able to answer to the multiple individual questions.

He/it is not rare to hear this type of message: << Call to all truck drivers circulating on the N10 in direction of Bordeaux. Serious accident to the height of The Hinge. He/it is counseled you to borrow the deviation on the crown. >> Car pileup, car rolling to misinterpretation, explosion of a truck cistern, ...Des thousand of unforeseen incidents occurs on the road. One often sees too late himself of it. A banal accident can, on a freeway or a peripheral, to turn into real trap for the driver took in a monstrous traffic jam, it must exercise patience for a long time before the road is cleared all over again. In series in car pileups the role of the CB becomes vital while allowing vehicles to warn itself/themselves mutually of the danger, reducing risks of on-accidents.

Every center of the Cofiroute, one of the main societies of exploitation autoroutière of France, is equipped besides of a CB thanks to which agents of security are informed permanently of risks of the circulation that they broadcast on their local radio. In case of emergency, they can give orders thus instantaneously to drivers.

If the CB is especially used how middle of balance, she becomes sometimes the last rampart against an accident: a vehicle circulated in inverse sense on the freeway of Vierzon. The disaster seemed unavoidable when agents of security succeeded in warning truck drivers who formed a dam thus on the freeway, stopping the car mad from pursuing its road and to knock another driver.

To improve the efficiency of the CB, some even suggest, exercises himself like that already to the United States, to assign a specific call channel to every freeway. It would permit of désengorger the 19.

If the CB permits to be warned of dangers of the road, she also permits to call to help. The CB is notably an element of security in the submissive regions to strong climatic disruptions: mountainous zones, rigorous climates.... Drivers can find again to block at all times without can warn helps. And this is not a radiophone that will pull you from there, if you are stuck on the departmental of the Mount Canigou, since he/it doesn't permit you to phone that in agglomerations and the big road axes.

Every cibiste will tell you of misadventures of the road, that could have turned to the disaster. Small Marcel rolls that night in direction of its home where its young wife and its sons wait for him. He/it left for one week and he/it described a big buckle in Spain and to Portugal before going in with its 36 tons charged of wood for stationeries. << Attention mile paws charged of wood, you don't have a lighting to the rear. >> This message has just resounded in its CB, from a car that follows it.

The two vehicles stop: it is well true, none of the 8 rear fires doesn't function. The prudence imposes to stop but Small Marcel is in a hurry to go in at home. The driver finds a replacement solution: he/it is going to follow the truck, the fires of distress lit, closely. An accident has can be been avoided thanks to the warning and Small Marcel arrived without clutters and without delay home.

The CB frequently permits to come in help to the other drivers. This young couple is bored well because its car has just gone to bed in the ditch that edges the small road of countryside. By happiness the baby well girthed in its seat didn't have anything but he is very cold. The some drivers of passage cannot bring back the car on the pavement. Fortunately, one of them is armed of a CB station all nine, bought the vigil by radar control fear. He/it explains on waves the problem. In minutes that follow a truck driver arrives, he/it didn't hesitate to make a detour to help to take out the car of the ditch thanks to its winch.

X-ray guidances:

X-ray guidances are undoubtedly one of aspects the more ludiqueses of the CB on road. Knowing the individualism of our compatriots, I was rather skeptical. I must recognize today that it is not only dreadfully efficient but also of a particularly simple and very funny utilization. You don't know your path: he/it is sufficient of spear a << call to all stations >> so that someone answers you. You describe the place where you are then and your interlocutor will give you all indications to arrive safely.

As much he/it is easy to move in a city that one very either knows on big road, as much he/it is malaisé to mark itself/themselves when one arrives in a new city: one never knows what branching how to nor take where is the Tartampion street... With the CB one looks for, one finds: he/it is sufficient to ask for a radio-control so that a station immediately brings safely you. A cibiste of the soil will make himself a joy to help you while indicating you meter by meter the providential deviation that will make you win one hour on the journey. It is easier than to ask for its path to a passer-by who is in general very incapable to inform you.

