Unit243
Member
My first radio was back in 1976 , it was a Realistic Mini 23 with a Realistic desk power mic and an Archer 3 element beam .
73's
1137 Southern Ontario Canada.
73's
1137 Southern Ontario Canada.
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What was your first CB radio?
- Thread starter TheSpaceMann
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Retroradio
Member
As a base station a Realistic TRC-52 with a 1/4 wave antenna. I found that the TRC-52 had a very robust sounding audio compared to later 23 channel radios.
A sidebar if I may.....The last listing for a TRC-52 in the Radio Shack catalogues IIRC was 1977. I keep finding references to a TRC-152 on the net that looks identical but cannot find it in the catalogues. Anyone know the history on this unit?
A sidebar if I may.....The last listing for a TRC-52 in the Radio Shack catalogues IIRC was 1977. I keep finding references to a TRC-152 on the net that looks identical but cannot find it in the catalogues. Anyone know the history on this unit?
My first CB was a SBE Cortez 23 channels with a power supply and a 5/8 wave ground plane antenna. I had a great signal. Back in 1975. I also had the SBE Sentinel 1 Scanner. I sure miss those days.
Unit243
Member
RLR438
Member
First CB
First one I had was a Citiphone SS and a Ringo antenna.
First one I had was a Citiphone SS and a Ringo antenna.
Dawn
Member
I can answer this. I was still working for RS when this radio came out as the '52. It was a "wedge" radio in RS's product line. I need to explain that. Up to about late 1974, there was a $159 price point for a 23 channel radio that had a S meter,delta tune, ANL/PA switch. There were a scant few 23 channel radios that were no frills without a meter or any features, just the basic FCC requirements of a transmit/modulation indicator light that sold below this price. In '75 with the CB boom building, there were several price buster radios selling through department and auto stores that were breaking this price point around $130 such as Kraco, whatever K-mart's brand was, Spark-O-Matic and many others that were eating the full feature mobiles sold by the main manufactures lunch based on knobs and switches.
Radioshack's love affair with Hitachi was also straining at the time as they made relatively uncompromised designs, so RS started to court Uninden for cheaper radios. The TRC-52 had all the features of the TRC-24x which was the mobile full featured AM set that still sold for $159, but sold for about $30 less. That difference and cheaper build sold like hotcakes compared to the 24C and also looked much more high tech with the larger meter and departed from the old wood grain decor. The TRC-24 was a much better radio and the TRC-30x Navaho base was the same board inside.
In the lead up to the 40 channel expansion, nobody knew at the time until last minute what the bandplan was going to be. Several companies such as RS and Sharp were either saying outright or encouraged to hint that the new radios were going to be able to be upgraded to whatever the new bandplan was going to be. Lots of people were holding off on a purchase waiting for the new radios to come out and 23 channel radio sales dropped off to nothing. I was still working there when the came out with the TRC-57 base station that was pll based, but 23 channels. Nowhere did they say the radio was upgradable to whatever the new band plan was going to be, but we were told to push the hint that due to the radio having advance pll circuitry, it would be upgradable. After I left, the trc-152 came out. First one I seen was bought by another employee I used to work with. The 152 looked exactly the same with 23 channels, but instead was based on a pll synthesizer. They used the same chassis and metalwork, but the board was different. I don't know if upgrading was still part of the sales pitch that never happened and the FCC never permitted it, but the soon followed with another radio that looked just like the trc-52 and 152, but was 40 channels due to the PLL design naturally called the TRC-452 which was the same radio, but a 40 channel rotary switch. They followed this by another one that looked the same, but had a 2 digit LED display that I don't know if it was the same radio inside or not.
These were kind of strange times due to market forces and uncertainty what the FCC was going to do and accounts for some of these hybrid 23 channel radios that either were capable of expansion or immediately offered as a first-in-the-market, legal 40 channel radio with a non-digital rotary switch. The 52/152 was one of many such transition radio models that went from crystal synthesis to PLL in the same chassis.
Hope this answers your question
Radioshack's love affair with Hitachi was also straining at the time as they made relatively uncompromised designs, so RS started to court Uninden for cheaper radios. The TRC-52 had all the features of the TRC-24x which was the mobile full featured AM set that still sold for $159, but sold for about $30 less. That difference and cheaper build sold like hotcakes compared to the 24C and also looked much more high tech with the larger meter and departed from the old wood grain decor. The TRC-24 was a much better radio and the TRC-30x Navaho base was the same board inside.
