Changes

CB radio frequencies run between 26.965&nbsp;MHz and 27.405&nbsp;MHz. They are organized into 40 "channels." Channel 9 is reserved for emergency communications and traveler's assistance.<ref>"[http://www.reactintl.org/rules-cb.htm FCC Rules for CB Radio]" on REACT Web site</ref>

CB radio frequencies run between 26.965&nbsp;MHz and 27.405&nbsp;MHz. They are organized into 40 "channels." Channel 9 is reserved for emergency communications and traveler's assistance.<ref>"[http://www.reactintl.org/rules-cb.htm FCC Rules for CB Radio]" on REACT Web site</ref>

CB (class D) started with 23 channels ('carved' out of the 11 meter Amateur band in 1958).  At the height of the popularity of CB in the 1970s, the band was expanded to 40 channels, taking effect in 1977.  The FCC dropped its requirement that CB operators be licensed in 1980, (because the FCC could not handle the number of license applications being sent - sometimes as many as 1,000,000 per month), and many CBer's ignored the licensing requirements anyway. There were so many requests, and such a long wait before your license arrived in the mail, that the FCC allowed you to use the letter 'K' followed by your initials and your zip code, until you got your license. This hodgepodge & lack of control of the licensing, also contributed to the end of the license requirement.

CB (class D) started with 23 channels ('carved' out of the 11 meter Amateur band in 1958).  At the height of the popularity of CB in the 1970s, the band was expanded to 40 channels, taking effect in 1977.  The FCC dropped its requirement that CB operators be licensed in the early 1980's. As of September 1982, the FCC was planning to end the CB licence requirement. Applications were at 55,000 per month down from the 1,000,000 plus applications per month during the CB boom in the mid 1970's. Many CBer's ignored the licensing requirements anyway. There were so many requests, and such a long wait before your license arrived in the mail, that the FCC allowed you to use the letter 'K' followed by your initials and your zip code, until you got your license. This hodgepodge & lack of control of the licensing, also contributed to the end of the license requirement.

Originally, channel 10 was the "trucker's channel" (one of the 7 legal channels that could be used to talk to other people that were not affiliated with your license) - however, this caused a lot of interference with channel 9, the emergency channel, and truckers & others were encouraged to find another channel; so today channel 19 is the most popular channel among truck drivers, but there are exceptions in some geographic locations and highways (for example, channel 17 on Interstate 5 on the U.S. West Coast).

Originally, channel 10 was the "trucker's channel" (one of the 7 legal channels that could be used to talk to other people that were not affiliated with your license) - however, this caused a lot of interference with channel 9, the emergency channel, and truckers & others were encouraged to find another channel; so today channel 19 is the most popular channel among truck drivers, but there are exceptions in some geographic locations and highways (for example, channel 17 on Interstate 5 on the U.S. West Coast).

As previously stated, of the original 23 channels, 7 were legally used to communicate with inter-licensee's; channels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 23 (and channel 9 for emergency communications). (This all changed with the advent of the 40 channel system - after which only one frequency (ch 9) was assigned by the FCC for special use.) The remaining channels could only be used by intra-licensee communications. Channel 23 was used on a shared basis with class C paging systems (and the paging system could have a maximum output of about 20 Watts (25 W input) - while the normal CB channels had a maximum output of 4 Watts {5 W input} {up from the 3.5 W output of the 60's}). This explains why several CB radios of the day could be legally modified for class C service to put out 20+ watts by strapping a resistor - most notably were Johnson & Tram CB's that had the resistor in their plate circuit. Channel 16 was the informal SSB only channel.

As previously stated, of the original 23 channels, 7 were legally used to communicate with inter-licensee's; channels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 23 (and channel 9 for emergency communications). (This all changed with the advent of the 40 channel system - after which only channel 9 was assigned for special use. The remaining channels could only be used by intra-licensee communications. Channel 23 was used on a shared basis with class C paging systems (and the paging system could have a maximum output of about 20 Watts (25 W input) - while the normal CB channels had a maximum output of 4 Watts {approximately 6 watts input} up from the 3.5 W output (5 watts input) prior to January 1 1977. This explains why several CB radios of the day could be legally modified for class C service to put out 20+ watts by strapping a resistor - most notably were Johnson & Tram CB's that had the resistor in their plate circuit. Channel 16 was the informal SSB only channel.

==REACT==

==REACT==