Besides the radio guidance, the CB can prove very useful to have another information crowd when you arrive in an inconnue.Presque city every city of France possesses its << good Samaritan of waves >> that guides the stray visitor, answers to all questions, indicate a low-priced hotel, the address of the nearest baker, on duty the pharmacy.... It is often women of truck driver, pensioners or people disabled who play this role. Some are known in the whole France and one praises their merit of truckstop in truckstop. << If you go to Caen, puts you on the Channel 15. Bernadette doesn't have the similar to give back you courage. >>

Alain is VRP, its profession brings him to browse a few 100 000 kilometers per year. But he/it hesitated during a long time to equip itself/themselves of a CB: << I found indeed that that made bad kind and that it was a gadget for small youngster. >> In 1992 the road dams of truck drivers obliged him to buy one of it: << It was that or unemployment! During 15 days he/it had become completely impossible to circulate, all roads were plugged. The only solution was to listen to truck drivers to know what road was free. >>

Since him didn't separate never himself of its station, for its bigger good,: << When I didn't have the CB, I lost three quarters of hour every day. What permits me today to take three supplementary days off every month and to improve my reports with my customers. Before them were very often unhappy because I was not on time never; I was always obliged to intend one hour besides to avoid the bad surprises. >>

Circulation in convoy:

As soon as one is brought to move to several cars, multiple problems emerge: he/it is sufficient that one is either doubled decree by a red light to lose the previous car. Only one solution: contact by CB. If you one day you are as me guest to a big marriage and that while crossing the Parisian suburb, about twenty cars gets lost in all directions, you won't let surprise you more to the future: you will buy a CB.

At the time of the inauguration of the tunnel under the English Channel in January 94, several ten of cars himself engulfed there for the first time, the enterprise " President " had equipped every among her of a CB station in order to be able to annotate the journey from the only car of head.

The day of a happy cibiste

Daniel is VRP multicarte in lingerie and layette, he works therefore at a time for several enterprises. With its station wagon he/it furrows roads of the south of France to length of year. The CB, he/it knows, he/it uses him as well for its profession that for its leisures.

He/it is this morning of strong good mood and, as certain smoke their first cigarette to the jump of the bed, he/it lights its stationary station, its bowl of coffee again to the hand. In spite of the bad forecastings of propagation that he/it read in its favorite magazine, he/it wants to see that so " passes ". Contrary to all waiting, the channel 12 in BLU, sizzle of calls in all languages. He/it seems that Canada passes well... Very quickly a French-speaking station of Quebec proposes him to pass on the 27,565 Mhzes to continue their discussion: it is Pierre, a nice to plug Montreal that explains him in its so particular accent that he/it brings in a feast well watered in a << cabin to sugar >>. Daniel didn't know that every spring Canadians collect in bowls the sap of maples and make it boil to make the famous syrup of maple of it.

The two friends leave themselves after a QSO of 20 minutes, wishing itself/themselves to find again very shortly on the frequency. Of problem, the exchanged coordinates won't permit to send a QSL map. Daniel is delighted that is its first contact with Canada! He/it notes it therefore with precision in its notebook (Log Book): date, hour, length....

With all it, he/it got very late for its tour, he/it is going to be necessary to play tight to supervise radars on the 50 kilometers of national road that separate it of its first customer in Pau.

Fortunately the reserved channel 19 to truck drivers announces him no " Dad 22 " on the journey. On the other hand the announcement << Attention stations a truck crosswise after the turn of Savigny in direction of Pau >> saves him probably life...

On the other hand its delay finds increased himself of it and it first tempts then a demand of radio guidance on the channel 19,sans successes on the 27. A certain Daytona guides it with precision toward its customer, room of the Cathedral. Decidedly today gods of the CB and waves are with him: it is day of market in Pau and the deviation was not obvious to mark.

its customer, François D is a famous hike rider in the region. The treated in no time at all business, a discussion to broken sticks brings them to speak horse and competitions. Daniel evokes the precious help then that the club local CB could bring. It is the enthusiasm! Our two accomplices go in the strained to give back visit to " Microphone 32 " owner of the store of CB, but as president of the Club CB of Musketeers (there is not a small profit!). Microphone 32 owes to the CB a lot since it married a cibiste that made the time call itself/themselves << Gazelle >>. Daniel lets them in discussion and continuous its tour.

Once besides he/it observes that according to the city and the hour, the active channels are not the same and that the language evolves appreciably of a department to the other. Some cities are scrambled systematically by porteuseses, others are poisoned by stories, the personal attacks and injuries. Daniel arrived some to the conclusion that the CB reflects the atmosphere of every community and put in evidence influences him of some strong local personalities that monopolize the microphone and the QSOS to length of evening.

Come in the evening our VRP comes back once again on hats of wheels toward its " QRA"(domicile). Of exactness he/it avoids the radar justicier thanks to its CB that he/it had lit by habit.

He/it captures a YL then to the sweet voice. Decidedly it is its day of luck. She/it hesitates for a long time before accepting a visu to the coffee of the Station. Daniel is some all titillated: Ah that he/it is soft the intoxicating instant of the discovery! Will the feather be in agreement with the ?Et foliage himself it was about a << YL to toll >> (a prostitute)? << That doesn't risk nothing has anything >> says himself our seducer while pushing the door of coffee.

