E.F. JOHNSON - PT.2

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Edgar F. Johnson was born in 1899, earned a degree in engineering, and with his wife Ethel, created the E.F. Johnson company in Waseca, Minnesota. They started off by selling (mail order) radio transmitting parts to HAM radio operators and some commercial broadcast stations. EFJ went from selling mail order parts, to manufacturing parts, progressing to manufacturing complete radios. The year was 1923. His first brush with electronics came when he and his half-brother strung up some wire for morse code telegraphy, and finished college in 1921 with a degree in electrical engineering, and it was while he was a student where he met his wife-to-be.

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In 1924 his brothers joined as partners and their company manufactured every part used in their product (they even printed their own catalogs). Edgar was known as a perfectionist, and would not put his name to a product until he felt it was perfect, yet at the same time, he was fair to employee's, and even in those early days, unlike other corporations, he did not pigeon-hole women into secretary only positions.

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It was also in 1924 that he setup a large speaker outside their store and broadcast the 1924 "World Series" - a special treat for most folks who did not own a radio receiver. In 1936 they built their first factory, and by the end of WWII, they had over 500 employees (many women).

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Gradually, the company began to sell kits to ham radio operators, and when requests came in for pre-built rigs, employee's would take the kits home and build them (they would get some sort of monetary bonus for this). Having gained experience during the war, the E.F. Johnson Co. setup an assembly line and produced the Viking 1 - their first transmitter!

E.F. Johnson "Viking"

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The "Viking" name came from Edgars desire to honor his Scandinavian heritage. The Viking line was an instant hit with buyers because of it's quality - thanks to his nature of being a perfectionist, as well as the graphics that went along with it.

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Of course, EFJ made more than just Transmitters (after all, a good match was required to make use of all that power), thus came the E.F. Johnson "Match Box", a tuner that was also available in a 1KW version.

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When the Citizens Band Radio Service became a reality, Edgar used the same perfection in his CB rigs as he did with any other.

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His first Base/Mobile radio was simply called the "Messenger", which wasn't fancy by any means, but the E.F. Johnson quality was inside, which accounts for how many have survived and continue to work even to this day!

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The successor to the "Messenger" was appropriately name the E.F. Johnson "Messenger II", and while the "BOX" is basically the same, you can see a distinct change in the cosmetics - in other words, the Messenger II was a smart looking rig. The "Messenger" stood for so much, during several decades that one last Messenger sits on display at the Smithsonian!

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As the CB market continued to explode, many manufacturers, when faced with transistor rigs as competition chose to go overseas and have a Japanese company manufacture the radio, then slap the US company logo on it, but not E.F. Johnson.

E.F. JOHNSON MESSENGER 123A

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But even into the 70's, radios like the "Messenger 123A" were still made in the U.S.A. proving that an American company could:

• Manufacturer a quality product in the U.S.
• And, compete price-wise with their Japanese counterparts! (even Lafayette Radio Electronics were having rigs made in Japan, and not just solid-state radios either).

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Nonetheless, the flood from Japanese CB's took their toll on American CB Manufacturer's and in August of 1977, the E.F. Johnson company asked the International Trade Commission to increase tariffs or impose quotas to cut what it saw as an "excessive number" of CB's coming into the US from Japan and other countries. Perhaps they were too late in their request, or, maybe Edgar saw the writing on the wall - whatever the case may be, 3 months later in Novemeber of 1977, the company announced it's plans to close one of it's two Citizens Band radio manufacturing plants.

With Citizens Band on the decline, and with the rise in use of Cell phones, Johnson accepted a merger with Western Union in 1982, and in 1997 the E.F. Johnson Company was told the Nebraska based Transcrypt International, Inc.

Of other note, in E.F. Johnson v. Uniden Corp. of America, a preliminary injunction was issued against Uniden for alleged infringing E.F. Johnson's program for 2-way trunked mobile radio system by reverse engineering the EPROM.

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6N2

E.F.JOHNSON

"THUNDERBOLT"

(Johnson also made a "6N2 Thunderbolt." 5 watts SSB/DSB in got you 1200W to the finals in class AB1, and six watts CW got you a happy kW of class C input on your favorite weak signal channel.)

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Edgar passed away in 1999 of cancer, and his wife followed a scant 2 months later, but they both left a legacy of Innovation and Quality (many rigs, both HAM and CB, are still working).

