Money/Future In CB Repair?

[Dawn]

Like a lot of folks, I've found myself now unable to retire. My nest egg and investments are toast thanks to the recession and the annuities that I though would carry me through are gone. Both of us are looking for anything to get us through. Only good thing going is we own our home and are burning through our savings. I've spent nearly 40 years in the communications business working in Land Mobile and Marine. I cut my teeth repairing CB's and occasional DSB marine sets during the late 60's and early 70's b4 the "boom" Even during the boom, I still did repairs and would occasionally do a repair over the years as a favor and kept in touch with one of the guy's that I started with that was running a small CB shop working on dogs he couldn't handle.

Just for the record, I even bankrolled my step son-in-law running a CB shop in a trailer at truck stops in AL who is ex. Mil and couldn't make it with his mobile model.

Nowadays, there seems to be a vanishing of CB shops. I was contacted by some friends of ours to check out a porable cased cigarette lighter travel kit after they couldn't find a single shop during their travels at truck stops. It seems that even the CB sales at shops/stations has given away to more lucrative venues such as fast food. I'm told that brick and mortar shops are vanishing, but there's a thriving internet reapir community that's taking up the slack.

I'm wondering if this is viable. I have a complete land mobile/marine shop that I still do ocassional work for some of my past employers and past accounts.

Even though I'm still set up for land mobile,amateur, and marine, I'm not that jaded to realize that to efficently work on CB's , it would be better to have specific test equipment to save time. B&K seemed to be the best thought out sets even though Sencore did a lot more with a lot of expensive peripherals. Hickock even years back wasn't a major player. Any thoughts? I started in this mess with a bunch of heathkit and Eico test equipment back in the late 60's with the only specialized equipment at first being a Radio Shack modulation/SWR meter with my amateur heatkit power meter and monitor scope modified for lower power and graduating to a Johnson test set to suppliment my bench with an old recurrent sweep Eico scope, Heatkit 30 mhz lab generator, a signal tracer, an a some other basic test equipment like a kit counter,VOM, and VTVM.

If I pursue this, I have 30+ years of SAM's, Secret books, and quite a bit of raw parts for the taking if I should want to bring it down here.

Any thoughts about internet/mail cb repair being worth it?

 

[krokus]

Setting up a shop at a busy truck stop would seem like the way to go. Otherwise, getting contracts with some local shops that sell CB would help.

 

[Fast1eddie]

I think if you concentrate on the commercial user you will get business. The issue with me is CB'ers insist on having radio candy-roger beeps, programmable IC's that generate all sorts of BS-and illegal modifications. As much as I despise big government and the idiots behind it, I do not need the FCC calling. Not only that, but Joe User wants everything for free while refusing to see the value behind the work.

My thinking is ( I am in the canoe behind you!) perhaps moderately easy but practical kits would be the way to go. Parts would be reasonable. Properly documenting instructions with ample mechanical drawings is challenging.

Best of luck to you!

 

[rfradioconsult]

At today's selling proce of a typical CB radio you would be hard pressed to charge more than a few dollars for a repair job. Unless you managed to attract a large volume of business I don't think you would be able to turn a profit.

 

[Rt169Radio]

How can you fix CB radios if they use chips/boards now?

 

[MeddleMan]

I think you can be successful at it!

I meet CB Shop guys as often as I can. Usually, I'd boast in not needing a shop. Then again, I learn so much hanging out there! I have learned that every new driver wants to have a better radio than the old drivers, and the old drivers want to have the last word, so your market is there, if you want to supply your area with powered annoyances. Then you have to become a good, and reliable, viable repairman. You need return business and returning customers. You get a good feeling about yourself when you've heard someone talk about your services across the country on the other coast.

 

[krokus]

At today's selling proce of a typical CB radio you would be hard pressed to charge more than a few dollars for a repair job. Unless you managed to attract a large volume of business I don't think you would be able to turn a profit.

That depends on your (sub-)market. Serious users, especially truck drivers, do spend some money on their radios. If you offer decent and honest service, and wanted accessories/options, you will do decently.

This is coupled with my earlier comment, about needing to be near a major truck stop.

 

[kb0nly]

Problem is the cost of the new CB's cause most of the owners to dump them when they quit working and buy a new one. I know one local trucking company that has a closest full of old CB's, they die they get replaced, simple as that.