Talking on Sideband?

[elmer fudd]

Ok, I don't know much about sideband but I have been reading some of the post here to try and learn. (1.) It was my understanding that if I was talking on the LSB or USB to someone that we could still hear everything on the normal AM freq of that channel but they could not understand us. Right or Wrong? (2.) Also there were 3 of us trying to talk on the side. Two of us have connex 3300HP and the other guy has a galaxy 959. The 2 of us with the connex's could talk on the side but the guy with the galaxy could not hear us and we could not hear him. Why not?

[Black Lightning]

In order to receive SSB, you must have an SSB equipped receiver. The Connex 3300 does not have this (as it AM-FM only). The 959 is a SSB radio so it would be able to both receive and transmit SSB.

An SSB signal will sound garbled and distorted on AM due to the lack of carrier. An SSB receiver has a circuit called a Beat Frequency Oscillator which re-injects the missing carrier back into the signal, so it can be received. The clarifier (or Voice Lock) is the control for this BFO.

You can hear an AM signal on SSB provided the two radios are on frequency, but more often than not, that isn't the case and an AM signal will be subject to a heterodyne with the BFO (the squeal you hear when two stations off frequecy from each other key up at the same time on AM).

[elmer fudd]

OK. Then what were me and the other guy with the 3300 talking on. Is that not sideband or is it just a different frequency altogether? Cause we could here each other and talk so I don't understand where we were talking. Also then what is the "BAND" Dial for that has A_B_C_D_E_F and the HI/LO Band switch, if these are not SSB then what are they for? Are they still on 10 meter frequencies?

[Black Lightning]

OK. Then what were me and the other guy with the 3300 talking on. Is that not sideband or is it just a different frequency altogether? Cause we could here each other and talk so I don't understand where we were talking. Also then what is the "BAND" Dial for that has A_B_C_D_E_F and the HI/LO Band switch, if these are not SSB then what are they for? Are they still on 10 meter frequencies?

That's not SSB, those are separate frequencies. The 959 would not be able to receive anything on other than "D" band on the Connex radios, unless the 959 was modified for extra channels (and then only some).

[Grump]

First Cb is 11 meter not 10 meter if you are on anything different than d I believe you are on a ham band which is a no no.
So I wouldn't be talking up there any more.

[elmer fudd]

Well we weren't on there but just a second to see if we could all talk but when we figured out all 3 of us couldn't we just went back to regular channels to talk. I did not realize all the difference between a 10 meter radio and a "cb" when I bought it or I would have just bought a galaxy or something with SSB. That was part of the reason I bought this connex but I have been finding out more and more things it can't do that I thought it could when I bought it. I think I'll sell it and buy me a cb with ssb.

[Grump]

Yeah I've heard that before. A real good ssb radio is a phillipene made uniden grant xl. You can find them used.

[elmer fudd]

Yeah I know those used to be kinda popular but they don't make them anymore do they?

[Black Lightning]

The Grant XL or the Taiwan/Philippine made Cobra 148GTL are hard to beat. No, they don't make them anymore but this is a case of 'older is better'.

[elmer fudd]

Thanks guys.

[Grump]

Like you I bought a converted 10 meter radio it works good in my big truck. I have my grant xl I'm sitting on till i can get a few things to put it in my pick up so I can do some talking on side band. I've bought mine 12 to 14 years ago and it is a philly made unit. Its been tuned and peeked and works AWESOME still only thing done to it is to replace the light behind the meter.

[Circuit Breaker]

I got myself a like new Philippine Cobra 148 for $120 not long ago off flea-bay. Good looking radio. I just want my tech to look at it and check it all out, but sounds good otherwise.

[Black Lightning]

I got myself a like new Philippine Cobra 148 for $120 not long ago off flea-bay. Good looking radio. I just want my tech to look at it and check it all out, but sounds good otherwise.

I must be the only one who gets deals!

I got a virgin, nearly cherry Taiwan radio (made 1984) for $40 B-I-N. I got a near pristine Philly radio for $60 and a new in box condition 1980 Taiwan for $120 ...

Not that I'm bragging or anything ...

[Porch Boy]

the guy with the galaxy was really on ssb and u 2 with the connex were just on lower channels, there is a difference. The A. B. C... are different frequencies not side bands . the high/low switch is gonna be for power, will most likely raise the deadkey. hey your learnin' now!

[KILLROY]

Buy changing bands you are getting into the free band channels and getting into ham bands. The hammys get their shorts in a major wad when you get
into their frequency's. Some of the free band channels are ok but you have to know which ones. Some of them are great for DX. I have a Big Galaxy with Am SSB and all the bands of a Connex.

[Texas Mobil 219]

Back when i had my 150 Cobra. I used to get up into them Hammy bands and chat with them often. They never go upset. Matter of fact they were pretty impressed with my system at that time. Even had a couple of them come by the house to see the rig. Its how you carry yourself. If you operate right they don't have a problem. But if you get on the Hammy bands and talk a bunch of wierd lingo and Cb slang. Then they get there shorts in a wad.

10 M is cool to talk on.

Just what i used to do that all.

[TheTeZ]

texas, sounds like your one of the lucky ones. your lucky you got some nice 10m neighbors, a lot of them wouldn't be so fond of you being up their with them with out the proper call sign and such. and if i were you justto be on the safe side i wouldn't tell them where you lived to let them see your stuff.

['Doc]

The big difference between AM and SSB is the way the SSB radio 'handles' not haing a carrier for the modulation to 'ride' on. An AM radio makes and sends that carrier with the modulation 'on' the carrier. A SSB radio only sends the modulation. That SSB receiver 'makes' a carrier, the modulation in applied to it, and then that whole mess is 'detected' like with an AM radio. So what's the difference? First, that
AM signal is at lest twice as 'wide' since it contains a carrier and two side bands. A Single Side band radio only sends one of those side bands and no carrier. Bothe the Upper and Lower side bands are not the same, easiest to -think- of them being (+) and (-). That SSB receiver only listens for a very limited span of frequencies in relation to the 'center' of the channel, above or below, depending on if it's USB or LSB. If the frequency accuracy isn't real good, then it either doesn't hear the signal at all, or it's exactly wrong polarity for it to make any sense out of. They either sound like Donald Duck or you don't hear them. If you are only slightly off frequency, they also start sounding weird, which can be 'corrected' by 'sliding' up/down till you are on the same frequency where they sound 'right'.
The problem with most CB SSB radios is that the frequency accuracy isn't all that accurate, so if you're listening to more than one station, it's a sort of constant 'sliding' up/down to make them sound right. 'Accuracy' costs, and the typical CB SSB radio just ain't all that costly, sort of. A few dozen Hertz, not Kilohertz, can make a huge difference.
If the channel is the problem, I'm sure you can see the problem there, get on the right channel. Deals with standardization of channel frequencies, and above/below the regular 40 channels, there just ain't no standardization at all, good luck!
None of this is very accurately stated, but it's close. It can give you an idea of why it ain't working right.
Have fun.
- 'Doc