To the Ex-CB'ers Out There

[N2NH]

What was your favorite radio?

Which did you operate?

Here I used a Lafayette Comstat 25A and a Realistic 457 (AM/SSB). Both were excellent base units. Haven't been on in years, but I still have them. I had a pretty distinct handle back then, so I will not say what it was.
:)

[kf0rt]

I had a 100mw Fanon Masco walkie talkie when I was 10 or so -- anyone remember those? I think it was crystalled for channel 14. My Dad had a 23 channel Knight-Kit that never really worked (this was back when kit CB's were still allowed). Got my ham license at age 13 because I wasn't old enough for a CB license.

Holy crap! This isn't it, but VERY close. Mine had the grille going all the way to the top. Two controls; PTT and volume/on-off.

http://www.cb-museum.de/index2/Fanon-Masco_FCB-9A.jpg

[N3ATS]

I was a DX'er on 11. I've used pretty much every modern radio there is to use, including some that, ahem, weren't made for CB.

And that's all I am saying about that. :lol:

[w2amr]

In 1961 I was 3W4483. The license was in my dad's name as I was only 16 and was too young for my own license. My radio was a Heath CB-1. One channel transmitt, 23 channel tunable super regen receiver. The antenna was a home brew 1/4 wave ground plane.

http://www.retrocom.com/images/heath_cb1.jpg

[kc7jty]

This doesn't include me cause I'm still a CBer. Still got a President Grant, Cobra 148, Cobra 2000. Breaker breaker good buddies.

[w2amr]

Then I moved up to one of these. I removed one of the crystals and plugged in an old simpson signal generator. This gave me the ability to work the frequencies above the CB. Yes, I was an outlaw! http://cpd.sanroque.es/museocb/imagenes/Emisoras_Moviles/SBE_Sidebander_II%20copy.jpg

[kb9rqz]

not an ex cber either althought i mostly operate cb mobile and haven't been on the road much had a SSB cb but the blue smoke escaped and I have not instaled new smoke

CB and Ham both have their uses

I do wish the FCC rules were not so stupid about cb after all atthe hight of the last last cycle I broke the distance rul e on 4 watts and mag mount without even rying he sure sounded like a fringer of my aera station but he was quoting the wrong landmarks for the sprigfield I was near at the time

[w2amr]

not an ex cber either althought i mostly operate cb mobile and haven't been on the road much had a SSB cb but the blue smoke escaped and I have not instaled new smoke

CB and Ham both have their uses

I do wish the FCC rules were not so stupid about cb after all atthe hight of the last last cycle I broke the distance rul e on 4 watts and mag mount without even rying he sure sounded like a fringer of my aera station but he was quoting the wrong landmarks for the sprigfield I was near at the time
Smoke?

[N2NH]

I had a 100mw Fanon Masco walkie talkie when I was 10 or so -- anyone remember those? I think it was crystalled for channel 14. My Dad had a 23 channel Knight-Kit that never really worked (this was back when kit CB's were still allowed). Got my ham license at age 13 because I wasn't old enough for a CB license.

Holy crap! This isn't it, but VERY close. Mine had the grille going all the way to the top. Two controls; PTT and volume/on-off.

http://www.cb-museum.de/index2/Fanon-Masco_FCB-9A.jpg

I remember those units. They seemed to be everywhere in the 60s. I started out with a cheap-o 40mw unit that didn't last too long. Then got a Lafayette 2 channel 100mw. My friend had a Sears 100mw WT and we'd be talking over 1/2 the neighborhood with them. I doubt if you could do that with 4 watts now.

I recently got a couple of working Knight radios, a Midland SSB and a Johnson 125 (the first 'digital' and all pushbutton CB) 5 channel mobile.

One day, I might hook them up to the power supply and see how well they all work. Most of the traffic here is truckers coming into the city over the bridge.

[kb9rqz]

not an ex cber either althought i mostly operate cb mobile and haven't been on the road much had a SSB cb but the blue smoke escaped and I have not instaled new smoke

CB and Ham both have their uses

I do wish the FCC rules were not so stupid about cb after all atthe hight of the last last cycle I broke the distance rul e on 4 watts and mag mount without even rying he sure sounded like a fringer of my aera station but he was quoting the wrong landmarks for the sprigfield I was near at the time
Smoke?
some fired in the radio a standing joke is all eletronics runns on blue smoked in this case it was a mostur e releted short sircut blew it up

[kf0rt]

I had a 100mw Fanon Masco walkie talkie when I was 10 or so -- anyone remember those? I think it was crystalled for channel 14. My Dad had a 23 channel Knight-Kit that never really worked (this was back when kit CB's were still allowed). Got my ham license at age 13 because I wasn't old enough for a CB license.

Holy crap! This isn't it, but VERY close. Mine had the grille going all the way to the top. Two controls; PTT and volume/on-off.

http://www.cb-museum.de/index2/Fanon-Masco_FCB-9A.jpg

I remember those units. They seemed to be everywhere in the 60s. I started out with a cheap-o 40mw unit that didn't last too long. Then got a Lafayette 2 channel 100mw. My friend had a Sears 100mw WT and we'd be talking over 1/2 the neighborhood with them. I doubt if you could do that with 4 watts now.

I recently got a couple of working Knight radios, a Midland SSB and a Johnson 125 (the first 'digital' and all pushbutton CB) 5 channel mobile.

One day, I might hook them up to the power supply and see how well they all work. Most of the traffic here is truckers coming into the city over the bridge.

I've tuned the TS-570 down to the CB band* a couple times in the last few years and pretty much hear nothing. Once had it mobile on a "long" trip and had the forethought to program all 40 channels into memory. The only place I heard anything at all was near the truck stops on the Interstate. Not the best antenna (6 meter hamstick), but I figured I'd hear more. I'm in the middle of about 3 million people here and the CB band is dead with my 6BTV.