She/it is very there, very cute that more are, but there is a small boredom, she/it is escorted of its boyfriend! That imports, they will finish the evening on the " Hill to Birds " to discuss with stations to 50 km to the round: the situation of this hill is ideal for contacts with all the department.

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CHAPTER 7 TRUCK DRIVERS: ONE TEA ROAD
 
 

Almost all the 400 000 road that furrow roads of France are equipped of a CB and they represent a quarter of users. It is an as indispensable tool that a roadmap. It is them " miles paws " that are to the origin of slang cibiste. Radio-telephones are now numerous in trucks, but by reason of the price of communications, they must not be used that in case of emergency and don't permit to join that a small number of subscribers. He/it is again very far the moment where radiocommunicationses will be accessible to all stock market and the CB keeps of beautiful days before her.

In order to recognize itself/themselves between them, they arrange a supplementary license plate way displaying their indicative. The CB makes integral part of the life of truck driver work but curiously, they don't touch there generally outside of the road.

When one lives very comfortably seated in its office and that one recovers every evening people that one likes one has difficulty imagining the life of convicts of the ribbon. I met José a beautiful evening of October. I had already rolled in succession 8 hours, I was tired, more nothing interested me on the car radio, I hoped that can be the CB would change me ideas. On the 19, a truck driver who launched some " TX " tests. While answering him I perceived that it was about the truck that I had doubled some minutes earlier. After some information on the state of the road, the usual trivialities on rain and good weather, one perceived that one had a common passion: the ornithology. Why not to stop to the next truckstop to eat lunch together, says otherwise << to make itself/themselves a small strong gastro >>. José told me therefore its life and its profession.

About forty well sounded, he/it made himself/itself to the strength of the wrist. Worker in factory, he/it chose the road to see the country. Independent truck driver, he/it founded its own driving school that he/it resold some years later to recover the road then: he/it could not support to always remain in the same city surrounded of the same people.

He/it has spent its days to the wheel of its truck at the rate of 150 000 km and 3000 hours per year for ten years. Without the CB the solitude and the monotony of the road would become quickly intolerable. Thanks to her he/it can meet its colleagues, to exchange hoses on transports to make, very easily or the good addresses of relay.

According to him hardest for a truck driver, this is not to remain only in its cabin but to sometimes work per day until 12 hours without losing its vigilance to be able to respect delivery times. It is necessary to stay awakened costs that costs and, for that, the CB is very more efficient than doesn't import what station of radio.

The utilitarian CB

Outrage its convivial aspect, the CB of truck drivers also has a very utilitarian vocation. José is formal: << Since I have the CB in my chest, I nearly win one day per week. As soon as I arrive towards, I ask for a radio-control to find where is my delivery and when I come to charge, packers are warned in advance of my arrival. >>

The CB also warns it of the one thousand kids drew unforeseeable that stake out the road daily: accidents, traffic jams, police controls.... << You don't surrender counts you drivers as it is difficult to drive a truck: heaps of roads are forbidden you, others are too narrow so that one can borrow them. >>

When one rolls to length of day one always ends up being confronted to a pip and there as nothing of as the CB to ask for help: José remembers, of trémoloses in the voice, of this terrifying evening of winter on a small departmental of Corrèze. It was in full month of February 86, the most rigorous winter that France knew these last years: the temperature descended below less 15 degrees. There was not a cat on the horizon: << I was stuck at 4 o'clock in the morning on a small departmental with a rod stream. Nothing to make He/it froze and I saw myself pain spending the night in my chest. I launched calls and two stations that passed on the freeway to 20 kilometers from there therefore came to extricate me of this trough. I confess you that that day I demarcated dry!!>>

Yet, to make accept the CB by its boss was not easy thing. This one even threatened him of layoff with advisable letter to the support if the CB didn't disappear. Some days later, the Italian customs were blocked by wine-growers in anger. Fortunately, some border passed thanks to its CB José. Not only the aforesaid boss has been convinced but, just return of things, he obliges all its employees henceforth to equip their truck of a CB. He/it even installed a station in its society in order to be warned of their arrival.

The CB Conviviale:

José makes the international transport. It explains the length of its days and the long weeks that he/it passes distant of its family. When I met him he/it came back of Poland with a loading of pickles. He/it had left since ten days of its native Brittany where quick its wife and its three children. And during all these days he/it had lived relay in relay, sleeping come in the evening in its truck. If the small carriers come back daily to their domicile, for the " international " he/it is banal to spend to ten days several weeks or even without coming back at home, that is without no steady emotional contact in a hostile incomprehensible and sometimes same world: there is not any means to speak with inhabitants. The only social relation makes himself between colleague in truckstops. Fortunately he/it is well rare that they don't succeed, by the way of waves, to find a colleague with which to pass the evening. To find again more easily, like the foreign truck drivers who circulate in France, they arrange a specific call channel besides: on the 25 it is Spaniards, the 12 is reserved to Germans.

