Communications Gear & Thieves

[Laughing Otter]

Hello all...

So, in my Rover I use several forms of communications Gear...My most basic is my CB radio. When I first outfitted the Rover I was running a Galaxy 99v 10 meter radio...it lasted 3 months before a thief smashed my drivers side window and took it... Next up, was a tweaked, tuned and aligned Galaxy 959. It only took two weeks for some douche to break the window I just had replaced and grab that radio too. So...for awhile I went with a Uniden hand held...wasn't thrilled with it. So...I thought, okay, Just a basic 40 channel CB...So, I went with a Cobra 29lx, I had my radio guy peak and tune it, sounded great, looked great, worked great...no issues with theft for over two years!! ***SIGH***...So about 3 weeks ago...our whole neighborhood got hit, every vehicle on our street. They got into my wife's Yaris and got her GPS out of the center console and .85 cents in change, lol. They got my Cobra as well....So, I decided I needed to pull my head out of my four points of contact...you see, all of the radios taken were mounted on a removable mount...but, I was a, "I don't wanna mess around with havin' to unplug the radio then hook the damn thing up again" guy. "I'm insured" I'd say....I was a dumb ass!

So...as I started shopping for a new radio, and talking to neighbors, all the while resigning myself to having to remove and reinstall my radio every time...then....something hit me, something big...in all 3 cases the thieves never took any CB's from vehicles that were from the 60's to the 80's...that's weird. When they got into my neighbors truck, they took his stereo, GPS and some cash...but left his old Cobra 146 GTL...but took my newer Cobra 29lx??!! That 146 is twice the radio my Cobra was. Then remembering back to the other incidents, the vehicles with older CB's...The Cb's were left. So...new plan, buy a 70's cb and see what happens!...So, I started looking and found an awesomely plain and cool CB....Brand new, in box, never installed, still wrapped in factory plastic basic 40 channel CB. It was twilight zonish...This radio was meant for me, LOL! It is a 1976 Alan K350B that was found in a old storage unit that belonged to a radio tech and shop owner. Why am I so excitable about this find?

Well......My name is Alan, very nice! Their logo is a 3 leaf clover....I'm half Irish, again, nice! It is a very basic 40 channel radio with no bells or whistles! It's Brand new, even though it's a '76! It still uses crystals...so, hopefully no one will want it bad enough to steal it! I got it for 5 BUCKS!! All awesome! Anyway, it sat for so long that channels 1 thru 5 weren't working. Also it came with a stock Mic Gain microphone that took power from the radio rather than having a separate battery. So, my radio guy replaced the bad crystals, tuned it, and added a Cobra power mic....coupled with my 102" whip...this thing screams!!!

My radio guy had never seen one of these before, but he uncovered some interesting backround...the company was based in England, but the radios were made in Japan. They produced a 23, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 channel version of this exact same model, odd. In addition, they produced an all black model: K350BC C.T.E. as a 40 channel only.

I also bring a Handheld Dualband 8 watt Ham radio and a Triple Trunking Digital Scanner that receives frequencies up to 3.3 ghz...

Anyway, Here's the pics...

 

[Steve]

Now there's some outside the box thinking. Except with the gold plated front panel, it'll be gone in a week!

I don't have a radio, but you've got me thinking. In my mom's garage, there must be half a dozen 1970/80s mobile CB radios. I figured they wouldn't work with all the modern digital stuff. CBs were theFacebook of the '70s, and my mom practically lived on our base station. We had a big ol' antenna up on a 60' tower juiced way beyond legal limits. Sh'd talk to folks all over the country and sometimes other countries. She had a map with pins in it, and people's cards that they mailed to her. One Christmas, my brothers and I combined all the money we had and gave her an Astatic Golden Eagle microphone. Nobody else had one of those, and she was in heaven!

That was back when even a basic CB required a license. I can't remember our call letters, but my handle was Bojangles. I don't even remember how I got that one. Handles were fun; my brother was a redhead and he was Copperhead, Dad was School Teacher (guess what he did), but my favorite was my mom's friend Dixie. Her handle was Paper Cup.

Thanks for the memories.

 

[Laughing Otter]

Now there's some outside the box thinking. Except with the gold plated front panel, it'll be gone in a week!

I don't have a radio, but you've got me thinking. In my mom's garage, there must be half a dozen 1970/80s mobile CB radios. I figured they wouldn't work with all the modern digital stuff. CBs were theFacebook of the '70s, and my mom practically lived on our base station. We had a big ol' antenna up on a 60' tower juiced way beyond legal limits. Sh'd talk to folks all over the country and sometimes other countries. She had a map with pins in it, and people's cards that they mailed to her. One Christmas, my brothers and I combined all the money we had and gave her an Astatic Golden Eagle microphone. Nobody else had one of those, and she was in heaven!

That was back when even a basic CB required a license. I can't remember our call letters, but my handle was Bojangles. I don't even remember how I got that one. Handles were fun; my brother was a redhead and he was Copperhead, Dad was School Teacher (guess what he did), but my favorite was my mom's friend Dixie. Her handle was Paper Cup.

Thanks for the memories.

Lol...Trick of the sunlight...It's actually just chrome, no gold. I like CB's for communication on expeditions. The are easy to use, cheap if you don't want a fancy one, and work in places cell phones don't. I know a lot of people use GMRS radios and the like and that's cool too...I just like CB's. They are making a come back.

Yes...memories, lol...All the adult males in my family had CB's & ham....they'd talk on them for hours...so yeah...lol...you're right! It was the "Facebook" of the 70's and 80's. People were glued to those things! LMAO, I haven't seen a golden or silver eagle mic in years!!! I bet Ebay has some! I of course go by Laughing Otter...My dad was Farmer Boy!

You dust some of those off...they might be worth money! Of course keep a few for yourself :) I see my post got moved to the appropriate forum, thank you....When I post stuff I don't even think to look for where it should go...sorry. :^)

 

[Steve]

When I was a kid i the late '50s early '60s, I was glued to an old Hallicrafters S38-C receiver. I'd listen to BBC, all sorts of stuff on short wave, morse code (although I never did learn it enough to be able to use it - we had a couple of key sets hooked up to old military field radios pretending like we were spies.)

A couple of years ago, I got it out of the barn, where my Dad had it stored on shelves. As soon as I picked it up, I knew what I was in for. The entire inside had been eaten by mice. I was heartbroken. I can buy another, but that's not the same. I'm just sentimental.

(Google Image)

 

[WJ - Firefly]

When I was a kid i the late '50s early '60s, I was glued to an old Hallicrafters S38-C receiver. I'd listen to BBC, all sorts of stuff on short wave, morse code (although I never did learn it enough to be able to use it - we had a couple of key sets hooked up to old military field radios pretending like we were spies.)

A couple of years ago, I got it out of the barn, where my Dad had it stored on shelves. As soon as I picked it up, I knew what I was in for. The entire inside had been eaten by mice. I was heartbroken. I can buy another, but that's not the same. I'm just sentimental.

(Google Image)

Back then they used paper capacitors. All of those would have to be replaced as well. I read an article somewhere about a guy who rebuilt a Heathcraft receiver (SB300?). He stripped it down to a bare chassis, had the chassis gold plated, then reconstructing it from the instruction manual using modern parts. Very cool! I just gave away some Heaths to a friend who just got licensed. SB401, SB303 and SB610. Still looking for another HF rig for the house, as I want to keep the ICOM in the WJ. I have a TS820S with a very sensitive receiver, but only the current ham bands that are available...

 

[Laughing Otter]

When I was a kid i the late '50s early '60s, I was glued to an old Hallicrafters S38-C receiver. I'd listen to BBC, all sorts of stuff on short wave, morse code (although I never did learn it enough to be able to use it - we had a couple of key sets hooked up to old military field radios pretending like we were spies.)

A couple of years ago, I got it out of the barn, where my Dad had it stored on shelves. As soon as I picked it up, I knew what I was in for. The entire inside had been eaten by mice. I was heartbroken. I can buy another, but that's not the same. I'm just sentimental.

(Google Image)

That is awesome! I currently own a Realistic DX-160...lol...the early version of a scanner...

 

[Mad Garden Gnome]

Now there's some outside the box thinking. Except with the gold plated front panel, it'll be gone in a week!

I don't have a radio, but you've got me thinking. In my mom's garage, there must be half a dozen 1970/80s mobile CB radios. I figured they wouldn't work with all the modern digital stuff. CBs were theFacebook of the '70s, and my mom practically lived on our base station. We had a big ol' antenna up on a 60' tower juiced way beyond legal limits. Sh'd talk to folks all over the country and sometimes other countries. She had a map with pins in it, and people's cards that they mailed to her. One Christmas, my brothers and I combined all the money we had and gave her an Astatic Golden Eagle microphone. Nobody else had one of those, and she was in heaven!

That was back when even a basic CB required a license. I can't remember our call letters, but my handle was Bojangles. I don't even remember how I got that one. Handles were fun; my brother was a redhead and he was Copperhead, Dad was School Teacher (guess what he did), but my favorite was my mom's friend Dixie. Her handle was Paper Cup.

Thanks for the memories.

Modern CB is still analog on the 11 meter band. Same freq's/channels. You may have some collectors items on your hands.

 

[mmnorthdirections]

Cool thread! I was a Radio Shack kid, from CB's to building all the kits my folks would pick up for me. I wish I had the room for one of the classic CB's in the FJ.

 

[Robby]

Anyone have some qrp ideas for install into the rig? What's a good mobile antenna for the same?

 

[mmnorthdirections]

Anyone have some qrp ideas for install into the rig? What's a good mobile antenna for the same?

http://www.firestik.com/

 

[Mad Garden Gnome]

Diamond and Comet seem to be the most popular for mobile, though due to size limits, you're going to be generally limited to 10m for a hard mounted antenna. What kind of ability do you want in your rig?

 

[Desert Runner]

I had a 70's JC Penny CB stolen out of a car after High School, and recently a Cobra 146 SSB sitting in a box in storage. I miss that Cobra. Now have a mini Uniden in my truck. Almost lost that when the neighborhood had a rash of vehicle break in's. They ripped it off (destroying the console side panel). But they must of been scared off, as they left it on the floorboard with it still attached to the antenna and with the power cord still plugged in. After getting the truck repaired, i mounted it with those wide Velcro strips, that hold like glue. Once positioned, they stay in place.