FM CB Channels / Frequencies 11 Meter US FM Calling Channels

[R4002]

At 1529 UTC, some weak FM activity on 27.570 MHz

[Exo]

Channel 19 AM on the West Coast has remained in active use as a trucker and highway information channel since about 1976.
Prior to that, Channel 10 AM was the ad hoc nationwide trucker channel, but some regional trucker channels (such as 17 AM and 21 AM) also existed then. 

Channel 17 AM started as one of those regional trucker channels in California.
Then 17 AM became very active up and down the coast around 1978 during the intense skip of that roaring sunspot cycle.
Eventually, around 1996 during the low point in the sunspot cycles, most truckers in California began keeping their dial locked on 19 AM instead of switching to 17 AM when they were on Interstate I-5.
17 AM eventually stopped being a trucker channel at all, and devolved into a calling and working channel for the locals in many California towns and cities.

The addition of FM to the new FCC rules will probably cause another evolution in the use of FM for truckers and local information.

The growing use of Channel 29 as an FM Trucker Channel looks eerily similar to the way previous trucker channels evolved.

It appears from their chatter that some truckers may be trying to claim CB Channel 29 as their new "trucker FM channel".
Perhaps that's just local to the west coast.
Also heard weak signals, distinctively FM activity, on 27295.0 when the skip was in to the plains states earlier today.

That makes sense though.  Do they still use channel 17 and channel 21 on the West Coast in addition to 19?  Here on the East Coast its 19 but I could see Channel 29 FM as the trucker FM channel being adopted nationwide relatively quickly. 

Goes to show how many trucks are equipped with export rigs with AM and FM capability.   

I just updated the first post in this thread to reflect the use of CB channel 29 FM 27.295 MHz FM 27.295 FM as the trucker FM CB channel.

[R4002]

Channel 19 AM on the West Coast has remained in active use as a trucker and highway information channel since about 1976.
Prior to that, Channel 10 AM was the ad hoc nationwide trucker channel, but some regional trucker channels (such as 17 AM and 21 AM) also existed then. 

Channel 17 AM started as one of those regional trucker channels in California.
Then 17 AM became very active up and down the coast around 1978 during the intense skip of that roaring sunspot cycle.
Eventually, around 1996 during the low point in the sunspot cycles, most truckers in California began keeping their dial locked on 19 AM instead of switching to 17 AM when they were on Interstate I-5.
17 AM eventually stopped being a trucker channel at all, and devolved into a calling and working channel for the locals in many California towns and cities.

The addition of FM to the new FCC rules will probably cause another evolution in the use of FM for truckers and local information.

The growing use of Channel 29 as an FM Trucker Channel looks eerily similar to the way previous trucker channels evolved.

Considering how many truckers seem to already have FM-capable radios installed I can definitely see your point.

I know it's not a 1-for-1 comparison but in Russia they have 27.135 MHz AM (Channel 15AM, C15AM or D15AM) as the AM road/highway/trucker channel and 27.185 MHz FM (Channel 19 FM, C19FM or D19FM) as the FM road/highway/trucker channel.  27.635 MHz FM is also used as a highway advisory channel or road channel (D19FM or E19FM) in some areas.  In larger cities, truckers use additional channels (mostly in FM mode) but Channels 15 and 19 seem to be the main channels.  Rigs designed for the Russian market have Channel 15 switches like most rigs have a Channel 9 / Channel 19 / NORM switch (or just a Channel 9 switch). 

Maybe something similar will happen here.  FM does make more sense for local short-range communications, which is what channel 19 is used for now.  Maybe 19 will eventually switch to FM and another channel will become the AM channel. 

I remember reading about the 23-channel days, back when channel 9 was the emergency channel, channel 10 was the road channel/trucker channel and channel 11 was the calling channel.  Channel 11 has remained the calling channel in many respects.  I believe the switch from 10 to 19 was, at least in part, to reduce adjacent-channel interference on channel 9 and channel 11 from heavy traffic on channel 10. 

We might end up taking a page out of the European or Russian CB book and include the mode in the channel designator - CB channel 29 FM, CB channel 19 AM, CB channel 21 AM, CB channel 31 FM, etc.

Channel 1 -
Channel 2 -
Channel 3 -
Channel 4 - this is apparently used by 4x4 groups, Jeep clubs, etc. - see also: channel 16 - AM mode
Channel 5 - heavily used by Latin American stations - AM mode
Channel 6 - we already know what channel 6 is...
Channel 7 - often similar to Channel 5, although when the band is closed its used locally - AM mode
Channel 8 -
Channel 9 - still the emergency channel, in theory, but you'll have better luck on 19. Latin American calling channel - AM mode
Channel 10 -
Channel 11 - calling channel - AM mode
Channel 12 -
Channel 13 -
Channel 14 - AM mode channel, used locally - AM mode
Channel 15 - Often also used as an AM DX channel
Channel 16 - this is apparently used by 4x4 groups, Jeep clubs, etc. - see also: channel 4 - AM mode
Channel 17 - AM DX channel, calling channel - AM mode
Channel 18
Channel 19 - road channel - highway channel - trucker channel - AM mode
Channel 20 - "testing channel" - used for DX during band openings - AM mode (for now?)
Channel 21 -
Channel 22 - used locally (around me anyway) AM mode
Channel 23 -
Channel 24 -
Channel 25 -
Channel 26 - AM DX calling channel - AM mode
Channel 27
Channel 28 - AM DX calling channel - AM mode
Channel 29 - trucker FM channel - CB channel 29 FM 27.295 MHz FM mode
Channel 30
Channel 31
Channel 32
Channel 33
Channel 34
Channel 35 - sometimes used for SSB
Channel 36 - often used for SSB, or as a local channel
Channel 37 - often used for SSB
Channel 38 - SSB calling - 27.385 MHz LSB 27.385 LSB
Channel 39 - often used for SSB
Channel 40 - AM channel, sometimes used for SSB operations as well

[Exo]

Lately, I've been hearing more truckers using FM on Channel 24 (27235 kHz) and none on Channel 29.
Maybe all the bleedover from 28 AM made them find the new channel.

[VE3MOP]

Greetings to all. Please feel free to check out "FM Worldwide DX" on Facebook operating at 27.235 MHz citizens band Channel 24 where all amateurs, freebanders, cb'ers & swl's are always welcome. 73

[Elf36]

I'm glad you brought this up. I had forgotten how much fun I had making FM contacts on 27 Mhz when there was a band opening a few months back. That was the first time I tried running FM, other than maybe some locals, just trying to see how it worked 5 miles or so apart. I was able to work several station on the west coast. Ill check today when I get home. Hopefully conditions will be as good as they were yesterday. I'll keep you posted of any contacts.

[BOOKS]

Just my President Randy AM/FM walkie, I do not see 26,805 on the dial, so I got ripped off!!!

[Pigmeat]

When I was into CB back in the early 70's, 17 and 21 were the local BS'ing channels while 6 was the same as it is now. Remember, we had an extra watt of power so talking worldwide in Hi-fi AM was a breeze. Then Satan's Sideband cluttered the spectrum up, and the oil embargo and the national 55 mph speed limit opened the CB band up to a pack of idiots ruining it for everyone except pimps and lot lizards.

Now, can I use my old Palomar linear amp in FM? 

[VE3MOP]

"FM Worldwide DX" has nearly 5000 Facebook members and is really hopping now at 26.900 MHz

[R4002]

26.900 MHz is home to paging systems in Europe, and the frequency is often busy with full-scale POCSAG signals.

I know 26.805 MHz FM is quite popular.  26.905 MHz FM would be a decent choice too.  I've seen some evidence that 27.605 MHz FM and 27.805 MHz FM are both active in the USA.

Today I monitored activity on CB channel 29 FM - 27.295 MHz FM and the other day, in addition to wall-to-wall activity on the UK FM CB channels, strong FM activity (from Europe and the UK) on 27.125 MHz FM (CB Channel 14 FM). 

[R4002]

Noted US stations running FM on:

26805 FM 26.805 MHz FM - no surprise there
27605 FM 27.605 MHz FM - also not a surprise
27805 FM 27.805 MHz FM - this seems to be a new one.

German stations heard running FM on 27.295 MHz FM CB Channel 29 FM.  I know US truckers have adopted this frequency for FM use, along with 26.845 MHz FM and 27.745 MHz FM.  Of course, Channel 30 FM and Channel 31 FM are also popular.

26.900 MHz and 26.950 MHz have both been home to lots and lots of paging activity recently.  26.905 MHz FM though, that might be a better call.  Same with some other frequencies in the 26.805 MHz to 26.895 MHz ballpark.  When the band isn't open to Europe, 26.900 MHz FM would absolutely work though.