Any citizens band (CB) radio operators here?

tuscarora dave

tuscarora dave

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Years ago I used to own a Teaberry Stalker-20, 40 channel base station CB radio. I had the radio "peaked and tuned" to put out just under 20 watts. The radio had 40 upper AM channels and 40 lower AM channels installed as well as upper and lower sideband.

It had a digital frequency counter installed and I talked into an "Astatic" D-104 lollypop, powered desk top microphone. All of this was run through an "Antron 99" 18 foot glass antenna that was nestled nicely in the top branches of the Maple tree just outside of my mobile home.

The Stalker-20 wasn't really considered to be a "Big Radio" but being situated way down in a valley I could still transmit my audio for about a 60 mile radius and occasionally get into "Skip" or "DX Land" transmitting clean audio the whole way out to the California Coast among other far away places. All of this was going on somewhere about 15 years ago and then I lost my way in life and sold my setup to my brother.

Having "found my way" and rebuilding things in my life, I've been considering some of the hobbies that I really used to enjoy that I let slip away. I went to visit an old friend last night for Christmas night who was my room mate back in the days of my radio operations hobby. He showed me his "Big Radio" setup and said "Go ahead and key up, I think you've still got some friends out there".

I keyed the mic and called for a "break" and a voice came across the radio that said "Who Dat?"... I keyed the mic again and said "My handle used to be "Snot Rocket" or just "Rocket" for short, but nowadays it simply be "Tuscarora Dave"... After a short moment of silence the voice on the other end identified his radio handle and said "Oh Rocket...I remember you, How have you been? it's been a long time buddy..." Then a few other voices jumped in with a warm welcome back to their channel and a few mentioned a "Big Radio" that one of them had for sale and suggested that I buy it and "come on back"..

I have to say, it was a lot of fun talking to the old guys as if no time had even passed. One of the guys said "CB=Contantly Buying" Like car detailing it is a hobby of addiction as I remember it but if I just bite the bullet and Buy this "Big Radio" that the one guy has for sale it can be a once and done deal and I can enjoy the radio and just work on buying up all the cool accessories like mics, antennas, RF modulators, SWR meters etc. etc. Kind of like just buying the Flex 3401 as a newbie and skipping all the annoying need for technique that goes along with using a PC.

So, any current or former CB radio operators out there in AG land? If so let's hear about it. Share your setup and some knowledge of the hobby.

Thanks TD
 
I use to talk alot on the c.b. before I got my drivers license. Met many fine ppl there. Back then cursing wasn't aloud and you had to have a license through the FCC
 
tuscarora dave said:
Years ago I used to own a Teaberry Stalker-20, 40 channel base station CB radio. I had the radio "peaked and tuned" to put out just under 20 watts. The radio had 40 upper AM channels and 40 lower AM channels installed as well as upper and lower sideband.

It had a digital frequency counter installed and I talked into an "Astatic" D-104 lollypop, powered desk top microphone. All of this was run through an "Antron 99" 18 foot glass antenna that was nestled nicely in the top branches of the Maple tree just outside of my mobile home.

The Stalker-20 wasn't really considered to be a "Big Radio" but being situated way down in a valley I could still transmit my audio for about a 60 mile radius and occasionally get into "Skip" or "DX Land" transmitting clean audio the whole way out to the California Coast among other far away places. All of this was going on somewhere about 15 years ago and then I lost my way in life and sold my setup to my brother.

Having "found my way" and rebuilding things in my life, I've been considering some of the hobbies that I really used to enjoy that I let slip away. I went to visit an old friend last night for Christmas night who was my room mate back in the days of my radio operations hobby. He showed me his "Big Radio" setup and said "Go ahead and key up, I think you've still got some friends out there".

I keyed the mic and called for a "break" and a voice came across the radio that said "Who Dat?"... I keyed the mic again and said "My handle used to be "Snot Rocket" or just "Rocket" for short, but nowadays it simply be "Tuscarora Dave"... After a short moment of silence the voice on the other end identified his radio handle and said "Oh Rocket...I remember you, How have you been? it's been a long time buddy..." Then a few other voices jumped in with a warm welcome back to their channel and a few mentioned a "Big Radio" that one of them had for sale and suggested that I buy it and "come on back"..

