Your first CB? what year started? any other radio interest?

[Rwb]

View attachment 25775


I wanted walkie-talkies in the worst way I remember looking hours on end at the Allied Knight magazines that resided under my pillow for most of my youth. Well, Dad was a hard worker but making $2.27 an Hr didn't translate to me getting them but, one day I was walking by the dump where the town disposed of all they didn't want and there on the pile of trash looking like the most magnificent thing I ever saw was a Gonset G-11 truth is I didn't know at the moment it was single channel 27.085 Mhz lean mean talking machine but it was certainly going home with me since I was supposed to be at school instead of walking around the dump I had to hide it in the woods. It was like magic because when I went back to get the Gonset I noticed someone had dumped an antenna sometime after I had been there on my lunch escape and low and behold it was an old antenna that just happened to be in my eyes about 9 feet long well this was the most incredible find for a kid my age back in the early 60's but not one single friend of mine could see the same vision they all thought I was a bit crazed. Anyway, this turned out to be the first CB and my first fixer-upper my Uncle who was an amazing tech guided me through the process and forced me to learn what I needed to know to fix it, It was agonizing in one way because it took me about 6 weeks to fix it. But WOW! what a thrill when that old Gonset came on line! Me 12 years old, 12 years old! and had fixed my first CB radio. Since I had already installed the antenna on a tree outside my bedroom window well it was about 30ft outside my window but that is what ladder cable was made for Yea that's right my first vertical almost 9ft long stainless steel antenna which I found out was actually a 39 Mhz police antenna was majestically sitting in the middle of a tree 20ft off the ground and being fed with 300 ohm ladder cable and balun fashioned with old coax also found on the same dump. So when you hear someone call a radio a piece of trash today I was actually running trash way back in 1964. There many more trash finds to come as I made it my path to school via the town dump every day for several years and found a total of 18 radios "Lafayette, RCA, Raytheon, Midland, Johnson Messenger, Courier etc" I had 8 radios fixed by me and on a bench setup that my dad helped me build in my bedroom, numerous antennas and microphones and other equipment much to my Dad and Moms dismay but they allowed it since my Uncle was always around helping learn he "my Uncle" helped me wind a center load for my 39mhz antenna turning it into a center loaded end fed and later I found enough coax that I was able to tack it all together back then all that was available was RG8 I had to run a support line for the coax as it was too heavy later I allowed to put the antenna on the house roof with a tripod that my dad an I built together. OK, I'm done except to say even after the radio was working it took me nearly a week before I made contact with anyone on it as the CB'ers in town only got on the radio about once a week and there were only 3 of them.

we wanted when kids. And money was tight then. Id see radios in catalogs n drool n wish

 

[357magnum]

Nice story Old Tech , from the story I'm guessing we are around the same age . When you said " Dump " it brought back memories , My cousin and I were Dump Pickers back in the day ( I still am to an extent ) . We went as far as using a Marker and writing " Dump Pickers Union " on our jackets . My Mom wasn't too happy ! Oh the finds in the dump . 73 & God Bless , Leo

 

[Rwb]

Nice story Old Tech , from the story I'm guessing we are around the same age . When you said " Dump " it brought back memories , My cousin and I were Dump Pickers back in the day ( I still am to an extent ) . We went as far as using a Marker and writing " Dump Pickers Union " on our jackets . My Mom wasn't too happy ! Oh the finds in the dump . 73 & God Bless , Leo[/QUOTE
i resemble that statement,used to haul scrap for a recycle yard.every nite id get home n empty my side boxes of plunder

 

[secret squirrel]

bump

 

[Greg T]

My first radio was an RCA Mark VII. I think it had 4 channels and tuneable receive. A turner hand held mic. This was in 1964 and my handle was KRF0824

 

[Rwb]

I found my dream radio on fleabay in very nice condition. Courier classic PLL,the chrome case radio.came with both power cords,mic looks unused.made offer n got it. Works very nice showing old time quality build. Very little noise when hooked up beside my galaxy 99v and was told modulation was crisp n very clear.
Bet new radio built that well today would cost $600.+.
Friend bought the very first chrome courier i ever seen,mounted it on the console of his 71 black dodge charger,looked so darn sharp in that black interior