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*NOTE: As I mentioned in a previous article ("Meat and Potato Rigs Part One") my favorite SSB rig was the E.F. Johnson 352. In the late 80's, when I decided that I wanted to collect CB's, this one was first on my list, but even as hard as I looked, I never found one at either a large hamfest or a small tailgate sale.

PRE-EBAY COLLECTORS

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In the early 90's I discovered a network of CB "Broker's", that had a list of rigs that were available, the condition they were in and a starting price. The two biggest were Bob in California and Charlie in Maine. Charlie had numerous contacts and as a rule, never actually saw the rig in question - he was the middle man, the "Broker".

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You would talk to Charlie, and ONLY Charlie, and when it became a "Done Deal", you'd send the money to Charlie; Charlie would keep his portion and send the rest to the actual seller, and then the seller would ship directly to you. This is how I was able to obtain the Viking 352 I'd been searching for...for so long. I believe the price was about $160, but I had it at last!

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Eventually, by word of mouth, your name would get around and other Brokers would call you out of the blue. The prices were high, and you couldn't see a picture of the rig before the sale, but it was the best thing going pre-Ebay.

TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWER:

E.F. Johnson made 5 CB Sideband rigs

1. EFJ-350
2. EFJ-351
3. EFJ-352
4. EFJ-4730
5. EFJ-4740

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Woody

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"TIRED"

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I was on the way to work Monday morning, driving the S.O.W. (shack-on-wheels), and had only been on the freeway for about 5 miles when I got a lot of vibration and heard the sound of air escaping at a rapid rate. It was enough to tell me that I had a flat. I managed to get over to the narrow "safety" lane and got out of my car to see just what tire was flat and to my amazement, this is what I saw! I looked back up the freeway for some sign of the rest of the tire, but nada. In all my years of driving and various flat tires, I've never seen one like this. I'm still driving the doughnut, but will work on getting it, and possibly any other suspect tires replaced so I can make it to the Belton hamfest. *Note - I'd hate to see what could have happened if I had been driving a Suck-U-V.

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MEAT & POTATO RIGS PART ONE:

E.F.JOHNSON

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Some rigs catch your eye with bell's and whistles, colored lights or meters,etc. While others catch your attention in other ways, like quality workmanship, and performance. The E.F. Johnson CB's caught my attention that way. In many cases they weren't much to look at, and sparse on knobs, but what counted was inside the rig, and I guess Edgar F. Johnson knew that when he set the standards for his radios.

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There were plenty of flashy, chrome and woodgrain rigs to catch the crow's eye, but while my buddies were drooling over one of that kind, I was staring at the EFJ 123 and 323....plain and simple. I was into specs, and when the yearly comparison magazine came out I'd compare sensitivity and adjacent channel rejection between radios. E.F. Johnson usually came out on top of the heap.

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My first Johnson rig was the Messenger 124. I picked up a used one and selected it because the Adjacent Channel Rejection was 60+ db, as opposed to the Realistic TRC-23b with a measly 42 db.

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This meant a lot to me because the Nefarious "Bald Eagle" lived so close, I needed as much adj. ch. rejection as possible. And, you have to admit, the 124 was a good looking rig (albeit lacking the bells and whistles). It was my FAVORITE AM rig and I talked all over New England with plenty of compliments on my signal and audio. The stock hand microphone was a joy - it seemed to fit into my hand like it was custom made......but I never could understand why they put the microphone jack in the back of the radio. It wasn't so bad on the base, but it was a real bugger when it came to mobile units.

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For some reason, I was obsessed with getting an EFJ-123 mobile, perhaps it was the simplicity of it's design, I don't know. But it wasn't until last year that I finally bought one, new-in-the-box. They came out with a 123SJ, which was part black and part chrome, but it never appealed to me like the plain, black 123 did. The 323 was also something I drooled after, but it wasn't until a few years later that I really found my favorite EFJ...

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Yes, I'm talking about the E.F.Johnson Viking 352. Nothing flashy, but all black, with minimal controls, and the EFJ hand microphone that fit me like a glove was all I ever wanted in a mobile SSB rig. I received plenty of compliments on the airwaves regarding the audio quality, and I ran it barefoot, yet had no problems getting where I wanted.

