Freebanding Research for Screenplay https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/t1923 Runboard| Freebanding Research for Screenplay en-us Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:45:31 +0000 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:45:31 +0000 https://www.runboard.com/ rssfeeds_managingeditor@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds managing editor) rssfeeds_webmaster@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds webmaster) akBBS 60 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14349,from=rss#post14349https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14349,from=rss#post14349quote:Ockam "ONE WAY COMMUNICATION: A BROADCAST": Can one do this? I have a character who sort of rants with her own opinions, not utilizing the airwaves for two way communication. Can someone do this? I presume it would only take a depressed transmit button to prevent others from chiming in…? That brings up ‘radio etiquette’ and what is it? Whether written or, I would guess, mostly unwritten/learned. It's completely possible to do this, although it's not something I've ever heard being done, most people who do this usually play music and/or stupid noises ect. They are known as "mic keyers" and only do it to disrupt other peoples communication. Their are probably many reasons why they do this, trying to annoy someone they have had a disagreement with, or sometimes jealousy that someone has a better station than they do and are getting more or further away contacts. This is usually done on the legal channels "CB" and not usually on the illegal places. All in all you'll find that 95% of freebanders are very decent and respectful people, but their is always at least one bad apple so to speak. Radio etiquette is usually just being polite and respectful to your other radio users, not talking over the top of them, waiting your turn to contact a station that is already talking to someone, etc etc. Your idea of somebody broadcasting for hours on end on an illegal frequency is not really bad etiquette, if it's an illegal frequency then there are no rules, if the frequency is empty when you start transmitting then you can transmit what you like and for as long as you like. The problem with this is that the longer you transmit for, the easier it is for someone (the authorities) to find you, which is probably why people don't do it. Pirate broadcast stations for eg. would usually use a low power microwave link from "the studio" to the actual high power transmitter remotely located. That way when the authorities track you down they find the transmitter, but not you. In a post apocalypse environment though, worrying about the authorities "coming to get you" would not be a concern, as I'm sure they would have other things to attend to quote:Ockam"SLANG: In my research I discovered this: http://www.cbgazette.com/slang.html. Do people begin & end a transmission with a with a code? Like does anyone really use “Over” or “Over & Out” anymore? Or would some terms from the above link such as “Back off the hammer” or “this is a bad scene” realistically translate to “Slow down” or “this is a crowded channel”? Or is the above page just full of crap (there’s just so much of it on the internet, which is why I joined this group to discuss the reality of it). In the UK (this is a predominately UK site) all of this is nonsense and never used, especially not by freebanders, freebanders are usually more akin to the way amateur radio operator would operate, rather than a CB op. Even CB users would very seldom use any of this slang, apart from in jest, most CBers just use plain old English, with maybe a few abbreviations (the odd Q code or a 10-10, or a 10-4 maybe) However, in the USA, where all of this slang started, it is still quite widely used by CBers, so if your screenplay is set in the US, you might be better off asking on a couple of US CB forums (I could name a couple for you if you like). quote:Ockam One inconsistency I don't like about movie's in this genre is that everyone knows how to use a gun... and I don't want that to be the case with this radio. From what I can tell, there are so many dials and freq's on these things, how the hell would someone not in the know operate one of these things? I'm almost done with this version, so chime in! Well most people would just pick up the mic and press it, I'm sure most people would be able to do that. Some of the older set's need the finals tuning, so the pick the mic up and talk, might just break the radio after a short time. If it's just a CB radio, well that's pretty much all there is to it, just pick it up and talk, provided you have a correctly tuned antenna plugged in. Maybe it's just because I've been playing radio for so long, but it isn't really that difficult to use one. Good luck with the screenplay nondisclosed_email@example.com (simon26OD004)Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:43:47 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14076,from=rss#post14076https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14076,from=rss#post14076Thank you for the info on the Clansmen. I've done a bit a research and determined that I'm going to leave the decision of 'the model' up to the props department. Let them do that research. But now I know we can go battery operated. Ok, so since we've pretty much ruled out "Hands On training", let's get back on topic and the questions that remain unanswered. "ONE WAY COMMUNICATION: A BROADCAST": Can one do this? I have a character who sort of rants with her own opinions, not utilizing the airwaves for two way communication. Can someone do this? I presume it would only take a depressed transmit button to prevent others from chiming in…? That brings up ‘radio etiquette’ and what is it? Whether written or, I would guess, mostly unwritten/learned. "SLANG: In my research I discovered this: http://www.cbgazette.com/slang.html. Do people begin & end a transmission with a with a code? Like does anyone really use “Over” or “Over & Out” anymore? Or would some terms from the above link such as “Back off the hammer” or “this is a bad scene” realistically translate to “Slow down” or “this is a crowded channel”? Or is the above page just full of crap (there’s just so much of it on the internet, which is why I joined this group to discuss the reality of it). One inconsistency I don't like about movie's in this genre is that everyone knows how to use a gun... and I don't want that to be the case with this radio. From what I can tell, there are so many dials and freq's on these things, how the hell would someone not in the know operate one of these things? I'm almost done with this version, so chime in!nondisclosed_email@example.com (Ockam)Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:45:57 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14039,from=rss#post14039https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p14039,from=rss#post14039Or, and i think this is a much better idea, you could fly some of us over there nondisclosed_email@example.com (Matt1977)Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:36:09 