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The mobile network in the UK started around '85. My brother was an early adopter toting something that looked like a yellow suitcase around.

I don't think they killed CB, the government did that by cleverly making them legal - but on FM with a different frequency, low power outputs and requiring a licence..

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It’s perfectly legal to listen on the aircraft channel. An air band scanner starts at around £100. Look on Amazon. You need a license to transmit but you’ve got to be in an aircraft or in ATC to do th

GUILTY AS CHARGED! I was on from 81 through to 88, and i was one of the TURKEYS that iron cross and friends tried to get. but i was young and stupid then. now i'm just old and dumb! i was always mobil

Right to get this thread back going again.. there is another recording of old 'boxer' on http://ukcb.tripod.com there was two more of tony rifleman, but recorded quality was low, so being re-done. i

My first ‘mobile’ was a unit that clipped into a cradle in my car. It was about the size of a car radio. It could be slid out and put into a leather case whereby you’d could carry it over your shoulder. It was referred to as ‘the talking handbag’! A friend in the motor trade had one the size and weight of a house brick. He would take it to car auctions. It had an ‘in use’ battery life of about 20 minutes. I currently use a Galaxy S3 which is just over three years old. I could upgrade I suppose but whilst it’s working well there doesn’t seem much point other than a more sophisticated camera setup which I would hardly use.

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The 1st mobile phones I spotted where @ the Nottingham Car auctions not sure who they where talking to? (Could have been Ernest Wise)

I remember a techie bloke who first to have everything, using one in the tea bar & it rang while he was supposedly talking to someone :biggrin:     

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I've got a mate down in Eastbourne who, when carphones first appeared, he used to keep a plastic toy one in his car and whenever he was about to pass anyone or stopped at traffic lights, he used to pick it up and pretend to be talking to someone. No idea who he was trying to impress? His daughters thought he was barmy.

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Mobile phones go back quite a bit before cellular networks came into being. Before them, you could have a Radiophone fitted in your car for a couple of thousand quid. Until the Post Office introduced System 4 for direct dialling in the early 1970s, calls had to be placed via an operator.

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2 hours ago, Beekay said:

A classic case of " If it ain't broke, don't fix it", Phil.

I’ve got a 1950’s Fergie tractor which ain’t broke. It would cost me a lot to buy a new one and it would be so sophisticated that I couldn’t easily tinker with it. I do have a 1960’s Ford Dexter which is ‘broke’. It needs a new hydraulic pump. I could get the parts and repair it but it would be a pig to reassemble - if you’ve ever seen the internals of a hydraulic pump!

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  • 2 years later...

That's what I was often called instead of 'good buddy'.

Depending on who I was communicating with.

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3 hours ago, DanielJoive said:

In a world dominated by smartphones and social media, why do some individuals still find CB radio appealing and relevant? Is there a nostalgic charm or practicality that draws them to this outdated form of communication?

 

 

Probably the fact you can talk to like minded individuals without  ever knowing or meeting them. No need to remember an 11 digit number and group chats are popular. Truckers see an arial and simply talk to each other, exchange information etc. 

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It was easy to put a call out when travelling on major roads like Mike 1 or Alpha 1 northbound for example. Simply asking for a '10.13' mike one north would usually get a response by informing you if the road was clear or 'backed up due to a fender bender'. That would give you an opportunity to take alternative routes.

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The one thing that really annoyed me was the silly quasi American, somewhat pretentious verbal shorthand.

 

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I was flying a light aircraft into East Midlands when CB was popular. The air traffic controller was using CB expressions rather than the disciplined pilot communication for which you had to study and be examined for a licence. I don’t think it caught on though and he was probably suitably admonished!

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I've still got a couple of CB radios at home, which I don't intend to discard. Also, I have a two pairs of walkie talkie little hand held units that I used to use with 'er indoors when she was our site warden. It was easier and simpler to stay in contact when she was on walkabout. They've been handy when we were on a local search. I also used them with my Bursar when I was Head of Maintenance at Chailey Heritage.

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I still have a Midland CB and a power pack and several aerials plus my scanner that can pick up military air waves

 

Rog

 

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Hi Rog., I have a Midland Ready Rescue CB, that comes in its own carry case, like a little tool box. It comes complete with handheld, screw in antenna or mag mount. Power supplied by 12v plug in ( car cigar lighter socket). Often used it when in my dark room at NCB xray centre and that room was supposed to be lead lined to protect me from xrays. B.

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Sometimes switch mine on but there's very few people on the airwaves out here just the odd trucker, the scanner gets more use these days listening to the red arrows most days doing their practice routines also get A2A and A2G from RAF Waddington, Marham, Lakenheath and Mildenhall

 

Rog

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Rog., I used to like listening to a mates scanner, when pilots were passing overhead on their way to East Midlands airport. Not been so lucky since moving down here. How much could I expect to pay for a reasonable scanner, so as I can earwig aircraft passing over us towards Gatwick or Heathrow.? B. 

Or is it illegal?

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It’s perfectly legal to listen on the aircraft channel. An air band scanner starts at around £100. Look on Amazon. You need a license to transmit but you’ve got to be in an aircraft or in ATC to do that that.

CAP413, the CAA radiotelephony manual is available online and will give you an insight into what is being spoken.

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@philmayfield, Have downloaded CAP413, all 350 pages. It would help if I understood some of the jargon and  FISO for example. Looks interesting, but I don't think I'll make it my 'Book at Bedtime' reading. A bit too heavy when my head is on the pillow. Thanks for the tip off Phil.

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My first job when I left school was as an Air traffic Control Assistant (ATCA) at Luton and one of the tasks on a night shift was updating the Air Pilot manual with amendments. It was a really thick volume of information. I can also remember these little paper strips which held info from the flight plan and were stored on boards for the controllers. Very simple and even now used with all the modern technology we have. I always said that it was the best job I ever gave up.

 

IMG-0246.jpg

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