Amazing! They still make CBs!

[Benzman66]

Yesterday I took a little road trip to Greensburg and went into the Radio Shack in the Wal Mart Plaza just to look around. Lo and behold, as I am going thru the store, I come upon TWO new CBs being sold. Almost crapped my pants.

I said to the sales guy, "heck, I didn't even think they made them anymore". He said yep, sure do, we sell quite a few of them, not as many as cell phones, but still.

I shop every Radio Shack I see and this is the first store that even had them to my knowledge. None in Pittsburgh do.

I was pretty impressed. They have a remake of the one Cobra model I believe and the other one is even BLUETOOTH ready. Sharp looking with black and silver front and blue LEDS.

You got to check them out if your local store has them.

[ridgescan]

Know what's more amazing? People still USE them!
Believe it or leave it-seriously, there are still actual uses for them, not the least of which are truckers
and offroaders-both of them enter areas where cellphone sigs can go dead and the good old 5-watter can keep them in the zone

[trace1]

Nothing amazing about it, they still make tin cans and string too...

[va3hub]

Originally Posted by trace1

Nothing amazing about it, they still make tin cans and string too...

Yep....and they still make Ham radio stuff also.............But the Ham stuff is way better............. of course.
;0)

[AlabamaRS]

And..... why wouldn't they stil Make em??

[va3hub]

Originally Posted by AlabamaRS

And..... why wouldn't they stil Make em??

Because there's a market for them still,and sales has we all know, equals Money.
The new blue tooth CB is real cool and will generate sales,you can answer your cell phone trough it.
The Hams Radio will soon follow.........leave it to the CB radio to open new doors,where not just door stoppers you know....lol
Your right Alabama ,why wouldn't they still make them.

[SanMiguel]

I drive a lot between Texas, California and Arizona, and so I installed a CB simply to listen to truckers.

I'm also an emergency responder in San Diego, so having access to Channel 9 is great in case we catch fire again.

[DirtyLarry]

I think he was amazed radio shack made them (or had them, they don't make nothin they sell). He stated none of the other radio shacks he had been into had them and that these people were knowledgeable about them. Thats pretty near a miracle that they had any knowledge at all in a Radio Shack!

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by va3hub

Yep....and they still make Ham radio stuff also.............But the Ham stuff is way better............. of course.
;0)

Don't you forget it!!! :-)

[tekshogun]

CB radios are going no where.

Radio Shack was perhaps one of the FEW national storefront retailers that sold CB and HAM gear. Over the years, the ham gear became less available through them and CB radios followed. You can still get CB radios from Rad Shack's website and some stores may still have some in stock, likely not. Radio Shack, after changing ownership and management some years ago stopped being what they were known for, a radio shack. An electronics-hobbyist dream store. I used tell my self, if I were filthy rich I'd buy the whole damn store. Now, I can barely look at one with out feeling sorry for it.

As far as stores being dedicated to selling CB and/or HAM equipment, they are few and far between and no "real" nationally distributed stores. The closest I can think of is Ham Radio Outlet. I live in Greensboro, NC. It will take me at least five hours either way to get to Woodbridge, VA or Atlanta, GA; the two closest Ham Radio Stores. I just happened to be in Atlanta this past weekend on a family reunion trip and I visited HRO. Amazing experience, because the last time I saw something like that was a store called Electronix of NC (in Greensboro) which seemed like they did more car stereo installation than CB/ham radio work (although I got my first CB and dual-band HAM antennas from them).

CB radios, like ham radio, are here to stay. They are still very useful and I plan on having one around with a proper antenna just in case. But for normal operation, eh, I don't think so. DXing is a challenge but doing it at four watts and being limited to 40 channels, is downright ridiculous.

[MLetterle]

Radio Shack, after changing ownership and management some years ago stopped being what they were known for, a radio shack. An electronics-hobbyist dream store. I used tell my self, if I were filthy rich I'd buy the whole damn store. Now, I can barely look at one with out feeling sorry for it.

Ain't it the truth... though it's been turning a bit back recently. I still go there for bits and pieces, as long as they still have their tool-chest of parts, I'll probably still shop there.

[n5ims]

Wal-Mart has them both on-line and in many stores. For the best selection, visit a truck stop along a major interstate highway.

[david803sc]

Come to the South every Radio Shack store I have been to here in South Carolina has CB's, they are very popular among the country folk!!!

[gewecke]

Has it ever occured to anyone...how much "scrap shack" and "fall-mart" have in common???
Remember what both stores USED to consider important to consumers? Great service and quality merchandise that the public wants! NOW it's all about what "scam shack" and "wal fart" wants just to save their a** from extiction!
IF sam walton could rise from the dead,he would drag the poor,stupid CEO's back down into that cold dark earth where they should be,and rise again to restore the ORIGINAL wal mart to what it was intended to be!!!!
...sorry. Off my meds today!
N9ZAS.

[Benzman66]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

I think he was amazed radio shack made them (or had them, they don't make nothin they sell). He stated none of the other radio shacks he had been into had them and that these people were knowledgeable about them. Thats pretty near a miracle that they had any knowledge at all in a Radio Shack!

AMEN! You are correct on all the above!
LOL, I still have a few of my old CBs under the bed. I have to dig them out again and hook it up. Even have one of the old base stations with the telephone style handle speaker/mic that I think was from Radio Shack.

I use to hang out at the mall Radio Shack back in the old days for hours when I was a youth. It was one of the best places in the world for gadgets and electronics, then when it started going downhill as I got older, I rarely ever went in. Now it gives me a reason again to go.

Yep, still have a few of the old Radio Shack, Lafayette, and Heathkit catalogs that I browse thru every one and a while for memories.

[tekshogun]

You know what, I honestly have little problem with Wal-Mart. I think the reason the store is so successful is because they give exactly what the majority of people want. Cheap stuff, lots of it, and all in one place.
Think about it, where else can you go to buy movies, music, process your pictures and video, buy camping and hunting gear, buy groceries, pet supplies, furniture, home and garden supplies, clothes, shoes, toys, massive amounts of candy, do some banking, get your eyes checked, play in an arcade, get jewelery engraved, get fabric for your next project, pillows and blankets, bins, hangers, cook wear, get car parts, tires and oil changed, and power tools all in one place?

As for Radio Shack, some bought a well known American icon and figured it would make a good cover for selling a line of crappy computers (ackhem Compaq) and pushing bad cell phone services on to people.

[N_Jay]

Since we are so far off topic (I thought about posting earlier, but thought better of it),
I am amazed at what amazes some people!

[tekshogun]

Heh heh, Sorry about that..

I am pretty amazed that someone was amazed CB's were still around. It just goes to show how much people take new-age communications (cell phones, trunked radio with interoperability across an entire region). Here in NC, there are plenty of truck stops to go to that have LOTS of CB equipment, antennas, etc for just about whatever you need.

[Magnetsteve]

Originally Posted by gewecke

Has it ever occured to anyone...how much "scrap shack" and "fall-mart" have in common???
Remember what both stores USED to consider important to consumers? Great service and quality merchandise that the public wants! NOW it's all about what "scam shack" and "wal fart" wants just to save their a** from extiction!
IF sam walton could rise from the dead,he would drag the poor,stupid CEO's back down into that cold dark earth where they should be,and rise again to restore the ORIGINAL wal mart to what it was intended to be!!!!
...sorry. Off my meds today!
N9ZAS.

I AGREE!!! Sam Walton would roll over in his grave if he knew what was going on with Wal-Mart...

[BNSFrailfan]

So some of you out there think that Wal-Mart is falling apart?