An Interesting Pile Of Gear

[W6WAC]

I too noticed the realistic Navaho's including the one mentioned, TRC57/457, I have a 457 in my possession.  I also see at least 5 other Realistic Navaho's, 4 of the same model, the TRC55/455 located in the second column, 6th and 7th down and in the 3rd column bottom and 3rd one up.  My first base as a preteen was the 55.  Got a lot of use of that one before getting a ham license.  It's packed up in its original carton somewhere around here.  And back then, I bought the Realistic battery powered attenuator base station microphone to go with it.

[KC4VWU]

Back in '74-'75, I had the butt ugly TRC-30A. Really couldn't complain, because it was a gift; but I really wanted a Comstat 35.

I have a few Comstat 35's, gathering dust, along with a few Sonar's and a Demco Satelite. Real radios made out of metal!

The CB scene around here really turned ugly after the boom in the '70's.

Phil

[KD1SH]

  The control nomenclature on those rigs was often amusing. What most ham rigs would label as "clarifier" or "RIT", was called "Voice Lock" on Cobra rigs, "Slide-O-Tune" or "Receive-O-Slide" on others. Cobra labeled their microphone gain "Dynamike".
  And then there was the blatant hucksterism of the CB antenna adds: dubious (to say the least) gain claims and sometimes outright snake-oil.
  Technically, some of those rigs were interesting. Some were Heising modulated on AM, some series modulated, some used double-sideband with suppressed carrier, generated by some unique final amp configurations (the Tram Titan comes to mind, and the Regency Range Gain).
  Most of them ran hot - because the mobile rigs were intended to run on 12V, they'd use simple and inefficient series-pass regulators to reduce it down to whatever other voltages were needed, and because the base units mostly used the same boards as the mobiles, they didn't bother to include additional secondary windings in the power supply for the lower voltages, so they still just dissipated whatever they didn't need into the air with pass transistors.

[KD1SH]

I think that's a Realistic Navajo TRC-458 in the picture - the TRC-457 had the clock. Yes, they were Uniden boards inside; those models used the 858 PLL. Later models used the 8719. The solid state rigs of the day largely broke down into two major groups: those using Uniden boards and those using Cybernet boards. There were a handful of outliers that went their own way. And then there was the higher end stuff like the CPI's - with real glass PCB's! - and the Stoners and the ARF's. That was big dollar stuff back in those days; as much if not more than some ham rigs.

Spotted the Realistic Navajo CB. That is a good set especially on sideband which in those CB days was not the best in all CBs. I think it's a Uniden inside.

[K1JJ]

In the late 70's a Cobra driving a Black Cat sweep tube linear MOBILE (with 12V - 120AC inverter) was a killer combination.  Once optimized for fidelity and positive peaks, (and the full size 1/4 wave whip was tuned)  it was like running a rolling base station.

There was quite the subculture during the peak in the 70s.  I got to know the local good buddies for a few months at the coffee breaks and had a good time. Once visited a Latino CB club. There was at least 150 guys there, all enthusiastic about radio. But got bored with it and moved on again.  

I keep an open mind and always liked the CB crowd.  There are countless hams who got their start there.

These days I don't hear the local culture holding court in each town on their "home channel".   Even the skip shooters and QRO big guns have died off. Maybe the next solar cycle with bring some out. Probably the internet and cell phone had a lot to do with the decline.

T

[KD1SH]

Indeed, the subculture in itself was fascinating. It was almost like social media today.
Around here, the band remained pretty active, with nets and local clubs and all that, until the late 80's/early 90's, and then faded. I think you're right, the internet and cell phones played a part. Same with 2 meter repeaters: they're still around, but cell phones decimated them.
No real big QRO stations here on the East Coast that I know of, but out West and South they're still around.

In the late 70's a Cobra driving a Black Cat sweep tube linear MOBILE was a killer combination.  Once optimized for fidelity and positive peaks, (and the full size 1/4 wave whip was tuned)  it was like running a rolling base station.

There was quite the subculture during the peak in the 70s.  I got to know the local good buddies for a few months at the coffee breaks and had a good time. Once visited a Latino CB club. There was at least 150 guys there, all enthusiastic about radio. But got bored with it and moved on again.  

I keep an open mind and always liked the CB crowd.  There are countless hams who got their start there.

These days I don't hear the local culture holding court in each town on their "home channel".   Even the skip shooters and QRO big guns have died off. Maybe the next solar cycle with bring some out. Probably the internet and cell phone had a lot to do with the decline.

T

[KD6VXI]

Indeed, the subculture in itself was fascinating. It was almost like social media today.
Around here, the band remained pretty active, with nets and local clubs and all that, until the late 80's/early 90's, and then faded. I think you're right, the internet and cell phones played a part. Same with 2 meter repeaters: they're still around, but cell phones decimated them.
No real big QRO stations here on the East Coast that I know of, but out West and South they're still around.

