CB Radio Single Side Band (SSB) Explained

[@theoldhobbit3640]

Sir, can I just say thank you for the simplified information surrounding SSB. I am a complete novice to SSB radio and here in the UK we run our UK FM straight 40, European 40 and SSB. I have to admit to having a radio that also offers some additions but I wont go into that on a public site :). Must of what I read and watch just adds to the confusion but information broken down in to layman's terms takes away some of the mystery. Keep up the good work.

[@Hilander1298]

+Gary Kirk Thanks. I try.

[@nickpandolfi2234]

Thank you for this helpful video I am back into it after being gone for 35 years. I bought a Cobra 2000 GTL with side band I even bought a D104 made for side band.. I'm very excited Thanks. Nick

[@danwinkler6519]

Wow flash from the past. My dad had a corbra like that in the 70's.We had a beam antenna and used to talk all over the country..too cool to see one now. many thanks!

[@danwinkler6519]

CQ CQ CQDX CQDX Viking 1080..KSS3116

[@Hilander1298]

LOL, yep she is an old one. But a good one. REally enjoy radio.

[@peterbaugh51]

+Dan Winkler Yeah flash back - I had an old 4 watt CB with 1/4 wave ground plane I put on the chimney. Could talk 60 miles on any quiet night. I learned why "country folk" used CB's with big antennas... they were talking past LONG DISTANCE telephone boundaries. Yep. Free long distance. No phone bills for a CB. Oh crap maybe I should not have given away the secret.... ha. My new Cobra 148 GTL is much better that that old radio. Still, I had fun with all my old CB's. If you ever hear 10 Delta184 on 38 LSB, yell back to Texas ;-)

[@buzzsah]

SSB works on PEP= peck envelop power. USB / LSB legel18 watts of modulated pep power. The clarifier can be unlocked or opened so as to work on AM as well to slide between channels. The only problem with SSB is it's hard to have a 3 or 4 way conversion. Also at one time there were only a few channels that SSB could use like 35 & above do to splatter over to AM. It was a gentleman's agreement between AM'ers & SSB'ers the AM'ers would not use 35 & above for the same reason..

[@henryjoly7961]

I also have an old 142. I think this is one of the clearest talking SSB radios with a D104 hooked up to it. I love it!!! Great vid and thanks for the info.

[@Sergei_kv82]

I have a 89 on next to me, unfortunately its only AM but its powerful

[@daviator4720]

Thank you good explanation for the beginner with SSB

[@poikaa3]

Single Side Band mode is lots of fun and more efficient in frequency usage than AM mode. A few AM signals on the same channel (frequency) will create many hetrodynes or tones (noise and whistles) of the carriers 'beating' on each other. Several SSB stations will not make this noise and the plus is than the range is increased. I can easily 'talk' 75 to 125 miles with no skip, whereas AM is reduced to 5 to 30 miles. AM is like a dull knife (wide bandwidth) where SSB is sharp (narrow bandwidth) and 'cuts' farther! The Voice Lock or clarifier is a BFO that re-creates the base carrier that is missing in SSB mode, tuning this BFO (zero beat) changes the pitch of the SSB signal so that it sounds near normal. Not all transmitters are the same so one would have to re-tune the BFO for each, but close is good enough!

[@Centar1964]

SSB is just AM with the carrier and one of the resulting sidebands filtered out ...on AM the radio outputs 4 watts carrier and 4 watts in both the upper and lower sidebands with 100% modulation resulting in 12 watts total but spread out, On SSB the power can be increased 3 times (12 watts) without overheating the final output transistor and giving a little over 1 db boost in your signal using less bandwidth but the carrier must be reinserted on the receiving side (clarifier) and finely adjusted to match the transmitters frequency exactly or the pitch of the sound will be off. There is also DSB, double side band...or carrier suppressed AM. FYI, sidebands are created from the modulation and is where the information is in the signal on AM SSB or DSB.