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It was used on several cross country trips from Houston to San Diego, in my little MG Midget, and I can still recall driving through the desert with the top down....the cool air blowing around my friend and I - and the DX that came and went. My memory is a bit foggy on what happened to it, but I think I sold it because not too long after purchasing it, the new 40ch rigs came out and there weren't too many operators sticking by ch. 16/17, they had all moved up to 35-40.

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So what am I using in the car now?? The next best thing - The E.F.J Viking 4740, which looks identical to the 352, only it has 40 channels and a digital display...and yes, the microphone still connects in the back (Grrrr).

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So here's a trivia question for ya:

"How many SSB CB rigs did Johnson make?"

(answer in my next blog post)

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Woody

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SHIPPING DAZE

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As I've mentioned before, you really have to watch those shipping charges on EBay (that's where the seller makes an extra buck or two, or it's the difference between 3 days and 15). I've noticed lately that many auctions have "Standard Shipping" listed, and a price. Usually the price gives the impression that it's UPS or Priority Mail, but as I've found - you really have to ask up front "Just what do you mean by Standard Shipping?"

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One example: a mobile cb antenna. I "ASSUMED" it would be UPS because of the price.....it wasn't. The seller (who was in the same state as I was) sent it Parcel Post and the end result: I paid a UPS price, which if sent UPS would have reached me in ONE day, but got Parcel Post, which took 15 days to arrive. He made $6 on just the shipping!

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Example No.2 - Bought a radio, which had "Standard Shipping" listed, and I wrote the guy and asked what he meant by Standard Shipping. He then came back with a selection to pick from, and I picked US Postal Priority - Why? because it was only six cents more than Parcel Post!! I got my item in 2 days, but if I hadn't asked, who knows how long it would have taken. ASK QUESTIONS when you're thinking of buying something. If they don't answer - don't buy.

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ICOM IC-706 FAMILY

REVIEW "UPDATE"

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Okay, I've tried all 3 flavors of the 706 family, and as you would expect, the MARK IIG was my favorite (because of the additional band). I really like the way it's laid out, the size of the display, etc. but because of the weak noise-blanker, this is one rig that won't hang around my shack much longer. If you've been reading my reviews throughout the years you know at least one thing about me - I'm tough on noise-blankers (if you can't hear 'em, you can't work 'em). It's not as bad as the Alinco DX-70, but not as good as my Yaesu FT-897D or the ICOM IC-751A. Of course, the BEST noise-blanker can be found...in a CB Radio (and why is that?). So I just had to let ya know that I couldn't take the noise anymore.

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PIPE DREAM AUCTION OF THE MONTH!!

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Perusing the most recent auctions I came across one titled: "3 VINTAGE WALKIE TALKIES MUST SEE" with a Buy-it-now price of $199.99.

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Naturally my mind thought of the Midland SSB WT, or some exotic Sony...they just HAD to be rare - at that price....I was wrong.

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And, the seller will learn their first lesson on selling something like this on EBay.

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WHO'S YOUR PAL??

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WHO'S YOUR "BUDDY"?

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Yes...the picture is pretty crappy, but this is the best the seller could provide (HINT - A quality picture goes a long way). I can hear you thinking to yourself:

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"Woody, there are better pictures of the "Buddy Base" you could have used"

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True, if it were the Buddy Base from 11 meter land, but this is a 2m/6m Buddy base, which I never knew existed! You can check out the EBAY auction for yourself (I have a bid in) and if you happen to be a winner, please send me some quality photo's that I can put on my website.

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'NUFF SAID

Woody

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SORRY FOR THE LACK OF....

INTELLIGENT? BLOGGING

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Yes indeed, I did receive a few e-mails along the lines of "Still alive?", but it's been a bear at work, and, combined with other things, I just didn't have the time to do much blogging.

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TOE REPORT: Well, going in for another X-RAY Friday, and hopefully he won't say: "It's coming along, maybe another 4-6 weeks".

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So, did everyone enjoy the time change this weekend?? (ed. - Note:Sarcastic Tone) Well, not me. The XYL prefers this time change, but I guess my body just likes the other one, so for the next couple months, it'll be a bit hard adjusting to the new time....Hmmm, "change", I think we're on a roll...

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Pictured above is the Uniden PC-122XL, one of the smallest, yet best SSB mobile rigs around! I saw this one on EBAY a few minutes ago and it looked so good I had to post the picture here.

