20 replies to this topic

[daytime dave]

I had cb's and a base station 30 yrs ago.  My grandfather was an avid user and my grandmother would monitor the base and he would call her when he was on his way home.  He was self employed and had varying hours.  He had a license from the FCC and used his call letters and handle.  I got his radio when he passed.  I had nice equipment and had taken it all out of the cars when the kids found it.  I didn't know they had it and it was ruined after being outside for a month.  I still had the base mounted under a kitchen cabinet.  The antenna blew off the roof in a straight line wind, but it is still grounded and I have it next to a tree.

 

I was at camp this last week and I saw a top of the line Cobra in Radio Shack. It has weather channels built in.  I couldn't resist.  I installed it with a magnetic mount antenna and was thrilled again.  I rigged it to be completely removable without a trace.  No holes drilled.  I found my old external speaker and mounted it today.  It really brings back a neat memory.  I have managed to amass four 40 channel hand held units from garage sales and Craig's List.  I plan to use them at camp because cell service is bad there.

 

I was wondering if anyone else uses them nowadays?   I was listening and it's often pretty trashy around town with the massive base stations and crude talk, but that's how I remember it sometimes.

 

 

[UncleWillie]

I had one in the WarBeast that I used on occasion. I have yet to get it put back in the BlueOx.

[toomanytoys84]

70s when my dad and mom were teens they were the rage around here. They actually meet on the cb. The cb was the Facebook of the day.

I had a cb in my first pick up for awhile.

My grandfather was big into the ham radio scene. He had a huge array of equipment. Amplifiers, antennas and huge amounts of radios.

[superaben]

Negatory, good buddy.

 

Ben W.

[Gtractor]

Missouri has completely banned any and all communication devices [cell phones] that are hand held in commercial vehicles.   In doing so they essientally outlawed CB's.  Amateurs in four wheelers can talk all they want but professional drivers - no way.    

I still have one mounted in my Peterbilt but a low tree branch removed the right side antenna almost two years ago and it didn't work with only one.  Very few drivers still use them and the airwaves were mostly quiet even before the new, dummy proof law. 

[mac102004]

We use VHF radios  in the work trucks, need them on a lot of narrow roads in the bush. No CB's though but same idea.

[Sawdust]

Don't use it now but I still have my Cobra 29 with my twin mirror mounted Signal Kickers I had on a 76 Blazer. My handle was Stump Jumper. Now I got a problem....all the cb language is going on in my head.

[Cvans]

Boy does this bring back memories of the 70's. We still have our Shakespeare big stick antenna mounted outside the house. Nothing hooked to it anymore but it sure has been durable. Didn't think anyone even talked on them anymore.

This is KBW5602, Runnin Bear back at you.   

[zippy1]

Oh yeah, the CB radio. Brings back a lot of good memories, and one not so good memory.

I still have my mobile unit sitting on a shelf, and my base is in the basement someplace. Around here, everybody and their brother had a radio in the vehicle back in the late 70's and early 80's.

I remember Christmas 1976, I got a base radio. It was the coolest thing to listen to the truckers at night as they were chatting it up over the airway. I would just sit there listening to the names they had for each other.

Then the one night this 14 year old kid (me) finally had enough guts to break in and ask for one of the locals by his CB handle. "Breaker 19, Slipknot, you got your ears on?" Nothing. Again, "Breaker 19, Slipknot, you got your ears on?"

Then this real gruff voice comes back over all the static. "Well kid, he'd look pretty @$%^@#$ dumb without them". Ended my CB talking for some time.

Sorry to get off track. But to answer your question. No, I don't see antennas on any vehicles around here anymore. But, thanks for bringing up something that's been long forgotten. Now I'm trying to remember everyone's old CB handles.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

Sorry, to answer your question, nobody around here has them installed anymore. 

[JDBrian]

Whoa! This takes me back. Dad sold CB radios and later VHF marine radios as a sideline back in the 70s mostly. We had a base station XM63 2887 call sign, XM63 2888 mobile. We had a 50ft tower with an electric rotator and a "Moonraker" antenna. It was pretty much as big as you could go. His handle was"The Button Pusher" and I remember him getting caught working "Skip" into the southern USA. The DOC police came to the house with a recording of him and gave him a lecture and warning!! 

   Does anyone remember the QSL cards that everyone would collect. Dad had a couple of shoe boxes full of them from all over the world. And the best part for us kids was the Jamboree campouts that happened on the weekends. We would go around the camp sites trading QSL cards and generally having a good time. 

 Dad switched to VHF marine radio with his own frequency for his business use until cell phones became popular and then he got rid of all his gear. 

[TAHOE]

I have one I used in my Tahoe. I would regularly go on "off road road rallies" and scavenger hunt with some buddies. It was the way we all kept in touch. Don't do them anymore, but still have the big antenna spring mounted on Tahoe with a bolt in antenna hole. 

[pigsitter]

I gave up CB'ing after burning the "finals" I think they're called out of my 2510 for a 2nd time,between that and a "friend" selling the base station I loaned him without my knowledge I gave up.

 

But on a good note in addition to no longer having the base station I no longer have the "friend" as well so maybe I did come out ahead!

Edited by pigsitter, June 29, 2014 - 06:55 AM.

[MH81]

Funny, we were just talking about this a few weeks ago.
Still have 2 of the 23 channel units and one 40. All mobile, don't think any are "5" watts.
I haven't stumbled on antenna, but when I do, I might just hook one up and see.

[HANKG]

Actually my friend and mechanic has one in his Jeep,I don't know who he talk's to with it because very few people in NJ have them anymore. However if people had them in 2012 in NJ during Huricane Sandy they would have been worth there weight in gold since there was no cell phone service. ( FOOD FOR THOUGHT )in case's of emergency, were so dependent on our cell phones they have become our lifelines but they also lure us into a false sense of security as proven in 2012.

Edited by HANKG, June 29, 2014 - 07:49 AM.

[KC9KAS]

Our 2 GoldWing motorcycles have factory CB's and we use them all the time while riding.

Wife on the trike and I on the 2 wheeler.

We also use them when we are riding with our gang club! (Gold Wingers aren't gang related)

 

Many truckers now use amature radios (HAM radio), but you can tell the old truckers on the HAM radio with all the CB lingo...got your ears on good buddy!