TRC-485  40-Channel AM/SSB CB Transceiver
(210-1577)                 Operation Hints            Faxback Doc. # 33140

Like most activities, CB radio has its customs and courtesies.  The
following tips will help you get the most enjoyment from your CB.

COMMON USES FOR A CB

Personal Uses

  Keep in touch with home while driving to work, to the store, or to a
  social activity.  Let your family know you are tied up in traffic or
  that you will stop by the store on the way home.

  If you are a two-car (or more) family, CB radios are great for
  communicating with family members while they are in their cars.

  Contact friends or neighbors - find out "what's happening" or plan
  a get-together.

  Ever have car trouble or run out of gas on the highway? What an
  assurance it is to be able to radio for assistance!

  Camping, fishing, and other sports are more fun with a CB radio.
  Locate a buddy or find out "what's cooking" back at camp.

Business Uses

  For security officers, a CB is more than a convenience - it is a must
  for both safety and efficiency.

  Truck drivers and delivery personnel can learn road and traffic
  conditions and get assistance in locating destinations.  A CB radio
  is also good company on those "long hauls."

  On construction crews, a CB radio quickly pays for itself when you are
  calling for additional materials or coordinating the activities of
  different work crews.

MAXIMUM RANGE

The maximum range and quality of CB radio transmissions vary depending
on the following conditions:

  The type and quality of antenna used

  The height of the antenna's mounting location - the higher the antenna,
  the better the signal's range

  The surrounding terrain - mountains and tall buildings limit the range

  Weather conditions

  The number of nearby radios operating on the same channel

  Standing wave ratio (SWR) between the antenna and the CB.  You can check
  the SWR between the CB and a mobile or base station antenna using an SWR
  tester (such as Cat. No. 21-523).  Follow the instructions supplied with
  the SWR tester and the mobile or base station antenna to change the SWR,
  if necessary.

NOTE:  Your CB radio's transmission range is generally line-of-sight.

TRANSMISSION COURTESY

Please follow these guidelines of radio courtesy when using your CB.

  Wait for a pause in someone else's transmission before you ask for a
  break.

  If you do not receive an answer to your call after a second attempt,
  sign off and wait several minutes before trying again.

  Do not hold down the Talk button when you are not talking.  (This is
  called dead keying.)

  Assist callers with directions, information about road conditions, and
  any other reasonable requests.

USING COMMON 10-CODES

Citizen's band operators and CB radio users have largely adopted the
10-codes for standard questions and answers.  There codes permit faster
communication and better intelligibility in noisy areas.

This table lists codes adopted by the Associated Public Safety
Communications Officers (APCO).

Code                                 Meaning

10-1                                 Your signal is bad.

10-2                                 Your signal is good.

10-3                                 Stop transmitting.

10-4                                 Message received and understood.

10-5                                 Relay information to ___.

10-6                                 I am busy or are you busy?

10-7                                 Out of service.

10-8                                 In service.

10-9                                 Repeat last message.

10-10                                Negative (NO).

10-11                                _____ in service.

10-12                                Stand by.

10-13                                Report road/weather conditions.

10-14                                Information.

10-15                                Message delivered.

10-16                                Reply to message.

10-17                                En route.

10-18                                Urgent.

10-19                                Contact ____.

10-20                                What is your location?

10-21                                Call ____ by telephone.

10-22                                Cancel last message.

10-23                                Arrived at the scene.

10-24                                Assignment complete.

10-25                                Meet ____.

10-26                                Estimated time of arrival is
                                     _____.

10-30                                Use caution.

10-31                                Pick up.

10-33                                Emergency traffic.  Clear the
                                     channel.

10-34                                What time is it?

10-41                                Switch to Channel xx.

10-62                                Cannot understand.


(LB/EB 5/16/96)