DaveC1964
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I have a bunch of questions about variations in Radio Shack vintage 40 channel CB walkie talkies. Does anyone know of a good source of information about them?
Thanks much.
Thanks much.
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Curious about a good source for "antique" CB walkie talkie information
- Thread starter DaveC1964
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Google... I wouldn't use a search that says antique I would use a search that says vintage. You can search for Old Radio Shack catalogs going all the way back. You can search for old Lafayette electronic catalogs going all the way back. If you are really going to find vintage or antique they won't be 40 channels.
40 channels was added later in the cycle of CB radio. CB radio started out with 23 channels with some units having two business channels added but the Vintage stuff was Crystal controlled and usually a walkie-talkie had 6 channels that were Crystal controlled that you bought the crystals at your Radio Shack store. Synthesized 23 Channel walkie talkies came later and they did not have crystals. They began at 1 watt, then 2 watts until they were 5 Watts, really 4 watts output
My 1st CB walkie-talkie was probably around 1963 when I was 10 and was one watt and had Channel 14 in it. The popular crystals that were sold off the rack were 6 9 11 14 and 19. Have fun!
40 channels was added later in the cycle of CB radio. CB radio started out with 23 channels with some units having two business channels added but the Vintage stuff was Crystal controlled and usually a walkie-talkie had 6 channels that were Crystal controlled that you bought the crystals at your Radio Shack store. Synthesized 23 Channel walkie talkies came later and they did not have crystals. They began at 1 watt, then 2 watts until they were 5 Watts, really 4 watts output
My 1st CB walkie-talkie was probably around 1963 when I was 10 and was one watt and had Channel 14 in it. The popular crystals that were sold off the rack were 6 9 11 14 and 19. Have fun!
Chronic
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ridgescan
Member
I always had fun with this site. You can browse through each RS catalog by year and literally see the variations between WTs in their pages. Plus you can see the progression from WTs were first offered until they weren't.
An archive of RadioShack Catalogs (1939-2011)
Flip-through every RadioShack electronics & computer catalog. These catalogs include vintage electronics, stereos, speakers, CB radios, tube radios, computers, communication equipment, electronic test equipment, gadgets, technology & more!
www.radioshackcatalogs.com
DaveJacobsen
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Cbtricks seems to have a wealth of information...
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All good advice posted already; the only thing I could add is: I wonder if any of the CB shops out there--especially those that have been around long enough--might have old references floating around in their archives that they haven't cleaned out yet...
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Mmmm... unfortunately the cb shops that have been around a long time have been cleaned out themselves. None of them exist anymore around me except for one that I can think of that's about 30 miles away. They opened up a soft serve ice cream stand in the front of the building which does a banging business but they still have the CB shop in the rear with a good size lot for the truck to come in. Unfortunately, in my particular area CB is dead as a doornail. You might have places in your area that you could check out.
DaveC1964
Member
I was poking around the net and saw these interesting old WTs. There are some variations in construction. There are even different model numbers on these (209 vs 210) but look identical. Does anyone know why the same model number has different configurations? What is the difference between TRC 209, TRC 210? I can see all of these are labeled the same 5 watt, 40 channel. Even the label on the back with the specs are in different places. Yes I looked on Google but didn't find much info. Thanks.
Well, there's a couple I've dealt with that do internet sales; if you want to give them a try: CB Radio Shop with Accessories & Radios for Sale: Walcott Radio and: Copper Electronics, Inc. | Copper Electronics
bill4long
Member
Here's what you really want... 
Ahhhhhh, the ol' Space Patrol. I remember those. 49 MHz if I'm not mistaken.
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Oh yes still a lot out there on the internet, not sure what paper material they may have hanging around from the old days but actual service centers where the trucks or cars for that matter would pull in and get service like installations, tuning and new antennas, old shops like that probably would have a bunch of old stuff hanging around in the back room if the poster can find one nearby him.
I'm at the intersection of I 295, I-95, Route 1, and the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpike where there are a lot of truck stops and a lot of 18 wheelers and you will not find one that has CB antennas on it. Most of the CB service centers were located near or in the truck stops and they are all closed now. Channel 19 is quieter than Channel 9 used to be LOL.. the old psychotic who used to ramble on with profanity and gibberish stopped about a year ago, even the lot lizards don't use CB walkie talkies anymore
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I didn't forget about you Dave, it's your thread. I did some research but it's getting late so I did not look at the RadioShack catalogs so I would do that if I was you the 209 was introduced in 1979 I bet you you will find the 210 in the 1980 catalog. Again I have not looked, going to bed now.
They are five watt walkie talkies but in those days they were rated for 4 watts output?. I did some research and found out there is absolutely no difference between these radios and the user manuals are interchangeable. Someone was looking for a 210 manual and accepted a 209 manual as being just as good. This is hard material to find. Just as a note look at the antennas. They were Center loaded 27 megahertz antennas with the same design as RadioShack's back of the set scanner antenna of the sixties with a mot pin. Fully extended it was VHF low, collapsed it was about 15 in and a VHF High quarter wave. That Center loaded antenna was the standard antenna for realistic handheld CB radios as a quarter wave whip for 27 megahertz would have been... 102 inches long. LOL.
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highwayman1224
Member
WOW!!! Thank you for sharing that website, sure brings me back to my childhood as a teenager flipping through the Radio Shack catalogs back in the late 70's and into the 80's!! So cool!I always had fun with this site. You can browse through each RS catalog by year and literally see the variations between WTs in their pages. Plus you can see the progression from WTs were first offered until they weren't.
An archive of RadioShack Catalogs (1939-2011)
Flip-through every RadioShack electronics & computer catalog. These catalogs include vintage electronics, stereos, speakers, CB radios, tube radios, computers, communication equipment, electronic test equipment, gadgets, technology & more!www.radioshackcatalogs.com
ridgescan
Member
Me too! These RS catalogs were my "wish books" at Christmas for some years
Yeah--a few companies I've worked for in the past actually tried to bring their old paper archives into the modern world by scanning them into the company's computer system as either a *.jpg or Adobe file (I've lost count how many hours I spent in front of copy machines, scanning old paperwork into a company's computer network). I guess it was partially to support customers who bought our old equipment on the used market and legal reasons in case failure of any old equipment created lawsuits, so we'd have info to back us up. I suppose not all companies will go to that extent with old equipment, though.
Yeah--now find a couple of Buck Rogers Ray Guns and matching space suit helmets and you'll have one heck of a package for Halloween (or e-bay)!
Ravenkeeper
Member
After I graduated high school, I purchased a Realistic TRC-216. Don't know/remember whatever happened to it, but I purchased a TRC-231. The last time that I remmeber seeing my 231, was as I was driving down from ID to SoCal, in 2004. I had my 231 plugged in, wired up in our Neon, my CB was in our Grand Cherokee for the drive down before Christmas.
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ridgescan
Member
I ventured into the "radio closet" today and dug out my three TRC-89s to put in here. The box has the instructions in it. I haven't looked at these in years until this thread. I need to put batteries in 'em and see if they still run.
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