*RX only -- no "freeband" mod here!

[KU4MY]

Lafayette Telsat SSB-75 was the rig here with a digital VFO of some variety running off of a 20 amp power supply, all of which replaced an SBE Trinidad because I wanted SSB capabilities so that I really could be the shiz nit. For a little extra incentive I ran an old 6 tube Palomar amplifier.

[KG4CGC]

Radio Shack and Midland walkie talkies.
A Spark-O-Matic model 1023 23ch mobile rig run on a 3 amp PS in 1976.
Fast forward to 1986 to a GE "emergency" CB and a RS mag mount antenna.
Fast forward to 1996 to a Uniden Washington that never gets turned on except when I "suspect", conditions are ripe. These days I just use it to test my neighbors radios.
"Yeah Bill it works. I can hear ya clear into my toaster and vacuum cleaner. Ya wanna shut it down for a while so I can watch House?"

[w3sy]

A million and a half years ago, I had a Lafayette Comstat 19. Crystal controlled transmit, vfo on receive. Of course, you could crystal control the receive channels too. Not solid state -- tubes.

Dig it --

http://www.retrocom.com/images/laf_comstat19.jpg

Know what I always wanted? There used to be a MOBYLE rig called a Lafayette HB-23. You could get a portable battery back with a built in whip antenna for it. One of my friends had one. I thought THAT was "it" as far as radios go. That was before you saw many 5-watt, 23-channel cb walkie talkies. I thought having a portable rig with a "CB Gallon," 23 channels, and a mic -- all slung over your shoulder -- was THE coolest. Period! The very peak of CB-sexy.

HB-23 without the CB-sexy battery pack:

http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/lafayette_hb23.jpg

When I was about 12, and a cb'er (1969), I used to take my Comstat 19 out to the car in the driveway and run an extension cord back to the house. I had a little J-shaped, center-loaded antenna that screwed into the SO-239 on the back of the rig. Used to pretend I was operating mobile. Pretty f'ing crazy, huh?

[N2RJ]

Cobra 148GTL in the mutha fuzzing hizzy!

[kd6nig]

A million and a half years ago, I had a Lafayette Comstat 19. Crystal controlled transmit, vfo on receive. Of course, you could crystal control the receive channels too. Not solid state -- tubes.

Dig it --

http://www.retrocom.com/images/laf_comstat19.jpg

Know what I always wanted? There used to be a MOBYLE rig called a Lafayette HB-23. You could get a portable battery back with a built in whip antenna for it. One of my friends had one. I thought THAT was "it" as far as radios go. That was before you saw many 5-watt, 23-channel cb walkie talkies. I thought having a portable rig with a "CB Gallon," 23 channels, and a mic -- all slung over your shoulder -- was THE coolest. Period! The very peak of CB-sexy.

HB-23 without the CB-sexy battery pack:

http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/lafayette_hb23.jpg

When I was about 12, and a cb'er (1969), I used to take my Comstat 19 out to the car in the driveway and run an extension cord back to the house. I had a little J-shaped, center-loaded antenna that screwed into the SO-239 on the back of the rig. Used to pretend I was operating mobile. Pretty f'ing crazy, huh?

My friend ran one of those lafayette CB's in his old ford pickup. He probably still has it.

It had a pretty good signal too, considering he had a small antenna mounted to the fender for it.

[K1OU]

Shame on all of ya.....

My father introduced me to the hobby, his call is K8MQG. It was this radio that introduced me to the hobby in 1972 or so.....


http://www.radiold.com/radios/rad60/rad60p18.jpg

[kc7jty]

Krice JB...how old was you then, 5?

[KU4MY]

Radio Shack and Midland walkie talkies.
A Spark-O-Matic model 1023 23ch mobile rig run on a 3 amp PS in 1976.
Fast forward to 1986 to a GE "emergency" CB and a RS mag mount antenna.
Fast forward to 1996 to a Uniden Washington that never gets turned on except when I "suspect", conditions are ripe. These days I just use it to test my neighbors radios.
"Yeah Bill it works. I can hear ya clear into my toaster and vacuum cleaner. Ya wanna shut it down for a while so I can watch House?"

WTF?!?! Tell me you didn't sell the 148 GTL!!!! :shock:

[KG4CGC]

Forgot about that one. But you did sell that Kenwood that I thought was keen.
Still got the Gobra.

[KU4MY]

Forgot about that one. But you did sell that Kenwood that I thought was keen.
Still got the Gobra.

I’ve been Jonesing bad for another TS-450S/AT, I may keep an eye out for one in Dayton.

[K1OU]

Krice JB...how old was you then, 5?

In '72, I was eight. Ergo, I am now forty-three.

[kc7jty]

Good god man...you're just a chaile.

[KU4MY]

An a sweet lil chaile he be.

[al2n]

My dad was into CB for a couple years before he died.

His handle was Jademan.

[al2i]

I came up the Alcan with my brother-in-law and his wife in the early '80s sometime, and I put a CB radio in each of our trucks so we could stay in contact. That worked great, and my handle was "CaptainElectron", the same as my gaming handle was on the Internet in the late '90s.

[N2NH]

This was my dream rig growing up in the 60s. Finally got one a couple of years ago...

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/7043/thmsafari01en8.jpg

[KU4MY]

WOW, is that YOUR rig John, that is in fantastic shape! :shock:

[N2NH]

WOW, is that YOUR rig John, that is in fantastic shape! :shock:

It's not a pic of mine, but I lucked out. The one I got was in the same shape. I ended up getting 2 Knights and 1 Allied, a Comstat 25B, a Messenger 125 and a Midland SSB. All work and that's surprising. eventually, I'll probably have to do a cap job on them, but considering that all but the last two are tube rigs, I've been lucky.
:lol:

[w2amr]

This was my dream rig growing up in the 60s. Finally got one a couple of years ago...

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/7043/thmsafari01en8.jpg
That styling is very cool. I love that stuff.

[kc7jty]

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/7043/thmsafari01en8.jpg

Looks like something Flash Gordon would have operated.

http://www.robokopp.de/images/FlashGordon/Muti0013.jpg
and in an instant he thought of her and how things could have been had they kept in contact on the CB.

[N2NH]

Wow, if I heard her on the CB, I would've known about it tain-for! We had an urban legend about chicks and CB's. If they sounded great, they were usually Beer Goggle material (6pak +). If they sounded like a dying dog, they were probably model material.

I think this rig with a Turner +2, an AstroPlane on the roof, all in a tin shack and you got the Flash Gordon image.

The Safari's (I & II) were Knight KITS. So, a lot depends on how they were put together too.

[kc7jty]

back around 1980 when the dx was in galoray (extremely good) I talked regularly to a gal who lived in Manitoba via CB ch 36 ssb while in N Idaho. She was so hot sounding on the air I asked her for a picture of herself when I sent her one of my qsl cards.
When I got the pic I got real depressed. My opinion of humanity slipped a few pegs. Jeeby Neebus she looked bad.

[KU4MY]

back around 1980 when the dx was in galoray (extremely good) I talked regularly to a gal who lived in Manitoba via CB ch 36 ssb while in N Idaho. She was so hot sounding on the air I asked her for a picture of herself when I sent her one of my qsl cards.
When I got the pic I got real depressed. My opinion of humanity slipped a few pegs. Jeeby Neebus she looked bad.

In 1976 a girl at work came up to me and said, "So I understand you are the guy who has been talking to my little sister every night until the wee hours on the CB, huh?" Did I mention this chick was hot, well, now I have..... "Well, actually that would be me, yep." "Well, come on over tonight after work, we are having a pool party. You know where we live right?" "Ummm, y-y-y-yes, I d-d-d-do, I'll be there after 7:30. I get off of work at 7:00." "Okay, see ya then." she sez, and I watch her priss down the hallway.

Okay, you guys know how this went from here. Little sister, although she shared the same exact voice as the hottie, errrmmm big sister, could pass for Godzilla........ damn it....... the rest is history. :oops:

[KG4CGC]

back around 1980 when the dx was in galoray (extremely good) I talked regularly to a gal who lived in Manitoba via CB ch 36 ssb while in N Idaho. She was so hot sounding on the air I asked her for a picture of herself when I sent her one of my qsl cards.
When I got the pic I got real depressed. My opinion of humanity slipped a few pegs. Jeeby Neebus she looked bad.

In 1976 a girl at work came up to me and said, "So I understand you are the guy who has been talking to my little sister every night until the wee hours on the CB, huh?" Did I mention this chick was hot, well, now I have..... "Well, actually that would be me, yep." "Well, come on over tonight after work, we are having a pool party. You know where we live right?" "Ummm, y-y-y-yes, I d-d-d-do, I'll be there after 7:30. I get off of work at 7:00." "Okay, see ya then." she sez, and I watch her priss down the hallway.

Okay, you guys know how this went from here. Little sister, although she shared the same exact voice as the hottie, errrmmm big sister, could pass for Godzilla........ damn it....... the rest is history. :oops:

The rest is history? As in? You married her?

[N3ATS]

Didja pork 'er? :lol:

[KU4MY]

Negative on both counts actually..... we did continue to chat though on the air. :P

[KG4CGC]

After that meeting, did she keep asking you what's the matter and why do you sound different?

[KU4MY]

After that meeting, did she keep asking you what's the matter and why do you sound different?

Perceptive little $#!^ aren't we! :twisted:

[w3sy]

back around 1980 when the dx was in galoray (extremely good) I talked regularly to a gal who lived in Manitoba via CB ch 36 ssb while in N Idaho. She was so hot sounding on the air I asked her for a picture of herself when I sent her one of my qsl cards.
When I got the pic I got real depressed. My opinion of humanity slipped a few pegs. Jeeby Neebus she looked bad.

At least you got an honest picture. What if she had sent you one out of a magazine, then you went to meet her at her sty?

[kc7jty]

back around 1980 when the dx was in galoray (extremely good) I talked regularly to a gal who lived in Manitoba via CB ch 36 ssb while in N Idaho. She was so hot sounding on the air I asked her for a picture of herself when I sent her one of my qsl cards.
When I got the pic I got real depressed. My opinion of humanity slipped a few pegs. Jeeby Neebus she looked bad.

At least you got an honest picture. What if she had sent you one out of a magazine, then you went to meet her at her sty?
Manitoba was too far out, sides...I was marry-ed then. She looked like the reason the guys in Montana & Wyoming are so close to their sheep.

BTW: Why is it a good idea to get a sheep between you and the edge of a cliff?
A: That's the only way you can be sure to get them to push back.

[N3ATS]

http://www.gazzola.us/MTP/Images/uf2.jpg

All dem good numbers Billy! 3's and 8's!!!

[w3sy]

http://www.gazzola.us/MTP/Images/uf2.jpg

All dem good numbers Billy! 3's and 8's!!!

Hillary Rodham-Rodham's high school yeaarbook picture?

Haw.

http://www.gazzola.us/MTP/Images/uf2.jpg

All dem good numbers Billy! 3's and 8's!!!

