CB has changed a bit

[KMG54]

It seems to be better than 20 years ago, much better nets now.

 

[N1EXA]

It seems to be better than 20 years ago, much better nets now.

I started in the 1970s and by the early 80s the skip pretty much wiped out the locals.
Here I am 40 years later there is allot less people on but it feels like the early 70s again.
More a dedicated group on the air.
What blows my mind is the guys on the super bowl ( CH6 ) sound the same seems like their
off spring were trained well.

Pete N1EXA

 

[trentbob]

Many stages of changes with CB. I started young, around 12 years old, introduced to radio, SWL, very early by my father and Uncle who were ham operators so my dad got me my first license in 1965 and at that time people were still using the protocol required by the FCC believe it or not, my call letters were KOG 0554. The FCC was clear that this was not a hobby and was for family use and business use. You were required to have at least two radios to even get a license. You followed a protocol.. KOG 0554 unit 1 calling KOG 0554 unit 2 over. I kid you not. My large Township used Channel 19 for their huge fleet of school buses. All gas stations had tow trucks channels, trucks had their own channels. Every delivery truck had a CB. And soon every four wheeler.

Things got pretty loosey-goosey at the end of the 60s and early 70s and it was always a hobby for me as I got older as a young teen. We had qsl cards, clubs, react.. as the 70s went on it got pretty nuts and the FCC was issuing 1 million licenses a month. I had an older Lafayette he90 with six transmit crystals and a rotary dial for receive. Skip play the big part with CB. I hung in there through the mid 80s or so.

Pretty much went downhill from there LOL and was crazy until about 2000 in my area of Southeastern Pennsylvania on the New Jersey border near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and New Jersey connector Bridge and 95 and 295.

I still always listened on my R75 and now Eton ELITE 750. It's as quiet as a church mouse with an occasional pair of trucks passing through on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

It's interesting to hear that a new phase might be starting in some areas. With the new cycle coming in Channel 6 is getting pretty nuts again with a whole new generation. The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

[tvengr]

My large Township used Channel 19 for their huge fleet of school buses. All gas stations had tow trucks channels, trucks had their own channels. Every delivery truck had a CB. And soon every four wheeler.

I remember when many of the volunteer fire companies used CB. I still have an HE90 and HE20C in my basement. The 20C had a vibrator power supply for mobile use. Once I turned it on, I had to hit the side of the radio to get the vibrator started.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Many stages of changes with CB. I started young, around 12 years old, introduced to radio, SWL, very early by my father and Uncle who were ham operators so my dad got me my first license in 1965 and at that time people were still using the protocol required by the FCC believe it or not, my call letters were KOG 0554. The FCC was clear that this was not a hobby and was for family use and business use. You were required to have at least two radios to even get a license. You followed a protocol.. KOG 0554 unit 1 calling KOG 0554 unit 2 over. I kid you not. My large Township used Channel 19 for their huge fleet of school buses. All gas stations had tow trucks channels, trucks had their own channels. Every delivery truck had a CB. And soon every four wheeler.

Things got pretty loosey-goosey at the end of the 60s and early 70s and it was always a hobby for me as I got older as a young teen. We had qsl cards, clubs, react.. as the 70s went on it got pretty nuts and the FCC was issuing 1 million licenses a month. I had an older Lafayette he90 with six transmit crystals and a rotary dial for receive. Skip play the big part with CB. I hung in there through the mid 80s or so.

Pretty much went downhill from there LOL and was crazy until about 2000 in my area of Southeastern Pennsylvania on the New Jersey border near the Pennsylvania Turnpike and New Jersey connector Bridge and 95 and 295.

I still always listened on my R75 and now Eton ELITE 750. It's as quiet as a church mouse with an occasional pair of trucks passing through on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

It's interesting to hear that a new phase might be starting in some areas. With the new cycle coming in Channel 6 is getting pretty nuts again with a whole new generation. The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Do you remember a guy called the "Golden Eagle" back in 1967-68 ?

 

[tvengr]

Do you remember a guy called the "Golden Eagle" back in 1967-68 ?

He probably had a Browning CB. The Golden Eagle was one of the models. I remember the distinctive ping when the transmitter was keyed.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

He probably had a Browning CB. The Golden Eagle was one of the models. I remember the distinctive ping when the transmitter was keyed.

He did indeed..

 

[Mophead]

I was also on the air in the Philly metro area in the late 70's to late 80's. My RR user name was something the idiots on ch 7 used to call me when I had really long and messy hair lol.

 

[Benkasey]

The quantity/quality of the CB traffic depends on your geography. Recently I fired up my old Radioshack TRS CB digital handheld. It has a giant telescopic whip. Lots of actvity on one of the channels coming from the SF East Bay area. It was still the radio wild west, like the 70s. Rigs running illegal high powered amps coming in from Nevada, Louisianna, etc. stomping all over the local transmitters. Whistling into the mic. Trash talking each other. Keying the mic to cut others out. CB handles like "Motor Mouth", "Sandman", "Deer Slayer." It was moderately entertaining for about 15 minutes. A trip back in time.

 

[N1EXA]

The quantity/quality of the CB traffic depends on your geography. Recently I fired up my old Radioshack TRS CB digital handheld. It has a giant telescopic whip. Lots of actvity on one of the channels coming from the SF East Bay area. It was still the radio wild west, like the 70s. Rigs running illegal high powered amps coming in from Nevada, Louisianna, etc. stomping all over the local transmitters. Whistling into the mic. Trash talking each other. Keying the mic to cut others out. CB handles like "Motor Mouth", "Sandman", "Deer Slayer." It was moderately entertaining for about 15 minutes. A trip back in time.

Sounds like CH6 the Super Bowl !

Im Only running the top 5 on the dial and monitor 38 LSB - Ill check 6 to see if there is an opening !

Pete N1EXA

 

[DeeEx]

Sounds like CH6 the Super Bowl !

Im Only running the top 5 on the dial and monitor 38 LSB - Ill check 6 to see if there is an opening !

Pete N1EXA

I shamelessly admit to keeping 27.025 in my handheld scanner just so I can tell if there’s a band opening. If the handheld’s antenna will receive it, then it’s time to try for some contacts on 10m.

The “beacon” that beckons!

 

[Mophead]

The quantity/quality of the CB traffic depends on your geography. Recently I fired up my old Radioshack TRS CB digital handheld. It has a giant telescopic whip. Lots of actvity on one of the channels coming from the SF East Bay area. It was still the radio wild west, like the 70s. Rigs running illegal high powered amps coming in from Nevada, Louisianna, etc. stomping all over the local transmitters. Whistling into the mic. Trash talking each other. Keying the mic to cut others out. CB handles like "Motor Mouth", "Sandman", "Deer Slayer." It was moderately entertaining for about 15 minutes. A trip back in time.

I had a TRC 216 walkie, tweaked. Thing got out great. Also had a TRC 490 base station.

 

[N1EXA]

I had a TRC 216 walkie, tweaked. Thing got out great. Also had a TRC 490 base station.

What are you running Now Though ?

 

[N1EXA]

I just got back into it a few years back - Id say early 80s i walked away from it - Did the Ham thing and got back into CB a few years back
when SDR came into play - Did a sweep of the 11 meters and Free Band and saw a green grass with the SDR and PC - Guy off loaded
a Saturn on me for $40 and Got a Golden Rod for $45 on Ebay brand new . 40 years later the bug bit again. Between the Golden eagle
President lincoln and Cobra 148 Modded its a fun hobby - Yah its a the Wild West but its better than guys talking about thier prescriptions
and the latest Code Plug man I put the local DMR repeater in my 996P2 and just say what is the point of DMR ? Painful !

As For the first Use of CB for me was say 1968-69 I called the local Fish House a mile away with my Archer Space Patrol (CH14) If i remember and the guy came back to me - I though WOW this is cool. Had a Radio Shack Astronaut 5 and would just listen on VHF to the Marine operator pass traffic for hours on end.
The Bug Bit me ~


Pete N1EXA

 

[trentbob]

Do you remember a guy called the "Golden Eagle" back in 1967-68 ?

Sorry I just saw this. The name doesn't sound familiar but there were so many handles back then, I was pretty active in 67 and 68. That's when I was using the Lafayette he-90.

So hard to remember back that far .

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Sorry I just saw this. The name doesn't sound familiar but there were so many handles back then, I was pretty active in 67 and 68. That's when I was using the Lafayette he-90.

So hard to remember back that far .

I had a Lafayette HB-555. So "rock bound" to a few channels.

As far as Golden Eagle I think he was in a townhome in Trento with a tower. I recall he was a Washington Crossing reenactor, a Marbleheader.

 

[Mophead]

What are you running Now Though ?

Nothing running yet.. Still have my superstar 3900, D104 and thunderbolt 101 in a box. Just got a new base antenna. Going to put it up in the fall sometime.

 

[Mophead]

I just got back into it a few years back - Id say early 80s i walked away from it - Did the Ham thing and got back into CB a few years back
when SDR came into play - Did a sweep of the 11 meters and Free Band and saw a green grass with the SDR and PC - Guy off loaded
a Saturn on me for $40 and Got a Golden Rod for $45 on Ebay brand new . 40 years later the bug bit again. Between the Golden eagle
President lincoln and Cobra 148 Modded its a fun hobby - Yah its a the Wild West but its better than guys talking about thier prescriptions
and the latest Code Plug man I put the local DMR repeater in my 996P2 and just say what is the point of DMR ? Painful !

As For the first Use of CB for me was say 1968-69 I called the local Fish House a mile away with my Archer Space Patrol (CH14) If i remember and the guy came back to me - I though WOW this is cool. Had a Radio Shack Astronaut 5 and would just listen on VHF to the Marine operator pass traffic for hours on end.
The Bug Bit me ~


Pete N1EXA

My first one was also a space patrol. It was the base station that received the cb band and transmitted on 49 mhz. After that got a cheap ch 14 walkie and I was also amazed somebody heard me. That is what started it for me, that and my realistic patrolman with sw receiver.

 

[trentbob]

I had a Lafayette HB-555. So "rock bound" to a few channels.

As far as Golden Eagle I think he was in a townhome in Trento with a tower. I recall he was a Washington Crossing reenactor, a Marbleheader.

Oh okay, in the 60s I was in Montgomery County Pennsylvania, now I'm in Bucks County next store and worked in Trenton for 30+ years as a news guy.

Yes I live fairly close to Washington's Crossing which is across from Trenton on the PA side. I wish I had a nickel for every time I covered that event on Christmas Day and I knew all of the George Washington's over the years. Once I became a boss I was off on Christmas but always volunteered to work on New Year's Day with a skeleton crew to give as many people off as possible in The Newsroom.

As a kid I didn't know anything about that stuff at that time. I graduated high school in 71. Sounds like an interesting guy.


The 555 was a new generation radio if you can imagine that. The HE-90 was a tube radio, only had six crystals for transmit and then a 23 Channel rotary tuner for receive.,

I had extra crystals I could swap out but if I remember correctly the six channels I picked to transmit on were 7, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 19. Trucks were not on Channel 19 at that time in my area but the large fleet of school buses from my school district were on Channel 19. They had EF Johnson tube radios and quarter wave102 in whips. I think 18 wheelers were on Channel 11 in my area.

I hope there is a resurgence of CB now that it's going FM and we have this cycle coming in. It would be great if it was a calmer and more professional crowd.

There have been indeed many stages for CB radio.

 

[N1EXA]

My 1975 setup A 1963 Radio shack TRC 5 with a cup of crystals a Hallicrafters S38 and my flag ship was
a Ray Jefferson 23 Channel that also did 22A when you got the knob between 23 and the dot !
My Dad made me a box out of Paneling to make it feel like a Golden Eagle. Hey as a kid it was cool ~
The Ray Jefferson had a relay to switch to transmit and the power Mic would pic it up an make a Clank noise
on the air.
Well it was not a Browning Ping but more a clank~

My first contact radio Pre1970



Pete N1EXA