José is attached very to its small family and he evokes with emotion its love still very quick for Arlette, its pretty wife. But I don't need to put him the least question so that he/it adds: << 3 weeks it is long... .Les women one thinks there! >> When needs of the flesh make themselves too pressing, nothing easier than to find a prostitute, the " YLS to toll " as one calls them between colleagues. They passed master in the handling of the CB to propose their services, to indicate their tariffs and to describe their specialties.

The conviviality of truckstops:

The conviviality between colleagues occupies a major room in the life of truck drivers. They know themselves more or less all and know to the first squint to recognize every truck, even when they cross themselves one or two times the year. It is in relays, or " Gastro " as one calls them in the jargon, that this one appears best. These relays form a real chain of solidarity on all road big axes of Dunkerque in Marseille.

One arrives there after one day of job. Thanks to the CB one could have marked all buddies that were in the corner and could have given them appointment.

Since 7 hours of in the evening one sees to disembark a set of drivers exhausted come of all cities of France. Among them some foreign truck drivers who seem a little lost. Georges comes back of Hamburg, he rolled all day long. He/it recovers Pierre whom he/it crossed this morning to the exit of Lille. By CB interposed, they had made the bet to find again to-night. Held bet.

Most the 4000 truckstops scattered through France are equipped of a CB let to the free utilization of each and that remains all day long alight: he/it is not rare to hear a driver there to ask for its road to come to the relay. Another time it is an accustomed that needs a small service or that asks to the mistress of places to prepare him its favorite dish. He/it will make himself/itself a pleasure to autograph its book of gold.

José to the evocation of relays becomes inexhaustible. its favorite it is definitely the relay Lark, one of most mythical of France situated to the exit of the freeway of Orleans, stuck between the way of railroad and the industrial zone in the near suburb Parisian. its reputation he/it must it above all to its mistress, Lark, who didn't have its equal to enter into the conversation, or make some friendly QSOS: << The CB at home it was instinctive.>> She/it benefitted some to praise the merit of its relay, what was worth him of recalls to the order on behalf of the public powers,: to make the advertisement on the CB is forbidden indeed.

José met Max Meynier there notably come to record numerous broadcasts of Truck drivers are friendly ". Hung to the wall of autographs of most the legendary faces of the road: Tarzan, Vidocq,.... This last was not content with to sign, he/it even dedicated a small poem to the culinary charms of lark.

The mind of body:

More that of the simple conviviality, the CB allows truck drivers to feel their adherence to a social group, or even to a real corporation.. One recovers this phenomenon besides also in other professions that begin to equip itself/themselves massively of CB, as taxicabs, agriculturists or the VRPS. << When we didn't have the CB, we didn't speak, we made our work each in our corner. Now we have the feeling to form a small community. >>

This one played a very important role at the time of their big strike of the summer 92. Truck drivers warned themselves mutually of the presence of the CRSS and roads let free. She/it permitted them thus to launch words of order that had immediately reverberated of trucks in trucks. The small history even wants that the CRSS scrambled the Channel 19 some hours before asking the dams truck driver.

They would have made in the same way at the time of demonstrations of agriculturists in December 1993. We noted it besides to our depends: during one week one was not able at all to speak itself/themselves on the modulates.

As most truck drivers, José sees of a very bad eye the multiplication of the number of cibisteses that gives out on the channel 19 but don't know rules of good conduct and remove him all its specificity. << Before that was to us indeed, it was even the only place where one found again really how home. >> To fight against these tourists, he/it would want that one institutes like Portugal of the reserved frequencies to users professionnels(touses channels understood between 1 and 17), others being let to the free utilization of all one each.

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CHAPTER 8

THE OTHER PROFESSIONAL USES:

A lot of independent professions and to strong mobility (messenger, agent of insurance...) have need of facilities radiotéléphoniques. But rare are those that have means necessary financiers to take the liberty to use some professional systems (VHF stations, Private Networks....) because all require an initial investment of several thousand of francs and a subscription of about hundred francs per month. Besides if these systems permit the confidentiality of calls and the bigger broadcast distances, they are submitted to the very strict utilization rules on the other hand and require some administrative gaits.