Hillary Rodham-Rodham's high school yeaarbook picture?

Haw.

I have seen pictures of Hillary when she was in college. She has really improved over the years.

Even knowing Bill's taste, I still can't believe it was a physical attraction.

[KU4MY]

http://www.gazzola.us/MTP/Images/uf2.jpg

All dem good numbers Billy! 3's and 8's!!!

Hillary Rodham-Rodham's high school yeaarbook picture?

Haw.

I have seen pictures of Hillary when she was in college. She has really improved over the years.

Even knowing Bill's taste, I still can't believe it was a physical attraction.

I think it was a chemical thing.......



....... THC! ;)

[w3sy]

http://www.gazzola.us/MTP/Images/uf2.jpg

All dem good numbers Billy! 3's and 8's!!!

Hillary Rodham-Rodham's high school yeaarbook picture?

Haw.

I have seen pictures of Hillary when she was in college. She has really improved over the years.

Even knowing Bill's taste, I still can't believe it was a physical attraction.

I think it was a chemical thing.......



....... THC! ;)

And really thick and dirty Beer Goggles.....

Also, wasn't Bill clinically DEAF back in those days?

HAW!!!!

[mm0jvb]

i had a cobra 148 GTL-DX :naughty: (1st ssb radio) with a ham master+ base mic never once got a bad report & antron 99 at the house.best contact was (41 div) ZL longpath (he had the beam). a stalker 9 fdx with an astatic teardrop mic in the car my mobile antenna was a sirio 4000 worked antartic with the mobile , the sirio 4000 mobile was a great 11 antenna i also had the mod in the stalker 9 fdx clarifier done for a 10kc shift working on tx/rx .worked around about 150-160 11mtr dcxx,s & made many many friends.but i,m glad its in the past .i havent had one since 1999 i dont own a cb now & my ham radio,s are factory standard tx . although would like the 75mtr mod done

[kk7ue]

Dang! I'm beginning to feel left out here.

How about: "Is there anybody out there who was NEVER on CB?"

:-?


That would be an empty thread. A few 'yeah sure ya betchas' would claim otherwise but I dont believe 'em. Not for a cotton pickin minute :doh:

Well, my first transmitter was a Johnson Viking Ranger. It was kinda of a CB in as much as it would transmit on 27 MHz. But I was a 80M novice back in '76.

Does that make me a CBer?

[kk7ue]

Maybe...... :quiet: maybe not

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

I have the Cobra 29 LTD.
Prior to that, the Cobra 29, a 23 channel job.
The current radio is a Cobra 29 night watch, sound tracker, weather tracker, IR mic model.
The next level up now comes with a bluetooth mic, but IR seems to work fine.
For 10 meters, the Cobra 200 DX is the sizzle, as it looks just like a regular CB.
None of the radios have had any mods, totally clean.
The Cobra 150 and 200 DX radios can be put out of band just by keyboard commands.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

Turns out the the bluetooth earpiece thing is a mod.
The Cobra bluetooth radio turns the radio into a bluetooth speakerphone.
The IR unit is an adaptation, popular in the 90's.
Now that I know what is going on, a vehicle BT adaptor mounted inside a CB radio, and a DPDT relay for mic switch duty, connected on the mute switch line, for PTT, I can make this happen.
A mod, yes, but not one that would not void type acceptance, as it can be, and should be, done outside the radio.
So, why would one want a blue tooth, or IR, controlled CB radio?
Think of this as the next level in gadgets.
What I think is neat is to mod the weather radio that is in the CB, route this to the transmitter, after retuning it to MURS, and use something like a VX-3R as a wireless mic.
The VX-3R can tune 27 mHz as well as FM broadcast.
This works well, as my other link is 100 mW FM transmitter, intended for iPod and the like.
The VX-3R is set for under 100 mW, part 15, transmit, a kit, homebuilt, or other.
The VX-7R also works well for this, 49 mHz.
Remember, CB is much like hobby radio, including the idiots.
But, there are good CB types also.

[w8nsi]

What was your favorite radio?

Which did you operate?

Here I used a Lafayette Comstat 25A and a Realistic 457 (AM/SSB). Both were excellent base units. Haven't been on in years, but I still have them. I had a pretty distinct handle back then, so I will not say what it was.
:)

Back in the early 70s, my father and I had a pair of CitiFone SS 23 channel tube rigs mobile and base. I still have them. I haven't been on 11 meters in over 30 years at least since I got into ham radio.

Several of the guys I used to talk to on cb got their licenses while I was away in the navy and one of them (ex- wb8hrt, now w8zp) gave me my novice license test when I got home in 1972.

[kb2vxa]

I don't believe it, someone else actually had a Citi Fone!!! If I remember right that was Clegg's adventure in CB and mine was a CD5A 5 channels modified for 23 by the addition of a tunable receive and external crystal socket in the number 1 selector position. The mic was the famous "Green Hornet" as we called it, that green bullet shaped head made by Argonne/Lafayette on an Atlas stand with a toggle switch for T-R. Since I just HAD to have an S meter Lafayette solved that problem, that little wheatstone bridge in a box was easy enough to wire up. With a black front and green case it must have been the ugliest CB ever sold but it worked rather well.

Dave Berg of MAD Magazine provided a cartoon panel of his Lighter Side character with a maniacal look on his face for decoration so with headphones and mic drawn in the comment was appropriate; POWER! Pasted on the other side another panel clipped from a ham radio magazine also was appropriate; Wandering Watts. Using it as a handle never occurred to me, we used first names and callsigns.

BTW John, as long as your "distinctive handle" wasn't Fisherman you're safe. 8) Maybe if we look real hard we'll find your QSL card on the door in the movie Frequency. For those who weren't paying attention roughly 90% of them are authentic CB QSL cards from the Brooklyn/Queens area when 3X4 callsigns were in full swing.

