CB Radio Amplifiers

CB radio amplifiers and CB radio linear amplifiers are used along with a CB Radio. They are helpful in increasing the amplitude of the signal received by the CB radio.

To start with, a “Citizens Band”, or CB radio, is a tool for communication between people and makes use of radio frequency for completing the conversation. As a CB radio user, you have a choice of 40 channels and you can use an 11 meter band. The CB radio was actually designed for the use of military and other government departments in the 1960s. It caught on a lot with the taxi drivers and truck drivers back then.

You will find lots of variety in CB radio amplifiers. There are super low noise amplifiers, input protected low noise amplifiers, broadband low noise amplifiers, high power amplifiers and broadband power amplifiers to choose from. These CB radio amplifiers are economically priced and can cover 100 MHz to 18 GHz range of frequencies. The noise emitted is as low as 0.5 decibels and the output can be as high as 50 decibels, which is loud enough.

The FCC says that it is legal to use CB radios for a personal communication. However, in part 95, subpart D, the United States Federal Communications division (FCC) has set the limit for CB radios to just 4 watts of power. That implies a CB radio can give you a clear range up to 9 miles, based on the terrain you are using it on.

This also means that you can comfortably carry out a conversation in usual short-range situations. CB radio amplifiers are sought after by avid radio users since they offer an increase in range, over a longer distance.

However, the FCC has banned the use of amplifiers in the United States. The use of a CB radio amplifier can increase the radio’s range to about 70 miles since it enhances the broadcast power of the CB radio and basic CB radio antenna. Due to this, the amplifier can cause disturbances in the TV and computer signals present in the area. Hence, there is a ban on such amplifiers in the US.

Another kind of CB radio amplifiers are known as CB radio linear amplifiers. They are designed on the solid state or vacuum tube technology and are able to provide 10 to 20 times amplification than usual amplifiers. The good news is that it is legal to transmit up to 1.5 kW power using this kind of amplifier in the US, so you are more likely to find one of these CB radio linear amplifiers on sale. 

There are several companies that sell such amplifiers on the internet. Whenever you need to buy a CB radio amplifier, check if it is approved by the FCC. Many online retailers sell amplifiers by mentioning they are for export use only, to get away with the ban imposed in the United States.