It explains that in spite of the interdiction of the professional use, more and more small professions have recourse to the CB. Some bosses even equip their employees of a station that they block on only one channel so that he/it is not used for something else that for work. According to Philippe Clédat of the magazine CB Connection one would attend since the explosion of the CB phenomenon a small regression of the traffic in professional VHF.

Taxicabs:

Until the beginning of years 80 taxicabs used emitters that gave out on the strip of the 27 MHzes. Since, new systems became widespread as the one of Radio-taxicabs: a central receives the whole of customer calls and be in charge of redispatchers to its subscribers. Nearest is in charge of taxicab course.Les drivers are also more and more numerous to arrange a radiophone.

What doesn't prevent a big part among them (about 10%) to also be equipped in CB. The radio-taxicab is revealed of an a lot more limited utilization and functional. The 40 channels being cluttered the Parisian taxicabs too much use for most the unbridled stations, others find again on channels 2 and 38.

Charged " you? >> << Yes, do I have a packet to deliver; I have just left my perch ". It is not about here nor of Q code, nor of jargon cibiste, but of taxicab drivers. They refuse to communicate with the other categories of cibistes besides, possess their own language and appropriated some channels of which they hunt the other cibisteses.

Marcel makes left of the independent taxicabs: its only system to find the customer that is marauding " in front of boundary-marks of taxicabs. The CB is therefore for him the ideal means to know the possible bad surprises that wait for him on its path and places where customers are especially numerous in advance.

To drive to Paris is not restful, it is necessary to know how to juggle between traffic jams and demonstrations. The CB also assures their security, while permitting to warn colleagues in refractory or violent customer cases. It is this kind of adventure that arrived to Marcel here are some months one night of Week End. Arrived probably in end of race, its customer, an addict in full crisis of lack, aimed it while threatening it of a cutter. The recovered money, he/it left without mistrusting. He/it had not probably noticed that Marcel arranged a CB on which he immediately called to help: 10 seconds later four taxicabs blocked the street.

" Happy Driver " underlines that since taxicabs are equipped of CB, the professional ambiance became more cordial. << Before one crossed himself without seeing itself/themselves, whereas now he/it is sufficient to cross a colleague to decide to take a glass together. >> He/it is not besides rare that taxicabs make some collective visuses in the " Office ". This is how one calls the room of the Concorde, become their place of rallying by reason of its central site permitting to rejoin imported what corner of Paris in a quarter of hour.

The agriculturist:

After truck drivers and the VRPS, agriculturists are to their tower to discover charms of the CB by train. They would even represent currently 5 to 10% of material purchasers and he/it would be able to well for Marc Kentell, journalist to CB Connection that more of the agriculturist half are equipped some from here the end of the decade. She/it proves to be indeed very useful, making them save displacements and optimizing the organization of work while bringing them of the security. The crisis of the farming world obliges most agriculturists to dismiss their salaried employee and to find again thus alone to the head of their exploitation. They need to be to the oven and the mill therefore at a time.

Boss-operators are more often equipped of one radio phones in order to can be joined to all instant. As for workers who don't need to call outside of the farm the CB is sufficient. This one serves notably at the time of crops while assuring a permanent link between every tractor. She/it also allows the boss to pilot the work of workers without leaving the farm.

Simon and Claudines manage a small exploitation in the Share and Garonne. All day long she/it takes care of livestock in the farm and worry him to fields with its tractor: 2 kilometers of earth path separate them; what doesn't facilitate the communication in the couple. He/it installed a CB therefore on its tractor to be able to remain in contact with its wife and to win of the time when he/it needs something.

Even when its tractor falls in breakdown it hardly waits: warned, Claudine phones the franchisee who comes to repair its contraption directly.

But the CB also has another use. As a lot of its colleagues, Simon endures the devaluation of raw materials and its 50 000 Francs of yearly profit are not sufficient to make boil the pot.

In order to put butter in its spinaches, he/it improvised himself/itself therefore veterinary of the village. Every time that an inhabitant needs him he phones its wife and this one broadcasts him the call by CB interposed. The CB even inspired him a very astute arrangement, he placed an emitter whose microphone is opened permanently in the stall: the agitation of the animal will alert its woman of the vélage of its cows. As its wife also waits for a child, the CB will be the ideal means to be warned instantaneously, when lea birth will announce himself.

its neighboring horticulturist found an even more astute system: to be warned of temperature decreases in its greenhouse he/it placed an emitter there with call sélectif[10 ] hardback to the thermostat. As soon as the temperature lowers beyond a certain point, its emitter warns it.

