Recently, an inquiry was posted in The Two Way Radio Forum regarding handheld CB radios. The poster lamented the fact that the handheld CB radios she found do not have single side band, or SSB. This is a standard feature on many mobile CB radios, so why is it that handheld models do not have single side band as well?
Great question! Here are five reasons why most handheld CB radios don't include Single Sideband (SSB) mode.
1. SSB is technically demanding to implement in a small form factor
SSB requires more complex circuitry than standard AM, which CB uses by default. Specifically, it needs a balanced modulator, a sharp filter to suppress the carrier and unwanted sideband, and a product detector for receiving. Cramming all of that into a compact, battery-powered handheld while keeping costs low is a significant engineering challenge.
2. The typical use case doesn't need it
Handheld CBs are designed for short-range communications, such as construction sites, trucker convoys, family road trips, etc. The main advantage of SSB is its potential for extended range, which is roughly 3–4 times farther than AM and FM modes. It concentrates all the transmitter power into one sideband rather than splitting it across a carrier and two sidebands. For the distances handheld users typically care about, which is a few miles at most, AM works fine.
3. Power and battery life trade-offs
SSB requires a more linear amplifier stage, which is less efficient and harder to run from small batteries. Mobile and base station CB radios have access to more stable power sources, making SSB far more practical there.
4. Cost and market demand
The CB handheld market is very price-sensitive. Adding SSB capability would raise manufacturing costs noticeably, but most buyers of handheld units simply don't need or want it. The people who do want SSB tend to be serious long-distance operators who are already buying mobile or base units.
5. Regulatory legacy
SSB was added to the CB band (channels 36–40 are the traditional SSB channels in the US) primarily with truckers and long-haul operators in mind — people using mobile rigs in vehicles. The FCC rules allow SSB on CB, but the ecosystem and culture around it developed around fixed and mobile setups rather than handhelds.
It's a combination of engineering complexity, size constraints, battery limitations, cost, and the fact that the use cases for handheld CB and SSB CB almost never overlap. If you need SSB range on a handheld, amateur radio HF handhelds or even some handheld SSB marine radios are the closer alternatives — though they come with their own licensing and cost considerations.
Still, considereing the caveats, the question remains. Are there any portable handheld CB radios on the market with SSB? The short answer is barely, and it's complicated. Here's the full picture. Brand-new, FCC-legal handheld CB radios with SSB essentially don't exist on the market today. The consensus among the radio community is that no manufacturer is currently producing them new for the US market.
However, a handful of models were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s that shared essentially the same chassis under different brand names. The Cherokee AH-100, Dragon SS201, Eagle Spitfire 454, and Titan Roadpro RPSY-201 were all variations of a similar radio type. These are long discontinued but occasionally pop up on eBay, sometimes at a premium.
If you want a handheld CB with SSB in the US right now, your realistic options are hunting for used units or looking into one from European suppliers. For a brand-new, off-the-shelf purchase domestically — there's essentially nothing currently available.