CB Radio

[MossRoad]

I still have my Teaberry Tele T 23 CB like this one.

 

[rocketfish]

That's a good one Moss!!! 2 Thumbs up!!!

 

[MossRoad]

And I had a little red neon light in a clear plastic tube on the tip of my car antenna that would light up when I keyed the mike to let the world know I was 10-96....

https://books.google.com/books?id=r...v=onepage&q=cb antenna transmit light&f=false

 

[oosik]

I've tried almost everything out here and for one reason or another its a "no go" situation. Cell phones get no or one bar reception only. No body uses CB anymore. I could use my mobile ham radio but I don't want to talk to folks in China.

I use Kenwood VHF portable radios. Out here they have a range of about five miles. I guarantee that if you turn up the squelch - you will either hear an incoming call or the squelch will blast you right out of your tractor seat.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have been out of the loop for twenty years but used to be a two way technician. I suspect that most people can get by with the FRS radios for around the homestead. Further communications would use a cell phone today.

In the 1960's to 70"s I used Motorola Motrac and MoCom 70 radios and found the low band models to work pretty well without repeaters as long as the base station had enough height. As radio use and traffic increased the repeaters and their frequencies increased and everything got crowded. In the 1980's I used repeater service and 450 MHz portables and vehicle radios with good service in low density areas with good success. I am very glad I don't have to carry this crap around today but years ago that is what we had.

Today a good cell phone is hard to beat for convenience imo. If you cant hear it ring or vibrate you might consider getting a ram mount where you can put it in your line of sight so that you can see when someone calls you. I would think that most new phones provide a bright display that you would notice easily. If you don't have enough signal strength consider yourself lucky to be living in the sticks. You could be in town with good service.

 

[k0ua]

I have been out of the loop for twenty years but used to be a two way technician. I suspect that most people can get by with the FRS radios for around the homestead. Further communications would use a cell phone today.

In the 1960's to 70"s I used Motorola Motrac and MoCom 70 radios and found the low band models to work pretty well without repeaters as long as the base station had enough height. As radio use and traffic increased the repeaters and their frequencies increased and everything got crowded. In the 1980's I used repeater service and 450 MHz portables and vehicle radios with good service in low density areas with good success. I am very glad I don't have to carry this crap around today but years ago that is what we had.

Today a good cell phone is hard to beat for convenience imo. If you cant hear it ring or vibrate you might consider getting a ram mount where you can put it in your line of sight so that you can see when someone calls you. I would think that most new phones provide a bright display that you would notice easily. If you don't have enough signal strength consider yourself lucky to be living in the sticks. You could be in town with good service.

Yes a Mocom 70 was a pretty decent radio. I worked on a million of them. I never was a big fan of the Motrac, with a tube final, but I guess it was quite a step of from a Twin V or say an 80D with a dynamoter power supply. Key one of those screaming things up and watch your lights dim and your battery scream!:laughing:

 

[RoyJackson]

I suspect that most people can get by with the FRS radios for around the homestead.

...you might consider getting a ram mount where you can put it in your line of sight so that you can see when someone calls you. I would think that most new phones provide a bright display that you would notice easily. If you don't have enough signal strength consider yourself lucky to be living in the sticks. You could be in town with good service.

I think we have a couple FRS radios...and I do have a ram mount in my truck. I don't use the ram mount since my phone (Samsung S5) won't fit with the Otterbox on it.
I think I'll try the FRS radios if we still have a couple. My wife used to bring them home from Goodwill when she worked there (and GW just throws them away when they receive 'em). If they don't work, I might be able to rig some up to hold the phone since I really don't want to remove the Otterbox.

 

[jenkinsph]

Yes a Mocom 70 was a pretty decent radio. I worked on a million of them. I never was a big fan of the Motrac, with a tube final, but I guess it was quite a step of from a Twin V or say an 80D with a dynamoter power supply. Key one of those screaming things up and watch your lights dim and your battery scream!:laughing:

Some of the old stuff worked well enough but it was huge by todays standards, good thing trunks were bigger back in the day. I worked in one of the largest MSS shops which also serviced GE radios too. I got my 1st phone in the summer before my junior year in high school, thought I was set. Today I feel like a dinosaur, just not interested in keeping up with it all. With whatever time I have left tractor work is what I prefer to do and liking what you do is more important than money imo.

 

[jenkinsph]

I think we have a couple FRS radios...and I do have a ram mount in my truck. I don't use the ram mount since my phone (Samsung S5) won't fit with the Otterbox on it.
I think I'll try the FRS radios if we still have a couple. My wife used to bring them home from Goodwill when she worked there (and GW just throws them away when they receive 'em). If they don't work, I might be able to rig some up to hold the phone since I really don't want to remove the Otterbox.

Roy what I do is just check my phone periodically and call them back if I want to. Works for me.

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy what I do is just check my phone periodically and call them back if I want to. Works for me.

I check it now and than...but if the wife does need to get in touch, I don't want to miss the call.
Seems like the ram mount (or something similar) or ear buds would be my best bet...or, since I normally wear sound attenuating muffs ("Mickey Mouse" ears), I can probably find some type of Blue Tooth headset that would work.