The CB of fishers

If you adventure at the seaside with a TX you will hear goldfish surely to discuss with Déferlante of the tide, beaufortses and millibars... The CB is used very by fishers or yachtsmen. The surface of waters thinks particularly well waves that are not braked by any obstacle, the reach of broadcast can reach 40 kilometers easily. Trawlers are inevitably all equipped in VHF, but this one is a very controlled use: not question to make chitchat. At least with the CB one can remain of hours in contact without nor worrying about the length, nor of the communication content.

Every French year several hundred leaves to the on board adventure of small boats of pleasure. But rare are those that possess a license to give out on the maritime strips and permitting to use the professional material. Their only means of contact with the world remains the CB in BLU. But this utilization not being regulated, it doesn't exist any official process of surveillance. It is for this reason that has been created the RATM association (Radio Aid Earth Sea) whose role is to bring thanks to the CB helps and prompt helps to yachtsmen.

He/it doesn't happen one week without that a call of distress is launched. The 'association immediately reverberates it toward the Center of maritime link of Saint Lily, loaded to control the maritime traffic. Michel Roland, president of the RATM association doesn't count miles anymore and some difficulties to which is confronted these travelers: remnant of the Ariane rocket that falls again in sea, shootings of missiles of the army American, floating wreckages, attacks of pirates Malaisiens....

The use in expedition

Thanks to the portable CBS, that can turn into real adventurer and to have the same thus middle radiocommunication that a professional. They are of as much easier to carry away than some are the size of a cigarette packet.

Humanitarian a lot of organizations working on the land in the difficult and often perilous conditions equip their groups of volunteers of a CB to permit them to keep contact with their family.

Don't believe that the CB in journey or a pure object of security. To 17 years Butterfly decided while doing of promotionner a festival of poetry the tour of France in bicycle. But he/it was not really alone: he/it had its CB; it is her that made all the difference. As soon as he/it arrived in a city he/it modulated in some hours he/it succeeded in making itself/themselves of friends, found a lodging. In certain cities he/it was even welcomed in hero, whereas him nor knew people before some hours.

CHAPTER 9 THE CB UNTIL the TIP OF THE WORLD FIRST LEFT:

THE DX OR CONTACT LONG DISTANCE

You chat with stations that are to less than 10 kilometers of you, it is because you don't make even gone of the cream of cibisteses, the DXseurses. A few 200 000 cibisteses dedicate themselves to contacts long distance. With a little luck their wave can go until the other tip of the planet. This utilization of the CB comes closer a lot of the one of year 50 x-ray amateurs and cause an increasing obstruction. It is necessary to say that progress achieved in this domain are époustouflantses: stations in BLU permitting the DX are only generalized since the beginning of years 80 and don't cost today that 2 to 3000 Francs.

We explained you in the beginning of the work that he/it exists three types of modulation, the AM, the FM and the BLU (Unique Lateral Strip). The two first that have a so-called " propagation of surface " hardly pass the 20 kilometers, whereas the BLU has a propagation ionosphérique that permits him to clear several thousand of kilometers. This is not still very easy; the contest consists therefore in capturing the possible the most faraway stations.

All cibisteses have their indicative; the DXseurses don't miss to the rule. But whereas on the AM or the FM one meets some fanciful indicatives as Batman, Scorpion or the bird, those used in DX are a lot more structured, like those of x-ray amateurs and are the most often composed of numbers and letters.

Cibisteses that exercise the two types of modulation have two besides indicative.

To illustrate our subject, let's take an example of QRZ:

14 CBS 31

-14 it is the number assigned to France following a codification established by the main club of DX the AT (Esparto Tango).

-BC designates initials of the club to which belongs the operator, or simply his

-31 indicate the number of order of enrollment in the club or some time, for France, the number of the department.

If the Q code doesn't appear still necessary in the CB of proximity, interferences are more numerous in the DX, and this one proves to be indispensable in order to shorten messages to the maximum. He/it is often necessary to spell words while having recourse to the international phonetic alphabet (Alpha for " TO ", Kilogram for " K "...) The own names are specified thus with a minimum of mistake, especially if your correspondent Ukrainian lives in Kramatorsk, that the " QTH " of this Slovak is Krastniku or is more merely than the postal code of a British L45 1NZ! The DXseurses are as fishers to the line: the patience is their main virtue. They sometimes need more than one hour to succeed in having coordinated them of their interlocutor and all pretend to have lost at the last moment were pleasing them beautiful fish because of this cursed parasitageses.

You will notice that in the DX contrary to their cousins of the AM who only speak of channels, it is solely about frequencies and MHzes, calls make themselves on the 27,555 MHzes or the 26,285 MHzes in English and on the 27,455 MHzes in français(l'équivalent of the channel 44). He/it clears himself/itself a big impression of seriousness and technicality of it.

