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K9FON
10-16-2009, 07:11 PM
A ham that i know has an old 40 CH SSB base CB radio that i might buy off of him for $20.00 simply because it is a really neat old rig. Im not really into CB but it will look neat in my radio collection.
It is a SBE Console V made back in the 1970s. I have never seen a rig like this before.
It is in a very slick looking woodgrain console and it looks like it was never used. The rig has no mic. with it but thats ok.
Has anyone ever heard of a company called SBE?
The ham got it from a estate sale of another ham that is now an SK. He got it along with a yaesu Ft 101E, a Siltronics 1011D, a tuner, and a Drake TR-4/ms-4/AC-4...

kc7jty
10-16-2009, 09:20 PM
Is it a 40 channel? If so what pll chip is in it? It may be convertible to 10 meters.
I heard of them. Quite the radio in their day. I had an SBE mobile.

K9FON
10-16-2009, 09:37 PM
Its a 40 channel. I havent dug into it yet to see what the chip is. I dont plan to mod it. I will just leave it alone. An interesting thing i found out is it actually has a built in speech compressor.

kc7jty
10-17-2009, 12:35 AM
I found it now can't figure where it was. Anyway it's a chip I'm not familiar with.
I'll bet that radio sold for at least $500 when it was new.
http://www.notpurfect.com/main/console5.html

WØTKX
10-17-2009, 01:11 AM
That is a very cool radio. :drool: Ya BastiD!

kc7jty
10-17-2009, 01:48 AM
This is the first ssb radio I owned. 23 ch converted to 40 with some extras. I can even remember the smell of it as it warmed up.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lafayette-SSB-100-C ... 5ad3d5b9f3 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Lafayette-SSB-100-Cb-Radio-SSB-Am-In-Box-Excellent-BIN_W0QQitemZ390101055987QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item5ad3d5b9f3)

N8YX
10-17-2009, 06:21 AM
SBE - Sideband Engineers - made some decent ham gear in the 60s and 70s.

Had a Console V for a while. Almost any non-"ROM" style PLL of that era can be easily put on 10M and your SBE is no exception.

kb2vxa
10-17-2009, 10:40 AM
Yup yup, the early PLL chips were easy to figure out, they could be easily expanded above and below "center frequency" and often provided channels well outside the rig's operational range. Many could be split by 5KHz increments if you knew which pins went high and which went low. One thing though, most rigs from the early 70s such as this can't do 10M without re tuning and you must be VERY careful working with synths if you want to keep spurs out of the picture, DON'T MESS WITH THE TRAPS! Best get a Sams for it before applying the golden screwdriver. Heh, then you'll have two collector's items, the Sams may be worth more than the rig. (;->) Oh, don't be surprised to find the same PC board in there as half a dozen mobile rigs and a 12V power supply, it just might turn out to be a Sidebander II in a big box. As an aside the Tram Titan II was the best laugh of them all, a huge, impressive boat anchor box full of air!

Nice looking radio, I like it.

WØTKX
10-17-2009, 11:50 AM
The CB in my '73 Opel Manta... I helped it out a little (not much), it was a good little radio.

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

A HyGain V was used as a base, and sometimes went mobile. It didn't fit so well in that little car, as I had a 2 meter rig in there as well.

kc7jty
10-17-2009, 01:20 PM
My second SSB radio, SBE LCMS4:
http://odinn.org/radio/albums/SSB-CB-RADIO/SBE_LCMS_4.jpg
I got rid of it in a couple months, it was a pos.

N2NH
10-17-2009, 01:35 PM
This was the radio I used in the late 70s. 40 Channels with Sideband and TWO meters - twice as good as one. They turned red when you transmitted.
http://www.cbgazette.com/rs-trc457.jpg

SBE made some great rigs throughout the 70s. They marketed one of the first 40 channel micro rigs that actually was worth anything.

kc7jty
10-17-2009, 01:38 PM
TRC-458? 2 meters?

N2NH
10-17-2009, 01:48 PM
TRC-458? 2 meters?


TRC-457 and yes it had 2 Meters. One S-RF/Power out and the other had Modulation/SWR. Had to keep those SWRs in line...

kb2crk
10-17-2009, 04:22 PM
sbe made one hell of a radio.
i started out with the trinidad.
my father had 2 brutes in the cars and a formula d for the boat.
i have a console II in my hamshack now.

kc7jty
10-17-2009, 05:30 PM
Oh...that kind of 2 meters.

KG4CGC
10-17-2009, 05:55 PM
Oh...that kind of 2 meters.
Took me a minute to figure it out too. Looked at that picture real hard!

WØTKX
10-17-2009, 07:17 PM
That would be a hilarious "hack"...

A two meter FM rig that is tucked inside of a Navajo.