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If you've read my review on this little marvel you already know what I think about it - if you haven't....Son, what are you waiting for?? Besides the size (easier fit in small cars) the Sideband audio is terrific with the STOCK microphone. I still have my PC-122 lurking around the room somewhere....just waiting to be recalled to duty!

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SPEAKING OF CHANGE

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There was a time when the FCC had the right spirit, and it's ducks in a row (I guess), but as with everything - change happens. Personally, I'm not that big a fan for change, especially when it involves SAP and when I get my paycheck (ed. - but THAT'S another story), but heck, change happens and when it does you either adapt or become a relic.

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In the "Olden Days", when a town's water supply ran out, or the railroad moved it's tracks, the town picked up and moved on, which is why we have so many nifty ghost towns out west....(ed.- I'll bet you're wondering where the hell I'm headed huh? Dunno myself). But when it comes to Government, well, change is evil and best well ignored unless a big stink is made about it by the public.

*NOTE: Ham's have to go with the flow as well and I'm getting tired of the "Hey, there's too many CB antennas at this hamfest" remarks, because like it or not - if you are going to maintain your ranks, CB is the place to recruit. They are your future, should you want to keep your bandspace (I say "They" because, I'm both a HAM and CB operator).

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The FCC has made some changes in the last 20 years (regarding Amateur Radio), but I sense that they really would prefer it shrank or went away so they could auction off the bandwidth to help shrink that multi-trillion deficit by a few million dollars or so. After all, look how long it takes them (Ed. - "years-to-never") in getting rid of known repeater jammers, music players, frequency squatters, etc. And of course, they've shown their love for us by pushing BPL....you'd almost think there's a mandate to crush Amateur Radio huh?

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As well, they've been trying to get rid of the CB Band since it exploded, but it will never go away, and perhaps someday, when other means of communications are not available, they will thank the day that there are millions of 11m radios around the country....But, I digress.

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The FCC should be apolitical, (neutral). Yet we get Republication and Democratic fobs put in charge, with an agenda to follow the "Corporate Line" much like a Democratic or Republican nominee for Judge - you have to wonder if they will be truly impartial. So, that's one change that should be made.

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In regards to policing the airwaves, someone really has to look at the reasons why: they can't shut a station down, whom they know who it is / where they live / what their call sign is / and perhaps even have audio tapes of the offense ....and yet they seem to have no problems whipping out fines, etc. for a CBer who has strayed. One has to wonder if HAMS have some secret get-out-of-jail card (if so, I never got mine).

THE NEXT PART

I know I'll get hate mail for what I'm going to say now, however, I think that K1MAN is actually doing a public service for all of us - not by violating any rules, but by forcing the FCC, step-by-step to either prove or disprove exactly how valid their LEGAL authority is, and, more importantly, are they REALLY able to go around the courts to be able to punnish someone. Granted, most of us would fold with a first notice and give a polite "Yasser", but while I may not agree with all of K1MAN's agenda, I do applaud him for forcing the Fed's to actually go through the legal system. Maybe they DON'T have the awesome power they think they do, maybe radio operators DO have rights, and unless K1MAN folds, I expect this to end up in a much higher court.

More on "Change and the FCC" later...

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WHEN COFFEE CUPS DIE....

I like coffee now and then, but sometimes I may just have one or two cups at work, then nothing for a couple months. This of course, explains the lovely looking cup pictured to your right!! I poured some piping hot water into the cup so the green scummy flotilla would rise, and sure enough - they did. Kinda like deadly lilly pads.....It's in my nature to share personal moments like these.

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Here's an interesting Stoner that was auctioned on EBAY, Model RT-/PMC-12. It was listed as a prototype because the interior was vacant. I don't know if that's true or not - most prototypes I've seen either don't have serial numbers or they just use a code name to ID it. Nonetheless this will make a great addition to the Stoner collector who bought it. Until the last few years, I never realized how much involvement Stoner Corp. had with the military, and I'd be curious to learn more (being TheStonerGuy I am).

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THE MAIL BAG

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Received some e-mail from Bill Grassa, whom I'd lost contact with for many years, and he attached a picture and some info to go along with it that I'll use in my next Blog post.

-TNX Bill, and Good to hear from ya again!

Well, once again we've reached the end of the coax, and our signals and fading into the background hiss, so, as I'm often heard to say:

'Nuff Said

Woody

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BLAST FROM THE PAST...