I have to say, it was a lot of fun talking to the old guys as if no time had even passed. One of the guys said "CB=Contantly Buying" Like car detailing it is a hobby of addiction as I remember it but if I just bite the bullet and Buy this "Big Radio" that the one guy has for sale it can be a once and done deal and I can enjoy the radio and just work on buying up all the cool accessories like mics, antennas, RF modulators, SWR meters etc. etc. Kind of like just buying the Flex 3401 as a newbie and skipping all the annoying need for technique that goes along with using a PC.

So, any current or former CB radio operators out there in AG land? If so let's hear about it. Share your setup and some knowledge of the hobby.

Thanks TD
Click to expand...

CB- constant buying,,LOL
My story;
I started small just like everyone here. Got hold of distributor in Pittsburgh and before you Know I had a store selling , repairing and CBs. About 10 yrs ago we had an auction and sold of everything. I bet I got 2 cents on a Dollar. had many cb's but my favorite was a Browning with D104 with ping and echo. every time you key up it sounded like frying pan. Running with adjustable 1000 watt linear I could talk to anyone I wanted. Good old days,,LOL Now fast forward my son-in -law started installing amplifiers and speakers as a side jobs about 3 yrs ago and he was telling me about his supplier in Pittsburgh. Funny part is when I told him owners name he could not believe I knew the guy.
From there I went into Big Dish installation for few yrs as a hobby only,,from there I went into FTA sattelite systems. Had a site few yrs ago with 84K members. And now Car detailing (my own only) and who knows what is next. Always had a side hobby keeps life interesting at my old age!
 
I built my first CB in 1959 from a series of articles in Popular Electronics magazine. It was a [gasp] vacuum tube transceiver. My original FCC license was 18W3223. There were only around 5 of us in the city. My handle was Jimbo. Talk about being an old geezer, this admission makes me feel older than dirt, LOL!

cover_pe-june59.jpg
 
I had a 40 channel Cobra CB radio back in the mid 70's. These were pretty common back then and well before cell phones and email......:laughing:
 
This episode is airing right now. I will save you the commercial breaks ;)​

[video=youtube_share;NMr_4VbRXWM"]Good Times - Breaker, Breaker Part 1 of 2 - YouTube[/video]
 
I was thinking about getting a ham radio. Not really the same thing though.
 
Your thread brings back a lot of fond memories. I remember that it seems that EVERYONE had a CB radio in their cars and a "base station" at home if they could afford to have both. Like Bobby, I had a 40 channel Cobra (it seems that Cobras were one of the most popular models) back in the day. Red Fox was my handle. Thanks for reminding me of things that you can forget as time goes by, it was a lot of fun.
 
Back in them thar days I drove 100K per year for my work and a CB was a must. I too had the big Cobra which was tweaked. It was velcroed to the dash, no where else to mount it. The adjustable power microphone was also tweaked and the "Big Stick" fiberglass 5' antenna was tuned. That white antenna looked wild sticking up on a Corolla hatchback. I constantly got flowers from the drivers because I had such a strong clear signal. When I eventually passed them they couldn't believe it was a Corolla and not a Peterbilt.
 
jfelbab said:
I built my first CB in 1959 from a series of articles in Popular Electronics magazine. It was a [gasp] vacuum tube transceiver. My original FCC license was 18W3223. There were only around 5 of us in the city. My handle was Jimbo. Talk about being an old geezer, this admission makes me feel older than dirt, LOL!

cover_pe-june59.jpg
Click to expand...

20W1113 here,,I forgot what was my first radio, but they were all tube type. I do remember one of my car radios was Johnson 6 channel also tube. This is the time before Transistors were used anywhere besides Japanese 2, and 6 transistor radios.I think it was 1960 or 1961. LOL few yrs later they came out with 23 channels.
 
