What use is an F-call?

A little while ago I had a conversation about the difference between Amateur Radio and CB radio. This distinction is obvious to most Amateurs, but much less so to the rest of the community.

On the face of it, there are people with radios that you can talk into and someone else can hear it. There are different frequencies involved and antennas come into play. Pretty much the same thing.

Not so.

There is one fundamental difference between Amateur Radio and CB radio. This basic difference is simple to explain, but the implications are that the two are different animals.

Here it is:

The fundamental difference is that in Amateur Radio, it's the person that is licensed, in CB radio, it's the radio itself, a so-called type approval.

So, to legally participate in CB radio, you need to purchase a licensed radio. To legally participate in Amateur Radio, you need to obtain a personal amateur license.

There are many other subtle differences and implications. A typical approved CB radio has a specific set of pre-defined channels and power. In Amateur Radio, the power and frequencies you're allowed to use are determined by your license.

There's much more than I can cover in a minute and a half, but that's the basic gist.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB