Pioneered
Well-Known Member
Thank you Pat, there was a time I had my whole house done in period items, a different period in every room right down to the phones.
-
Feeling lucky? Check out the AK 24th Anniversary Giveaway thread and join in the fun!
Things you don't see anymore.
- Thread starter 1970's Fan
- Start date
Ok, so.
While CB radios are still sometimes seen today, granted not in nearly the numbers of the 1970s heyday, but still occasionally......
when was the last time you saw an actual CB radio with a telephone style handset? Here is my Realistic "CB-fone 40, model TRC-426 Nine Scan"
(Yes I do realize marine "ship to shore" radiotelephones had such handsets, but this is a full on CB radio with one
)
While CB radios are still sometimes seen today, granted not in nearly the numbers of the 1970s heyday, but still occasionally......
when was the last time you saw an actual CB radio with a telephone style handset? Here is my Realistic "CB-fone 40, model TRC-426 Nine Scan"
(Yes I do realize marine "ship to shore" radiotelephones had such handsets, but this is a full on CB radio with one
)
Cannot remember the brand, but back in the day there was a big beige colored one, big channel dial in middle. A bunch of guys at the fire station got them, thought they were snazzy 'cause they looked like mobile phones at that time. Johnson? They weren't 40 channel, the old 23.
Nope, not it, sat on hump sideways like yours, handset went across the front panel. Cannot believe I have forgotten all the mfgr's from back then...seems like every electronics firm and their brother made one. There is a fad that died!
The second one, thats it!
That was a good looking radio...
That, an eight-channel crystal-control scanner slung under the dash, and an aftermarket AM/FM 8-Track player in the dashboard and you were the cat's pajamas...
The second one, thats it!
That was a good looking radio...That, an eight-channel crystal-control scanner slung under the dash, and an aftermarket AM/FM 8-Track player in the dashboard and you were the cat's pajamas...
Last edited:
If I would have gotten in a car that had one of those I would’ve thought whoever owned this car must be important. Is that a late 60s, or early 70s?
Hi Ellymay, this page puts it's year of manufacture at 1975. Interestingly, other searches appear to indicate that it was only manufactured in that year. I gotta admit to finding it hard to believe that it was a single year unit only, but who knows?
Edit, further digging suggests 1974 through 1976, which is far more believable to this old ratchet jaw.....
Johnson CB Radio Telephone Model Messenger 130A
In the 80s and long after the
That was a time when marijuana was said to be the county's biggest crop, even over apples, pears and cherries. Few residents had hardline phones and, of course, before cell phones and many of the residences, if there was one near the grow, were little more than small cabins or shacks.
The other prime users of CBs were the apple orchardists themselves. They were some of the earliest adopters of cell phones in the valley (that and real estate agents of whom my father-in-law was both). He had an early bag phone and service was sketchy at best.
Working on the newspaper, I was often invited to go on a ride-along with the deputies as they were doing marijuana interdiction in the hinterlands and the sheriff's deputies themselves well knew the word would spread fast about what was going on. Fun times.
Now, of course, at least in rural Eastern Washington in Okanogan County, where we have lots of sun, those illegitimate grows have been replaced by legal marijuana grows. No more cat and mouse in the Okanogan Highlands.
In the 80s and throughout the 90s, CBs were used in the highlands above the valley to warn that county sheriff's vehicles were heading up the hill. It was like a jungle telegraph letting the various illegal pot growers know that the cops were in the neighborhood.Ok, so.
While CB radios are still sometimes seen today, granted not in nearly the numbers of the 1970s heyday, but still occasionally......
when was the last time you saw an actual CB radio with a telephone style handset? Here is my Realistic "CB-fone 40, model TRC-426 Nine Scan"
(Yes I do realize marine "ship to shore" radiotelephones had such handsets, but this is a full on CB radio with one
View attachment 3715178
View attachment 3715181
That was a time when marijuana was said to be the county's biggest crop, even over apples, pears and cherries. Few residents had hardline phones and, of course, before cell phones and many of the residences, if there was one near the grow, were little more than small cabins or shacks.
The other prime users of CBs were the apple orchardists themselves. They were some of the earliest adopters of cell phones in the valley (that and real estate agents of whom my father-in-law was both). He had an early bag phone and service was sketchy at best.
Working on the newspaper, I was often invited to go on a ride-along with the deputies as they were doing marijuana interdiction in the hinterlands and the sheriff's deputies themselves well knew the word would spread fast about what was going on. Fun times.
Now, of course, at least in rural Eastern Washington in Okanogan County, where we have lots of sun, those illegitimate grows have been replaced by legal marijuana grows. No more cat and mouse in the Okanogan Highlands.
1984 DynaTAC 8000X cell.
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
1984 ?! Brick cell phones ? Are you sure you meant 1994, Steve ?
The big transportable cell phones were all I ever saw starting some time in the in the mid-ish eighties, and I got my first in transportable in 5/31/87 through the nearby Radio Shack that I installed in my new 87 purchased Chevy Astro van.
Motorola demo'd the first cell phone in 1973 and it wasn't until 1983 that it was for sale.
My first cell was an analog Nokia 100 around the middle 90's, a friend had a bag phone for his car a year before that. The joys of having to pay a monthly fee for service AND paying by the minute for calling people.
My first cell was an analog Nokia 100 around the middle 90's, a friend had a bag phone for his car a year before that. The joys of having to pay a monthly fee for service AND paying by the minute for calling people.
How about a dial-up phone without a dial?
Have seen these in several hotels in use in the past but no idea how common they were.
Found one in an abandoned + vandalised hotel in Greece a couple of years ago.
Have seen these in several hotels in use in the past but no idea how common they were.
Found one in an abandoned + vandalised hotel in Greece a couple of years ago.
The range those bag phones had though. Their strong analog signals could reach way out there. I remember not being impressed with digital signals when they started using them, I could talk louder over static but there is no way to make it more understandable with dropouts.
Paying by the by the minute was a great excuse to not talk long though
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
Yeah, don`t I remember all too well with yakkity musical repair customers calling me on my transportable in my van on my way back to my shop, which they ignorantly didn`t know that the per minute air charges were the same either direction, as they assumed that the cell phone communication was charged like long distance initiating the phone calls, until I informed them the costs, and should I add the cost of the cell call to their repair bill, if they couldn`t wait until to I got back to my shop`s land line.^^^
Or having them call you! They charged both ways, remember.
They promptly terminated the cell call !
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
My transportable claimed 5 watts @ 12 V, and used 6 D Cell size lead acid gel cells in (2) 3 cell plastic encased packs. Most common bag phones claimed 3 watts max that I ever read the specs on.The range those bag phones had though. Their strong analog signals could reach way out there. I remember not being impressed with digital signals when they started using them, I could talk louder over static but there is no way to make it more understandable with dropouts.
Paying by the by the minute was a great excuse to not talk long though
I lived in a very rural area far from cell towers until they started building more of them, so I bought a Antenna Specialists brand rural 6 DB gain windshield mounted antenna for more reliable cell communications.
I think the original analog cell phones had much clearer sound (maybe the first digital cells used crazy compression).The range those bag phones had though. Their strong analog signals could reach way out there. I remember not being impressed with digital signals when they started using them, I could talk louder over static but there is no way to make it more understandable with dropouts.
Paying by the by the minute was a great excuse to not talk long though