Wow..what a trip. This was the last subject I would have expected to come up on AG. Pretty cool though. In my early teens I was into CB. I still have the Cobra (not microfiber) 148GTL I received as a graduation present from High School. My homeroom teacher saw the 8 foot antenna on my car and introduced me to ham radio. Been into that ever since although was inactive for awhile. Cool thread. My handle was the Dasher. My first car was a 1974 VW Dasher. You don't see many of those anymore unless you are in a taxi in the middle east...lol.
 
GTPpilot said:
Wow..what a trip. This was the last subject I would have expected to come up on AG. Pretty cool though. In my early teens I was into CB. I still have the Cobra (not microfiber) 148GTL I received as a graduation present from High School. My homeroom teacher saw the 8 foot antenna on my car and introduced me to ham radio. Been into that ever since although was inactive for awhile. Cool thread. My handle was the Dasher. My first car was a 1974 VW Dasher. You don't see many of those anymore unless you are in a taxi in the middle east...lol.
Click to expand...


lol @ middle east taxis :)

I too sported the 8' whip antenna :props:
 
I ended up buying a few radios over the past week. I pretty much got burned on a weaky little mobile that was touted as a bigger radio than it actually is. I settled on an old Uniden Washington base station radio that I payed $40 dollars for. A can of electrical cleaner and some experimental cleaning I got it talking loud and proud through my first home made 1/2 wave dipole wire antenna. With lots of research on radio wave and antenna theory and antenna basics I got my antenna built and it's working as efficient as any factory manufactured antenna could be. Talking about 20 to 25 miles with it and getting some skip from PA to clean down to the Florida Everglades.

I think I have opened up a new can of worms here concerning obsession.
 
Modulating on a cobra 29 ltd classic , barefoot, peaked and ,tuned., rk56mike. Also dual wilson 2000 for ears. Been using this or similar set up since 1985. Tried and true. Also have a galaxy dx 59 that i bought at t/s a few years ago that I carry as backup.
 
Vegas Transplant said:
Modulating on a cobra 29 ltd classic , barefoot, peaked and ,tuned., rk56mike. Also dual wilson 2000 for ears. Been using this or similar set up since 1985. Tried and true. Also have a galaxy dx 59 that i bought at t/s a few years ago that I carry as backup.
Click to expand...
I've been learning a bit about CB radios and antennas from my good friend who goes by the handle "Fat Man on the Hill" You being in Metro DC, I'm certain if you spend any time on channel 26 you'll hear him very loudly in your area though I hear him talking skip to all areas of the country and further. With the antenna restrictions I have here where I live, I don't believe this CB thing will be much of an obsession for me as it's already wearing thin.

It's kind of fun to sandbag when the DX rolls in but when you can't "get out" or "get down" how fun can it really be. I may gear up my mobile detailing rig with a nice CB, amp and antenna in the future.

Thanks for the reply. TD
 
I hang around Sesame Street more often than not. Double Harley and the Jack Daniel also. Mostly for nostalgia. There are so many big radios up here It's ridiculous.

There are so many hands just sitting back reading the mail but when you step on their feet- you'll know about it.

Not a bad idea modulating from your rig , great conversation starter, especially with the older generation.

Bad thing about having so many base units in the area- they block alot of the out of area hands out. BIG RADIOS WALKING TALL. Sometimes its like a zoo with all the rambos running wild and overmodulating.



On a side note: hows the repo thing coming along?
 
Ok so now I have a question. Are CB's on the same bands as those handheld walkie talkie things that people use on car trips where you have the different selectable channels to talk on?
 
yes and no. The 40 channel radio of the op is either 120 or 240 channels. Most handhelds fall somewhere in that range.
 
Vegas Transplant said:
yes and no. The 40 channel radio of the op is either 120 or 240 channels. Most handhelds fall somewhere in that range.
Click to expand...

All CB channels are on 27 MHZ frequency. When you look at the walkie talkies it should tell you the frequency. I think they are also 27 MHZ.
 
To me they are a tool of the job and a fun toy to play with. I too enjoy a good skip even if I don't make contact just the thought of talking wireless coast to coast on 14 watts piques my interests.
 
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