I had to get one or least a few of them again as I went off the CB radio around 1987 and started up on it around late 1980.
Wanted to get the Cobra 148 GTL-DX its a classic CB radio. Oh yeah this is the place to start "keep on listening" this is the learning ground to start at. Once trained in hearing faint voices against all that noise you are then true listener.
Must say it sounded reasonable few months ago since I first got them one at a time in the post. Firstly the Superstar 2000 blocks of 40 5 bands A B C D E all modes USB LSB AM FM CW. I heard a bit lot of Europeans but I knew no chance on the small temporary mobile antenna on a biscuit tin is going to make it that far.
Then next day it all quietened down. I have been ear-wigging on the online 10 and 11 as well as all the other meter bands and they also sounded fairly quiet but least it was still in some use as mobile phones load of rubbish you don't get any kicks or fun with mobile phone other than rip off charge rates. CB radio is free need no BS subscription contact.
The longest distance I managed to get on my home-base decades ago with second highest antenna in the town. Falkland Islands, yes half way around the Earth, yes the Earth is round had it been flat now the communication would have been easier. I had to have someone on the south cost Southampton relay the Falkland Islands, transmission as I couldn't hear him but he could hear me which means I reached WOW half way around the planet.
Other distance someone in Indonesia, mobile but the skip suddenly died down. Other distance middle USA for short few minutes. Longest modulation over a shorter distance Germany for few hours in early morning hours. Never made to Scotland or channel islands and yet they are nearer its just the way the CB and the propagation works when DX-ing.
I have a home-base antenna that needs to be put up and I get around to getting an installer when I''m ready. I only set up the CB's now and then and have chatted locally to someone not far from me so least they are working.
The other which is like the Cobra 148 GTL-DX, Superstar 360FM seems to have been tweaked on its output power as when I see the voltage on the multi-meter showing 14.8v then with drain at around 10v I know something is not right so I may need to get a RF dummy load and SWR power meter and frequency counter to check its power and if tweaked turn it back to its normal rate of power as it seems to be colouring the modulation as I can hear myself on the other CB with no ANT fitted due to the close distance. Oh it doesn't have a Roger Bleep not sure if the Superstar 360FM had a Roger Bleep? I know the 148 GTL-DX has as I've owned two of them mk I and mkII.
Also the CB radio has more channels than my Dolby Atmos AVR put together with all other cinema sound systems. Its kinder strange all this digital Atmos stuff has less channels than an analouge CB radio of about 40 years old.
The Superstars 2000/360FM is rather good condition for there age a few starches no big deal that is normal use. The weight of 2000 heavier than the 360FM yet smaller size then 360FM its the insides that makes it heavier.
Would have liked blocks of 50 bands A B C D. There are others that look same as the 360FM GTL-DX, 3900? That has bands A B C D E F and built-in frequency counter.
SWR is bad on the small ANT on the biscuit tin with ratio 3 and that is not good. I can't get the damn thing tweaked between a ratio of 2 at the very least so got wait until the Silver Rod is fitted up.
TV-I thank goodness not a flicker that I noticed on the monitor expect some breakthrough on one of the amplifiers but couldn't hear any modulation on the sub amp JBL wow first time I hear a thump, thump when TX-ing.
I have however manged to blow a TV up back in the days with 200w and maybe a statistic wicked RF signal I dread to know what it would have looked like on an oscilloscope? As it turned out a lose break in the soldering on cetre core of the PL-259 burners ANT output. I thought I had water in the base coil which made me believe my SWR was high? Nope it was wicked ass CB TV killer radio. It even messed with my dads TV and the VCR with worlds first Hitachi visual speed of x15 or maybe it was x20? When I used the remote to see what would happen it went even faster!!!! That RF signal was BAD when used with a burner. Thank goodness it wasn't 1kw that might have killed lots of TV's for the best I guess lot of rubbish on the tv.
10-10-73's.
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"CB Radio little low tech for you guys isn't it"