[@troydixson1394]

Brings back so many memories um southern NC had some of the alltime legends on the mike

[@UpcomingJedi]

So they put a speed up / slow down control? Which radio has a button that i can push to shock everyone else when i want them to shut up or get off of MY channel so i can use my radio? Lots of people say there is no such thing but there HAS to be.

[@quaxk]

there's no speeding up or slowing down, I don't know where you got that, it's just the pitch that change

[@clintoncann4390]

My Call sign is VB31 if you ever hear skip from western australia on channel 27.35.50mhz LSB

[@Hilander1298]

CLINTON CANN good to know. Love trying to QSO in Australia

[@Hilander1298]

SSB totally legal. No license needed. You pick your own call numbers.

[@ronalddaub5049]

Thanks for that I was going to check out a ham radio for my car and get one for the house I'm just going to use my cb s and put linear amplifiers and other things on it

[@juanperez-sb1wo]

When I 1st started driving I had 2 of those 20,000 watts helical antennas and just a regular cobra 29 lx, I was in mississippi and could hear someone from Texas, Virginia, and few times from California

[@Hilander1298]

juan perez Yep. Good ole DX. Gotta love it.

[@PlutoniumDioxide]

+juan perez I live in SC and I talked to a guy in Australia on 15 meter SSB. Consider getting a ham license. It's a lot more fun than CB.

[@pavelavietor1]

hello, my understanding is it splits in 3 , the carrier and one band power is utilized on a single side band. 🎉 great video thanks for promoting citizen Band Radio. saludos

[@transbahuter02]

Great little tutorial.. But is there a "call out" frequency???

[@peterbrown6405]

In layman terms: THANK YOU. President Grant II from LONDON UK

[@Hilander1298]

Thanks for the very informative info. Do appreciate all constructive additions. Thanks for watching

[@Frdzed]

so how comes on RX in SSB if hear receive hiss or background noise if no carrier is present?

[@michaelgardner5843]

Thank you for the explanation!

[@RoccoDemonikDeLuca]

Hey man, are you broadcasting somewhere around lake Michigan? Every once in awhile I hear someone on my radio saying, "Aauu-dio" in Hammond, IN... And he sounds like you too!

[@nutmegger1957]

Why is Channel 38 so frequently used/referenced in various videos about CB? What's so special about Channel 38?

[@29pu04]

its the cb gateway to the world brother

[@anthonyglaser929]

this is a very helpful video. Thanks for posting.

[@nimrod7772]

CB on AM and FM - (which is what we have here in the UK) is 'casual' whereas SSB - (USB / LSB) is more 'disciplined'

[@ronalddaub5049]

That's what my question basically was is sideband a FM wavelength because I understand radio but I don't understand this lingo on CB LOL single side man isn't that just another frequency? Or different frequency?

[@ukguy7761]

@@ronalddaub5049 : SSB is not a "frequency".....its a mode just like FM or AM.

[@lochinvar00465]

A bit of modulation theory would help here. AM is a carrier which when modulated generates sidebands above and below it in proportion to the frequency being modulated. IE: a 1 Khz audio on a carrier of 27Mhz will result in 27Mhz(the carrier), 26.999Mhz(the lower sideband), and 27.001Mhz(the4 upper sideband). What SSB does is eliminate the carrier and one of the sidebands. The carrier has to be re-injected with the received sideband for it to re-create the original audio at the proper frequency(to match the transmitter) for it to sound right. An SSB signal broadcasting a tone, would be as a dead carrier on AM and would seem to be that. Theoretically, two conversations could take place on an SSB channel, one USB the other LSB. In practice not only is that true, but sometimes two or three conversations can take place on the same sideband if they are separated in frequency. One would hear unintelligible garble but this is usually easy to ignore on a good radio because it is greatly suppressed by good filters.