Here is an example of QSO in DX:

CQ DX CQ DX This is one oven Bravo Charlie three QSY one,please one frequency twenty seven dawns six two five

What can result in " Call general long distance, here the station 14 BC 31, pass on the frequency 27,625 MHzes ".

After having passed on this frequency, the waiting of the answer is the palpitating moment: what country is going to come the answer? With a little luck and if the propagation is good, one or several stations are going to answer on this new frequency of the following way:

Attention one oven Bravo Charlie three one, do you copy one Esparto Tango two three one? Is it necessary to understand " Attention 14 BC 31, do you receive 1 AT 231 "?. As indicates him the last number, it is a member of the club Esparto Tango of Italy that answers you, the propagation is mediocre but it shows at least that your station functions correctly. One as often questions himself on << conditions of work >> expression borrowed to x-ray amateurs to designate the equipment of which each arranges.

The QSOS the most often make themselves in English, but sometimes the answer arrives in French, as the one that I had this nice postman Israélien, Daniel, who confessed me after a palpitating discussion to have been born close to Pau, in the Pyrenees Atlantiques. Decidedly the world is small!!

The QSLS

To get a very exotic communication that is passionate. Again it is necessary to prove it to the small friends. For every link judged interesting the two operators exchange their coordinates therefore in order to send itself/themselves a QSL map, irrefutable proof of their contact.

One of the big joys of the DX consists in collecting these " QSLS ", post cards more or less personalized by the operator, that one exchanges to confirm itself/themselves a link This one takes elements essential of the QSO:

- date and hour

- QRZ and " QTH "

- frequency and fashion of modulation

- quality of the transmission

- courtesy formula as 73 51 88 meaning Regards respectively, handshake and to Kiss.

So certain are content to send a standard QSL, others manufacture themselves of the QSLS personalized that are sometimes real works of art and imagination.

The passion of the collection excels very quickly on the sporty mind and some shrewd kids to complete it to least effort, exchange also directly directly these maps at the time of lounges of CB ..Les specialized magazines swarm of proposition of exchange of " QSL ", of the " SWAP ".

Most the DXseurses will show you with a lot of fiéretés their albums of collection that sometimes unite several ten of thousand of different QSLS. He/it is going without saying that it is a passion that costs quickly very dear. He/it has maps and the postal expenses there not only but he/it is not rare that operators send themselves a set of small characteristic gifts of their country: stickers, escutcheons.... It is for it that many DXseurses ask for a financial involvement to expenses of expedition. The exchange of QSL would be even a very lucrative activity for stations of exes Communist countries, permitting them thus to have some strong slogans.

Attention, even in this elite of the DXseurses all don't respect rules of good conduct and you will hardly get more than 50% of answers to maps that you will send.

If the BLU permits to clear thousand of kilometers, she also gives out in a radius of 40 kilometers around you. An ill-intentioned neighbor can be to monitoring and can attract by the quality of your station. All as on the AM he/it is recommended therefore not to give its coordinated. It is the reason for which most the DXseurses are affiliated to a club or they have a postal box to receive their QSL.

x fig

example of QSL map

Risks of the propagation

Although one is to the kingdom of the CB always, with the DX it is in an entirely new world that one penetrates. Voices are nasal as the one of Donald Duck in movies of Walt Disney and hardly audible. If the conversation is rarely followed, what it brings back you happens to thousand of kilometers of at home, there is a mystery, a very particular magic.

What fascinates amateurs of DX, it is the surprise, the confrontation with laws of the nature: when one lights its station, one never knows to what distance one is going to go, nor in what country one will arrive. It is only after the repeated calls, of the indecipherable answers, to the middle of interferences, that a voice finally delivers its origin. If one captures the same stations hardly ever, one has nevertheless sometimes the joy to recover an old contact: the drawn pleasure is to the height of the rarity. Easier with a perfected material, it remains a piece of luck.

In the DX, all depends the propagation. A small meteorological caprice and your wave reaches Chile or don't manage to land on the adjacent countries on the contrary even. Some month one goes in very well in contact with the Italian, to other moment it is Russia that one captures " to full cash-box ". Whereas some QSOS can last several hours, others vanish at the end of some seconds. The same phenomenon can play you of towers in AM or in FM: you beings quietly installed with a strip of buddies situated to some kilometers of at home and then sudden you hear to speak English: you are surmodulés by the foreign stations......

It became rarer today, the propagation being worse, but it was frequent currency there are ten years: Jack Drat, said Kiwi, remembers that one day of summer at the seaside, to the foot of a cliff he had tempted to contact a friend to about ten kilometers. All its tests stayed fruitless, on the other hand, not only he/it captured a Israëlienne station but this one succeeded in broadcasting the call has its friend. The cliff blocked contact to the neighborhood, whereas the surface of the sea permitted to reach a station far.

