DEVELOPMENT OF CB IN THE UK November the 2nd 1981 saw the legislation  to legalise CB in the UK. Two FM bands were opened up, 27,60125 - 27,99125Mhz  with 40 channels at 10Khz spacing, 4W maximum power,only small antennas allowed,  and 934,0125 - 934,9625Mhz with 20 channels at 50Khz spacing, 8W maximum  powerwith up to 8 element beams allowed. It was about five to six years before  this date that 40 channel 27Mhz AM/SSB sets began to appear in the country being  able to be procured "from a bloke in the pub". These sets proved to be of little  use during the day due to the S9+ skip coming in from Italy, with the odd  American voice coming through the mess later in the day. At nights when the skip  finally died all these illegal sets would come alive and law breaking on a  massive scale would take place. CB shops began to spring up everywhere, and  although they could not sell the rigs, they could sell antennas, microphones,  linears, books etc. The "bloke in the pub" made all the money. The Government flatly refused to legalise any form of CB due to criminal use - bank  robbers, terrorists would use it!!. Anti CB propaganda was appearing on the TV  news - they would show a CB radio next to a TV set, and when the "offence  button" was pressed lines would appear all over the screen. What else would  happen at that range?. During the mid 70s to 1981, 27Mhz sets were being  smuggled in by the lorry load and some people in the know were calling for the  unused WW2 Lancaster bomber frequency of 200Mhz to be seriously considered for  UK CB, but the Government was still saying that they would never legalise CB on  27Mhz. By this time tests had been conducted on 928Mhz for the "Open Channel"  system that the men from the Ministry liked to call it. Finally, due to the  great numbers of usually law abiding citizens hitting the transmit button each  night, Her majesty's Government announced that the two CB bands as above would  become legal. Of course, all the illegal 27Mhz AM/SSB operators wanted to  still use their radios, but the new FM 27Mhz was devoid of all that daytime  skip, with only a little interference from stray SSB transmissions. By Christmas  1981 just about everyone had a set with a lot of young voices on air. 934Mhz was  a long time coming, mainly due to the problems of designing radios to operate on  such high frequencies. The local industry fell short of rising to the occasion,  and it was not until several years later that the all singing all dancing  Japanese sets started to appear on the market. Sadly by this time those that  were waiting for the better quality sets to appear had either moved on to the  cheaper option, 27Mhz, gone on to Ham Radio, or lost interest in radio. By the  time the better quality sets were available there were not that many customers,  especially when the cost of a complete setup was nearly $2000.00. The  authorities were going to expand the band to 40 channels, but due to the under  utilisation of the band this did not happen, and in December 1988 the allocation  of 934Mhz was withdrawn, which meant that no new equipment was allowed to be  sold.  Thinking that they would be stuck with expensive gear that they  would not be able to sell, many sold their equipment for peanuts. However  confidence gradually returned to the band and rigs and gear have come back in  demand, with the result that anyone wishing to start up in the band now has  great difficulty in obtaining the necessary equipment. To soften the blow of the  closure of 934Mhz the Government in 1988 lifted antenna restrictions on 27mhz  antennas, 26.965 to 27.405, 40 channels was legalised on FM only, 4 watts. In  1997 a spec was passed to allow both sets of 27 MHz freqs into one set. All sets  sold now are 80 channels. On the 1st Jan 1999, 934 was officially recalled, and  the band is now closed.  Information for this article from Ian Penhaligon 934 Club UK.  Information to update the above from Jack - Southern Scotland representative for  the British Citizens Band Confederation, and also CB representative for the  United Kingdom Radio Society. As you can see Jack is a keen CBer and is planning  to move to Australia shortly, so would welcome any contact from the Australian  CB fraternity.                      My first visit to the UK with 934MHz  The STABO 933\934 and NPR 934   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The VISIT By Terry UK1761 Terry UK-1761 &Marnie UK-1762 I would first like totake this opportunity to thank Reg ROMEO1 (Needham Market) and Clive UK391 (Ipswich area) for doing the relays for us on the 17/7/93, and alsto any other station down that way who helped but I could not hear. The reason for the thanks was that Fred UK1799 and Frans UK1806 were paying a visit to my station and we as hosts were getting a bit concerned when we had not hear anything from them after allowing about one and a half hours for travelling from Harwich to Kessingland.  