CB RADIO: Here's what you can find on all 40 channels

NatCom Rewind: Each CB channel has a unique history on how it's been used over the decades

Editor’s note: NatCom Rewind is a regular feature showcasing articles from past issues of the magazine that still have relevance today. This NatCom Rewind feature from the March | April 2015 issue of National Communications Magazine originally was written by Chuck Gysi | N2DUP | editor and publisher, and has been updated by NatCom columnist Roger Dumont Jr. 

Citizens band radio at 27 MHz has been around since 1958 — that’s a long time. However, over the years, CB’s channels have had a variety of uses. 

In this old photo, a trucker is seen operating a tube-type CB radio from the cab of his truck. This was before truckers flocked to CB radios. He probably used the radio to call his office while on the road around the Jacksonville, Florida, area. | Photo from National Communications Magazine archives

Generally, you can use just about any channel you wish, however, there still are some restrictions or gentlemen’s agreements in the use for certain channels. Likewise, while CB started out first with 23 channels and grew to 40 channels during the 1970s, we thought we’d take a look at what each channel is used for and how it was used in the past — to put historical perspective on the subject.