The only solution to foil the bad towers of << Propag lady >> it is to observe its barometer or to trust tables of propagation provided by the specialized magazines or the National Center of Telecommunication survey. With a little convenient the amateur of DX will learn to choose the best periods and the best hours for every country: the best moments to enter in contact with America of the North are in the beginning and at the end of the summer, for Brazil he/it is worth to modulate the morning better...

The patience of the snake and the ruse of the fox

Doesn't improvise himself DXseur that wants and it is necessary to a long dose of patience and technical training. A lot of young DXseurses spend their time launching calls on waves. It doesn't serve to big thing because one doesn't capture in fact that stations the more audible and therefore nearest. As we told it to you, a good DXseur must have the fisher's patience waiting that fish bites to its fishhook: it is necessary to remain of hours to monitoring on a little cluttered channel and one day one ends up hearing an intergalactic voice that seems to emerge of anywhere. Some amateurs of DX even train to recognize the different accents, to immediately identify the origin of their interlocutor. Vincent Cury remembers with a lot of past sleepness night emotion to the monitoring of the world: << He/it had to be 5 hours in the morning. I had just bought myself a new station. Vibrating of impatience, I had stayed up all night long and I was about to fall asleep when sudden I had a type with the accent Australian, a truth as in " Crocodile Dundee ". In the beginning I believed there not, I told myself that it is too beautiful to be true, and then one month later I received a packet inside with full of stamps bizarre and full of gifts. >> Sometimes one even has business to a famous interlocutor: what was not the joy of Chantal when she/it received a QSL smears gunpowder of gold, that had been sent him by the emir of Barhein, the unique cibiste of its territory. Opinion to candidates: one says that kings Hussein of Jordan and Hassan IIS of Morocco, themselves radio amateurs chevronnés, exercise the 27 also at their lost hours. As what one can be authoritative and can appreciate the freedom of speech.

There is sometimes luck but attention there are also the small jokers and the DX can give place to less good surprises. A classic hoax consists in lowering its strength of broadcast and to simulate a correspondent of the other tip of the planet. He/it also arrives that some make pass itself/themselves for a rare station and ask to send a financial involvement (generally 1 or 2 dollars). He/it is sufficient them to have a postal box in an exotic country that is in charge of broadcasting them the thus recovered money. Very sensible, we quite reprove these practices, but it is necessary to confess that the greed with which stations throw themselves on this call is an irresistible comic effect!

The station of the DXseur:

All is good to establish a DX station: the attic, the cabin to tools to the bottom of the garden, the dining room or the conjugal room. One even saw stations installed in cupboards.

If the stationary station proves to be of a bigger comfort, some exercise the DX by car with antennas can reach 3 meters of height. You can get settled therefore indeed where. What counts that is the choice of the material: the station and the antenna.

Stations:

The DXseurses must acquire a very more perfected material that the common of cibisteses. The station he can be even very voluminous and can sophisticate, flanked of a feeding and filters, to which one can add several antennas provided of a coupleur[11 ], or even of a directional antenna, a linear ampli, an ampli of antenna, a TOSmètre, a fréquencemètre and a Wattmeter, a portable and a scanner. Some weigh until 12Kg. If one wishes to only exercise in stationary he/it is recommended to take a " .Celle basis " here possesses a big number of perfections then as memoir of frequencies, digital fréquencemètre, alarm of excessive TOS, sweep of frequencies, etc..........

Antennas

Instead of to have an antenna omnidirectionnelle and vertical as the one that one uses on a car, the DXseur will prefer a directional antenna. Whereas the first type of antenna captures signals coming all directions, this one permits to concentrate the broadcast and the receipt in the direction wanted with an increased efficiency. She/it turns thanks to an electric motor called " rotor " fixed on the mast-support. The rotor is even he ordered by a case of command situated close to the station.

The DXseur will have to heard to know how to adjust its antenna well not to be victim of the TOS. The TOS or Stationary wave Rates, characterize the adaptation of the antenna in the issuing station. A badly adapted antenna is not able to dissipate in electromagnetic waves all the energy delivered by the station and provoke a return of antenna: this energy returns in the station and provoke a warming-up of amplification floors that can be destroyed, putting the station out of order. The TOS generally adjusts itself while either increasing while decreasing the length of the antenna.

Amplifiers

He/it exists three types of amplifiers: the meadow-ampli, the amplifier of microphone and the linear amplifier. Although he/it is often used, we advise against you the amp