Good Old CB Radios

True but there is something to say about old school substitute book, they do come in handy IF you know how to use them.

Some parts, like PLL or some microprocessor chips are also replaceable, if you know how to do a little work. One of the things that really got me was Motorola radios, my God it is art but it is such a pain to work on. The Stoner is a close second and the CPI (which I have one sitting on the shelf to be fixed) is third.

 

That may be. But my uncle took his to three different shops and as soon as they opened it the closed it and told him take it somewhere else. As for the ease of fixing them vs a new radio I think that has more to do with our society than anything else. These days its cheaper to just buy new than to fix something.

 

Very hot is the 23 channel HyGain V. Older 148's are up there. The older radios had a few advantages:

1. Better Finals... Can be pushed further... But this will reduce their lifespan.
2. Better parts in general.
3. Often times easier to modify than newer units.

Early 23 channel crystal units were cheap and easy tom upgrade. Did MANY of those. Unfortunately crystals have become scarce and expensive. For each crystal you added you received 4 additional channels (5 if you added a crystal for the "A" channel skips. These days getting a crystal custom cut costs about $17. That's $17 for each 5 channels and an additional $17 for the single "A" channel crystal pretty expensive. You can troll EBay and sometimes find the crystals you need. About 5 years ago there was a guy on Ebay who bought out an old time CB shop. I bought a boat load of crystals from him at about $2 a pop. Still have a bunch and occasionally fool around with a conversion.

I also have a Large collection of old CB VFO's. Have examples from Siltronix, PAL, Tram and Maco. Have seen them as low as $15 and up to $250. Depending on the supply and which radios they will fit. Some that have been converted to digital readout have gone for as much as $350. They generally cover from a few channels below 1 to around channel 55 or so. They are continuous/slide tuning so there are NO gaps and you can talk between frequencies iof you know someone with a similarly equipped radio.

Now for real talk power... The old tube rigs are king. Trams and Brownings are well know for there audio.

Now the catch. Try to find one of these old gems very good to excellent condition. Find one and you'll pay well for it. Unless of course you are one of those guys with unlimited luck and find one at a garage sale...

Some caveats.... Yes the old radios are great. Need a part... it might be costly and near impossible to find. It can be a job unto itself.

Early 23 and 40 channel PLL rigs were good. The most desirable models were built around the PLL02A chip. These chassis were, for the most part, highly modifiable. But beware one that has been all hacked up... LOTS of those around.

For all intents and purposes, I like the newer stuff for everyday use. Parts are still around. Newer weaker parts can be upgraded. The older stuff is fun for a base, but I honestly couldn't say I'd want to bang one of them around in a mobile. In all honesty a 29LTD with a Mosfet upgrade and a LESComm channel Kit would probably perform as well as any older setup, probably bettetr. However, if you are like me you might enjoy the nostalgia of talking on an old rig.

 

Stoner, man I haven't seen one of those radios in years.

 

I've been running a uniden 66 since 1994. Sounds as good as any big radio out there. I think i got my money out of it.

 

Have to agree with the Cobra 148 GTL made in the Philippines. It is just a great all around radio. On the back of the radio, it will be stamped Made In Philippines. The date should be stamped back there too. I have bought about 3 of them, and they were all pretty much stamped 1990 or 1991. Several years ago, I bought one on EBay in mint condition from a four wheeler for $100. You can buy them cheap sometimes. People don't know exactly what they got. Bought my first one at Clay's Radio Shop in Gordon, TX. He peaked and tuned it and installed a Super Double Talker echo board in it. I paired that radio with a RoadKing 56 mic. I got compliments almost everyday on how good it sounded.

 

yes you can buy best old radios from strykerradio.com which is providing his services all over the USA.

 

My favorite CB radio is the Cobra 29 LX because of its clock and timer features. It's rated #1 here http://www.squidoo.com/best-cb-radio .

 

My base station is a Browning Golden Eagle MK III
, I also have a Silky 1011c but it lies to drift, always has.

My favorites is my old Realistic Navajo.