JCPenney 981-6331 CB!

[SmileySixguns]

I found this on Facebook Marketplace about a week ago and had been pondering whether or not I wanted to get it. After a little few messages back and forth with the owner I decided to go get it yesterday. The directions to the house included, “There’s a bus in the driveway. Just go around the bus and pull up to the house” lol. And sure enough, when I got there, the bus was smack in the middle of the driveway, and looks like it had been there for awhile. Definitely long enough for the branches to grow across the driveway and make my antenna hit as I proceeded slowly up the drive lol.
Anyways, about the CB. The small metal plate on the base says it’s a Model No 6211/Catalog No 981-6331. 23 channels with the dial knob. All 5 knobs and the 2 switches seem to function physically. The needle on the meter sways back and forth if I rock the CB. It’s definitely getting a brand new power cord and I’ll need a mic. My Grandsons and I opened it up, and there isn’t anything obviously wrong inside just from looking around. The boys thought it was really cool because they’ve never seen one opened up before. I’ve looked at a couple of sites but haven’t been able to find any schematics for it yet. Do any of you happen to have any or know of a place that does? Also, I’d love to see any old JCP ads or catalog pics of this radio. The ads I’ve seen of their other CB models all included rather homely looking microphones lol. I suspect it spent its life riding around in that bus. Unfortunately, the people I bought it from weren’t very talkative. Channel 9 is in red, but channels 10-15 are in green. What’s the significance of channels 10-15? And in between channels 22 and 23, there’s a spot that just has a •. What’s the significance of the •? Oh yeah, it cost me a grand total of $20 to bring this gem home, just for reference.

 

[slowmover]

Rigpix and

Ken's list of CB Radio Manuals

www.kenselectronics.com

 

[SmileySixguns]

Rigpix and

Ken's list of CB Radio Manuals

www.kenselectronics.com

I looked through both of those lists but neither one has that particular radio listed

 

[merlin]

If it works, it can be cleaned up a bit. Probabbly could use a ralignment too.
I will need to spin up some old drives but I think Uniden made these for Penney's.
I think the old Sams Fotofact might be your only source for service manual.

 

[SmileySixguns]

If it works, it can be cleaned up a bit. Probabbly could use a ralignment too.
I will need to spin up some old drives but I think Uniden made these for Penney's.
I think the old Sams Fotofact might be your only source for service manual.

That would be awesome if you have any information on it. I don’t have any serious test equipment yet. It’s on “the list” lol. I’m currently awaiting the arrival of a new microphone plug so I can convert the only extra microphone I have from a 5-pin to a 4-pin

 

[KB4MSZ]

You will be required to wear bell bottoms (without shoes) and listen to the Bee Gees while tuning it.

 

[BC_Scan]

because it says made in Japan , it would be a copy possibly of something else, another name obscure brand etc., might have to dig around rigpix to see close equivalent and go from there

 

[SmileySixguns]

You will be required to wear bell bottoms (without shoes) and listen to the Bee Gees while tuning it.

I'm sure that somewhere or another, in the bottom of some drawer, is a few pairs of party socks my Mom used to buy for me all the time lol

 

[brians306]

I have an old JCP pinto 23 channel and it still works good

 

[KANE4109]

I checked the SAMS index and did not find THIS radio listed. Don't know if it would be close to another in their line.
Is there a PC board number somewhere on the printed circuit board? It might be silk screen painted on... or maybe just written.....

 

[W8UU]

CB radio - the Citizens Radio Service - Class D, as it was originally known, was designed to be both a personal communications service and a low cost business band radio service. In my hometown back in the early 1970s, our local taxicabs dispatched on CB Channel 17. A tow truck service operated on Channel 3. Farmers and small businesses operated on various channels in the band alongside families who used the radio equipment for personal communication. A number of rural volunteer fire departments used CB radios as a way to get help or stay in touch with a home base station manned by a firefighter's wife when the department had been activated for a call.

General conversation among different licensees (for business or personal use) was permitted but only on Channels 10-15, and later Channel 23. Channel 9 was for emergency communications including motorist assistance. The rest of the channels were only for use between radios operating under the same license, as in a family or a business. That's probably the reason for the color coding of Channel 9 and 10-15.

On the original 23 channel CB band plan, there's actually a Citizens Radio Service Class C (non-voice data for remote control devices) frequency between Channel 22 and 23. The dot was that Class C frequency, but the CB radios did not allow you to transmit or receive on that channel.

Hope this helps.

 

[SmileySixguns]

CB radio - the Citizens Radio Service - Class D, as it was originally known, was designed to be both a personal communications service and a low cost business band radio service. In my hometown back in the early 1970s, our local taxicabs dispatched on CB Channel 17. A tow truck service operated on Channel 3. Farmers and small businesses operated on various channels in the band alongside families who used the radio equipment for personal communication. A number of rural volunteer fire departments used CB radios as a way to get help or stay in touch with a home base station manned by a firefighter's wife when the department had been activated for a call.

General conversation among different licensees (for business or personal use) was permitted but only on Channels 10-15, and later Channel 23. Channel 9 was for emergency communications including motorist assistance. The rest of the channels were only for use between radios operating under the same license, as in a family or a business. That's probably the reason for the color coding of Channel 9 and 10-15.

On the original 23 channel CB band plan, there's actually a Citizens Radio Service Class C (non-voice data for remote control devices) frequency between Channel 22 and 23. The dot was that Class C frequency, but the CB radios did not allow you to transmit or receive on that channel.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the detailed information! That makes it make a lot more sense now. What type of radio controlled equipment would use that one frequency?

It’s been a little bit but I finally lucked up into some more information about this radio. I was looking around on eBay and discovered that the Royce 1-602A is the same radio. I was able to go on CBTricks and print out a manual and schematic. The schematic was taken to Staples and I had them make me some copies that are 18x24 inches, so if I ever need to do any troubleshooting, I’ll be able to read it quite easily. The manual says it was copyrighted in 1974, so the radio is from right around then. I put it in my car yesterday, and had it on while I was running errands today. The sound is pretty good and the meter is responsive. I had my old Radio Shack mag mount antenna on the roof. Everyone I heard talking sounded like they were DX-ing so I didn’t attempt to contact any of them.

 

[niceguy71]

I wish I knew you were looking, I would have suggested this one.... most times you can get something decent on E-bay that works pretty well and doesn't need much other parts.

Midland 77-250 Radio-works great-40 channel | eBay

A pretty nice looking 40 channel radio that works very well. Radio has been tested and works well. 2nd picture shows radio keyed down with about 5 watts output showing on frequency counter using a 25 watt dummy load.

www.ebay.com

 

[SmileySixguns]

I wish I knew you were looking, I would have suggested this one.... most times you can get something decent on E-bay that works pretty well and doesn't need much other parts.

Midland 77-250 Radio-works great-40 channel | eBay

A pretty nice looking 40 channel radio that works very well. Radio has been tested and works well. 2nd picture shows radio keyed down with about 5 watts output showing on frequency counter using a 25 watt dummy load.

www.ebay.com

That acquisition was just kind of a random purchase. The people that had it lived just a couple miles from a truck stop that had a restaurant with an awesome salad bar. Combine that with some cold nasty weather that I couldn’t do much else in, and it just seemed like a nice way to spend an afternoon.

 

[W8UU]

What type of radio controlled equipment would use that one frequency?

Usually things like remote controlled airplanes and race cars.
The user had a handheld box with a joystick and telescoping antenna.
Remote controlled airplanes used to be quite the hobby.

 

[SmileySixguns]

Oh, I see. That’s pretty cool

 

[slowmover]

Oh, I see. That’s pretty cool

Yup. Little toy airplanes.

.