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  • mauser58

    My home is a sports store
    Dec 2, 2020
    1,757
    Baltimore County, near the Bay
    I remember back in the 70's when there was so much chatter on channel 10 that they had to move the truckers to 19 because of the bleed over on 9.
    I had a base station and me, my dad and my brother had a radio in our cars.
    We were KWO 7538 If I remember correctly.
    I was The Baltimore Rebel. I don't remember what my dad's or brother's handles were. They really didn't mess with it much.
    Before cell phones we used Johnson and also CB radios in our service vans to communicate with each other. Sometimes you needed a part or some info from another tech. I still have mine.
     

    GuitarmanNick

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 9, 2017
    2,221
    Laurel
    I remember back in the 70's when there was so much chatter on channel 10 that they had to move the truckers to 19 because of the bleed over on 9.
    I had a base station and me, my dad and my brother had a radio in our cars.
    We were KWO 7538 If I remember correctly.
    I was The Baltimore Rebel. I don't remember what my dad's or brother's handles were. They really didn't mess with it much.

    KWO-2451, The Handyman. Did a lot of traveling between N.W. Fla. and Baltimore in the 70s. Used a portable unit once on a trip to Mississippi in the 90s and haven't pulled it out since.
    Probably should knock off the cobwebs, find an antenna and check to see if it still works.
     

    JohnnyE

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 18, 2013
    9,465
    MoCo
    I have been doing multiple trips per year to the midwest since the mid 90's and hardly anybody on 19 anymore. I use like the "bear" reports that provided the mile marker where troopers were parked. I guess with navigation apps like Waze now that show police locations and other road hazards its replacing the need for the radio comms.

    Waze, et al, are first rate for reporting fixed hazards, but are completely useless for rolling hazards. That is what I really miss as a result of radio silence.
     

    press1280

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 11, 2010
    7,878
    WV
    Is there anybody on CB these days? I have one in the truck I haul a camper with that the PO installed. I've only heard anybody (truckers) on the radio once, any only ever gotten one response to a radio check. Seems completely dead these days.

    That said, I used to enjoy this guys video's:

    https://www.youtube.com/user/wickeddreams911/featured

    Makes some ridiculous multi-pill amps. Seems like a complete hack, but still interesting stuff...

    Not like it used to be but there's still some traffic at least in my area. If you have SSB when the conditions are right I'll be hearing stations all over. Florida, Canada, and the Midwest on LSB 38.
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    Off the wall question: Can you use a Wilson magnetic CB antenna (for vehicles) at home as a base portable antenna? Thinking about Wilson 1000 - like small coiled unit. Maybe 2000. This way one could use the antenna on car or inside home. I think I know the answered (because of grounding issues). Maybe use a pizza pan or metal bucket for ground plane? What say you? I do have an aluminum roof.
    CB radio is a Cobra 29LTD Classic.
     
    Last edited:

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,173
    Outside the Gates
    Off the wall question: Can you use a Wilson magnetic CB antenna (for vehicles) at home as a base portable antenna? Thinking about Wilson 1000 - like small coiled unit. Maybe 2000. This way one could use the antenna on car or inside home. I think I know the answered (because of grounding issues). Maybe use a pizza pan or metal bucket for ground plane? What say you? I do have an aluminum roof.
    CB radio is a Cobra 29LTD Classic.

    Pizza pan will help, but under that metal roof - probably a killer.
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    Any opinion on the Wilson 300 watt Little Wil with 36" pole and magnetic base to be used for CB?
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,337
    Any opinion on the Wilson 300 watt Little Wil with 36" pole and magnetic base to be used for CB?

    I had a Little Will with my Bearcat 880; wasn't getting out very well. Tossed it and went with a Wilson 1000 and could be heard much better.
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    I had a Little Will with my Bearcat 880; wasn't getting out very well. Tossed it and went with a Wilson 1000 and could be heard much better.

    How was the Little Wil with just receiving? I don’t do that much talking on CB.

    Anybody else have an experience with Wilson Little Lil?
     
    Last edited:

    BeoBill

    Crank in the Third Row
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 3, 2013
    27,064
    南馬里蘭州鮑伊
    Off the wall question: Can you use a Wilson magnetic CB antenna (for vehicles) at home as a base portable antenna? Thinking about Wilson 1000 - like small coiled unit. Maybe 2000. This way one could use the antenna on car or inside home. I think I know the answered (because of grounding issues). Maybe use a pizza pan or metal bucket for ground plane? What say you? I do have an aluminum roof.
    CB radio is a Cobra 29LTD Classic.

    Pizza pan will help, but under that metal roof - probably a killer.

    Why not put the antenna/pizza pan OUTSIDE? Run your coax out of the window or some such...
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,337
    How was the Little Wil with just receiving? I don’t do that much talking on CB.

    Anybody else have an experience with Wilson Little Lil?

    No issues with receiving.

    Don't get me wrong, Wilson Little Will is fairly adequate for a CB antenna. A Wilson 1000 seems to perform better in transmission. My SWR's on both models of these antenna's easy to adjust (required minimal adjustment) and were low.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,173
    Outside the Gates
    The nanonva is the bee's knees for antenna tuning. You set it to sweep the band or part of band you want to tune to and it tells you which way to go
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,337
    The nanonva is the bee's knees for antenna tuning. You set it to sweep the band or part of band you want to tune to and it tells you which way to go

    Ufff... I just looked at the nanonva. A little complex.

    I must fall back on simplicity :)

    Capture.jpg
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    Ufff... I just looked at the nanonva. A little complex.

    I must fall back on simplicity :)

    Capture.jpg

    I'm all for simplicity, really, but I could not find this CRT available, when doing a search. It looked like it would do the job.

    As for the nanonva, I'm not sure which model is being referenced, but some looked more complicated to me.
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,337
    I'm all for simplicity, really, but I could not find this CRT available, when doing a search. It looked like it would do the job.

    As for the nanonva, I'm not sure which model is being referenced, but some looked more complicated to me.

    You have to buy this particular one from the snail eaters:

    https://www.crtfrance.com/en/swr-meters/644-crt-mini-tosmetre-wattmetre-swr2.html

    But there are many other manufacturers of SWR meters, and cheaper too. Right Channel Radios has the same type:

    https://www.rightchannelradios.com/collections/cb-swr-meter/products/100-watt-swr-rf-meter
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    I think is going to be a "duh" question, but I'll ask it anyway: My Cobra 29LTD Classic CB has a meter included on the set, so can't I just get away with using it rather than buying an additional meter?
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,173
    Outside the Gates
    Only complex at first. The thing is that you are looking at more data than you are accustomed to seeing all at once. Once you clear the clutter and focus on the info you want, its the real info you want.

    They aren't as complicated as they appear. People probably said the same thing about the first telephones.
     

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