N2NH
10-17-2009, 07:31 PM
That would be a hilarious "hack"...

A two meter FM rig that is tucked inside of a Navajo.

Secret Squirrel Radio presents theModel 007. A CB with SSB and a hidden 2 Meter FM built-in. Only your Uncle Charley* will know.

*FCC.

kb2vxa
10-17-2009, 09:10 PM
"Only your Uncle Charley* will know."

"This is Uncle Charlie, the oooold man of Rooooselle Park... I feel soooo deeeeepressssed."
He had the best CB in captivity, he could hear satellites!

N8YX
10-17-2009, 11:10 PM
I'll see your two meters and raise you:

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

And one more:

http://www.cbradiossale.com/images/Dak%20Mark%20X%20Base%20Station.jpg

I have the entire Royce "3 meter" line in my collection, and a 1-641 (SSB/AM base) as well as a 1-639 (SSB/AM mobile). The -642 an -639 share a common main board...have PLL dividers that are internally ROM-programmed, and thus cannot be readily converted to other frequency ranges. Still, they're my "go to" CB rigs - the receivers are really well designed. Their lattice-style crystal filters can be replaced with a mechanical equivalent; after which, the adjacent-channel rejection becomes quite noteworthy.

N2NH
10-18-2009, 01:29 AM
I'll see your two meters and raise you:

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

And one more:

http://www.cbradiossale.com/images/Dak%20Mark%20X%20Base%20Station.jpg

I have the entire Royce "3 meter" line in my collection, and a 1-641 (SSB/AM base) as well as a 1-639 (SSB/AM mobile). The -642 an -639 share a common main board...have PLL dividers that are internally ROM-programmed, and thus cannot be readily converted to other frequency ranges. Still, they're my "go to" CB rigs - the receivers are really well designed. Their lattice-style crystal filters can be replaced with a mechanical equivalent; after which, the adjacent-channel rejection becomes quite noteworthy.

All very beautiful radios. I remember when radios had wood. An interesting concept. I always liked Royce also. A tube 40 channel radio, based on the old Lafayette Comstat 25A. Great idea, especially since it was bullet proof. Well, it would be if we were talking about anyone else but CB'ers. :)

I always liked the Allied, Knight and Lafayette line of CB radios. I even still have a few around.

W2NAP
10-18-2009, 01:37 AM
I'll see your two meters and raise you:

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

And one more:

http://www.cbradiossale.com/images/Dak%20Mark%20X%20Base%20Station.jpg

I have the entire Royce "3 meter" line in my collection, and a 1-641 (SSB/AM base) as well as a 1-639 (SSB/AM mobile). The -642 an -639 share a common main board...have PLL dividers that are internally ROM-programmed, and thus cannot be readily converted to other frequency ranges. Still, they're my "go to" CB rigs - the receivers are really well designed. Their lattice-style crystal filters can be replaced with a mechanical equivalent; after which, the adjacent-channel rejection becomes quite noteworthy.

but it dont have them extree channels,freq counter,echo and roger beep.

N8YX
10-18-2009, 07:04 AM
but it dont have them extree channels,freq counter,echo and roger beep.
And that's the beauty of it. ;)

kc4umo
10-18-2009, 08:34 AM
I still collect old radios of this era.
The strangest one is the Dak 9 I own. It was hit by lightning and blown the main board by the original owner. I removed the guts and installed a cobra 148 gtl board in the rig along with an upgraded power supply.

Other than my ham radio collection, here are some of my cb collection;
Courier Gladiator moble (crystal control- huge radio)
Midland 13-898b (had this since I was 14)
Johnson Messenger two twenty three
Johnson Messenger Two with tone alert (complete restore)
Gloden Eagle Mk III SSB
Tram D201
Pearce Simpson "Guardian 23"
Cobra Cam 89

I have several others but are not in the collectors veiw or vintage.

kb2crk
10-18-2009, 09:32 AM
i have a few in need of resto if they still work.
sbe console II, works.. have an sbe amplified desk mic i have to rewire for it.
browning sabre 40 ch. worked when stored.
lafayette LM-300 dual tuner 40 ch. worked when stored but badly beaten up since stored in 89. had the extree channels in it but am only. it was also capable of split band operation. lol.

N8YX
10-18-2009, 10:27 AM
I'm looking around for a TRS Challenger 1400, CPI CP200B and accessory console, an un-butchered SBE LCBS-8 and maybe a D201a or D300. Motorola CB-555, Midland 78-999 and Craig L201 would be nice additions as well.

W2NAP
10-18-2009, 10:53 AM
but they say on the cb these days if your not running one of these

http://www.galaxyradios.com/2517base.jpg

your running junk

:rofl:

N8YX
10-18-2009, 11:31 AM
Remember the CB equipment reviews in Popular Electronics, S9 Magazine, Communications Quarterly and the like?

