ARLA/CLUSTER: 30º Aniversario da legalização do CB no Reino Unido.

[João Gonçalves Costa]

30th anniversary of UK CB

November 2 marked the 30th anniversary of the introduction of legal Citizens Band radio in the United Kingdom.

Many radio amateurs were involved in the campaign to legalise CB. Perhaps the most well known was James Bryant G4CLF, designer of the G4CLF SSB Transceiver, and President of the Citizens Band Association from 1976 until 1985.

James wrote about CB Radio in the March 2, 1978 issue of New Scientist magazine, see http://tinyurl.com/CBradioNewScientist

The UK government of the day was opposed to the idea of citizens being able to communicate freely with each other using two-way radios, however, the change of Goverment in May, 1979 saw a shift in policy.

At the end of 1979 the Radio Regulatory Department carried out a series of tests at 900 MHz and 1300 MHz and in May 1980 Home Secretary William Whitelaw announced proposals for a service called Open Channel on 928 MHz. At the time there were estimates that 250,000 people were using 27 MHz AM in the UK.

Eventually on November 2, 1981 two CB allocations were introduced 27 MHz FM using non-standard channels and 934 MHz FM.

There are several TV news clips from the time available on the web:

July 6,1980 - Shows 5000 CB enthusiasts demonstrating in Trafalgar Square against government delays in legalising CB radio.
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1980/07/06/VS060780008/<http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/ITN/1980/07/06/VS060780008/>

August 5, 1980 - Enthusiasts using 27 MHz AM in their cars and interview with Home Office minister Timothy Raison MP
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1980/08/05/VS050880085/<http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/ITN/1980/08/05/VS050880085/>

August 5, 1980 - A trucker explains the concerns of enthusiasts that the proposed system would make radio sets too expensive.
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITN/1980/08/05/VS050880086/<http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/ITN/1980/08/05/VS050880086/>

Some 30 years later, on June 24, 2011, the European Union finally paved the way for 27 MHz AM and SSB CB although the UK regulator Ofcom still seem to be dragging their feet on the matter. See ECC Decision (11)03
http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF



"G4CLF" SSB Transceiver
http://jbryant.eu/pages/g4clf.htm

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