27 MHz CB27/81 Bandplan explained

The 27 MHz CB27/81 Bandplan is a list of the channel frequencies for FM CB radio in the United Kingdom.

Unlike CB usage in the United States, and subsequently elsewhere in the world, the original UK 40 channels progress in order with 10 kHz spacing. These channels apply to UK-only radios meeting MPT-1320 (marked CB 27/81)[1] and MPT-1382 (marked PR 27/97, these may also feature the additional 40 CEPT channels). In 2006, the UK 27/81 Bandplan was introduced by the Republic of Ireland's Comreg as one of two sets of channels available for the Wireless Public Address System (WPAS) licensing scheme (similar to the UK's CADS – Community Audio Distribution System), as many Irish churches were already illegally using UK 27/81 CB equipment for this purpose. Usage of the 27/81 channels for CB however remains illegal in the Republic of Ireland, though usage has been noted in areas near the Northern Ireland border.

CB27/81 Radio Channels[2]
Channel Frequency [MHz] Channel Frequency [MHz] 
127.60125 21 27.80125
2 27.61125 22 27.81125
327.62125 23 27.82125
427.6312524 27.83125
527.6412525 27.84125
6 27.65125 26 27.85125
727.66125 27 27.86125
827.6712528 27.87125
927.6812529 27.88125
1027.69125 30 27.89125
1127.70125 31 27.90125
1227.7112532 27.91125
1327.72125 33 27.92125
1427.73125 34 27.93125
1527.7412535 27.94125
16 27.75125 36 27.95125
1727.7612537 27.96125
1827.7712538 27.97125
1927.78125 39 27.98125
2027.79125 40 27.99125

By convention, channel 9 is set aside for emergency use, channel 14 is a 'calling' channel, where one CBer can call someone else before they both move to another channel for the bulk of their conversation. Channel 19 is commonly used by mobile stations (in vehicles).

References

  1. CB sets that attract unseasonal greetings, New Scientist, Dec. 17, 1981 page 809
  2. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/ra246/ra246.htm Citizen's Band Information Sheet retrieved 2010 Dec 8