My latest discovery!

[KA9MOT]

http://quincy.craigslist.org/ele/4041904715.html

It powered up, but it had no RX or TX. It was stuck on 26.887MHz. Repaired the bad "extra" channels mod, re-aligned it and it works very well. Today I start the clean-up. It was in storage for 20 years and needs all the pots and switches cleaned and hopefully I can do something with the cosmetics.

I figure I'll sell it at Peoria's Superfest on the 21st.

[KA9MOT]

I'm finished with the rig part. I also replaced the lamps with White LEDs. The speaker is in bad shape and will never look pretty.... I decided to at least try to make it sound good. I replaced the "stock" speaker with a better speaker and replaced the 35 year old wire and plug. It sounds great. Here are some pictures:

What I started with:
10671

All done:

1067210673

And the speaker (not finished yet):

1067410675

[KG4CGC]

Good luck with it all.

[n6hcm]

so you can sell this for more than what you paid for it?

[KG4CGC]

so you can sell this for more than what you paid for it?

Big CBs still sell pretty well. You can sell them all day on craigslist. At least around here. Ham radio however, is under appreciated on CL.

[NY4Q]

Nice find. I sure had a lot of fun with a Realistic TRC-458 back when I was in high school. I did the "extra channel" mods and built an amp with a pair of 6HF5s and had a Starduster up in a "Jawja Pine" in the front yard (~60 feet). We had a good group nightly on 27.505mcs. I worked a lot of DX on it too. Lotta fun.

[WX7P]

Nice find. I sure had a lot of fun with a Realistic TRC-458 back when I was in high school. I did the "extra channel" mods and built an amp with a pair of 6HF5s and had a Starduster up in a "Jawja Pine" in the front yard (~60 feet). We had a good group nightly on 27.505mcs. I worked a lot of DX on it too. Lotta fun.

Bootlegger! :lol:

[KA9MOT]

so you can sell this for more than what you paid for it?

I've seen at least 1 at every hamfest I've been to and they were all priced in the $200 - $250 range. More if it included a matching speaker and/or Mic. I have no clue how many have actually been sold, or for how much.

I have been watching them on eBay since Saturday. Broken ones in lousy condition have sold for more than $100.

[KA9MOT]

Nice find. I sure had a lot of fun with a Realistic TRC-458 back when I was in high school. I did the "extra channel" mods and built an amp with a pair of 6HF5s and had a Starduster up in a "Jawja Pine" in the front yard (~60 feet). We had a good group nightly on 27.505mcs. I worked a lot of DX on it too. Lotta fun.

Damned outlaw! :lol:

This one has a "kit" and I could find no info for it. It goes down 40 and up 40 which keeps it out of 10M. Everything I can find online requires cutting traces on the PLL, adding wires and butchering switches or adding switches.

This "Kit" is 3 position rotary switch with a small board attached to it. There are 3 crystal sockets and a couple of variable caps. The crystal was removed from the board, plugged into the "kit" and then 2 wires carried it back to the original crystals stock location. Actually a nice set-up, but when it was installed incorrectly which caused the frequency to wander all over the place. There was another mod that was wired into the NB Switch that did involve a cut trace for the PLL that I don't know what it's function was but the radio would not work at all with that trace cut.

I removed the NB switch mod but kept the extra channels. They don't go up into 10M and the radio really looked bad with that hole in the front bezel.

[WX7P]

Ebay isn't a good gauge for an in person sale.

Whenever someone says to me "the price is X on ebay", my response is always, well sell it on ebay. I don't think I'm alone.

The Peoria Superfest will be my first swap meet out here, so I don't know what the sellers are like here, but I know in California, people trying to get ebay prices will be looking at their equipment all day long.

[N8YX]

I really wish people wouldn't hack up good radio equipment with front-panel holes and what have you. Really devalues the gear, and there are better ways to implement mods.

[KA9MOT]

I really wish people wouldn't hack up good radio equipment with front-panel holes and what have you. Really devalues the gear, and there are better ways to implement mods.

Agreed! If it were me, I would have removed the Tone control and placed the kit there and used the knob from the Tone control.... but then if it were me, there would not be an extra channel kit in the radio, unless I was trying to put it on 10M.

I have learned that this is an Expo 100 "L" kit. I found the info on CB Tricks.... which appears to be a great site for people looking for info.

[KA9MOT]

Ebay isn't a good gauge for an in person sale.

Whenever someone says to me "the price is X on ebay", my response is always, well sell it on ebay. I don't think I'm alone.

The Peoria Superfest will be my first swap meet out here, so I don't know what the sellers are like here, but I know in California, people trying to get ebay prices will be looking at their equipment all day long.

Yes, eBay is a lousy way to determine value, but it is a place to start. I figure I'll set the price at $250 and negotiate. I think the lowest I would go is $150.

What day are you going? I'll be there on Saturday (the 21st). My brother (the former KA9MOT) will be sitting for his Tech and General and if I'm ready, I'll be sitting for Extra. Maybe I'll see you there.

Anybody else going to Superfest? I'll be the short legged, round guy in bib overalls with the big smile on my face.

