Thrift Store finds

[bob-the-scanner-man]

Sorry if this is a repeated topic, I don't know about the rest of you, but I love going to my local thrift stores to see what radio stuff I can find. Within the past month I found a Bearcat III for $3 and last week I found a MacDonald CE-100 with local crystals already it, power cord, and original antennas for $10. Old, but still very useful for me. This got me to thinking, what are some of the finds(thrift store, yard sale, etc.) that the rest of you have made?

 

[KJ4TND]

Finds

Realistic Pro-50 VHF-UHF $1.30

 

[mciupa]

Pro 2002 for $25.
Originally sold for $499 in the '80's.


BTW, that MacDonald unit in the photo looks immaculate!

 

[ddoorman]

Don't forget the local pawn shop - very interesting finds at times

 

[WTCPT]

That McDonald rig is COOOOOL and the kind of radio noobs like me should be required to start on.

 

[INDY72]

Lets seee... Salvation Army... Motorola HT1250 for $50.00.... BC350A times 2 $5.00 each. Goodwill,... Galaxy Classic with 100 watt amp, and three antenna rigs for $25.00,..... And at an pawn shop in Charleston SC... Brand New PRO-94 they sold me for $75.00 when it was still $200.00 at Radio Shack! have found all kinds of antenna gear, amps, speakers etc...

 

[WTCPT]

That McDonald belongs on a "sexy scanner" calendar though, really!

 

[kma371]

This is a scanning forum, not the tavern. Knock it off.

 

[WTCPT]

Best thing I've found is a little Radio Shack "weather cube" remember those? Put it on a variable power supply or just let the battery get low and the recieve widens out and you get whatever's close. That was a lot of fun and a real spark to my scanner interest.

 

[zz0468]

I've done pretty well at flea markets and thrift stores. So far, I've found oscilloscopes, a PRO2020, Kenwood UHF business radio with Astron Power supply, and a Cushman CE-15 Spectrum Monitor, a Motorola Spectra, and a Heathkit GR-88. Oh, yes... 75' of 1/2 Heliax - WITH connectors. =)

 

[ray smith]

rs-2051 new still in box $10.00 swap meet!

 

[AZScanner]

Got an old 16 channel Bearcat base scanner from a thrift store once. They thought it was an answering machine. 5 bucks.

-AZ

 

[elk2370bruce]

Found a Hallicrafters SX-99 in a church flea market for ten bucks. Spent a little more and recapped the radio. After a minor alignment, works great.

 

[CompuDoc]

Seen a Midland marine transceiver at a garage sale. It did not have a price so I asked the person how much they wanted and they said they started at $25 this morning and now down to $12 so I said let me know when your down to $10 and she said I will take $7 right now so I bought it. Then she asked if I had a boat and I told her no so she asked what are you going to do with it? I told her I will find something to do with it knowing all along I would re-sell it on ebay. Sold for $85. As the saying goes whats one mans junk is another mans treasure.

 

[talkpair]

The last crystal scanner I bought was almost a carbon copy of your MacDonald..........It was a Ross model 9000.......It had excellent audio quality.........Had it repaired once when audio went dead on it......After the second time, I got rid of it.

 

[bob-the-scanner-man]

The last crystal scanner I bought was almost a carbon copy of your MacDonald..........It was a Ross model 9000.......It had excellent audio quality.........Had it repaired once when audio went dead on it......After the second time, I got rid of it.

That's what I love about this MacDonald, the audio quality has a nice deep sound to it. Something that my new scanners can't come close to.

 

[talkpair]

Something that my new scanners can't come close to.

I agree...most likely because it had a 6" speaker, which made it an excellent mobile radio as well.....especially with no air conditioning !
It was probably one of the first scanners that had roughly the same dimensions as a CB radio.

I had a job in high school working at an amusement park that used a couple different UHF frequencies, that i special ordered crystals for.....Radio Shack only stocked well-known crystals

This scanner was also my first UHF scanner......Also my first scanner to cover more than one band. The year was 1976

 

[b7spectra]

Many years ago, I needed a replacement whip for my UHF mobile. Found one (center load) at a junk store. I told the guy it was with all the other car radio antenna's, he said $1.00!

 

[N8IAA]

I am a big fan of garage sales. Used to go to one in Cleve, OH at the fairgrounds every June. One year saw an antenna (Hustler 5BTV, 5 band hf antenna) $5, cleaned it up and used it for years. Eventually sold it for $50. Radios: $10 for a Moto uhf ht, sold at a hamfest for $70; RCA 4 channel uhf xtal, $10; Fanon-Courier VHF 4 channel xtaled up for Dawson County, GA, $5. Latest find last fall, RS Pro-25 with Trac Scan headphones (NASCAR) $25. Love going garage sailing My wife found me a Lafayette PF200A, vhf-lo, vhf-hi tunable radio for $15.
Larry

 

[eorange]

I am a big fan of garage sales. Used to go to one in Cleve, OH at the fairgrounds every June.

Which one was (is?) that?