In the late 70's a Cobra driving a Black Cat sweep tube linear MOBILE was a killer combination.  Once optimized for fidelity and positive peaks, (and the full size 1/4 wave whip was tuned)  it was like running a rolling base station.

There was quite the subculture during the peak in the 70s.  I got to know the local good buddies for a few months at the coffee breaks and had a good time. Once visited a Latino CB club. There was at least 150 guys there, all enthusiastic about radio. But got bored with it and moved on again.  

I keep an open mind and always liked the CB crowd.  There are countless hams who got their start there.

These days I don't hear the local culture holding court in each town on their "home channel".   Even the skip shooters and QRO big guns have died off. Maybe the next solar cycle with bring some out. Probably the internet and cell phone had a lot to do with the decline.

T

Don't kid yourself about the QRO guys going away.

I know of two 3x4cx15000 stations.  One has 1200A service dedicated to his shack with a big green vault xformer.  He's the only one on it.  That station has seen 100Kw modulated, on a 100uA bird with a 100kw slug.  The other one is similar.

In the north east, there is a 2x15000 station.

And these are just the guys in the 15000 club.

Kentucky has an idiot with a pair of 20,000s on his ground plane, and a quad of the same tube on the beam.

I also know of a water cooled 4CW100,000 being built.  And he has the power to run it.

Lots of these guys have run into power limits.  So they remoted their stations and run agricultural power after having bought a few acres in the country.  Georgia it's nearly impossible to get 3 phase residential.  When I lived in Houston, all I had to do was pay for the xformer, drop wire and labor...  And a new 3 phase panel.

When the solar cycle is in full swing, don't be surprised to see 60 - 90 over 9.

Don't forget the mobile stations.  Those guys are pinning 100kw line sections as well.  I'd hate to see the heating effect.  One guy at 4kw I knew of years ago would see white every time he keyed his mobile station.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[KD1SH]

The single-minded devotion to that band amazes me. Obviously - based on the way I've been talking about it - I'm not condemning them or looking down my nose at them; I still keep an antenna for that band, and my collection of old rigs, and enjoy the occasional QSO with friends there, but I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the notion of spending massive money on a band that has comparatively low activity and limited options. I know people in my area who buy brand new high-end ham rigs, just to operate there, with no interest whatever in getting licensed. I'm glad they're having fun, but I just don't get it. The band's not crowded anymore - so all that receiver performance is largely wasted. Back in the 70's I would have loved to have a TS-890 on that band, if there was such a thing.
Obviously the FCC enforcement is low, but still, I'd think these guys would tire of worrying about getting snagged. Of course, even on the ham bands that sort of power could get you in trouble, so if you're addicted to QRO, I suppose there's little difference where you get caught.

Don't kid yourself about the QRO guys going away.

I know of two 3x4cx15000 stations.  One has 1200A service dedicated to his shack with a big green vault xformer.  He's the only one on it.  That station has seen 100Kw modulated, on a 100uA bird with a 100kw slug.  The other one is similar.

In the north east, there is a 2x15000 station.

And these are just the guys in the 15000 club.

Kentucky has an idiot with a pair of 20,000s on his ground plane, and a quad of the same tube on the beam.

I also know of a water cooled 4CW100,000 being built.  And he has the power to run it.

Lots of these guys have run into power limits.  So they remoted their stations and run agricultural power after having bought a few acres in the country.  Georgia it's nearly impossible to get 3 phase residential.  When I lived in Houston, all I had to do was pay for the xformer, drop wire and labor...  And a new 3 phase panel.

When the solar cycle is in full swing, don't be surprised to see 60 - 90 over 9.

Don't forget the mobile stations.  Those guys are pinning 100kw line sections as well.  I'd hate to see the heating effect.  One guy at 4kw I knew of years ago would see white every time he keyed his mobile station.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[W6WAC]

Me bad....eyes.   I had to squint on that one, yes its the 458.  The 457 not only had the clock but also the second meter for SWR.  And they both indeed use the same board with the 858 PLL.  I have a TRC-448  and a Sears RoadTalker, neither utilize the 858.  I had a friend whose dad had a Super MC12 (?) setup in the back of their den.  Didn't give it much thought about it.  One day, my friend turned it on and spoke to someone who was apparently just around the block. Then my friend says, come, lets go over there.  It was another kid a couple years older who just received a Lafayette CB, last of tube models, and the sound that I heard out of it had me hooked on the spot.
 
