Citizen Band Books

Lou Franklin is to CB Radio as Dale Earnhardt is to NASCAR - 'Nuff said.

Wow! Couldn't believe all the info here. This is packed with great CB theory and practical troubleshooting tips. And hundreds of schematics. I'm an electronics student at a small community college, and couldn't find any book on the tech. side of CB radios even up at Stanford! BTW, don't be misled by the 1988 publishing date; in my repair experience, CBs have made VERY FEW technological changes since then, so this book could be considered perfectly topical. This guy is definitely my CB "guru."

Giant 370-page technical book for the professional repairman. Picks up where the "SCREWDRIVER EXPERT'S" GUIDE leaves off. Includes circuit descriptions & troubleshooting guide for 23- & 40-Ch., crystal & PLL, solid-state & tube, AM, FM, SSB, CW,
American & export models. Covers test equipment (& where to find it), transistor basics, synthesizers, receivers, transmitters, power supplies, T/R switching, antennas, interference, parts & accessory sources. Over 350 illustrations including schematics, charts, and photos. Huge subject index also lets you look up
repairs by symptoms. "Must" reading for the serious CB technician!

This is probably the only book of its kind on the market. It cuts through the myths and marketing hype with unquestionable accuracy. It's a must-read for any CBer that experiments with antennas or just wants to know the truth.

It also gets into propagation (the way radio signals behave), SWR (something few CBers trully understand), gain (the truth and the advertising hype), building your own antennas (with outlined projects including a four element "monster quad"), grounding, lightning protection, matching systems, TVI, coax, and even tips on soldering. And all of it is well written and easy to understand. (A full glossary is included.)

In my opinion (based on 18 years in the CB field) no other book handles this subject more completely or accurately. This book is really a cheap education for any CBer that wants to learn the ins and outs of antennas as well as many other things related to radio. And, if this wasn't enough, sprinkled throughout you'll find a number of humorous pictures and comments which makes the book just that much easier to read and learn from. After your first pass through this book you'll know more than 90% of the CBers out there, and what will seem even more amazing is how easy the learning was when you used the right tool!

Enjoy

I'm a newfound lover of the CB radio, and have starting my learning process in that area to join REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams), more specifically Oklahoma County REACT. This book has done WONDERS on helping me understand the CB radio, and although it *is* a good resource, I also feel it is of the layman sort, meaning it's a great starter, however I do not think it will quell the desires of more experienced radio operators/individuals looking to become seriously involved in the world of CB radio. But otherwise, by all means would I suggest this book to learn a little more about the CB, I can't complain!

This is a very good book. Besides being fun to read, you just might learn something. The appendices in the back are good. Ten-codes, slang, rules they are all covered. Even if you are an experienced radio operator, I would still get this book. Leave it on the coffee table and someone is guaranteed to read it.

While I disagree with some of the authors sentiments about the quality and purpose of Citizens Band radio in our society, the material is suitably written and technically accurate, and for those without technical knowlege it would be rather usefull. I found some of the "lingo" humorous, but overall it was a bland read. I consider CB too limited to be a reasonable alternative to FRS/GMRS or Amateur Radio, as the author has implied it is. For un-licensed operation, the Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) are far better alternatives than CB, and are easier to use as mobiles and portables (walkie-talkies). You can even get an Amateur Radio license *without taking a morse code test* these days, and the privileges that come with that license are far beyond what CB could ever possibly offer. Read "Now Your Talking!" to see what I mean. Writing a book about CB radio, or in any way contributing to it's maintenance, is about the equivalent of feeding a rabbid dog: it's going to die sooner or later, and is a problem (to the licensed radio services) while it's around, so why not 'put it down' and be done with it? -just my opinion

Great illustrations and commentary about CB on both a radio and cultural level. Will keep it handy in my 4WD as a reference book for my CB. As a result of this book, I finally figured out and fixed the mystery of my SWR problem! I always wondered why CB was such a fad before, and now I know. It's a lot of fun!

I found this unhelpful and useful only to amateurs who have little to no experience with radio. A good starting place mayhap but not for people who know this material