[n2ize]

Does a Johnson Viking 2 and a Valiant qualify as CB rigs ? After all, they both have 11 meters on them. :mrgreen:

[N8YX]

I've owned a fair amount of CB gear over the years. Started way, way back with a Royce 641, the "baby brother" to the 642 shown here. These things went for well over $500 in the late 70's and still fetch big money on Ebay. I bought two - one for $26 (DOA; lightning strike) and another for $29 (works fine; cosmetically "challenged"). For a total investment of less than a fourth of the "going" rate for one of these rigs, I have an example which is both cosmetically and electrically excellent.

http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/royce_642.jpg

Keeping with my "all things Drake" school of thought within the thread -

Those of you who were hams back in the late 70's/early 80's remember what a TR7 went for at the time...right? There was a large group of kids in my hometown who used to hang out on CB; the father of one of them used a fully loaded TR7 and accessory lineup as the family CB! Funny thing was, if the operator paid close attention to carrier and mic levels - keeping the power output to a reasonable (5w) level - you could NOT tell that their rig wasn't a "normal" CB set! :shock:

http://www.rigpix.com/drake/tr7.jpg

[kb2vxa]

"Does a Johnson Viking 2 and a Valiant qualify as CB rigs ? After all, they both have 11 meters on them."

In the New York area they used everything from Rangers to Invaders and being CBers made them sound like crap. We could always tell a Valiant, they removed the cabinet screws for that distinctive clunk. There was one on the Jersey side with a Viking 1 always replacing tubes, I suppose he was befuddled by all those knobs.

[N5RLR]

My first CB radio was a Realistic TRC-100B handheld; from there I "graduated" to a Cobra 85, which I still have tucked away in a closet. I've had other Cobras, a Sears RoadTalker, Midland, even GM in-dash rigs over the years. I recently bought a Cobra 75WXST that I'll install in the car once I have the time.

A dear friend of mine in the late 70s/early 80s ran a Utica Town & Country III [non-synthesized; it had 23 discrete pairs of crystals, IIRC] with a Demco Modulator fed by a non-amplified D104. Clean, solid sound; one of the best CB rigs I've heard.

http://www.retrocom.com/images/Utica1.jpghttp://www.retrocom.com/images/modulator_1.jpg

[kb2vxa]

If you looked inside that Demco Modulator you'd laugh one of your precious body parts off!

[KC9IUX]

My initial QRZ username was "CBer".

WHat a warm welcome I had. :mrgreen:

I got alot of heat and had to LMAO at it.

Had alot of fun with it from the 23 channel days, and was a "freebander" even then.

HAd a tube Lafayette 7 channel TX, VFO RX that I was given some naughty crystals for.

A bud had a Browning and we would talk split freqs and piss off the locals. Alot of fun, I was a mere teen and loved experimenting.

[KC9IUX]

Haha, one of our taunts was, "Breaker, breaker Jawbreaker, how you like my Demco Modulator?"

I would talk to a guy "Captain Wally", who would tear it up. "Handles, what a bunch of Who Shot John, what's your name?" He was a former Coast Guard Captain with some high end equipment of the day (Mid 70's). Much fun for a kid.

[n2ize]

Does owning a Johnson Viking 2 and a Johnson Valiant with 11 meters included qualify me as a CBer even though I never run either of them on 11 meters ?

[kc7jty]

Does owning a Johnson Viking 2 and a Johnson Valiant with 11 meters included qualify me as a CBer even though I never run either of them on 11 meters ?
Did you ever pluck a chicken?

[W7XF]

I thought one had to pluck a duck.

[N9FE]

q

[KB9YCO]

I still have my Robyn SB510-D mobile, probably one of the best sideband radios that I've ever owned. I almost considered looking for a mod to see if I could use it in 10 meters since it's such a sweet sounding radio. It's not the over-driven sound like some that have been messed with, just nice and clean audio. I decided I would just leave it as a stock radio rather than mess with it.

http://64.33.17.178/robyn_510d.JPG

I also still have a 23 channel Johnson Messenger 250, which is a cool radio to look at for nostalgic purposes, but really doesn't sound all that great. So-so at best anyway. But, it is funny since it is another of the 70's era base station radios that has the fake wood-grain stickers so that people could have it look like it's part of their furniture. Funny stuff.

[KC8TCQ]

I still have my Robyn SB510-D mobile, probably one of the best sideband radios that I've ever owned. I almost considered looking for a mod to see if I could use it in 10 meters since it's such a sweet sounding radio. It's not the over-driven sound like some that have been messed with, just nice and clean audio. I decided I would just leave it as a stock radio rather than mess with it.

http://64.33.17.178/robyn_510d.JPG

I also still have a 23 channel Johnson Messenger 250, which is a cool radio to look at for nostalgic purposes, but really doesn't sound all that great. So-so at best anyway. But, it is funny since it is another of the 70's era base station radios that has the fake wood-grain stickers so that people could have it look like it's part of their furniture. Funny stuff.

I had one of those Robyn rigs, I prefered the SBE 40ch SSB radio, the best one I ever had though was either the Cobra 148 GTL or the Uniden Washington Base, both were stock.

[N2NKW]

The best CB I ever had that was stock was an old Cobra2000. I loved that radio. Never had the Golden Screwdiver treatment either. I worked all over the US and Canada on upper 30's ssb freqs. Had the matching speaker with it as well. I ended up trading it out for a an Galaxy Saturn. (this was BEFORE I had my HR license). I had a 142gtl for a while that had a 25kc "clarifier" on it too... Had a 148gtl for a while but I wasn't really impressed with it.