 

I think that's a Realistic Navajo TRC-458 in the picture - the TRC-457 had the clock. Yes, they were Uniden boards inside; those models used the 858 PLL. Later models used the 8719. The solid state rigs of the day largely broke down into two major groups: those using Uniden boards and those using Cybernet boards. There were a handful of outliers that went their own way. And then there was the higher end stuff like the CPI's - with real glass PCB's! - and the Stoners and the ARF's. That was big dollar stuff back in those days; as much if not more than some ham rigs.

Spotted the Realistic Navajo CB. That is a good set especially on sideband which in those CB days was not the best in all CBs. I think it's a Uniden inside.

[KD1SH]

The debate about the health risks of RF fields may be inconclusive, but if your vision is going white when you key your transmitter, well...yeah.

Don't forget the mobile stations.  Those guys are pinning 100kw line sections as well.  I'd hate to see the heating effect.  One guy at 4kw I knew of years ago would see white every time he keyed his mobile station.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[Opcom]

I think that's a Realistic Navajo TRC-458 in the picture - the TRC-457 had the clock. Yes, they were Uniden boards inside; those models used the 858 PLL. Later models used the 8719. The solid state rigs of the day largely broke down into two major groups: those using Uniden boards and those using Cybernet boards. There were a handful of outliers that went their own way. And then there was the higher end stuff like the CPI's - with real glass PCB's! - and the Stoners and the ARF's. That was big dollar stuff back in those days; as much if not more than some ham rigs.

Spotted the Realistic Navajo CB. That is a good set especially on sideband which in those CB days was not the best in all CBs. I think it's a Uniden inside.

Mine's a TRC-458, then. Picked up many moons ago. It had some mods, but RF wise was tuned stock. Small fan added to keep the pass regulator cool, extra I.F. amp stage inserted - a MAR-6 if anyone recalls that Mini-Circuit. Notably the speaker had been moved -hot-glued to the top of the ssb crystal filter- and a 500 ohm CT to 10K Ohm UTC line input transformer mounted behind where the speaker had been, and a center off switch to select external balanced audio, plug-in mike audio (lollipop of course), or no audio. The audio LPF had been bypassed. Fixed that. There still is a terminal board on the back that offers that aux audio input and a separate set of 120V 6A contacts to close whenever the mike key is closed. I am sure that would have been for an "ON AIR" sign or something. The AM carrier level control had been moved to the front, but I removed it and put it back to stoc where that was a trimpot on the board. Funny the old thing still works, or did last time it was plugged in. A CB-oriented friend/fiend was all tore up that I patched the LPF and carrier level control back in there they should have been. Said 'the previous owner probably paid lots of money for that ya know'.

p.s. I have a small collection of walkie talkies and CB linears. Wawasee is my favorite brand fort amps. Guess it's the cat. Two Catalyzers here. Pretty good mod scopes as simple as they are, and relative power indication.

[KD1SH]

Funny thing is, back when we were kids, my friends and I used to look down our noses at the Realistic rigs: "That's just a Radio Shack rig. A Cobra is a better radio." We didn't realize at the time that both are built around the same board. As those rigs go, the Realistics were good quality stuff.
   For collectors one of biggest obstacles is finding rigs that haven't been hacked too badly. Sometimes you don't notice until you get the rig home and on the bench. One of the most bizarre hacks was in a TRC-458. Testing out the rig, I noticed that the AM carrier was low. Made a mental note to look into that, and proceeded to check out the receive. Going back to the carrier problem later on, suddenly the carrier is higher. What the...? Play around with the knobs while transmitting; the carrier goes up and down when the RF gain is adjusted!
   Turns out someone had very crudely - to put it mildly - inserted a transistor into the collector supply of the final PA, with the RF gain pot adjusting the bias. The transistor was undersized for the dissipation, its leads simply twisted around some hookup wire, and left dangling over the board, wrapped up in a big ball of electrical tape.
   I never got into the amplifiers back in those days. In the old neighborhood, everyone had a TV antenna, the older TV's weren't very tolerant, and surely torches and pitchforks would have figured prominently in my future.

Mine's a TRC-458, then. Picked up many moons ago. It had some mods, but RF wise was tuned stock. Small fan added to keep the pass regulator cool, extra I.F. amp stage inserted - a MAR-6 if anyone recalls that Mini-Circuit. Notably the speaker had been moved -hot-glued to the top of the ssb crystal filter- and a 500 ohm CT to 10K Ohm UTC line input transformer mounted behind where the speaker had been, and a center off switch to select external balanced audio, plug-in mike audio (lollipop of course), or no audio. The audio LPF had been bypassed. Fixed that. There still is a terminal board on the back that offers that aux audio input and a separate set of 120V 6A contacts to close whenever the mike key is closed. I am sure that would have been for an "ON AIR" sign or something. The AM carrier level control had been moved to the front, but I removed it and put it back to stoc where that was a trimpot on the board. Funny the old thing still works, or did last time it was plugged in. A CB-oriented friend/fiend was all tore up that I patched the LPF and carrier level control back in there they should have been. Said 'the previous owner probably paid lots of money for that ya know'.

p.s. I have a small collection of walkie talkies and CB linears. Wawasee is my favorite brand fort amps. Guess it's the cat. Two Catalyzers here. Pretty good mod scopes as simple as they are, and relative power indication.