[@RavenwoodAcres]

. I recently upgraded my CB radio to a Uniden BC 980 SSB. In your video you mention skip, I regularly hear people from other state when I am monitor the side bands. Is that skip or are people using amps? Thanks for the video!

[@Hilander1298]

Nomad76ORE Any time you hear people talking from a long distance it is skip. They may be on amps also.

[@bm51879]

Nomad76ORE your hearing skip and people on ssb also use amps but i have talked skip on ssb with no amp just a good antenna tuned properly

[@ronalddaub5049]

@@Hilander1298 so amp will help if it's tuned properly?👌 I've always heard to run the wire and multiples of 3

[@RC-Heli835]

What about 10 meter export radios with SSB? If one has been converted to 11 meter does SSB still function properly?

[@Hilander1298]

Blade Yes

[@bahramkashanian4252]

I have a question for you ! I live in Germany the country and recently bought a Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB I have good antenna and all I check my SWR and ...but I do not hear shit...on any band .What the hell is wrong with this people? Is everybody using digital ????!! or ..some one please....

[@kisho2679]

when does one decide/prefer to use SSB instead of AM or instead of FM?

[@get__some]

when privacy and range are essential without using amplification.

[@tonypenachio6267]

Love that Cobra base..had them 4 yrs & still do.....

[@SaltyOldDawg]

What is the "BEST" possible radio you would recommend for SSB? I'm looking and I want as much possible capability as I can possibly buy in a mobile radio! What do you suggest?!?!?!?

[@Hilander1298]

SaltyOldDawg without going to Ham radio grade. I would lean towards the RCI 2950 or 2970DX models.

[@Z0S084]

thanks for the info, it's weird cuz this is the radio I plan on buying too lol

[@dustyflair]

SSB is way farther range than CB correct?

[@MultiTestPage]

Substantially, up to 1000 miles in some cases when skipping off the ionosphere

[@JohnnyRebKy]

Are u the guy from bells CB? Voice sounds like him

[@Hilander1298]

No I am not. Thanks for watching.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

+Albee4ty5 yes sir your welcome. I forgot to add I enjoyed the video and learned a lot. I've never had a radio with side band so I'm trying to learn about it. I'm going to purchase another radio and have had good experiences with Stryker 440 so was considering a new 497 Stryker but doesn't have side band. So I'm trying to decide if I want to go with a galaxy 94 or 98 to get the side band options. Tuff choice as I loved my Stryker 440

[@ronalddaub5049]

Is sideband FM?or another frequency?

[@get__some]

am

[@washingtonstatepicker3460]

Miss those old cobras

[@rdsii64]

channel 38 lower side band is quite popular for skip. channel 6 is referred to as the Super Bowl. I also have a radio that step down the tuning steps all the way down to 1 kHz so I can tun my transmit as well, so I don't have to have an unlocked clarifier

[@ramshadow7778]

Splits freq into 3 parts not 2. USB+LSB+Carrier (12w vs. 4w). Voice does not speed up or slow down, pitch changes.

[@Hilander1298]

Robert Mazzochi SSB Has no carrier. Key the mic and needle is flat until you talk. You use clarifier to speed up or slow down voice to make it intelligible.

[@ramshadow7778]

is the voice change a matter of "speed" or "pitch?"

[@Hilander1298]

Robert Mazzochi Speed. Thanks for watching

[@iwikal]

Albee4ty5 I don't think speed is the proper word for this context. When you tweak your clarifier up, they don't start talking faster.

[@ramshadow7778]

s'right!

[@radiosification]

Kinda confusing to tell people you're speeding them up or slowing them down. Time can only go at a constant rate and we don't have the technology to speed it up or slow it down with a knob on a radio. All you're really doing is increasing or decreasing the tuned frequency.

[@Hilander1298]

radiosification Technically you are right. But that wording is more technical and many cannot relate to that. That is why I explained it like I did. To me more basic. Anyway. Thanks for watching.

