info about oldie CB and 2-meter mobile radios

[W0GSQ]

I'm very partial to my 23 channel Motorola Mocat. It has a separate channel 9 receiver board in it (think dual watch) and was marketed toward the law enforcement trade. The case is tan color like the Motorola commercial rigs of the era. Nice quiet receiver. It was also made in the USA.

Steve

[WB2CAU]

Actually, the HB-525 series (525, A, B, C, D, F) was the longest running model (first model introduced in 1968)

Didn't the original HB-525 debut in 1966 with the introduction of the 1967 catalog in late summer 1966?  As I recall the original HB-525 did not use ICs.  Weren't the models with ICs introduced in late summer 1967? The IC used in those early models was the infamous Fairchild 703, used in the IF stage of the CB radios and also in FM tuners.  When I worked at Lafayette in the late 1960s, those 703s were not very reliable, and often failed before the product was even sold.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Actually, the HB-525 series (525, A, B, C, D, F) was the longest running model (first model introduced in 1968)

Didn't the original HB-525 debut in 1966 with the introduction of the 1967 catalog in late summer 1966?  As I recall the original HB-525 did not use ICs.  Weren't the models with ICs introduced in late summer 1967? The IC used in those early models was the infamous Fairchild 703, used in the IF stage of the CB radios and also in FM tuners.  When I worked at Lafayette in the late 1960s, those 703s were not very reliable, and often failed before the product was even sold.

Your correct Eric. The original HB-525 was introduced in the 67 catalog (actually on the back cover). The catalogs were generally released sometime in the Fall of the preceding year. The "C'" appeared in the 1968 catalog with the banner "Now with The Electronic Miracle of the Space Age - Integrated Circuit". I believe the "A" and "B" only appeared in the quarterly catalogs if they appeared at all. I would have to check the quarterly catalogs. The infamous IC, ua703, also known in Lafayette products as the ICF-1 and IC-C555A, (Part No. 1014-25) suffered from lots of failures. It was also used in many of Lafayette Hi-Fi IF strips. I still have some of those parts.

[K9PNP]

I had a 1960 tube type in 1964, but don't remember who made it. 
Seems like it was a "Globe" or something like that.  [Definitely not WRL, though.]   Selectivity was terrible; other than that it was not too bad.  Went to a miniature GE 11M rig later on.  Needed the room for other radios such as 2MFM and VHF hi-band FM.  Considering that in the 60's thru 80's CB was the "interoperability" capability for rural public safety, it was almost a necessity.  Learned to ignore the BS, etc, on the band mostly.

[KA3EKH]

Know it’s not AM or CB but just noticed that the title includes two meter sets also. Back in the seventies in High School I installed a flock of CB sets in cars and would get like $20 each for installing the radio and antenna using trunk mounts and the like. I was a stuck up little Ham and considered it below my dignity to operate a CB, or maybe its just like today where I would rather work on radios then talk  whatever but the point I want to bring up is my first car, a 70 Dart had several period radios for two meters including a RCA Super Carphone with one channel for the local repeater then a Motorola Business dispatcher that had a solid state inverter and a thousand peanut tubes that had a F1/F2 switch so I had 52 simplex and finally replaced that with a very rear four channel Motrack that I had all four channels rocked up for three different repeaters and simplex. Think that Track went into two different cars and my work truck before it was all over. It’s not to late, forgo the CB thing and install a big useless tube radio like a Motorola Motrack or a GE Master rocked up for local repeater and use a cell phone for any real emergencies.
RF

[Opcom]

No. For moment to moment monitoring of the highway, 2M is not useful. Especially in the wasteland when the number of vehicles is low, and the number with a 2m set is miniscule. cell is junk there too.

I have a couple of those big old tube sets on 2M. These are G.E.