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13930,from=rss#post13930https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13930,from=rss#post13930Bugger, thats not down the road for most of us. But if you want to fly over, Im sure the guys will help you out.nondisclosed_email@example.com (26FB332)Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:54:20 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13812,from=rss#post13812https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13812,from=rss#post13812Asheville, NC nondisclosed_email@example.com (Ockam)Fri, 28 May 2010 01:38:56 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13783,from=rss#post13783https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13783,from=rss#post13783where abouts are you mate?nondisclosed_email@example.com (Matt1977)Wed, 26 May 2010 12:46:47 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13782,from=rss#post13782https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13782,from=rss#post13782I would love it if there was someone nearbye that could show me the ropes! And thanks for the info about the car battery - that's a great idea! I'll do some research on that model radio.nondisclosed_email@example.com (Ockam)Wed, 26 May 2010 12:24:26 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13760,from=rss#post13760https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13760,from=rss#post13760perhaps there is a forum member near to you that would show you the ropes of freebanding first hand so you could get a feel of it, Id say if its a post apocolypic story then the rights and wrongs of how to use a radio wouldnt matter so much. As for the power situation there are radio that have battery packs and a lot will run off a 12v car battery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clansman here is a link to the Clansman radios which dont look much like cb style but they are ex military radios that are poratable and are freely available on ebay they have battery packs and have back packs for them.nondisclosed_email@example.com (Matt1977)Mon, 24 May 2010 11:29:14 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13757,from=rss#post13757https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13757,from=rss#post13757Thanks for the reply yamanx1! From my research I did discover that it is illegal - this appealed to me for my character and is why I’m here to learn more about the community. From what I have learned those who freeband use freq’s directly above or below the standard 40 CB channels (approx 26-28Mhz). For one who is not really ‘in the know’, there is ultimately a ‘romanticized’ idea of freebanding. I like the idea because my character likes to be ‘off the grid’ so to say – she has some unpopular opinions about the government - the way things are run - sort of a ‘Democracy Now’ for the people, by the people mindset. Would this be considered a stereotype? If so, maybe someone can explain why people enjoy broadcasting across unlicensed or illegal frequencies. But in my mind her show is NOT a two way conversation – it’s a sort of a rant of her own opinions – a broadcast. This is my first uninformed dilemma that I need more insight into: Can someone utilize a CB radio for only one way communication (a broadcast)? With my limited knowledge, I presume it would only take a depressed transmit button to prevent others from chiming in…? That brings up ‘radio etiquette’ and what is it? Whether written or, I would guess, mostly unwritten/learned. Here’s some of the slang that I discovered in my research I was referring to: http://www.cbgazette.com/slang.html. I wouldn’t really know where to begin, but I presume most people (uninformed dilemma here) begin a transmission with a code or end a transmission with a code? Like does anyone really use “Over” or “Over & Out” anymore? Or would some terms from the above link such as “Back off the hammer” or “this is a bad scene” realistically translate to “Slow down” or “this is a crowded channel”? Or is the above page just full of crap (there’s just so much of it on the internet, which is why I joined this group to discuss the reality of it). Lastly (I don’t think I mentioned this little tidbit of important information) this is a post apocalyptic scenario… oh, and the power goes out. Do certain CB radios use batteries or have batteries? Is there a particular model that I should be using in my script? One story element that is very important here (and maybe this too is unrealistic to a CB radio), but I would like to limit the amount of information my characters gain from this radio. Meaning: Having a bunch of people on various channels talking about what’s happening in the world would be too much information. I need to limit that. My simpleminded solution was break the radio so it only receives one or two channels? IS that realistic? You tell me. But if it’s not, I need another alternative. Because the only person that the audience sees actually using the radio does not know how to use it! His neighbor gave it to him without telling him how to use it. And the only transmission he receives is the above mentioned ‘one way’ transmission. But eventually on (I guess on a different freeband channel) he is able to speak with his neighbor who gave him the radio. So it’s a bit of trial an error him toying with it to figure out how to use it. OK… that seems like enough uneducated blathering for now. This should be enough to get a feel of some opinions. Thank you all in advance all who reply to this. Every little bit helps. nondisclosed_email@example.com (Ockam)Sun, 23 May 2010 22:38:33 +0000 Re: Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13755,from=rss#post13755https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13755,from=rss#post13755Hi, good luck with your film I cant speak for everyone here, but Freebanding is illegal and although some of the frequencies used and a lot of the radios used are akin to CB, our roots are CB, our language and general use is far removed from the CB you think you know about. Most of us come from CB backgrounds, we're proud of this and a lot of our guys still use CB radio. But there is no "secret language" or mystery about what we do, we communicate by radio across the globe depending on ionshpere conditions, much like amateur radio but unlicenced and on illegal frequencies. Thanks for your interest nondisclosed_email@example.com (yamanx1)Sun, 23 May 2010 21:02:30 +0000 Freebanding Research for Screenplayhttps://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13754,from=rss#post13754https://bfreebandingtalktheplanet.runboard.com/p13754,from=rss#post13754I am new to this board & new to freebanding. I am doing research for a script that I am currently on re-writes on. This film will possibly go into production in 2011. I have characters communicating over a CB radio, but I know there is an entire world with it's own language in the CB & Freeband world, and I want to do justice to it in the story so those of you who see it would appreciate that I took the time to represent it accurately. nondisclosed_email@example.com (Ockam)Sun, 23 May 2010 18:19:56 +0000