[@lamppis4359]

Albee4ty5 So it's based on a misconception that low pitch=slow and high pitch=fast. You are just adjusting the BFO. You aren't really explaining how it works.

[@Hilander1298]

***** Do a video and explain it. My video is not intended to teach a class on radio electronics. Just saying, if the voice is slow or low speed it up to clarify etc. I just clicked on your channel and NO videos up. Why not? Get busy genius. You are looking way to deep. Keep it simple. Many people have no clue what VFO BFO or whatever is or even give a crap. Just keeping it simple.

[@lamppis4359]

Albee4ty5 Using a misconception is clarifying? I can answer that one for you: It's not.

[@kerbygator]

+Albee4ty5 Makes sense to me. I think it's a good way to explain to someone new. It takes a triple digit IQ to understand it evidently. And well, you know. ...

[@jasonsmith6408]

Thanks for the video.

[@gfdfperte4248]

I think the Galaxy is the way to go but I do not know anything.

[@get__some]

it's like shoveling heavy snow with a 2x12x8ft board. use the 8ft is AM. Can't get real far. ssb is like using the end of the board. less to push, more available power.

[@psycronizer]

I have heard a lot of explanations from hams as to what SSB is...and they don't point out the number one reason it was invented , and it's specific quality-this guy talks about looking at a graphical representation of a typical signal, where you have a horizontal base line, and going along that line is a sine wave-form that has high and low curves above the base line and to the same extent below the base line.that is a typical full spread amplitude signal.Now, from the very top, to the very bottom, this signal takes up a certain amount of bandwidth (or frequency spread). SSB cuts one side of this signal out, either the top side of the base line, or the underside of the baseline, and in doing so, halves the frequency spread (bandwidth) needed to send/receive signals! So you can see immediately that this method only takes half as much bandwidth, and ,here's the important bit-it doesn't clutter up the airwaves!. You see, with the rise of modern communications the airwaves (the electromagnetic spectrum, or total spread of radio waves, in this case) became absolutely cluttered up with so many different transmission, this was one way to economize on bandwidth. It's not really such issue these days with digital tech, they can use one single fixed frequency and send digital data at really impressive rates.

[@ronalddaub5049]

It sounds like side bands on a CB is just two FM bands I can be wrong

[@ronalddaub5049]

All of this reminds me of a push-pull audio amplifier where is out of phase slightly on the Transformer that's what single Side Band on AM radio sounds like only it's kind of a FM thing

[@nickc8819]

Good info, Thanks

[@chuckles470s9]

Very helpful. Than you

[@MultiTestPage]

Great video

[@zooyawk4526]

Thanks for trying, but your explanation of what SSB is falls short on so many levels. He opened saying he's going to describe it in "layman's terms" because he only understands it in those terms, barely. If you want to learn about SSB do so with a Google search. This really isn't a description of single sideband as much as it is of what CB radio single Side Band is. SSB potential? What does that mean? The transceiver either has sideband or it doesn't. 73

[@Bootyhunter1971]

And this diatribe was from a ham prick, because thats what you are.... his explanation was fine, didnt need your smart ass comment at all. Ps im a general class but I still love cb, difference in me and you, I ADMIT IT, else YOU wouldnt have been watching this video. Get over yourself, ham is cb with assholes that think they are something because they passed a test that they had all the answers too 🤣🤣🤣 must be really "proud" of yourself. F off, ill sign off like that instead of "73"

[@ScottySmac]

SSB = 3db down, half power.

[@robjla1]

Thx

[@ForcedRejection]

I Can Emulate SSB on my Music Studio using methods im keeping a proprietary secret because it sounds so cool. you wanna hear? I got myself sounding halfway like a Yaesu FT-101. Ill post you the link to the joke thread that has my voice ran through a bunch of stuff to sound like an SSB Clown Digging for DX from the Planet Mars.. ill give you the link if you want, just goes to a forum which then has a vocaroo

[@wesleymccurtain166]

For whatever reason, on only 10 watts during lots of sunspot activity, I could get on sideband and talk to south America or Canada daily! On a Radio Shack CB!!!

