This rare unit is a Ray Jefferson CB-711 Saturn 23 channel marine CB radio. Built for use on boats and ships, it includes receive capability for VHF weather channels. At the time this radio was produced, there were only 2 NOAA weather frequencies: 162.400Mhz and 162.550Mhz. I’m guessing this is what the 2 position switch… Read More »
The Realistic Navaho TRC-23B was Radio Shack’s most popular 23 channel CB base station. It featured great performance for the price which, in 1976, was just $159.99. Only the basic controls, but dressed up with a large “ON THE AIR / MODULATION” display which would light up on transmit. The TRC-23B also featured a strong… Read More »
The Realistic TRC-56 was Radio Shack’s version of the “telephone” CB radio. It’s primary competitors were the Johnson Messenger 130/130A and the Midland 13-884. This Realistic CB-Fone 23 was a full-featured mobile unit with Delta Tune, noise blanker, and a large lighted S/RF meter. If the telephone handset wasn’t to your liking, you could replace… Read More »
This Realistic Navaho TRC-57 was top dog in the late 1970s Radio Shack CB line. 40 AM channels, 40 upper sideband, and 40 lower sideband. Dual meters, digital clock, and a handy front-mounted headphones jack rounded out the attractive package. Retail price of this radio in 1978 was $399.99, but frequent sales brought the cost… Read More »
Radio Shack’s Realistic TRC-100B is a 5-watt, 6-channel CB walkie-talkie. Now you might be saying “How can a walkie-talkie put out 5 watts when the maximum legal CB power output is 4 watts?” This was a common ‘gain claim game’ played by manufacturers of CB walkie-talkies. This walkie-talkie has 5 watts RF INPUT to the… Read More »
Radio Shack’s Realistic Navaho TRC-431 was the 40-channel replacement for their popular TRC-23B. This radio was simple but solid with good transmit audio and a sensitive receiver. Price in the late 1970s was $159.99, same as the 23 channel TRC-23B which it replaced. In my area, the TRC-431 was a popular base unit.
The Realistic Navaho TRC-440 was Radio Shack’s entry-level 40-channel base station. This is a very simple radio with volume, squelch, rotary analog channel selector, and an S/RF meter. List price in the catalog was $139.99, but frequent sales brought it down to $99.99. As with many other Realistic Navahos, a front-mounted headphone jack and 5-pin… Read More »
Radio Shack also made a base station version of the CB-Fone, although it was less popular than their mobile versions. The Realistic TRC-454 was a full-featured AM base station with large dual S/RF and SWR/CAL meters and instant Channel 9 emergency access. Unlike the Johnson Messenger and some other “telephone CBs”, the handset on the… Read More »
Realistic’s Navaho TRC-455 was Radio Shack’s top-of-the-line 40 channel AM base station in the late 1970s. This one had all the bells and whistles, including digital clock with alarm. If you wanted to hear your CB buddies first thing every morning, the TRC-455 could wake you up to the sounds of your favorite channel! Price… Read More »
When the FCC made 40 channel CB radios legal in January, 1977, Radio Shack replaced their TRC-56 “CB Fone” with the Realistic TRC-456. Appearance is very similar to its predecessor, adding 17 more channels and a digital frequency readout. Performance is adequate, though transmit audio quality suffers due to a telephone handset being used as… Read More »
Another of Radio Shack’s very basic but popular CB radio was the Realistic TRC-468. This model featured all 40 channels, but no frills. Not even a digital channel display or a S/RF meter. Regular price was $99.99, but frequent sales brought it down to $69.99-79.99. Introduced in 1977, this was the 40 channel replacement for… Read More »
Here’s a Regency CR-142 AM base station. This simple but effective CB radio features all 23 channels, delta tune, automatic noise limiter, adjustable mic gain, and a large meter which measures S/RF and modulation. A front panel switch selects reading for RF output or modulation on transmit. Also included is a mike gain control, usually… Read More »
This stylish 40 channel base station is a Robyn SB-520D. The “SB” stands for sideband: LSB, USB, and AM are all featured on this radio. Plus large dual S/RF and SWR meters plus all the extras you would expect from a top-of-the-line unit. I have seen 2 versions of the 520D. The one pictured has… Read More »
The Console II was the top model in the SBE line. Also known as the “Console 2”, it was a full-featured 23 channel SSB base station. It was also a very large, heavy unit with a hefty power supply. These sold for around $400 in 1976, so only serious and/or wealthy operators could afford to… Read More »
This Land Command base station was one of the final CB radios produced by SideBand Engineers aka SBE. It was a 40-channel AM/SSB unit. The Land Command’s styling varied from SBE’s earlier models: the attractive wooden cabinets were gone and the meter appearance was quite different. In addition, a 5 pin DIN mike plug was… Read More »
SBE’s Trinidad was a stylish 23-channel base station, mounted in a wooden cabinet. It looked great in an office or a living room setting. All of SBE’s radios were solid performers and the Trinidad was no exception. When it was replaced in 1977 by the 40-channel Trinidad III, this original model became unofficially known as… Read More »
This is a Sears 23. The most basic of mobile CB radios. No RF gain, no noise limiters, no fine tuning, not even a meter! Even so, Sears sold a lot of these with a regular everyday price of $99.99. This was during a time when most other 23 channel mobiles were in the $130-170… Read More »
This radio was unofficially known as the “Sears 23 Plus.” As the upscale brother of the Sears 23, this ‘Plus’ model added a noise blanker, delta tune, and a large lighted S/RF/SWR meter. Notice the Sears CB radios were not yet called “RoadTalkers.” That started in 1977 with the 40 channel versions. In 1976, you… Read More »
This is a Sears RoadTalker 40 AM mobile CB radio. One of several models that were available from 1977 until the early 1980s. Lots of features including tone switch and built-in SWR meter. It looks almost identical to a more expensive model that included SSB and a built-in power supply for base station use.
The Sears RoadTalker 40 SSB base was a strong and vastly underrated radio. It had a very distinctive transmit audio, best described as “punchy” with lots of compression. New, this CB sold for $299.99 although frequent sales brought the price down to $249.99. This was my first SSB radio. I bought it on sale and… Read More »