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Rewind - a look back at history
On a recent ABC radio program quiz segment, this question was put: 'In
what year was Citizens Band Radio legalised in Australia?'
It was 1977, in fact July the 1st of that year, after a Federal
Government inquiry that received a large number of submissions in favour
of the move, and intense lobbying by a number of CB radio groups.
Initially CB was 18 channels at 27MHz, requiring operators to have a government
issued callsign, pay an annual licence fee and use type-approved equipment.
The big plan was that 27MHz, the amateur 11 metre band, was only to be
a temporary allocation and all CBers would move to UHF in five years.
However, 27MHz was retained and expanded in 1982, and the UHF band continues
today.
Gone has the licensing requirement too, with CB radio now covered in 2002
by a fee-free Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class
Licence.
So radio amateurs can commemorate the loss of their 11 metre band, while
CB operators can mark the 30th or Pearl anniversary of legalised CB in
Australia.
Jim Linton VK3PC
Source: Wireless
Institute of Australia
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