[@wesleymccurtain166]

In radio communications, Single-SideBand modulation (SSB) or Single-SideBand Suppressed-Carrier (SSB-SC) is a refinement of amplitude modulation which uses transmitter power and bandwidth more efficiently. Amplitude modulation produces an output signal that has twice the bandwidth of the original baseband signal. Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of increased device complexity and more difficult tuning at the receiver.

[@PlutoniumDioxide]

+wesley mccurtain I thought 4 watts was the max on CB.

[@wesleymccurtain166]

W7KMS I think mine was 8 or 10. Been so long ago.

[@randyjones8058]

i have a base just like that

[@highorbit3282]

this stuff is just incomprehensible to me. I just can't get it through my thick skull

[@kd5dnk]

do yourself and everyone else a favor if you dont understand what ssb is dont use it!

[@MartinWillett]

Slow or fast? No! Not at all. High pitched or low pitched. To somebody who is used to gramophones or sound recordings on so called tapes this speeding up or slowing down analogy might mean something but you are not bending time with the clarifier! It is an antiquated and inaccurate unhelpful analogy. It is all about pitch and nothing to do with speed. All you need to say is turn the clarifier one way the voices are too high pitched and the other way they are too low pitched, twiddle a bit while listening carefully and the greenest of novices will be able to home in on the least unnatural position in a couple of seconds. With experience you will get even faster. It is like riding a bicycle *much easier* to do than to explain in detail!

[@Hilander1298]

Martin Willett another computer expert. Really? In the whole scheme of things do you really think the average CB'er cares. I put this in easy terms I can understand and most others will as well. You want a fucking MIT tech lesson on radio, don't come to you tube. Many of these people are just getting into radio. No NEED to unnecessarily confuse anyone. The voices sound "slow or fast" period. Easy

[@MartinWillett]

Albee4ty5 It is ONLY easy to understand to old timers who know about speeding up and slowing down records or tape. To people who live in the world of MP3 downloads this talk of slower and faster doesn't make any sense at all. You are showing your age, OM. 73s.

[@Hilander1298]

Martin Willett LOL. TAKE CARE.

[@theyodaman82]

I agree with you buddy. I just got me my first SSB radio a first gen President Washington and am very new at SSB. I however completely understood what you were talking about with the whole speed up and speed down. I only took the info you gave as it was intended, a basic introduction kind of thing. Thank you for your time and insight buddy. I love my new radio by the way lol.

[@Hilander1298]

You bet

[@thelasthallow]

Side band is still part of the CB band set, there are no call signs, and no licenses necessary to use it, so i am still confused as hell about all the weird call signs being used like on HAM frequencies. i would tell people if they want to be super dooper cool with their call signs and lingo go get a damn HAM licence and get off CB.

[@stephenplatt5048]

I haven't been on CB in over 25 years; from your comment it would appear things haven't changed much. Actually that's good! While I was on the band SSB had ALWAYS been a different world than AM. "Q" signals had always been preferred over 10-codes. When "handles" started becoming popular on AM, they were frowned upon on SSB. The closest thing to handles were SSB club ID's. For example, in my area I was a member of a local club on one channel and another on a statewide club on another channel; I had a club ID for each. When we completed a QSO we would sign with club ID + legal call (when we were still licensed). Believe me, when anyone came up on SSB "break upper 16 (UGH!!!!)" using 10 codes & handles that person would be immediately and politely informed of proper operating procedures.

[@wolfschindler8921]

A typical Cber talking crap!!! No clue whatsoever!

[@r.p.j.4217]

Ausgezeichnet

[@daddy3d1972]

Is 10 M SSB the same as the SSB you are referring to here?

[@Hilander1298]

daddy3d1972 Yes, SSB is the same anywhere on the dial.