Mystery Radio Revealed!

Рет қаралды 6,096

MIKROWAVE1

Күн бұрын

What is this strange Homebrew Radio Device that I found at Nearfest 2 weeks ago?

Пікірлер: 85

@davidparris7774 26 күн бұрын

Fire it up. I doubt that the FCC would even notice it now days.

@hawkinscsa 27 күн бұрын

Yes, bring it back to life!

@JCWise-sf9ww 27 күн бұрын

Mike, thank you for bring back memories of CB call signs and handles. In the 1970's most of us CB'ers just used our handle, mine was "Mr Spock" the character from Star Trek, I did have a FCC call sign, KTL****. I don't remember the last 4 numbers. SURE THING GET IT WORKING AGAIN ON 11 METERS, the CB band, see if you can contact another person.

@Havilah_Springs 26 күн бұрын

Yes, fire it up! The QSL cards were a nice touch, brought back some memories from the 60s, GREAT JOB from KFY-9537 "The Little Big Cheif"

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

That CJ-5 had 4 wheel drive - an Smokey on my tail!

@Havilah_Springs 22 күн бұрын

@@MIKROWAVE1 I still have CW McCall's 8=track of that! LOL

@hazevthewolf178 27 күн бұрын

Yeah. Get a rock for around 29 Mhz, retune the receiver and have a go at 10 metre AM.

@martincvitkovich724 26 күн бұрын

My Heathkit CB is tuned to 29.025. We need to start a club for these old radios and have a 10 meter net! KB8TPT

@hazevthewolf178 26 күн бұрын

@@martincvitkovich724 Yes!

@hazevthewolf178 26 күн бұрын

@@martincvitkovich724 Hope to meet you there someday.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

That's a big Negatory! You got the Reverend Joshua Duncan Sloane, Church of the Wayfaring Stranger here. I don't read nothin' in scripture that says thou shall not put the pedal to the metal on Channel 8.

@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE 26 күн бұрын

Fascinating, Mike and yes, fire it up!! Balancing the theory with the history of American CB made this far more interesting than a standard "tear down". Can I suggest when talking about mains transformers, you include a caveat for your many international viewers and remind them that their voltages may vary. Best 73, Ace G0ACE

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Yes and the CB story abroad, especially in the UK and AUS is very interesting on its own merit.

@KnightT60 26 күн бұрын

I think this was built from an article that appeared in the March 1959 issue of Radio and TV News Magazine. The article was written by the famous author Donald Stoner. Heathkit would subsequently steal the circuit and it would become the Heathkit Lunch Box series of transceivers. .

@jeromeGrzelak 26 күн бұрын

We had stoner electronics in california i met him kg6mn

@MIKROWAVE1 25 күн бұрын

Wow! I just downloaded the magazine article. Now this is a real mystery. If this came first, then you may have the story 100% correct, that Heathkit stole the circuit. There are changes and improvements in the Heath schematic of course including power flexibility and the trap, so it would meet FCC. Maybe a follow up video?

@yophotoman 24 күн бұрын

In the late 50's, my uncle built a clone of a Heathkit CB-1, from scratch using the owner's manual. He acquired a pair of CB-1's for my dad and installed them, one in the house with a modified military surplus ground plane antenna and the other in a 1954 Buick with the vibrator power supply and a 102" whip. Cool setup for it's time.

@MIKROWAVE1 23 күн бұрын

There was a time between 1959 and 1965 when CBs were fairly expensive tube and crystal jobs, and these were not economical for many folks. The glut of solid state low-cost radios came much later in the 70s.

@yophotoman 23 күн бұрын

@@MIKROWAVE1 The radios dad got were used. One even had a diy crystal switch. He had two channels, 5 & 9!

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Yeah! It was a big deal to have more than a few crystal channels. I rigged a vibrator powered RCA CB for my uncle's Winnebago that we took to Alaska in 73. It was ancient then!

@superhet7281 27 күн бұрын

Yeah, fire it up on 10 meters! I enjoyed the vintage sci-fi montage at the beginning. Great stuff, Mike!

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Fun stuff from our childhood.

@ab1dq593 25 күн бұрын

Excellent NEARFEST find and video, Mike....really loved the inclusion of the QSL cards. Both of my parents were into CB radio and were active in our local CB club when I was growing up Rescue 9 in Lawrence). Their love of CB and involvement with the many friends they made was a formative radio experience for me and one of my gateways to ham radio. Would love ti see you fire this rig up and perhaps go through how to mod it for 10 or 12 M. 73 de AB1DQ.

@MIKROWAVE1 23 күн бұрын

CB grew so fast that there were 400000 licensed CB ops by 1964. This was a huge deal since there were only 250000 or so Hams.

@marknesselhaus4376 27 күн бұрын

Oh yeah, I failed to zoom in on the xtal freq lol. Good description and yes, this would be awesome for other bands like 10M, Take care and 73 de wa4jat

@vtradio 14 күн бұрын

Thanks for the lesson and the tease at the beginning. I learned something. 73 Paul AA1SU

@va3ngc 21 күн бұрын

LOL - it sure could have been a good prop in those old B&W sci-fi's. Great video.

@MIKROWAVE1 20 күн бұрын

Totally!

@pharanchemie8645 27 күн бұрын

Mike , Thank you for all these wonderful videos that you make with love

@michaelmiller641 26 күн бұрын

Great video! Yes please, get it running!

@MIKROWAVE1 23 күн бұрын

You got it!

@SeAfasia 26 күн бұрын

The Aliens intro are excellent...73

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

My childhood is showing!

@OpossumPiper 25 күн бұрын

That's a really cool little rig. Thanks for sharing!

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching.

@martincvitkovich724 26 күн бұрын

I recently took my Heathkit GW12 single channel CB, and tuned it to 29.025 and made contacts from Dayton Ohio to SK Canada, Arizona and New Jersy wit 1 watt. The call sign gave away your treasure.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Ah yes - some recognize the old callsigns.

@W1RMD 27 күн бұрын

Great interesting video. I'd like to see what you're going to do with that. See if it works on 11, and then convert it to 10 or 12 meters and it will be cool to see what it takes. Thanks Mike and 73.

@p1nesap 26 күн бұрын

Another yes vote to resurrect!

@K1OIK 26 күн бұрын

I recognized the CB call right away. You have Jack, Mike and lunchbox. 1w2650

@MIKROWAVE1 25 күн бұрын

You are a champion Burt!

@Steve-GM0HUU 25 күн бұрын

Loved the intro and the old CB cards. Although it is tempting to suggest retuning to 12 or 10m, maybe trying to get it working on CB is the right thing to do. Would it be possible to bring it in spec. by adding some low pass filtering on the output?

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Standby for part 2 on Wed. The fact that the crystal is on frequency with no multiplication and that the second harmonic is above 50 MHz makes it pretty clean to start with; so yes, simple low pass.

@tommybewick 27 күн бұрын

You are quite the radio detective! Very cool transmitter!. And I loved all your qsl cards from the '50s!

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching! Wait till you HEAR the receiver.

@zubrzubr6769 27 күн бұрын

It's from Mad Max's truck :))

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

No Doubt! "He knows who I am. I am the Nightrider! I am the chosen one. The mighty hand of vengeance, sent down to strike the unroadworthy!"

@tennesseered586 27 күн бұрын

I'd enjoy an educational series about getting it working again. I recall CB call signs although I never had one. At about the age of twelve I hooked my Knight Kit CB walkie-talkie antenna to my attic wire antenna and talked with an astonished guy about 4 miles away. Must have been putting out only a handful of milliwatts at best. My grandfather bought the kits for himself some years prior but had never attempted to assemble them. Powered by a single 9 volt battery. They both worked and I felt proud.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

I had my Sears GE kids base station on CH 14 and my buddy and I learned CW on the orange key (to the delight of all on frequency i'm sure). I learned CW on CB.