In the lead up to the 40 channel expansion, nobody knew at the time until last minute what the bandplan was going to be. Several companies such as RS and Sharp were either saying outright or encouraged to hint that the new radios were going to be able to be upgraded to whatever the new bandplan was going to be. Lots of people were holding off on a purchase waiting for the new radios to come out and 23 channel radio sales dropped off to nothing. I was still working there when the came out with the TRC-57 base station that was pll based, but 23 channels. Nowhere did they say the radio was upgradable to whatever the new band plan was going to be, but we were told to push the hint that due to the radio having advance pll circuitry, it would be upgradable. After I left, the trc-152 came out. First one I seen was bought by another employee I used to work with. The 152 looked exactly the same with 23 channels, but instead was based on a pll synthesizer. They used the same chassis and metalwork, but the board was different. I don't know if upgrading was still part of the sales pitch that never happened and the FCC never permitted it, but the soon followed with another radio that looked just like the trc-52 and 152, but was 40 channels due to the PLL design naturally called the TRC-452 which was the same radio, but a 40 channel rotary switch. They followed this by another one that looked the same, but had a 2 digit LED display that I don't know if it was the same radio inside or not.
These were kind of strange times due to market forces and uncertainty what the FCC was going to do and accounts for some of these hybrid 23 channel radios that either were capable of expansion or immediately offered as a first-in-the-market, legal 40 channel radio with a non-digital rotary switch. The 52/152 was one of many such transition radio models that went from crystal synthesis to PLL in the same chassis.
Hope this answers your question
Retroradio
Member
Dawn...
All I can say is WOW ! Thanks for the comprhensive back story on the TRC-52 and TRC - 152.
I recenly fired up the TRC-52 and the audio was far more vibrant than my current Bearcat.
One last question, the TRC-152 doesnt seem to be in the catalouges. Was this an un catalogued radio that was an in store item only? If it is in a catalogue can someone tell me which year.
All I can say is WOW ! Thanks for the comprhensive back story on the TRC-52 and TRC - 152.
I recenly fired up the TRC-52 and the audio was far more vibrant than my current Bearcat.
One last question, the TRC-152 doesnt seem to be in the catalouges. Was this an un catalogued radio that was an in store item only? If it is in a catalogue can someone tell me which year.
Burninglight10
Member
Courier 23 Mobile..was a great radio back in the early 70's
kc8kek
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2006
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- 66
TRC-495
Radio Shack's last base station, TRC-495, and twenty years later it's still in the shack and working fine. Surprisingly, it managed to survive my period of "antenna theory" trial-by-error when I first got it at 12. A couple years later I joined the local REACT team, and actually used to take calls on Channel 9, even in the late 90s...those were the days*.
*I say "those were the days, but I have gotten rather used to having a cell phone that I don't have to carry in a briefcase.
Radio Shack's last base station, TRC-495, and twenty years later it's still in the shack and working fine. Surprisingly, it managed to survive my period of "antenna theory" trial-by-error when I first got it at 12. A couple years later I joined the local REACT team, and actually used to take calls on Channel 9, even in the late 90s...those were the days*.
*I say "those were the days, but I have gotten rather used to having a cell phone that I don't have to carry in a briefcase.
Dawn
Member
These radios were merely blips on the timline Retro. They appeared as interm 23 channel radios usually using the same chassis and metalwork as their previous namesake with lives of 2-6mo. befrore the 40 channel version came out. that would have been too short of time for a catalog listing and maybe one or two advetisements in publications. The following radio was often the very same radio with a 40 channel rotary dial and switch that was also very short lived just to keep current in the game.
Market forces at the time dictated the full featured am set to have two digit LED display as the new standard. Besides, 40 channel rotary dials based on 23 channel frames had a tendency to be too difficult to read in a mobile and many only printed every other channel to keep the print size large enough.
Many companies did this with virtually no catalog or advertisement. You ordered one and got the other. Externally there was usually no hint of difference from the orignal crystal synthesis version. Sears did this with their Roadtalker 23, Courier with the Centurion and Guardian, as well as many others like the Simba 2 we discussed a while back. Many radios fell into this black hole of transitional 23 channel pll models that looked identical to their crystal synth. versions. Some progressed to a dial 40 channel, others went directly to a totally different radio with LED displays.
Another force at the time was style. Wood grain and Wood contact vinyl on metal was on the way out in favor of silver and black as high tech. For a very short period of time there was also a military look that was popular. Anything that looked like your dad's CB was passe'. Cheaper made chassis and injection molded panels became the norm to cut costs even further.
Same first CB for me also. The best I ever had was an Galaxy 959 with an telephone style handset.
kf7yn
Member
My first was a Realistic Navaho Model TRC-30A Crystal 120V & 12V. Great old base station. I used it mobile as well in my 64 Chevelle. Even though it was a big radio, I had plenty of room under the dash.
902
Member
If the 100 mW stuff counts, my first portables were these Japanese transistorized things on Channel 14 around 1973. Then I got an Archer Space Patrol desktop radio. My first "real" one was a Regency CR-142 in 1975, followed by a Royce 1-632 with SSB around 1977. It was a great time for radio of any kind.
montgomery EMA
My first CB was a Gonset that my Uncle, John Mulligan, who was the holder of the very FIRST CB license ever issued had built for me.
My first CB was a Gonset that my Uncle, John Mulligan, who was the holder of the very FIRST CB license ever issued had built for me.
Retroradio
Member
Dawn,
Thanks for the information on the TRC 152. You have answered my question and closed the loop on an anomoly that I was trying to figure out. Thanks !
Thanks for the information on the TRC 152. You have answered my question and closed the loop on an anomoly that I was trying to figure out. Thanks !
Time for a trip down memory lane, probably not as far as some of you though!
My first radio was a Uniden Pro710e that worked reliably. First used the stock mic, then traded some CB stuff I didn't need for an Astatic Silver Eagle. Ran that combo first into a Starduster about 20 feet off the house roof, then into a 5/8 wave that I rebuilt with scrap aluminum tubing after it had apparently blown off someone's roof. I tuned it up in my front yard using a 6-foot pipe before hoisting it on the roof with the 20-foot mast. Now THAT was a scary job.
The next radio in the lineup was a TRAM D201 which I found at a yard sale. Hands-down the best-sounding radio I've ever owned, transmit or receive. I ran that with the Silver Eagle into the home-built 5/8 wave and it did a marvelous job. Sadly, a component let go somewhere that took it out of service. By that time I was married with kids on the way so CB'ing got put on the back burner.
My first radio was a Uniden Pro710e that worked reliably. First used the stock mic, then traded some CB stuff I didn't need for an Astatic Silver Eagle. Ran that combo first into a Starduster about 20 feet off the house roof, then into a 5/8 wave that I rebuilt with scrap aluminum tubing after it had apparently blown off someone's roof. I tuned it up in my front yard using a 6-foot pipe before hoisting it on the roof with the 20-foot mast. Now THAT was a scary job.
The next radio in the lineup was a TRAM D201 which I found at a yard sale. Hands-down the best-sounding radio I've ever owned, transmit or receive. I ran that with the Silver Eagle into the home-built 5/8 wave and it did a marvelous job. Sadly, a component let go somewhere that took it out of service. By that time I was married with kids on the way so CB'ing got put on the back burner.
Blackswan73
Active Member
My first CB was a Robyn WV 23A. My first base was a Cobra Can 88 tube base. Also doubled as a nice space heater.
riverrat373
Member
Radio Shack TRC-30A. I wish that I had kept it! I occasionally see them for sale on Ebay. If I ever see a mint one I will probably buy it for old times sake!
Last edited:
booksbenji
Member
USMC Comm Spec(69-75)
1st CB radio was RS MINI-23, 102' whip on right rear bumper until 1980 when I got a 77 AMC Pacer w/luggage rack w/4 antennas(1 scanner, RS + 3 CB antennas(Audio King, the Whip, KD40)). @ this time had a SBE LCS4(CB?SSB, their mic stock), also base RS CB w/DB104 w/ground plane Ringo base antenna.
SBE LCS4 was the best radio I ever had got another one 1 1/2 yr ago(new out of box from Ebay($129), still look on Ebay for good bargains. Currently live in Midland, Tx., got out of Marines 75 lived in Houston until mid 80's, moved to DFW area until 88 then Midland.
1987 I will never forget because of the 1987 Saragosa,Texas tornado*, bout a wk of 24 hrs duty, SSB club ran most of the comm for the state, got a plague from Gov Mark White( I believe).
*1987 Saragosa, Texas tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1st CB radio was RS MINI-23, 102' whip on right rear bumper until 1980 when I got a 77 AMC Pacer w/luggage rack w/4 antennas(1 scanner, RS + 3 CB antennas(Audio King, the Whip, KD40)). @ this time had a SBE LCS4(CB?SSB, their mic stock), also base RS CB w/DB104 w/ground plane Ringo base antenna.
SBE LCS4 was the best radio I ever had got another one 1 1/2 yr ago(new out of box from Ebay($129), still look on Ebay for good bargains. Currently live in Midland, Tx., got out of Marines 75 lived in Houston until mid 80's, moved to DFW area until 88 then Midland.
1987 I will never forget because of the 1987 Saragosa,Texas tornado*, bout a wk of 24 hrs duty, SSB club ran most of the comm for the state, got a plague from Gov Mark White( I believe).
*1987 Saragosa, Texas tornado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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