Freebanding & SSB - Single Side Band - The Citizens Band - 27 MHz 11 Meters Open Channel Radio

FREEBANDING & SSB

The popular & classically styled Ranger Superstar SS-158EDX multi-mode transceiver
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Freebanding is an activity for those CB enthusiasts looking for some extra fun and greater challenges. Non-standard "multi-mode" radios are used for this part of the hobby which can transmit using FM, AM, USB & LSB modes. Such radios are marketed by their manufacturers as '10 Meter Amateur Radio Transceivers', but the main market isn't really licensed amateur radio operators looking for a radio to use on the 10 Meter band, these radios are essentially souped up CB's! Such a multi-mode rigs make great CB's and can be modified, or sold pre-modified as 'export' or 'wide-banded' models so that they work on the 11 meter band that CB uses and as such make excellent and fun wide band CB rigs.

Freebanding involves using channels (frequencies) that fall outside the usual CB channels. The majority of these modified 10 meter rigs use "channelised" frequency selection, having 6 or more bands of 40 channels. A "clarifier" control is fitted to allow for the necessary fine tuning of SSB signals.

Since the additional channels will be unfamiliar to the CB user more accustomed to standard 80 channel rigs, the use of a frequency chart showing which band and channel combination relate to which frequency To use the chart below it is first necessary to determine which bank / band represents the "Mid Band" "Mid Block" (which is the CEPT / EU band in Europe and the standard CB band in the USA) and then, working either side of the mid-band, it will be possible to see which channel and frequency applies to any given setting.

You can see a chart of the frequencies and channels can be seen on this page: Freebanding Frequency Chart

Other Frequency Charts

Other charts showing the bands and frequencies used for each channel on a particular band can be downloaded from these sites:
Tango Mike here: http://www.tangomike.net
Transmission1 here: http://www.transmission1.co.uk/downloads/fcc_freq_chart.pdf
Open Channel here: http://www.geocities.com/mag2781/5Lowto4hi.doc

Country Codes / Divisions

For international DXing each country of the world is given a number called a 'division'.

For example England is division 26, and Scotland is 108.

Contry Codes used for freebanding are called "Divisions" and charts showing these prefixes can be found here:-
http://www.freebanding.co.uk/country_divisions.htm

Call Signs

All Freebanders should have their own individual call-sign. A call-sign can be issued by one of the Freebanding groups such as Tango Mike or Foxtrot Bravo. The call sign comprises the divisional code, e.g. 26, followed by the initials of the group, e.g. FB, followed by the user's unique number, e.g. 999. This would be 26FB999.

The CQ call is made by announcing the call-sign as (for example) Two Six Foxtrot Bravo Nine Nine Nine

Transmission Modes

The mode of transmission favoured for Freebanding is Single Side Band (SSB). The SSB mode can either make use of the Upper Side Band (USB) part of the radio wave, or the Lower Side Band (LSB) part. "Freebanders" generally use Upper Side Band for this use, along with much higher transmitter powers than are legal. Because the SSB mode of transmission is so much more effective and efficient than the usual FM or AM modes, much greater distances can be covered - helped along by the higher transmitter powers that are sometimes used! See our links to Freebanding websites here.

However SSB can be a source of extremely troublesome interference to nearby users of televisions, radios and other audio equipment such as hi-hi-fi's and computer speakers etc. Great care should be taken with the radio and antenna installation to prevent any interference occurring.

More about Single Side Band and how it works here >

CAMPAIGN TO LEGALISE THE USE OF SSB IN THE UK

Please sign the petition below:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SSB-CBradio/

Join the Foxtrot Bravo group here: