Does anyone remember their first Cb Base Station. It was the early 80's and I was in the Army stationed at Ft. Hood Texas. At that time all I had was an old Cobra 29gtl in my car that I would talk to other soldiers on my daily trip to and from the base. A friend of mine said that I should turn my radio on in my car at night and see what was going on. So I did one night and learned two things real quick. First of all there were so many folks out there talking and having a good time. Second thing was a hot Texas night sitting still in my driveway was no place to be! So with a very limited budget I was able to buy a Uniden 810e. I had to wait a little longer to get an Antron 99 and some coax. I did not realize at the time that this was only the beginning of base stations for me! My goal was to have a Cobra 2000 but it was way out of reach for me.
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First Cb Base Station
- Thread starter KI4ZNG
- Start date
My first base was a Radio Shack Navaho Pro with a Ringo base antenna. Users were polite back then. One CB became the unmanageable mess that it is now, I sold my Navaho.
Blackswan73
Active Member
My first base was a Metrotek Pacer II. Shortly after getting that radio, I bought a Dynascan Cobra Cam 88. My best base radio was a AR Ranger 3500 in a modded Robyn SX10 module
B.S.
B.S.
Bought an older radio a few years ago for just for that purpose. Right era (ca. 1977), but nicer than I could afford, then. All other radios were/are “mobile”.
Velvet audio compared to many today. Intentionally short-range set-up. First ever, “base station”. A variety of antennas.
The Campground Radio
(Someone else’s equally nice example)
.
Velvet audio compared to many today. Intentionally short-range set-up. First ever, “base station”. A variety of antennas.
The Campground Radio
(Someone else’s equally nice example)
.
A general MC-11A with the PS resistor strapped. Antenna Specialists Super Magnum, and HiGain 5 element long beam antennas.
Second was a heatkit TX-1 apachee teamed with Collins R-390 URR. An HA 14 sitting on the side.
(The amp I fried my super mag with.)
Second was a heatkit TX-1 apachee teamed with Collins R-390 URR. An HA 14 sitting on the side.
(The amp I fried my super mag with.)
AB5ID
Member
RS TRC-490 Navajo base with Shakespeare big stick antenna. I was 14.
I remember when I was a young man my father had a base station set up in the corner of our living room. I don't remember the exact model but it was a Browning Golden Eagle. I remember going with dad to the drugstore to the tube testing machine and stocking up on tubes for not just his radio but also our TV set.
The first thing I used as a base was a Radio Shack 1.5w 3 channel walki-talki hooked to a power supply and goosed in voltage to get more power, then a Shure 515 mic soldered to it and some kind of home made CB antenna that I forget. That was around 1972 and it worked until I got a Hallicrafters CB-3A that might as well been a Browning Golden Eagle to me at the time.
Realistic Navaho TRC 30-A, circa 1976
KBA-3151
I added a D104 microphone later after trying the Radio Shack desk mic.
Absolute workhorse of a radio. Loved it.
KBA-3151
I added a D104 microphone later after trying the Radio Shack desk mic.
Absolute workhorse of a radio. Loved it.
K6GBW
Member
I was also 14 when I spent all summer working odd jobs to buy a Realistic Navaho TRC-455. I coupled that to a Realistic 1/2 wave ground plane. It locked down the little town I grew up in perfectly. All the teenagers were on channel 23, the "adults" were on channel 12 and the truckers were on 19. Simpler times!
Those golden eagles were a top notch CB in their day. The TR switch cut B+ to the reciever so it didn't instantly mute. Key up and a short feedback gave those radios a very distinctive sound.
The desk mic was a D-104, gold plated with an eagle logo on the grill, best looking/sounding mic ever created.
So about a year later I was in the same Cb shop looking around at base stations and noticed a President Madison. I sold the 810e and returned to the store and bought a new one and also a D104 silver eagle microphone. Not too long after that I had orders sending me to Germany for 3 years. I could not ship it over there so I took it home on leave to my fathers house. I set it up for him to use while I was gone. My father bought a new Cobra 2000 just before I returned! He had retired as a otr driver and and new he would missed talking to the truck drivers on I-90 without a radio.