I do.

Measurements of sensitivity, adjacent channel rejection and 3rd-order IMD...ultimate rejection, receiver dynamic range - and in some cases, noise floor - were offered for all to see.

Some of the more lavishly equipped offerings fell flat on their faces, while other bare-bones sets fared very well. This should come as no surprise, though: There were only a handful of companies building the chassis boards. AFAIK, Royce's parent company built their own. The Cybernet board was used in a shit-ton of radios (Hy-Gain, Nato, and so forth). Ditto the Uniden 142/148 (single-double-conversion board.) I'm pretty sure Radio Shack's stuff was OEMmed by GRE.

That leaves CPI...Tram...Browning...and a few others who managed to price themselves right out of the market because their products weren't cost effective, although it can be said they were far better than their competition with regards to receiver performance.

When it comes right down to it, 4w (or 12w PEP) is 4w, right? All sets had to meet max-power guidelines in order to be sold. I have a feeling that the lack of decent receivers in most of these sets is what drove a number of people to explore below channel 1 and above 40; the DX potential notwithstanding: They just wanted to get away from Ol' Blabbermouth who lived close enough to buckshot their receivers across the entire 40.

Perhaps that mindset is what drove the creation of the so-called "export" radio. If the manufacturers of such would have dumped the same amount of money into the receiver (particularly, the IF strips) of these things as they did into the synthesizer section, co-channel interference would likely be a thing of the past. Alas, the receiver sections of most modern "export" sets are absolutely horrible.

Another bit of trivia:

Almost every one of the people I knew 'back in the day' who was running a ham rig on 11M did so not for the expanded coverage or higher output, but for the fact that most of the gear had far better receivers than anything else which was available at the time. The lion's share of these guys stayed within the Class D band and rarely (if ever) used what would be considered an excessive amount of power.

An "IF shift", selectable filters or a "notch filter" on a CB set? IIRC, the Stoner Pro-40 (SSB only) was the sole production rig which incorporated a notch filter, and the Browning Mark III and IV had selectable crystal filters but nothing else. Listening to a crowded channel with a loaded R7 and playing with its various QRM/QRN-fighting features, one can only imagine the possibilities...

N2NH
10-18-2009, 02:52 PM
Well I know I operated within the rules and never went freeband. Most of the people I know did too. Most of the freebanders I knew rarely went high or low, they stuck to the "A" channels and used mostly stock or modified stock Xcvrs. One was an ex-Ham and Army radio op too.

I got a Johnson Messenger 125 awhile ago. Push button operation, slide controls, size of a small book and the Johnson/Viking name. State-of-the-art. For 1968. Oh and 5 channels.
:agree: :lol:

http://www.retrocom.com/images/Johnson_125_1969_1.jpg

K9FON
10-18-2009, 09:31 PM
but they say on the cb these days if your not running one of these

http://www.galaxyradios.com/2517base.jpg

your running junk

:rofl:
LOL!!!
Yeah i remember one op on CB back in the day made fun of me because i was running a Cobra 2000 and he had a Galaxy saturn. "Oh dude! You need to get one of these radios. Then you can run echo!" Ummm yeah, i will keep my 2000 thanks very much.

kb2vxa
10-19-2009, 11:14 AM
Once in a while when my Mysteron alter ego would take over, usually when I was quite stoned the ultimate echo came out, a 5 head studio tape deck. I'd like to see a chip do pre and post echo with a pitch shift and feedback! Lost in space? You betcha! :rofl:

K9FON
10-26-2009, 12:52 PM
LOL!!! I have heard some opcs back in the 1970s used to use "waa waa" pedals like the ones ueed by guitar gurus.

K9FON
10-26-2009, 12:54 PM
Well i found a mic for this old CB but i dont have any TX audio. Look like the audio chip is bad. :(

N8YX
10-26-2009, 08:15 PM
Well i found a mic for this old CB but i dont have any TX audio. Look like the audio chip is bad. :(
Give me a P/N and I'll see what I have laying around the junk box.

On edit:

http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/sbe/sbe_40cb_console_v/graphics/sbe_40cb_sm_sch.pdf

HA1339, if I'm reading this right?

On edit 2:

Q701-Q703 are the mic amps. Have a scope that you can trace the signals through?

