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CB Base Station Hybrid

Riverman

Riverman

Sr. Member
Nov 12, 2013
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Have seen people build a wooden cabinet around their mobile radio to make it look more like a base station. (Never really saw one that looked worth a flip though.)

Would it be possible to place the chassis of a new mobile unit into an empty vintage base station cabinet and wire it so that the controls on the cabinet functioned?
That would give the best of both worlds. Vintage looks/New electronics.

For example, combining a Cobra 25 LTD and a Royce 619 cabinet.
Or a . . . the possibilities are endless.

Have heard it said the Galaxy 2547 is just a fancy cabinet built around a 959.
 

Riverman71 said:
For example, combining a Cobra 25 LTD and a Royce 619 cabinet.
Or a . . . the possibilities are endless.

Have heard it said the Galaxy 2547 is just a fancy cabinet built around a 959.
Click to expand...
If you have the skills and pay attention to detail you can build whatever suits your fancy. I put a car stereo in an old entertainment center and it worked quite well.
That's true about the Galaxy 2547 and the 959. Although the 2547 cabinet is not that fancy.
 
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Tallman said:
If you have the skills and pay attention to detail you can build whatever suits your fancy. I put a car stereo in an old entertainment center and it worked quite well.
That's true about the Galaxy 2547 and the 959. Although the 2547 cabinet is not that fancy.
Click to expand...

Agree on the 2547 cabinet!
The car stereo/entertainment center is exactly what I'm talking about. Good job!

I would think if a fella took a good CB and put it in a popular vintage cabinet, he could name his price. And sell everyone he made. People are anxious for an alternative to the Galaxy.

Sadly, I don't posses those skills.
 
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Riverman71 said:
Agree on the 2547 cabinet!
The car stereo/entertainment center is exactly what I'm talking about. Good job!

I would think if a fella took a good CB and put it in a popular vintage cabinet, he could name his price. And sell everyone he made. People are anxious for an alternative to the Galaxy.

Sadly, I don't posses those skills.
Click to expand...
It might be a better option if you selected a better radio to transplant.
 
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Tallman said:
It might be a better option if you selected a better radio to transplant.
Click to expand...

LOL. Trying to keep it simple. :D

How about any nice radio in a DAK 10 or Tram Titan IV cabinet? That'd be pretty cool.
 
Last edited:
Riverman71 said:
Have seen people build a wooden cabinet around their mobile radio to make it look more like a base station. (Never really saw one that looked worth a flip though.)

Would it be possible to place the chassis of a new mobile unit into an empty vintage base station cabinet and wire it so that the controls on the cabinet functioned?
That would give the best of both worlds. Vintage looks/New electronics.

For example, combining a Cobra 25 LTD and a Royce 619 cabinet.
Or a . . . the possibilities are endless.

Have heard it said the Galaxy 2547 is just a fancy cabinet built around a 959.
Click to expand...

I love these ideas and eagerly await responses also. How about some sort of server rack shelving system? A small one. One could then put the equipment in there with adequate cooling.
Time to call Mr X cb man.lol
 
Gotta say those old DAK radios are real eye candy, but I never hear very good reports about performance. Now, if we replaced the insides a fully restored Cobra 148 GTL or Uniden Grant I think we'd have something.
 
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The best thing about the DAK base radios was the front panel. The meters had a bad habit of cutting out, but found a dodge for fixing those.

The cabinet has a zillion screws. Self-tapping sheet metal screws that strip out the holes before it's been off and back on a few times. Wouldn't be a problem, but you'll find the cabinet coming off a lot if you actually try to use it.

The design of the radio and power supply inside is a train wreck. Worse soldering than a 1989 Galaxy radio. A radio made in Korea before Korea learned how to actually build a CB radio.

The Mark X SSB model is suicidal. The AM modulator needs a heat sink about ten times the size they provided. And audio-output transistors two or three times the rating the factory used. Upgrade them and you still need bigger heat sinks for both the AM modulator and the power supply regulator.

Over the years we worked out fixes for most of the design shortcomings. But for what you would spend to do that these days AND recap the thing, putting a decent Cobra or Uniden mobile in there with new controls would probably not cost much more. A friend down in Georgia built a few of these with Uniden-made Cobra 148s. Called them a "DaKobra" radio.

Got a lot of trade in the late 70s and early 80s from other shops when they heard we could make the PLL work in the Mark 9, or 'fix' the flameout issues with the Mark X.

Hmm. Got pretty good fixing and maintaining air-cooled VWs back then, too.

Don't do too much of either any more. Not much point.

73
 
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nomadradio said:
The best thing about the DAK base radios was the front panel. The meters had a bad habit of cutting out, but found a dodge for fixing those.

The cabinet has a zillion screws. Self-tapping sheet metal screws that strip out the holes before it's been off and back on a few times. Wouldn't be a problem, but you'll find the cabinet coming off a lot if you actually try to use it.

The design of the radio and power supply inside is a train wreck. Worse soldering than a 1989 Galaxy radio. A radio made in Korea before Korea learned how to actually build a CB radio.

The Mark X SSB model is suicidal. The AM modulator needs a heat sink about ten times the size they provided. And audio-output transistors two or three times the rating the factory used. Upgrade them and you still need bigger heat sinks for both the AM modulator and the power supply regulator.

Over the years we worked out fixes for most of the design shortcomings. But for what you would spend to do that these days AND recap the thing, putting a decent Cobra or Uniden mobile in there with new controls would probably not cost much more. A friend down in Georgia built a few of these with Uniden-made Cobra 148s. Called them a "DaKobra" radio.

Got a lot of trade in the late 70s and early 80s from other shops when they heard we could make the PLL work in the Mark 9, or 'fix' the flameout issues with the Mark X.

Hmm. Got pretty good fixing and maintaining air-cooled VWs back then, too.

Don't do too much of either any more. Not much point.

73
Click to expand...

Yikes! Glad I never bought one.
My second favorite cabinet would have to be the a Tram Titan IV. Always found them impressive looking as well.
 
halli1265.jpg

..with a 148GTL DX behind it.
A project on the back burner. The Hallicrafters has been salvaged, savaged and striped for parts beyond repair.
The 148 was in a fire but still works.
Marriage made in hell you think ? :)
 
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Really all these projects require is a rainbow of different wire colors to extend the faceplate controls to the board.
A better than adequate power supply would be a welcome addition.
With all that accomplished and all that left over room ...
AN762_140_XLg__57219.1399602154.500.750.jpg

or
DSCF0097.JPG


...depending of course on your level of insanity.
 
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