[K8WPJ]

I started out with the crystalized walkie talkies everyone else did...

Then in the spring of '73 my father bought me a Browning SST 23 channel mobile rig, and a POS mag mount antenna...

I got licenced as KNA 8758, and went by handles like "Bandit", (like everyone knew a bandit back in those days...) then later after I started driving, I switched to a Cobra 29 LTD, and a hustler center load trunk mount antenna. My handle was 'Black Knight'... (my mobile was a mildly souped up black '77 Ford LTD II)

I finally settled on a RCI 2950 with a 102" fibreglass whip on the drivers rear quarter, and yes, it was opened, peaked and tuned, but, in spite of that, I never ran dirty. I wanted loud, but, clean... I think the most i ever ran, was like 25w AM 75w or so, SSB... Spent most of my time as 'The Desperado' as part of a local neighborhood CB group, " The Whip City Outlaws" on local nets on Channels 1, 15, and 16 AM and Channel 39 USB. Had a lot of great friends I ran with, and a lot of great times.

KNA 8758 call was retired when they stopped issuing 11m licences around 1980, but, I still have the papers filed away in a box somewhere. Started in '95 as KB8WPJ, and then later K8WPJ with the General upgrade...

Next licence upgrade to extree will take place once I finally get relocated back to Cleveland, and home for good... Looking at possibly W8NCR... 'Whiskey Ate North Coast Radio"

[KC8TCQ]

I started out with the crystalized walkie talkies everyone else did...

Then in the spring of '73 my father bought me a Browning SST 23 channel mobile rig, and a POS mag mount antenna...

I got licenced as KNA 8758, and went by handles like "Bandit", (like everyone knew a bandit back in those days...) then later after I started driving, I switched to a Cobra 29 LTD, and a hustler center load trunk mount antenna. My handle was 'Black Knight'... (my mobile was a mildly souped up black '77 Ford LTD II)

I finally settled on a RCI 2950 with a 102" fibreglass whip on the drivers rear quarter, and yes, it was opened, peaked and tuned, but, in spite of that, I never ran dirty. I wanted loud, but, clean... I think the most i ever ran, was like 25w AM 75w or so, SSB... Spent most of my time as 'The Desperado' as part of a local neighborhood CB group, " The Whip City Outlaws" on local nets on Channels 1, 15, and 16 AM and Channel 39 USB. Had a lot of great friends I ran with, and a lot of great times.

KNA 8758 call was retired when they stopped issuing 11m licences around 1980, but, I still have the papers filed away in a box somewhere. Started in '95 as KB8WPJ, and then later K8WPJ with the General upgrade...

Next licence upgrade to extree will take place once I finally get relocated back to Cleveland, and home for good... Looking at possibly W8NCR... 'Whiskey Ate North Coast Radio"

Why would anyone want to move back to Cleveland? :lol:

I'm keeping my call when I upgrade, it took me long enough to memorize it before the stroke that messed with my memory.

[K8WPJ]

Next licence upgrade to extree will take place once I finally get relocated back to Cleveland, and home for good... Looking at possibly W8NCR... 'Whiskey Ate North Coast Radio"

Why would anyone want to move back to Cleveland? :lol:

I'm keeping my call when I upgrade, it took me long enough to memorize it before the stroke that messed with my memory.

It's my home, that's why....

[KC8TCQ]

Next licence upgrade to extree will take place once I finally get relocated back to Cleveland, and home for good... Looking at possibly W8NCR... 'Whiskey Ate North Coast Radio"

Why would anyone want to move back to Cleveland? :lol:

I'm keeping my call when I upgrade, it took me long enough to memorize it before the stroke that messed with my memory.

It's my home, that's why....



hehe yeah was just kidding ya. Cleveland has some great places to go, the rock&roll hall of fame, the Indians, the Browns.

[KB9YCO]

I started out with the crystalized walkie talkies everyone else did...

Then in the spring of '73 my father bought me a Browning SST 23 channel mobile rig, and a POS mag mount antenna...

I got licenced as KNA 8758, and went by handles like "Bandit", (like everyone knew a bandit back in those days...) then later after I started driving, I switched to a Cobra 29 LTD, and a hustler center load trunk mount antenna. My handle was 'Black Knight'... (my mobile was a mildly souped up black '77 Ford LTD II)

I finally settled on a RCI 2950 with a 102" fibreglass whip on the drivers rear quarter, and yes, it was opened, peaked and tuned, but, in spite of that, I never ran dirty. I wanted loud, but, clean... I think the most i ever ran, was like 25w AM 75w or so, SSB... Spent most of my time as 'The Desperado' as part of a local neighborhood CB group, " The Whip City Outlaws" on local nets on Channels 1, 15, and 16 AM and Channel 39 USB. Had a lot of great friends I ran with, and a lot of great times.

KNA 8758 call was retired when they stopped issuing 11m licences around 1980, but, I still have the papers filed away in a box somewhere. Started in '95 as KB8WPJ, and then later K8WPJ with the General upgrade...

Next licence upgrade to extree will take place once I finally get relocated back to Cleveland, and home for good... Looking at possibly W8NCR... 'Whiskey Ate North Coast Radio"

That's cool. I used to always ask people what their CB callsign was since I started in CB in '83 and many of the people that I talked with were around for that era. Also, I know that this is nitpicking but the license for CB was done away with in 1977, just for purely informational purposes.
I don't know if this has been mentioned on this site since I haven't been around here too long, but this is a cool and nostalgic website for vintage CB. Lots of pictures, audio (including old CB arguments, funny), and other various stuff, check it out.

http://www.retrocom.com

[KB9ZGB]

do guys still run around with big suburbans with 4 bajillion watts ????? never understood all the fake lingo and personnas. i did think some of the things people built was kool. i just got down,bomp bomp

[kd6nig]

do guys still run around with big suburbans with 4 bajillion watts ????? never understood all the fake lingo and personnas. i did think some of the things people built was kool. i just got down,bomp bomp

Yeah, you mean the guys who go to "Keydowns" and have "Dave Made" amps in the back of the truck, and you open the hood and they have 10 altenators driving the thing? Yeah.

