New CB from 1986

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Helping clean out my deceased grandfather's garage again and found an old Fuzzbuster CB radio. Also got a toolbox with hundreds of CB parts, like transistors, entire boards, knobs, mic sockets, stuff to build RF amplifiers, I got the entire lot to play with.

I haven't pulled this radio apart yet to look inside but I suspect grandpa did some golden-screwdriver tweaks to it as it blew my big, expensive, 20+ years newer Cobra 29 out of the water, the Fuzzbuster was much more loud and clear, and had a higher wattage on the dead key.

So, I set my Cobra 29 aside for now and this is my new daily driver radio!

[Linked Image from i.redd.it]
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
If it was made in the philippines it's the cats meow.

What's so special about Philippines radios? Sorry if I sound ignorant but I'm truly curious because I hear it mentioned on CB forums a lot also.
 
Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
Helping clean out my deceased grandfather's garage again and found an old Fuzzbuster CB radio. Also got a toolbox with hundreds of CB parts, like transistors, entire boards, knobs, mic sockets, stuff to build RF amplifiers, I got the entire lot to play with.

I haven't pulled this radio apart yet to look inside but I suspect grandpa did some golden-screwdriver tweaks to it as it blew my big, expensive, 20+ years newer Cobra 29 out of the water, the Fuzzbuster was much more loud and clear, and had a higher wattage on the dead key.

So, I set my Cobra 29 aside for now and this is my new daily driver radio!

Do you have one of the Cobra SSB units? allows you to use single sideband on each channel for better range and clarity.
 
Outside of 18-wheelers, I haven't seen a CB antenna of a vehicle in a LONG time? Same goes for base station antennas.

Tells me that CB is D-E-A-D!
 
Originally Posted by SteveG4
Outside of 18-wheelers, I haven't seen a CB antenna of a vehicle in a LONG time? Same goes for base station antennas.

Tells me that CB is D-E-A-D!

I live near a major interstate near ATL, I see lots of CB antennas on trucks but over the past couple of years I've seen MORE CB antennas pop up on cars and passenger trucks as well. Maybe a bit of resurgence.
 
It's always been interesting to me. I've never played with a CB radio, though. Seems like it'd be good to have on a trip, especially as a guard against wrecks ahead that have shut the interstate down, and velocity tax traps.
 
I didn't realize that there was any CB traffic anymore...over...
 
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CB is effectively dead. More and more people use google maps and waze to find cops and traffic jams. not much shoot the breeze chatter on CB. Short direct conversations.

I'm surprised they haven't taken the CB frequencies and made them digital yet.
 
with intrnet connected and voice-activated mobile phones, and all the social media we have access to, the 'public' nature of CB broadcast has made it almost extinct. If you send a text message to your lover then only she reads it - but if you tell her over the CB then EVERYBODY including your wife hears it..
 
CB is pretty dead on the big road.. Now that a modern over the roader can listen to bluetooth music and talk hands free via headset.. the road isnt as long as it used to be.


However in coal/logging/construction/bull hauling trucking CB is very alive and well.

My last favorite CB was a General Lee turnt up.. but of course someone stole it.
 
I still have a Uniden Washington setup in the shop with a base station antenna. It is rare that I ever hear anyone local on it. There are a few guys that get on at a regular time on sideband, but that is about it. When the skip starts rolling in May/June, that is a different story. There are times when it is hard to find a quiet channel.
 
That thing is kind of cool. Never knew FBuster to make CB's.

As a kid, I was around CB's a bit at my grandfathers place and my uncles. Uncle was big into Amateur / Ham radio too.
Early to mid 1970's , I was having fun talking to friends, making friends, listening to the nearby hwy (trucker traffic) and met a girl that was my genuine first girlfriend via CB.
My uncle had a Phase Linear ? gizmo that boosted his car set up immensely. My aunt was in a K-Mart shopping one tine and came running out to the car to tell him his voice had taken over the paging system.
Grandfather had a base station and my uncles' set up at home was a Cobra SSB and I'm guessing his Ham radio set was upstairs. Never go too curious to venturing. Was just completely satisfied to be allowed use of his CB set up. As I recall, the Cobra SSB was set up with a power converter as it was a mobile unit, not a true home 'base station.
In northern Michigan at night, he talked a lot of "skip" around the country on CB even.

I had a Fuzzbuster as the early version of police radar detector. I called it the "electric door finder". Just about any store or supermarket we went by set it off. This was early 1980's. My wife was too embarrassed to tell our toddler kids (when they asked) it was for eluding speeding tickets. Not that I was speeding - it as just cool to know here the Police were.
We told the kids it was a gas station finder since many of them set it off too.

A few years later, we were going to convoy with family to a part of Canada, 5 or 6 cars of us going to a remote camp on a lake. To be part of the radio team so we could chat, I picked up a small hand held 40 ch CB that was the full 5 watt power and magnetic antenna but designed more for emergency or occasion al use. It worked fine and made the long drive more fun. It was probably $60 at the time as new.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F464251703%2Fvintage-1980s-portable-2-way-emergency&psig=AOvVaw1XJH2hiyGmvU-RwE6JH6Bj&ust=1583583884780000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMiRzerrhegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN
 
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I'd have to say CB is making a bit of a resurgence. I am 18 and got my first CB at 16. I have since bought 6 or 7 other different radios to play with and 2 handhelds.

At my school, there's 8 or 9 different trucks and a few cars, including mine, with CB antennas. I know some of the truck guys use them to communicate during off-roading.

Locally there's a small group of us who like to talk on channel 19 and every Friday we have "big radio Friday night" and we'll all talk for hours on end about anything, it's kind of fun honestly.

I've used my CB to ask for, and provide directions when travelling as well.
 
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Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
Originally Posted by Chris142
If it was made in the philippines it's the cats meow.

What's so special about Philippines radios? Sorry if I sound ignorant but I'm truly curious because I hear it mentioned on CB forums a lot also.

They were built better and had great rx and tx. Huge difference in sound quality when compared to radios made in other places.
 
So do you young guys have handles? BITD I thought the local CB thing was silly and didn't engage but knew people who did. Very early social media.

Wonder if the hands-free driving laws would apply to using CBs?
 
A lot of us do have handles, yes

And in regards to antenna mounts, most of the truck guys have stakehole mounted Firestiks, but since I drive a Honda I just have a mag mount on my roof.
 
I had a Cobra 29 LTD Classic back then. It was peaked and tuned as was the 6' Firestik antenna on a quick connect/disconnect. I had an amplified mic mated with the Dynamike that had its own separate boost control. I had no trouble talking over someone if I had to. I was Double D, the ditchdigger. Kinda miss those days.

A nephew had a highly amplified base unit and huge directional antenna that was a force to be reckoned with. That was until the Feds pulled up to his house one day and confiscated everything, no joke.
 
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CBs are very much alive in the off Road scene. Tons of people run them in their desert toys. I know of a Jeep club that requires a CB before going on any runs.
 
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