I have a question for those who have worked on cars for a long time. When did CB radios first begin to be used and installed in Police Cars Fire Trucks etc?

Josh Marxen: Sometime after the Great depression is when they really got started but WW2 brought the technology to make them small enough to be economically viable. The first ones were as powerful as a radio station so in the 50s you had to have a licence like ham radios. I believe it was late 60s early 70s when movies like Smokey and the Bandit came out that CB exploded in popularity so they put a wattage cap on them. Most run 4-5 watts or a mile and a half max now. 30 miles with a base and 20 on a mobile were not uncommon before. Most state fire and police run on FM frequency now with CB backup for in job communication or to monitor channel 9

Ryan Chase Josemaria Pruitt: Interesting Josh I think you gave me my history lesson for the day

Chris Kirby: Now they are switching everyone over to hd handsets. Uses a different signal on scanners

Ronald Johnson Sr: They were a big hit in the early 70s , everyone I knew had one including myself, and I had 3

Ben Mckinney: I have mine set up in the truck that will reach as far as 40 miles