We put out an all station call and the above stations responded and gave immense help to our visitors and also put them on the right road to Kessingland. My next problem was that I had run out of time and had to go to work and this meant  that I would be unable to meet them and show them round the back doubles to my QTH. This is when another station offered to help which I was very grateful for and it came from Dave UK109.   During this time we had been in contact with Ferry UK1797 who was hoping to say a quick hello from Den Haag before he had to go QRT. But I had to tell him they had not turned up as yet. Next morning I met Fred and Frans I could then put a face to the voices which was quite pleasing for all of us as we had so many QSO's with each other that we were already old friends.   We then had the opportunity to show them around our area and the pleasure they got and not least my wife and I got from seeing all that our area had to offer. (it's surprising how much of your own patch you have never seen until occasions like this). Kevin UK1763 offered to take Fred and Frans on a trip up the broads which also seemed to be very pleasing for Fred and Frans.   The only thing that never played the game was the weather and there is no answer to that, but then we put the damp times to good use by goin through the frequencies of their sets and ours and came up with a handy list of conversions so that they and our stations could QSY more around the channels and leave channel 20 clear.     Fred told us that they sit on our channel 20 their kannel 39 so that as soon as they could hear any activity on channel 20 from the UK they coul make contact with them. At the time they thought that the stations in Den Haag, which amounted to about six active stations, were the only ones that could be heard, but since making ~ontact with the UK stations they now realise that there are more stations there than first thought.   So now Fred and Frans have taken this info back with them and will pass it on to as many stations over there as they can. But I must give praise to them for the pioneering spirit that has been shown by them and the way in which they have iaproved their stations since the contacts with Carol and Nigel of Great Yarmouth in April 1993.    So hopefully by the next lift things should have improved on the bands we now share with our freinds across the water, and we British who have had the band to ourselves for so long will hopefully appreciatethe new stations, with all the new enthusiasm they show, to what seemed like a dying band. I also foundthat going though my electronic log that I have had more contacts on a regular basis with the Dutchstations than I have had with UK stations in 1993. So come on UK stations lets start pointing those beams to such out- landish places like the East Coast (Which this area is, the most Easterly in the UK).   The locals stations namely Dave UK109 plus wife Carol ans Kevin UK1763, Linda UK1764 plus children enjoyed a very cordial visit to the 'WHERRY' were we enjoyed a very nice last evening with Fred and Frans. But it was not to be because when Fred phoned the Ferry company he was told 3very sorry sir, but there are no more berths left' and would not be able to fit them in until the Tuesday, with this we enjoyed another' last night with guests at the P.H.' FIVE BELLS' and the same company enjoyed another nice evening I have passed on a copy of the frequency list for UK to DUTCH channels andvisa versa for the Editor to see if suitable to pass on though the 934 club mag.   Many thanks to all who helped to make the visit a success, and to Fred UK1799 and Frans UK1806 for just being'themselves. And last but not least a BIG thank you to Marnie UK1762 for the Domestic engineering in the kitchen. P.S. Fred UK1799 has since made another visit ( I think to try and fool the weathe! but no such luck) and on this occasion we had plans to try and find Jean UK1382 and John UK1291, so we set off to Essex on a very wet and gloomy Sunday and listening in on channel 10 to the quiz from Norfolk while we were travelling. This lasted until we passed over the Orwell Bridge at Ipswich,after going up a bit of a hill we thought we heard the Norfolk ops. still having their quiz, but it turned out to be the Essex 934 Meet talk-in and we made contact with Graham UKl558 who talked us into Canewdon, where we were made very welcome and enjoyed a very nice meeting, also putting faces to callsigns (din't relize they spoke English so good for form parts).     We made contact with John UK1291 but sadly no Jean UK1381.Time passed so quick which meant we had to say our goodbyes and make our way home (still raining). While we were mardeling on channel 10 who should we hear but Jean UK1381 who invited us to a nice cuppa in a layby were they had stopped tp partake in a drop of PG.  All I can say is thanks everyone for such a nice day. 73's De Terry UK1761 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Thank You Very Mutch For ALL YOU DID for us TERRY AND MARNIE  73 Fred (UK-1799) Some of my QSL cards