And what of the "mic compressor circuit" - can that be bypassed?

kc7jty
10-27-2009, 12:14 AM
http://odinn.org/radio/albums/SSB-CB-RADIO/President_Adams.jpg
*****BREAKER!*****

W2NAP
10-27-2009, 12:30 AM
http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/galaxy_saturn.jpg

no excuses on da bowl man

kc7jty
10-27-2009, 02:11 AM
http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp108/foxhunter351/11%20Meter%20CB%20Radios%20351NJ/NewCobra2000GTLpurchase.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTSXu-wJUMY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVMfEZk ... re=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVMfEZkA78&feature=related)

kc7jty
10-27-2009, 02:22 AM
Expert transmitting into microphone.... :agree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIPZgGQc ... ature=fvwp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIPZgGQcCXQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp)

N8YX
10-27-2009, 06:55 AM
http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp108/foxhunter351/11%20Meter%20CB%20Radios%20351NJ/NewCobra2000GTLpurchase.jpg
Bill...it makes me sad to see all of those 2000s with extra knobs and switches in front...when all some of us want is an unmodified example of such.

kb2crk
10-27-2009, 07:45 AM
this may sound like an odd question, but does anyone have the mic pinout for the sbe console II. i have a sbe desk mic that i want to put on it. i had the info a long time ago in a galaxy far far away,(25 years ago i could wire an sbe mic up by memory).

N8YX
10-27-2009, 08:04 AM
this may sound like an odd question, but does anyone have the mic pinout for the sbe console II.
But of course. Here's link to the service manual:

http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/sbe/sbe_16cb_console_ii/graphics/sbe_16cb_console_ii_sm_.pdf

kb2crk
10-27-2009, 08:24 AM
this may sound like an odd question, but does anyone have the mic pinout for the sbe console II.
But of course. Here's link to the service manual:

http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/sbe/sbe_16cb_console_ii/graphics/sbe_16cb_console_ii_sm_.pdf

is there another link. the schematic is missing from that one..

N8YX
10-27-2009, 09:02 AM
Here ya go:

SBE Aspen 41CB, Catalina III 29CB, Console II 16CB, Console V 40CB, Console V 50CB, Cortez 21CB, Cortez 40 42CB, Key/Com 1000, Formula D26CB, Malibu 4044CB, Trinidad II 30CB, Trinidad III 45CB, Sidebander III 18CB, Sidebander IV 27CB, Sidebander V 39CB
1-SHIELD
2-MOD
3-TX
4-RX

kb2crk
10-27-2009, 09:05 AM
thank you very much... the radio should be running with awesome audio swing shortly lol....
well not really.. the limiter in the audio section will mellow that out lol

K9FON
10-27-2009, 09:55 PM
Ahh i got it transmit with audio on AM. I think the problem lies in the speech processor. I bypassed it and it works ok on Am but have almost NO modulation on SSB. Im ah thinkin it almos might be this cheap truckstop mic i got. I took it to a local CB shop and the guy wouldnt even look at it. He said it was too old, and told me to sell it for parts. NOOO WAYY! I want to get it fixed! Its too pretty to scrap.

K9FON
10-27-2009, 09:59 PM
http://odinn.org/radio/albums/SSB-CB-RADIO/President_Adams.jpg
*****BREAKER!*****
AHHHH yesss!!!! the President Adams!!! The worlds largest mobile CB rig. That thing is HUUUGE! I had one once when i was a teeny bopper and i thought it was the best CB made. Seriously, it is a nice older CB mobile, if you call it a mobile by todays standards.

K9FON
10-27-2009, 10:02 PM
http://www.rigpix.com/cbfreeband/galaxy_saturn.jpg

no excuses on da bowl man

LOL!!!! Belive it or not when i was into CB i had to have one of these back in the early 1990s. wow it drifted worse than a Siltronix 1011D and i never liked it. I sold it and put the $$ towards a better rig.

kc7jty
10-28-2009, 01:01 AM
AHHHH yesss!!!! the President Adams!!! The worlds largest mobile CB rig.
The Adams was a large mobile CB, but this thing was quite a bit larger:
http://odinn.org/radio/albums/SSB-CB-RADIO/Courier_Gladiator.sized.jpg
Courier Gladiator

A friend of mine had one. It was a 23 ch PLL and it was gigantic, I couldn't believe how big it was

n2ize
10-28-2009, 01:56 AM
Yeah but do these rigs run on Windows or Linux ?

kc7jty
10-28-2009, 03:42 AM
Vista home edition, but you can get the upgrade to Windows 7 for $29.95

K9FON
10-28-2009, 04:01 PM
AHHHH yesss!!!! the President Adams!!! The worlds largest mobile CB rig.
The Adams was a large mobile CB, but this thing was quite a bit larger:
http://odinn.org/radio/albums/SSB-CB-RADIO/Courier_Gladiator.sized.jpg
Courier Gladiator

A friend of mine had one. It was a 23 ch PLL and it was gigantic, I couldn't believe how big it was

Ohhh! I forgot about the Courier! he he Try going mobile with that rig in your Smart Car. :rofl: