Driving across the desert in California, no problem. Line of sight...
When CB’s were in I wouldn’t take a road trip without one. Cell phone forerunner, you could call for help, truckers would relay for you if you were too far from a town, road hazard and wreck ahead warnings, and constant cop alerts, by jurisdiction. “County Mountie at 232” meant a County Sheriff running radar near mile marker 232 for example. Local Yokels, County Mounties and I forget what they called State Troopers.
I had a bright yellow International Scout and my handle was The Lemon Drop, so all the truckers would recognize me on sight. All you had to do was wait til one was looking to pass for example and surprise him/her by hitting the button and saying “you’re clear Trucker, bring it around.”
They were your friend immediately for hours, sometimes the rest of the day if speeds worked out.
SMOKIES! How could you forget SMOKIES?
Love it!!
My older cousin and his friends had them. Just for driving around the city/neighborhoods.
State Troopers = Smokey Bear
Don’t forget the Bear-in-the-air, too.
My grandad was a trucker since the 1920s. When CBs came out he was in HEAVEN. Never seen him so happy about one thing. He put one in every truck in his fleet and his personal sedan as well. He loaned me one every time I was headed out across country. When he retired he still used his CB in his car. He would have put one on his hobby tractor if he could have heard it over the engine noise.
Smokey bear, dad was one.