EF Johnson CB Radios

[secret squirrel]

Been looking at a a few EF Johnson CBs from 1970s on E-bay, a couple of NOS. Out of curiosity were EF Johnson's any better with audio clarity on transmit and selectivity of receive than the Japan made CBs of the time. Seems I only see them on E-bay or with an inch of dust on them at a garage sale. I read that they were totally American made at the time. Thx ahead of time.

 

[d4xycrq]

Funny you should ask. I have a Johnson 40 channel radio sitting next to a Royce 23 Ch radio on the bench now. The Royce sounds just as good (RX) in every way, EXCEPT adjacent channel rejection. The Johnson is much better. Audio clarity on transmit? Good question, only my peeps on Channel 15 will be able to tell me. Good luck!

 

[Woody-202]

Been looking at a a few EF Johnson CBs from 1970s on E-bay, a couple of NOS. Out of curiosity were EF Johnson's any better with audio clarity on transmit and selectivity of receive than the Japan made CBs of the time. Seems I only see them on E-bay or with an inch of dust on them at a garage sale. I read that they were totally American made at the time. Thx ahead of time.

My EF Johnson Messenger 124 was the only reason I didn't go crazy over bleedover from nearby neighbors.. (and the 253 had great audio)

 

[secret squirrel]

I have a Cobra 29 23 channel from 1976. They DK was set at 1 1/2 watts to drive an amp. I use it on the base station barefoot. I swear the receive is better than my newer radios in picking up weak stations and less noise and trash. I get compliments even with the DK turned down with a little swing. Just picked up a Midland 13-882B 23 channel. I just had it tuned. I like its TX/RX too. The older radios have a bolder sound it seems that the newer ones are lacking. Its just my humble opinion. Newest Idea was to get a EF Johnson and hook it to a small amp in the mobile. I rarely talk above 19 anyway. Just for something different. Thx you.

 

[Slowmover]

I’ve never heard a better CB than the Johnson my father had in his Silver Streak travel trailer.

A 323?

I don’t think of it too often, but the way it revealed “voice” was uncanny as no others I hear these days are anything like it. IOW, there’s no reminders.

The single irritating part is that I can’t really remember the antenna. A Hustler with resonator and on a riser is as close as I come.



(Not his, but otherwise identical).

I was inbound on IH65N to Louisville a few years back and a lady had one in her pickup. Knew immediately what it was. We talked a little. She understood its quality very well.

For sheer audio quality I’ve never heard anything else like it (not that I’ve heard all that were made). From mid-1990s onwards I’ve heard plenty of nice ones, but it’s not the same.

.

 

[Slowmover]

I have a Cobra 29 23 channel from 1976. They DK was set at 1 1/2 watts to drive an amp. I use it on the base station barefoot. I swear the receive is better than my newer radios in picking up weak stations and less noise and trash. I get compliments even with the DK turned down with a little swing. Just picked up a Midland 13-882B 23 channel. I just had it tuned. I like its TX/RX too. The older radios have a bolder sound it seems that the newer ones are lacking. Its just my humble opinion. Newest Idea was to get a EF Johnson and hook it to a small amp in the mobile. I rarely talk above 19 anyway. Just for something different. Thx you.

A rebuilt 323 would be the thing on AM-19 with (a KL203 easy-to-use type) and a painstaking install for mobile.

You’d have a sound like no one else.

There’s something about a response made from that radio . . as if one has connected with what he’d all along intended, but hadn’t known this until now.

An answered prayer (is the unexpected feeling).

(NMO or other roof-center permanent type. No mags or clips or other badness. No excuses.)

A Johnson induces awe.

.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

I had a Johnson Viking 4740 not that long ago that I bought off ebay...It was a NOS radio...Personally I wasn't impressed with it...

Decent receive, but a little muted....Transmit IMO was about average out of the box...I never had anything done to the one I had as for as P&T go's...May have needed to be re-capped, but I didn't keep it that long, and ended up selling it to someone local.

 

[9C1Driver]

The Big O'l Johnson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD-qOqEf7Bs

 

[Woody-202]

I’ve never heard a better CB than the Johnson my father had in his Silver Streak travel trailer.

A 323?

I don’t think of it too often, but the way it revealed “voice” was uncanny as no others I hear these days are anything like it. IOW, there’s no reminders.


For sheer audio quality I’ve never heard anything else like it (not that I’ve heard all that were made). From mid-1990s onwards I’ve heard plenty of nice ones, but it’s not the same.

.

I never owned one back then, but did pick up the chrome /gray version a few years back, finally getting the all black model last year. The one with a wood-grain finished front panel was pretty cool as well.

 

[Woody-202]

I had a Johnson Viking 4740 not that long ago that I bought off ebay...It was a NOS radio...Personally I wasn't impressed with it...

I've owned both the 4740 and it's older brother the 352. IMHO the 352 (albeit with 23 ch) was the better transceiver, but I wasn't keen on having the mic jack in the back of those rigs.

 

[Woody-202]

More older E.F. Johnson fodder to look at:

 

[jessejamesdallas]

I've owned both the 4740 and it's older brother the 352. IMHO the 352 (albeit with 23 ch) was the better transceiver, but I wasn't keen on having the mic jack in the back of those rigs.

Makes two of us...always wondered what they were thinking when they decided it was a good idea to stick the Mic jack on the back of the radio?

 

[Slowmover]

More older E.F. Johnson fodder to look at:

View attachment 38845

“. . full-fidelity voice reproduction unmatched by other Citizens Radio equipment”.

Yup.

.

 

[Slowmover]

I never owned one back then, but did pick up the chrome /gray version a few years back, finally getting the all black model last year. The one with a wood-grain finished front panel was pretty cool as well.

View attachment 38844

The panel simplicity is hard to beat.
It just does what it’s supposed to do.

Any questions?

.

 

[Woody-202]

Makes two of us...always wondered what they were thinking when they decided it was a good idea to stick the Mic jack on the back of the radio?

Yeah, I've tried coming up w/ logical reasons (for the consumer) and never thought of one. Between the 353 and 4740 Johnson briefly offered the 4730 which with a casual glance could be mistaken for a 23ch. CB. I owned one for while but with my crappy eyesight, LED channels numbers was the way to go