They had some video of them on the net somewhere before. I'm sure its on youtube. The one that was kind of scary was a guy taking video with a portable camera, and when they guy 'revved up' all you could hear was him saying something over and over-because there was so much RF getting into the camera the picture totally scrambled. I can imagine standing in a RF Field like that is good for ensuring you're sterile for life.

I know in one of them the guy was talking and suddenly the camera cleared-he shredded the belt driving his alts under the hood. You could see it just vaporize and spit out the underside of the truck.

I never even remotely got that advanced. I'm sure I was stepped on most of the time when I was just messing around. But it was fun, and when I was living at home was actually pretty good communication in the evening and at night when the "skip" went away. It was a teenage party line. But once I moved to the city, it was out of the car pretty quick. I had my ham license by then anyway.

[KC8TCQ]

do guys still run around with big suburbans with 4 bajillion watts ????? never understood all the fake lingo and personnas. i did think some of the things people built was kool. i just got down,bomp bomp

you mean guys like this????????? :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h7GILsLzV0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNj4-WVkXVY

[N8YX]

do guys still run around with big suburbans with 4 bajillion watts ????? never understood all the fake lingo and personnas. i did think some of the things people built was kool. i just got down,bomp bomp

Yeah, you mean the guys who go to "Keydowns" and have "Dave Made" amps in the back of the truck, and you open the hood and they have 10 altenators driving the thing? Yeah.

But not so much at present.

Lousy F-layer propagation being what it is, a lot of 'em are laying low. "The 'Bowl" (CB Ch 6) has been very quiet as of late...and there's been no Sporadic E to wake things up, either.

The 24-30MHz region can get very interesting during times of decent sunspot activity.

[kd6nig]

I'm sure the recent economic crisis has caused Dave to have to maybe find another line of work to keep ends met, I'm sure :)

[N2NH]

Came across some Ancient Mary CB artifacts on the web today...

[N9FE]

I seen the one video a few years ago. Do you have any idea what kind of rf field that takes to screw up the video camera standing that far away. Lets just say they won't need birth control again.. Not good..

[N7YA]

Oh geez! I havent been on a CB since the mid 80's. I only did it in Alaska, i used to transmit on the side of the mountain and could reach Soldotna way to the south and Wasilla to the north, as well as Sleeping Lady across the inlet...all on 4w and a mag mount 5/8 wave whip. I had a Cobra base, forgot the model number, at home and used to 'shoot skippy' all over the place...VK, little fishing villages on the north slope and canada, the lower 48...all over the place. It was a lot of fun for a while...especially ch 13 where all my partying friends hung out before chatrooms were invented, and everyone was local. We used to do "CB Breaks" at coffee shops or parks and it was mostly younger folks drinking and screwing around and having fun...i was 17 at the time so it was cool. Ch 19 was where the old folks were and they had their own little cliques and gatherings...we were the punks, they were the OF's.

But once i got my ticket in 83, and i was working JA and UA and some crazy places i had to look up on the map, CB sort of went away. It really was all about radio for me, the drama got old quick. From time to time i scan across the 11m band to see if its still infested by lonely old, drunken sociopaths running 4 billion watts from their 'boots'...usually hear nothing. I did help one buddy of mine get his ticket, Norm WL7BER, but most just wanted to do the CB thing. Ham radio just had that magick that i was looking for, and its still with me...havent transmitted on CB in a couple of decades now.

Weird, CB seems to have died, ham radio is still here and all the lids are the same ones that have always been there...even before CB existed. Im glad all the sky-is-falling stuff never really materialized. :D

[kc7jty]

We just fired up a new gang on ch 39 usb here every night @ 9:00.
my radio's workin,
I got my ears on,
and I'm talkin on the cottin pickin thing,
whaddya think about that now?

[N7YA]

OUCH!!

Damn monkey just flew out of my butt.

[N8YX]

OUCH!!

Damn monkey just flew out of my butt.

Here - use some of this:

http://ephemerist.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/anti-monkey-butt.jpg

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :twisted:

[ad4mg]

OUCH!!

Damn monkey just flew out of my butt.

Here - use some of this:

http://ephemerist.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/anti-monkey-butt.jpg

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :twisted:

You guys slay me ... :mrgreen:

[kd6nig]

Came across some Ancient Mary CB artifacts on the web today...

I actually remember getting one of those RS stickers with the first one I bought for my car when I turned 16. The most basic CB I ever saw-just a 2 digit channel readout and a green light for RX, and a red light for TX.

I still have that thing in a box around here somewhere. I don't know what happened to the sticker, I didn't put it on my car though :)

[kc7jty]

http://www.fondosescritorio.net/wallpapers/Animales/Monos/Borneo-Proboscis-Monkey-2.jpg
Many are like production run Americans who must have a bad guys/bogeyman to give them form, orientation, unity, and purpose.

[N5RLR]

I get the impression that someone hates Texans. :think

[N2NH]

I get the impression that someone hates Texans. :think

Far from it. But whenever I turned on my CB, on most channels, there was a Texan holding court calling DX with what sounded like at least 5KW, echo beep and echo chamber.

