History about CB-Radio in Germany

In 1974, the CEPT Lisbon passed a recommendation for CB-Radio in the 27 MHz range.

German CB-Radio-Station in 1976

In Germany, the CEPT recommendation was implemented by the Deutsche Bundespost (DBP) on July 1, 1975 through Official Gazette Order 393/1975, thereby introducing CB-Radio. Operation was permitted on 12 frequencies (channels 4 to 15) with a maximum transmission power of 0.5 watts PEP or 0.1 watts ERP (for handheld radios). 

German made handheld CB-Radios in the 70's

So-called mobile radio systems (mobile and hand-held radios) were free of registration and fees, thanks to a general permit.

CB-Radios at a German dealer with prices in Deutsch Mark.

However, fixed radio systems (home bases) had to be registered with the DBP; the monthly approval fee was DM 15. Home stations were assigned a nickname, which could usually be chosen freely. Radio communication between home stations was prohibited. Initially, the only type of modulation used was amplitude modulation (AM), but from 1978 frequency modulation (FM) also were increasingly used.

In 1981, the new Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (BMPT) published decree 434/1981 in the Official Gazette 62/1981. This released radio channels 1 to 22 for operation with 0.5 watts in FM like it was allowed in the Netherlands. The fee for home stations was reduced to DM 10 and a so-called pilot tone barrier was to be introduced, with which the radio communication between home stations was to be blocked (but it was largely ignored by the industry). The old 12-channel AM devices were to be slowly withdrawn from circulation with a registration deadline of December 31, 1982. From January 1st, 1992, AM modulation was to be finally banned.

The BMPT had made its calculations without the CB-Radio-Operators and the CB-Industry.

CB radio operators wanted to keep AM and the industry complained that the new 22-channel devices could not be saled. On March 1st, 1983, a conversation took place between representatives of the authorities, CB radio operators, and the industry which resulted in the following compromise, which was published in Official Gazette 55/1983 dated April 12, 1983:

The registration ban for 12-channel home stations has been lifted. In addition, 40 channels of FM were released. This led to the strange German 40/12 channel regulation. For the first time, the obligation to pay fees was determined not only according to the type of device (handheld device, mobile or home station), but also according to the type of modulation:

Devices with 40 ch FM and 12 AM channels - whether mobile or home bases - cost a permit fee of 10 DM per month. 40-channel FM home base transceivers cost 5 DM, 40-channel FM mobile devices were free of registration and fees according to the CEPT regulationas, and old 12-channel devices became grandfathered.

A little later, in 1984, there was another change:

With Official Gazette Order 768/1984 dated September 18, 1984, the BMPT determined that all FM devices would in future be registration and fee-free. 40/12-channel mobile and home stations as well as certain handheld radios cost 5 DM/month. For this 5 DM monthly fee, up to five devices could be operated. This regulation lasted until the new Telecommunications Act came into force in mid-1996.

As before, all approvals relating to AM devices were limited to December 31, 1991. According to the wishes of the BMPT, AM operation should no longer be permitted from January 1, 1992 (see above). It was not until the end of 1988 that the BMPT moved away from this position and released AM again indefinitely.

CB-Radio in Germany has now been upgraded again.

The RegTP allowed the use of any type of antenna (up to now only vertical antennas without gain were permitted), for example dipoles or gain-generating directional antennas. In addition, 40 additional frequencies below the previous 40 channels were released for use, albeit with a certain and much-criticized restriction: A so-called protection zone to neighboring countries, which is 45 km for fixed stations and 25 km to neighboring countries for mobile and portable stations. The use of channels 41 to 80 is not permitted within this protection zone. This means that a large part of CB-Radio-Users still only has 40 channels available.

With Decree 289/1997, amended by Decree 50/1998, the RegTP now also released digital operating modes in CB radio. Packet radio is mainly used in Germany. But other digital operating modes such as SSTV or Morse telegraphy have also become possible. Decree 288/1997 was intended to introduce a call sign requirement in digital CB radio, which obliged every radio operator to use a call sign assigned by the RegTP for digital operating modes. However, this regulation met with fierce resistance among radio operators and associations, so it was withdrawn with Order 49/1998. The digital CB radio operator now has access to call signs from a series assigned by the ITU, but these do not have to be used.

Since May 29, 2002, the modulation type SSB has been permitted on channels 4 - 15 with a maximum of 4 watts of transmission power for a limited period until March 31, 2004 (Approval 268/2002). The individual allocation applies to frequency use by devices that comply with the European standard ETSI EN 300433 are provided with a CE marking based on a declaration of conformity.

The RegTP published new regulations for CB radio on September 10, 2003:

General allocation (Vfg 41/2003) in the Official Gazette No.18

The most important innovations:

The time limit until March 31, 2004 for SSB (approval 268/2002 - see above) has been lifted.

Furthermore 80 FM channels (4 watts), 12 channels SSB (4 watts) and 12 channels AM (1 watt)

CB-Radios no longer need to be registered with RegTP.

CB radio operators no longer have to pay for frequency usage or EMV fees retroactively from January 1, 2003.

Devices that comply with the R&TTE directive and bear a CE mark, or have a German approval mark, or have been approved in another European country are permitted for operation.

Fixed radio systems with an effective radiation power of 10 watts or more EIRP will continue to require a location certificate from RegTP in the future.