@nerdful1 20 күн бұрын

I had a knightkit cb walkie at about 12 yrs old. I had my wollensak t1500 tape recorder clipped into it. Probably a wire hanging out the window ground to hydronic radiator ground Could hear all over the neighborhood on the 2nd one. Ran home like h when a real cber said someone's playing music and I'm going looking. It was ch9 crystal, and before truckers.

@bazzaar1869 26 күн бұрын

11:20 ROFL! you about made me snort my coffee!

@tomcroley7084 26 күн бұрын

Great stuff Mike, love the qsl card art work. CBs were the deal in the 70s. You gotta bring it back to life and get a Smokey report good buddy.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

10-4 Backdoor. Put the pedal to the metal and let-ter roar!

@nigelbrockwell6237 27 күн бұрын

Would love to see it working.

@clifffiftytwo 26 күн бұрын

I like the idea of moving it to 10M.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Now we need the sun to calm down a bit! I like sunspots but this is ridiculous!

@SpinStar1956 27 күн бұрын

Yeah, I think yo should (at least) fire it up, as is into a dummy load to ascertain its performance. 73… 😊

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Its happening.

@brianbloom1799 26 күн бұрын

Hi Mike I live In Southbury, Ct, Can you tell Me were was the Ham Fest at, and How can I get on a List, to let me know when 1 is coming back Around Thanks .And Mike I think You should Put that On Ham Frequencys,Not Cb

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Nearfest is held 2 times, once in the Spring and once in the Fall each year. Currently it is in New Hampshire at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, one of the prettiest locations for a hamfest that there is. Off Exit 3 101 towards good old Hampton Beach.

@johnstreet797 21 күн бұрын

it's a rebastinator for contacting the artesians

@MIKROWAVE1 20 күн бұрын

Welll...

@ironcladranchandforge7292 27 күн бұрын

Yes!! Please fire it up. Would like to see that.

@va3ngc 21 күн бұрын

I assume the LT/RT is transmit/Receive, but what does the L and other T stand for?

@MIKROWAVE1 20 күн бұрын

I assume LISTEN - Transmit

@Swamp-Fox 26 күн бұрын

Man, my guess was way off base! I say bring it back!

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Standby for Wed. Video!

@marknesselhaus4376 27 күн бұрын

I would like to see you re-crystal it for 10 and see what you can do with it :-D

@paulphoad 27 күн бұрын

Do it!! Maybe use an external antenna tuner to filter out harmonics - not the best way but helps. The recapping could be a pain.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Harmonics? Synthesized radios have harmonics. DSPs have harmonics, Hee.

@paulphoad 22 күн бұрын

@@MIKROWAVE1 You mentioned that the output might not be "clean" enough for regulations. Fcc etc. The tuned nature of an antenna tuner can sometimes limit these..just thinking of ways that leave the unit original.

@MrDmjay 26 күн бұрын

Get it working well then DDS VFO time.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Take the purity of a single crystal on frequency and defile it with a DSP audio processor and DDS VFO. Oh I mean SLIDER.

@williamrmeara2162 26 күн бұрын

But why? Why would a CBer go to the trouble of homebrewing something like this?

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

In 1959, there were no CBs on 11 meters yet! CB class A B C was 400 MHz. Class D would kick off the "stolen 11M frequencies" . The CB radios came fast but they were tube type and crystal controlled and very expensive. We didn't get cheap CBs till the late 60s early 70s.

@MirlitronOne 27 күн бұрын

Make it work, Mike.

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

Oh Yes.

@joohop 24 күн бұрын

YES FIRE 🔥 IT UP 🎉

@MIKROWAVE1 22 күн бұрын

OH YES. Standby for Wednesday.

@nerdful1 20 күн бұрын

Another bad Sept 11 day, losing the 11 meter band

@MIKROWAVE1 20 күн бұрын

Sure, but in principle only. Nobody was actually using 4 MHz of Ham Band! The real tragedy was choosing that frequency from a technical standpoint for Class D CB. It skips. You can not fix that with rules. Huge mistake by the FCC.