Now I realize that was just his mobile.
:mrgreen:

[N8YX]

I get the impression that someone hates Texans. :think

Far from it. But whenever I turned on my CB, on most channels, there was a Texan holding court calling DX with what sounded like at least 5KW, echo beep and echo chamber.

Now I realize that was just his mobile.
:mrgreen:

Most of the guys I hear from that area don't run noise toys or any of the other hillbilly stuff.

No...for them it's a Browning Golden Eagle (preferably, a Mark III or IV) and LOTS of watts... :roll:

[KB9ZGB]

i kept waiting to see sparks flying out all the antennas like some gaint bug zapper. crazy stuff so how is this stuff gauged? how do you know who wins? and the local cops and stuff all ok with a bunch of radio crazy"s decending on a parking lot some where.????? that would be a funny fcc enforcment posting.

[N8YX]

i kept waiting to see sparks flying out all the antennas like some gaint bug zapper. crazy stuff so how is this stuff gauged? how do you know who wins? and the local cops and stuff all ok with a bunch of radio crazy"s decending on a parking lot some where.????? that would be a funny fcc enforcment posting.

It's all about the Watergates.

http://www.cbrelectronics.net/water.htm

http://187outlaw.net/forum/YaBB.pl?board=watergates (Forum registration required)

http://www.cbretards.com/watergates/watergates.htm

In short - someone with a receiver and a tape recorder sets up a distance away from the 'keydown' and whomever is heard most clearly is declared the winner.

As far as the FCC getting involved - don't hold your breath. One of these events was held very near an airport in the Midwest a couple years ago...FCC and FAA were notified...no one showed up. :roll:

[N5RLR]

...whenever I turned on my CB, on most channels, there was a Texan holding court calling DX with what sounded like at least 5KW, echo beep and echo chamber.

Now I realize that was just his mobile.
:mrgreen:
If so, then I was in the skip zone, naturally. :roll: Seems I've always heard "big guns" hailing from the East Coast.

But, anyone with whom I was acquainted, shunned roger beeps, echos and other "toys" like the plague. And chastised those who used them.


Most of the guys I hear from that area don't run noise toys or any of the other hillbilly stuff.

No...for them it's a Browning Golden Eagle (preferably, a Mark III or IV) and LOTS of watts... :roll:
Now, there's your *real* radio op, extra wattage or not. Loud, clean audio, preferably from a tube rig, and the best feedline and antenna [with height] he could muster. I'd known a couple of this type, and they'd pretty much command any channel, their signals were that good. 8)

[kd6nig]

The funniest thing to hear (though on the ham bands it makes you cringe) is the "footwarmer failure" that I remember hearing a few times when I moved to the Bay Area.

There are 2 kinds-the catastrophic kind where something just goes, violently, and someone just vanishes or goes from being "loud and proud" to "instant duck". I heard those quite a few times. I also heard one this Saturday locally. Guy always just gets onto 17 and starts doing "radio check radio check" and you can tell hes messing with settings on the thing because his signal will go up and down in steps.

Well, he got into the usual "you know there are 39 other channels out here, why the heck you gotta TEST on this one" argument with a few drivers. He was out there just "dropping the maul" on them. So hes talking trash and suddenly he goes from being "in the red" on my LDG meter to barely breaking my squelch. I believe this guy lives within a mile or so of me, so you could tell he was just on "plain radio" at that point. He vanished soon thereafter-if he can't be the boss on the channel, he won't be on :mrgreen:

I haven't heard many of the other type, but its kinda interesting when someone is talking, and the "warmer" slowly starts fading. I liken it to someone slow roasting a side of beef or something, the components on the board slowly cook themselves into a state of non-working anymore. The panic that sets in is classic-in one case a guy was having a QSO with another guy on 17 and suddenly the other guy is telling him "you're starting to fade, your signal isn't as strong as it was" and with each successive transmission the meter reading slowly trends lower. Slow roast. I haven't heard one of those in ages, but it makes them start wondering. I know this guy started redoing stuff-changed jumpers and all kinds of stuff, and each time, more of a fade into oblivion, or into "legal" wattage ranges. Classic :)

I actually went up to 38 upper side and heard a few guys Saturday night too. I need to get my vertical that I use for listening back above 5' off the ground though. The pole I had it on went horizontal when a tree branch fell a few months ago. I know I'll hear more on HF as well as the silly band when I get it back up higher. Maybe a project for this next coming weekend. Just what I need, the ability to hear the silly even louder than they are now.....

[n0eq]

My first CB was a Space Patrol walkie talkie on Ch 14 -

http://www.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/Archer_Space_Patrols-Adv.jpg

I built a three sided horizontal wire antenna (a tripole?) over our
house and garage. One leg probably 100 ft, the other
two legs (like a Mercedes symbol) were probably 25 ft each.
All three legs were connected together at the center.

Ran thermostat wire (#24 solid) from the roof through the
wall to my bedroom and electrical taped that to the
telescopic antenna on the walkie talkie.

Talked to a friend of mine at the same address
just one street over, maybe a couple hundred
yards. But man that mofo could HEAR all the
big guns from across the US from where I was
in the LA Suburbs.

Those days you could hear LAPD on an AM
broadcast band receiver. I'd re-broadcast
the police calls on the walkie talkie. I was
a true whacker at that young age, about
8 or 9 years old.

Later I graduated to the Johnson Messenger 23ch rock
rig in my parent's boat. It had a half wave antenna
(no ground plane). The boat sat on it's trailer at
our house. I'd sit in the boat at night and talk
all over the LA Basin on 5watts.

Actually, I thought the space patrol WTs were
more fun.

To this day, nearly all of my ham ops are QRP
HF, battery powered remote in the desert or
the backyard.


Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke

http://www.n0eq.com