[KD1SH]

  The balanced audio input is interesting; you don't see very many mods to CB rigs intended to improve audio quality. Most of the mods just make it louder and nastier sounding.
  Never seen an extra I.F amp put in. Most of those rigs had some pretty impressive receive sensitivity, but dynamic range and selectivity were notably poor.

Mine's a TRC-458, then. Picked up many moons ago. It had some mods, but RF wise was tuned stock. Small fan added to keep the pass regulator cool, extra I.F. amp stage inserted - a MAR-6 if anyone recalls that Mini-Circuit. Notably the speaker had been moved -hot-glued to the top of the ssb crystal filter- and a 500 ohm CT to 10K Ohm UTC line input transformer mounted behind where the speaker had been, and a center off switch to select external balanced audio, plug-in mike audio (lollipop of course), or no audio. The audio LPF had been bypassed. Fixed that. There still is a terminal board on the back that offers that aux audio input and a separate set of 120V 6A contacts to close whenever the mike key is closed. I am sure that would have been for an "ON AIR" sign or something. The AM carrier level control had been moved to the front, but I removed it and put it back to stoc where that was a trimpot on the board. Funny the old thing still works, or did last time it was plugged in. A CB-oriented friend/fiend was all tore up that I patched the LPF and carrier level control back in there they should have been. Said 'the previous owner probably paid lots of money for that ya know'.

p.s. I have a small collection of walkie talkies and CB linears. Wawasee is my favorite brand fort amps. Guess it's the cat. Two Catalyzers here. Pretty good mod scopes as simple as they are, and relative power indication.

[KD6VXI]

Nowadays there is a huge push towards audio quality.

Guys are using external modulators with circuitry similiar to what I did for a positive peak stretcher.  DC to daylight audio and external rack gear or software for multiband compression, clipping, DeEssing, etc.

Here's two of the guys at the forefront. Davemade (sidewinder) and motormouth maul.  This is New Jersey to California.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9dEo-OhKQ&t=532s

There are many on this board who know who Davemade actually is.  Prominent ham operator as well.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Some of these guys are pushing for bigger and bigger antennas.
Here's one - 16 elements on a 117 foot boom - reach out and definitely touch someone 

[KD6VXI]

Pete,

That's my neighbor.  He now has a broadcast antenna up.  Scaled vhf FM array to 11 meters.

Prior to the beam shown it was a horizontal and vertical 12 element (each orientation, 24 elements total) with the vertical spaced a quarter wave ahead to give circular polarization.   Also did a 12.5 ohm style, used a folded dipole driver for 50 ohm direct feed.  I about capped with I saw the balun.  12 feet of beads in 1 5/8 hard-line.

As I said.  These guys are getting ridiculous.


--Shane
KD6VXI

[WA2SQQ]

Interesting conversation. Never realized that Radio Shack was so popular on 27 meg. I got my start there back in late 60痴. You were a big deal if you were using A Demco Satellite, Browning Eagle or a Tram Titan. Doesn稚 seem that long ago! Got my amateur license in 71 - this January 21 marks 50 years, yikes!

[KD6VXI]

Radio Shack was popular because those "in the know" realized it was Uniden boards inside.  Uniden was the best of the commonly available stuff.

Cybernet, which was anything using the PLL02A, where pretty much garbage.  Even huge impressive looking rigs like the Heising modulated DAK series where just horrid on receive.

Uniden made a lot of other peoples stuff as well.  President, Cobra, Robyn, the list goes on and on.  Quality stuff, good crystal filters in the RX 1st IF, etc.

I have a few Tram D201s laying around.  Friend dropped them off for repair a decade ago and then lost interest in CB.  They will remain until he comes back to the hobby, or just remain on the shelf until my kids have to dispose of them.  Same guy came upon an FT-101 new in the box the year before.  He brought me the radio and we did an unbox on it.  Had been opened once at Henry, still had the Henry labelled packing tape on it.  Henry put the AM filter in the rig.  Guy had bought two and never installed this one at his lake house.  Gave it to my buddy as a tip for getting his PC back operational. 

Why don't I get those kinds of tips


--Shane
KD6VXI

[Steve - K4HX]

BLEED RADIO BLEED! I GOT IT ALL AND I"M BACK OUT!