[K7SGJ]

Yes, eBay is a lousy way to determine value, but it is a place to start. I figure I'll set the price at $250 and negotiate. I think the lowest I would go is $150.

What day are you going? I'll be there on Saturday (the 21st). My brother (the former KA9MOT) will be sitting for his Tech and General and if I'm ready, I'll be sitting for Extra. Maybe I'll see you there.

Anybody else going to Superfest? I'll be the short legged, round guy in bib overalls with the big smile on my face.

You'll have to do better than that. Your description will fit 80% of the fest goers. You can narrow it down by indicating you will be the one that has had a shower within the last 48 hours, or so.

[KA9MOT]

Only 80%? How about we add short gray hair? With a young man (14 years old) who wears a Fedora and listens to the Beatles constantly? I know! I'll wear my bright yellow Jegs Hat! You can't miss it!

10679

[K7SGJ]

Only 80%? How about we add short gray hair? With a young man (14 years old) who wears a Fedora and listens to the Beatles constantly? I know! I'll wear my bright yellow Jegs Hat! You can't miss it!

10679

Yes, they are highly visible.......................................and make a good target. :stirpot:

[KA9MOT]

Yell first... I'll duck!

[K7SGJ]

Yell first... I'll duck!

Don't let your quack show.

[WX7P]

Yes, eBay is a lousy way to determine value, but it is a place to start. I figure I'll set the price at $250 and negotiate. I think the lowest I would go is $150.

What day are you going? I'll be there on Saturday (the 21st). My brother (the former KA9MOT) will be sitting for his Tech and General and if I'm ready, I'll be sitting for Extra. Maybe I'll see you there.

Anybody else going to Superfest? I'll be the short legged, round guy in bib overalls with the big smile on my face.

Probably Saturday also. I know what you look like so you won't be hard to find! If I see you, I'll say hi!

[KA9MOT]

Probably Saturday also. I know what you look like so you won't be hard to find! If I see you, I'll say hi!

Good! I'll look forward to the possibility of meeting you.

[NY4Q]

Damned outlaw! :lol:


Yep!



I removed the NB switch mod but kept the extra channels. They don't go up into 10M and the radio really looked bad with that hole in the front bezel.

I put my mod on the PA button. The 458 had the upD858 PLL. I also added a higher C varia-cap and tied the TX & RX together so I could "slide five up and five down", well it was more like six down and eleven up. I also did a mod on the RX; I think on the 1st RF amp and broadbanded it so the RX was pretty good from about 26.5 up to 28.1 or so mcs. Nice.

[NY4Q]

Bootlegger! :lol:

No; FREEBANDER!

I still remember my 2WW number. 2WW3057. The DX crown hung out on 27.900mcs.

[K7SGJ]

No; FREEBANDER!

I still remember my 2WW number. 2WW3057. The DX crown hung out on 27.900mcs.

Hello.

My name is Laura, and I used to hang out with Riley at a governmental agency. In about 37 seconds, your doorbell will ring. Please answer it, drop to your knees, and put your hands behind your back. You will be given further instructions regarding your confession.

[NY4Q]

Hello.

My name is Laura, and I used to hang out with Riley at a governmental agency. In about 37 seconds, your doorbell will ring. Please answer it, drop to your knees, and put your hands behind your back. You will be given further instructions regarding your confession.

If Laura don't care about the current situation of hamm radio, then I doubt she cares about someone's historical use of the "free band".

[KG4CGC]

If Laura don't care about the current situation of hamm radio, then I doubt she cares about someone's historical use of the "free band".

Years ago there was talk of opening up a little spectrum in the CB band and allowing more power.
They'll legalize pot before that happens.

[KA9MOT]

Well, I took it to the Hamfest and expected all the CBers to knock me over trying to buy it. I had a couple of nibbles I was unable to hook a buyer. So... I'm stuck with this thing. I've listed it on all of the local classifieds site and Craigslist for $250 or best offer. I might have to put it on eBay but I sure don't want to have to ship this thing.

Question for you guys, What do you think a fair price is?

On a side note....my big brother passed Tech and General. He's inspired me to start working on Extra again.

[kb2vxa]

"If Laura don't care about the current situation of hamm radio..."
Yeah, it's a damn shame when you have to set up a mobile station in an old boxcar!

"I had a couple of nibbles I was unable to hook a buyer."
Born too late, at the height of the CB boom it would have been worth it's weight in gold. Considering the price of gold back then I'd say $250 would be fair dinkum.

"Question for you guys, What do you think a fair price is?"
Shipping prepaid with $250 enclosed.

[N8YX]

Question for you guys, What do you think a fair price is?

With the drilled front panel? $150 tops.

Unaltered, fully functional and in great cosmetic shape? $250-400; higher end of the range if two external speakers are included.

That particular chassis - also used in the Uniden Madison and the original 148GTL - supposedly has an adjacent channel rejection in excess of 80dB and is considered to be among the three best-performing designs of the CB boom era; CPI's CP- series and the Stoner Pro-40 being the other two. It's a shame people have to hack on them.