1973.  My first CB radio was a JC Penny Pinto 23. Dad picked it up somewhere and brought it home for me.  There was the radio, a bit of coax, and a 102″ whip and mount.  I rigged it up in the garage, and went into a panic the first time someone answered my “breaker breaker 17” call.  I shut it off, and ran into the house.  It would be a few days before I became brave enough to actually talk with someone on the air, but eventually I managed.  I’ve been talking into some kind of radio ever since!

My first base station was a Cobra CAM 88.  23 channels (24 if you clipped a wire and created “22A”), tube type, and a good set of ears.  I still have the radio (this isn’t a picture of mine, but it’s the same model), and fire it up from time to time.

Here’s the only way to talk on a CB…  The Astatic D104 Silver Eagle.   A fun microphone to use, the chrome lollipop has a perfect sound for an old tube type AM radio.

Now, if we could just get some decent conversation going on the CB bands, it would be perfect!  It’s been years since I’ve had a CB radio in the car, and even longer since I’ve fired up the old CAM 88.  The antenna is still on the roof, so maybe one day I’ll warm it’s old tubes up and see what happens.

In the meantime,  I’ll stick to the HAM radio bands, and see what pops up there.

73  from the former KCQ0821,  The One Apollo in the mobile, and The One Apollo at Mission Control, the Voice of Radio Free Visalia.   Now HAM operator KC6YRU,  and GMRS WPUI491.