Tools / CB radio channels and frequencies

CB radio channels and frequencies

The 40 UK FM channels, the 40 European and US channels on 26.965 to 27.405 MHz, and the 80 Australian UHF CB channels. Channel 9 is for emergencies and 19 is the usual calling channel.

Find a channel or frequency

27 MHz CB: EU, US and UK

Channel	EU and US (MHz)	UK FM (MHz)	UK and EU use	US use
1	26.965	27.60125
2	26.975	27.61125
3	26.985	27.62125
4	27.005	27.63125
5	27.015	27.64125
6	27.025	27.65125
7	27.035	27.66125
8	27.055	27.67125
9	27.065	27.68125	Emergency	Emergency only
10	27.075	27.69125
11	27.085	27.70125
12	27.105	27.71125
13	27.115	27.72125
14	27.125	27.73125
15	27.135	27.74125
16	27.155	27.75125
17	27.165	27.76125
18	27.175	27.77125
19	27.185	27.78125	Calling and road users	Highway and truckers
20	27.205	27.79125
21	27.215	27.80125
22	27.225	27.81125
23	27.255	27.82125
24	27.235	27.83125
25	27.245	27.84125
26	27.265	27.85125
27	27.275	27.86125
28	27.285	27.87125
29	27.295	27.88125
30	27.305	27.89125
31	27.315	27.90125
32	27.325	27.91125
33	27.335	27.92125
34	27.345	27.93125
35	27.355	27.94125
36	27.365	27.95125
37	27.375	27.96125
38	27.385	27.97125
39	27.395	27.98125
40	27.405	27.99125

Australian UHF CB

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	Use
1	476.4250	Repeater output (input on 31)
2	476.4500	Repeater output (input on 32)
3	476.4750	Repeater output (input on 33)
4	476.5000	Repeater output (input on 34)
5	476.5250	Emergency (repeater output, input on 35)
6	476.5500	Repeater output (input on 36)
7	476.5750	Repeater output (input on 37)
8	476.6000	Repeater output (input on 38)
9	476.6250
10	476.6500
11	476.6750	Calling
12	476.7000
13	476.7250
14	476.7500
15	476.7750
16	476.8000
17	476.8250
18	476.8500
19	476.8750
20	476.9000
21	476.9250
22	476.9500	Data and telemetry only, no voice
23	476.9750	Data and telemetry only, no voice
24	477.0000
25	477.0250
26	477.0500
27	477.0750
28	477.1000
29	477.1250
30	477.1500
31	477.1750	Repeater input
32	477.2000	Repeater input
33	477.2250	Repeater input
34	477.2500	Repeater input
35	477.2750	Emergency repeater input
36	477.3000	Repeater input
37	477.3250	Repeater input
38	477.3500	Repeater input
39	477.3750
40	477.4000	Highway and truckies
41	476.4375	Repeater output (input on 71)
42	476.4625	Repeater output (input on 72)
43	476.4875	Repeater output (input on 73)
44	476.5125	Repeater output (input on 74)
45	476.5375	Repeater output (input on 75)
46	476.5625	Repeater output (input on 76)
47	476.5875	Repeater output (input on 77)
48	476.6125	Repeater output (input on 78)
49	476.6375
50	476.6625
51	476.6875
52	476.7125
53	476.7375
54	476.7625
55	476.7875
56	476.8125
57	476.8375
58	476.8625
59	476.8875
60	476.9125
61	476.9375	Reserved, do not use
62	476.9625	Reserved, do not use
63	476.9875	Reserved, do not use
64	477.0125
65	477.0375
66	477.0625
67	477.0875
68	477.1125
69	477.1375
70	477.1625
71	477.1875	Repeater input
72	477.2125	Repeater input
73	477.2375	Repeater input
74	477.2625	Repeater input
75	477.2875	Repeater input
76	477.3125	Repeater input
77	477.3375	Repeater input
78	477.3625	Repeater input
79	477.3875
80	477.4125

The two UK CB bands

The UK has two sets of 40 channels. The original UK FM channels, often called 27/81, run from 27.60125 to 27.99125 MHz in 10 kHz steps and are unique to the UK. The EU (CEPT) channels, from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz, are shared with the rest of Europe and the US. Most UK CB rigs have both, switched as UK and EU or CE. CB in the UK has been licence-exempt since 2006: you can use 4 W on FM on either band, and since 2014 also 4 W AM and 12 W PEP SSB on the EU channels.

US CB

The US uses the same 40 channel frequencies as Europe, with 4 W on AM and 12 W PEP on SSB. FM has also been allowed since 2021. No licence is needed. Channel 9 is reserved for emergencies and travellers' assistance, and channel 19 is the unofficial highway channel. Note that channel 23 sits between 24 and 25 in frequency, a leftover from when the band grew from 23 to 40 channels.

Australian UHF CB

Australia's busiest CB band is UHF, with 80 channels at 12.5 kHz spacing from 476.425 to 477.4125 MHz, used on FM at up to 5 W. Channels 1 to 8 and 41 to 48 are repeater outputs, with the inputs 30 channels higher (750 kHz up). Use channel 5, or its repeater input 35, only for emergencies, and keep voice off channels 22 and 23, which are for data. Australia also allows 27 MHz CB on the same 40 channels as the US.

Getting the best range

CB range depends mostly on the antenna. A full-size quarter-wave whip on 27 MHz is about 2.6 m long, so most vehicle aerials are loaded and shorter, and need tuning with an SWR meter. The SWR calculator and quarter-wave vertical calculator help with home-made aerials.

Questions

What is the CB emergency channel?

Channel 9 in the UK, Europe and the US. On Australian UHF CB, channel 5 (with input on 35) is the emergency channel.

What channel do truckers use?

Channel 19 in the US and on the UK and EU bands. On Australian UHF CB it's channel 40.

Do I need a licence for CB?

No. CB is licence-exempt in the UK, the US and Australia, as long as you use approved equipment within the power limits.

Can I use a US CB radio in the UK?

Only if it's approved for UK use. US radios use the same frequencies as the EU band, but must meet UK and EU equipment standards to be legal.