The CB channels 6, 7 were also released for data radio (previously: 24, 25, 52, 53, 76, 77). Data radio may only be operated in the operating modes F1D, F2D and G2D (frequency and phase modulation, FSK or AFSK).

There is no call sign requirement anymore. If call signs are used, RegTP recommends contacting the DAKfCBNF to (quote) "prevent misuse of international call signs".

The ban on using channels 41-80 in the protection zones (near the border) only applies to fixed CB radio stations (bases). CB handheld radios and CB mobile stations are no longer affected. CB base stations within these protection zones can still apply to the RegTP for a paid frequency allocation for the use of channels 41-80.

The new general approval is limited until December 31, 2013

Detailed information is available from the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways (formerly RegTP) at: www.bundesnetzagentur.de.

This text also is available in German language at the DX-Charly Tango hompage.

Charly Tango vs. Charlie Tango: Original vs. Fake

So let's be honest. If someone dies, it doesn't automatically mean that the house they lived in is dead too. Of course, the house continues to exist even after someone dies as long as it didn't collapsed.

The same applies to a club that continues to exist as an unregistered club because someone makes themselves available for this task to continue it. Fairy tales are now being told in the United Kingdom that the original Charly Tango Club from Germany has long since died. So you guys legitimize yourself on the Island and continue the legacy of the once great German club by founding an internet forum, even though you know that the German club is not dead at all but actually still exists.

King Henry the 8th would certainly have said that no matter what the Germans do, original clubs in Britain will be beheaded, just as the Kingdom wants.

Now the times of this King and his seven wives are over as well as is the Second World War, in which the boys from the island actively helped, so that the German people are again able to say in free self-determination whether their club is dead or not. And this is a fact, the Charly Tango International DX Club is NOT dead, but has existed since it was founded in 1985.

I myself have already tried to make a "peace offer" to my "friends" in the U.K. in order to get the problem with the duplicate callsigns under control.

The answer was that there had been no acrimony at all and the German admin's language barrier was far too big an obstacle, because the world language is English. So I was immediately threatened with removing my profile picture off their forum because it contained a callsign which also shows a different name in their list (obviously someone from Bavaria who applied for his call sign in the U.K. but with the Original DX group from Germany) and that would violate the forum rules. Shortly afterwards, one of the admins removed my profile picture, showing how much the Charlie Tango Fake Club is dealing with the truth.

And the threat to ban me from the forum is not the first time that admins of the UK fake group have implemented this to one of their forum members. There are references to this on YouTube while Fred in the Shed says I have to ask in the forum.

26CT1008 probably made up the same experience with those guys. If he would apply for a call at the real Charly Tango's we wouldn't kick him out at all.

The fake can already be recognized by its name.

While Charly Tango is spelled with Y, the fake group uses the letters IE, like Charlie Tango. However, you can't tell from the call signs. They are all like my own (13CT30) starting by countries division code, followed by CT and the membership number.

The Original Charly Tango International DX Group is still insisting on a peace settlement regarding double issued call signs. But as long as the U.K. group refuses to cooperate with the Original Charly Tango DX-Group, we will continue to spread the truth about this British based fake group which is recognized starting its CT group in the U.K. in the year 2009 by calling themselfs "Originals" which is nothing but a lie !

All efforts to continue the Charly Tango's idea in the 26 division now reveal themselves as a miserably failed attempt to convince its members that the original club died with the passing of our esteemed founder Eberhard Albrecht (previous call 13CT01) in the year 2000.

However, this is not intended to be hate speech against our British friends, because after all, everyone makes mistakes. We also have some members from the U.K. listed at DX-CharlyTango.de as well as from Scotland, Wales, and the rest of the world. The big difference in the call sign list of that fake group is that there is no status of active or inactive members in their forum. What's more, so-called SWL's are added there as members, which gives the appearance of many members who probably doesn't even exist as DX-radio-operators.

So the big question will be how to handle 2 possible equal call signs in a QSO with such a foreign countries station by not to state that one turned out to be the result of a stolen idea ?

Well, it looks like the cart is stuck in the dirt, doesn't it ?

The Original Charly Tango International DX Group will continously spread the truth while keeping the legacy of the old Borderland idea alive in the spirit of every DX enthusiast nowadays. No one ever has the right to remove a person's grave or even attempting to write a new name on the headstone unless the legacy of its owner is respected. For example, if someone tries to reissue Coca Cola by claiming that the original is long dead, then it will certainly be a short attempt that will bring nothing but trouble.

To all radio operators out there who are willing to join Charly Tango DX-Group in order to get a lifetime call sign; You are very welcome to apply via email at dx-charlytango@gmx.de or just use the contact form in this link. Also current members of the British fake group can be easily change over to the Original call sign list with the German Charly Tango Club. CT call signs from the fake group are not protected in international radio operations and can only be assigned by the Original DX group from Germany !

By searching for Charly Tango in the internet it will be always a good idea to search for DX-Charlytango unless you are looking for something wrong which I've had mentioned above, been written with IE and turned out to be fake. Its proper relation to search engines will let many interested Charly Tango applicants fall into a trap.

By the way, the Original Charly Tango International DX-Group is completely free of charge. They also don't work in cooperation with CB-Shops but only to keep the heritage of this good know DX-Group running on the air waves. In case of the truth there won't be a reason for the original DX-Group to keep silent at all. Free speach is adviced to all Charly Tango members while the fake group can't do anything about it if not finding a conclusion to be insightful. 

Because insight is the first path to improvement.

Yours Alex (13CT30)