(actually, preparing for the blast)

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Gene Hackman, in early PD film

MONTY PYTHON'S
FLYING CIRCUS
(The Lost Interview)
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From a Dallas PBS station interview in 1975 and once again, thanks to a link found off Boing-Boing, it's an interested time capsule that actually had the last 15 minutes recorded over as you'll find out if you watch the interview.

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_________________________

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DOCTORS PONDER ABOUT

REAR-END REPLACEMENT SURGERY

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MARCH 26, 2006 - It's a known fact that overused parts of the body are prone to failure. Most recent examples can be found with Jeff Bagwell, whose shoulder injury has yet to heal and most probably he will require a shoulder replacement when the season (or his career) ends, and Angela Lansbury who recently had knee replacements, which she attributes to her early dancing career.

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Now doctors at the M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston Texas are looking into rear-end, or "Ass" failures from longtime HAM and CB Radio operators. Doctor Popeil Faraqi has recently completed a test study from both groups and has determined that butt failures are all to common within the Radio Operator ranks, leaving the operator only a few choices, such as standing up while using the radio, or exiting the hobby altogether!

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Ron Casey, one of the participants of the study had this to say:"I've enjoyed radio communications for several decades, but recently I had to curtail my talk time due to severe pains located in my butt", Ron continued, "If I had to compare it to something it would be like having carpal tunnel in your rear, only alternating between the left and right cheeks".

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Doctor Faraqi began development for plans of the "Faraqi Butt-Sling" which would allow the HAM or CB Radio Operator to enjoy his hobby with a minimum of pain, until artificial butt replacements can be developed.

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"Naturally", Dr. Faraqi said,"A butt replacement is a serious matter - we just can't use any type material. It can't be too hard, or too soft". One of the early prototypes (pictured on the right) was tested by Ham operators a the Dayton Hamfest last year. Feedback from the test indicated that Radio Operators require something more comfortable, due to the long hours they spend sitting in front of their radios. The main complaint seemed to be the strap which ran between the legs, cutting off vital circulation, not to mention intense discomfort.

Finally, Faraqi came up with his final version of the butt sling (pictured on the left) which hangs from the ceiling, and has comfortable semi-elastic wide straps, while at the same time allowing the right and left cheeks to hang out, leaving the operator with a temporary fix to the agonizing pain previously encountered.

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Side effects are minimal: Test subjects were prone to sing "Swing Hi, Swing Lo" or simply to fall asleep. Expect the Faraqi Butt-Sling to hit the market by the 3rd Quarter of 2007.

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I thought this was a strange item to be listed under CB, and sold by someone who sells CB related gear, but then I got to thinking about it and it finally hit me! These original Ginsu 2000 10pc knives were a "Set for all occasions", in other words - "No coax was to large or too small to cut". Agitators beware.....

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'Nuff Said,

Woody

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CAN YOU HEAR ME
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NOW?

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I thought I'd seen almost everything, but when I saw this link on Boing-Boing, I laughed my ass off. Coming to you from the UK, and auction on EBay for a pair of genuine 1950's "Megaphone Helmets". Now, if I had THESE back when I was a kid....(dream sequence)...I can see it now - My brother and I, helmets strapped to our youthful chins, standing six feet apart and taking turns shouting "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?", then with quick nods (not too much or the helmets would slide over our eyes) we'd back away to maybe twenty feet, "HOW ABOUT NOW, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?", oh man, the fun we'd have with those, and of course I HAVE to be carrying my Kodak 126 instamatic film camera to capture to look of fear, and perhaps mirth, on each neighbors face as we slowly drew apart from each other and passed by their homes!! (ed. - now THOSE would be the perfect b'day present..heh-heh...Oops...Just saw the price, and I'm not laughing so much now).
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BIRTHDAY

SALUTE

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Yes, the CB Gazette sez "Happy Birthday" to one of our faithful and fervent readers, Dave H. whose birthday fell on Saturday the 25th, and I think what Mr. Spock is trying to say, from one old tuber to another - "Live Long and Phosphor"

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_______________________

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"WHO KNEW??"

(attack on model rocketry"

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Apparently the Goverment has been trying to regulate model rockets, including having the engines considered "explosive devices"! After an Appeals Court ruling:

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Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, issued a press release noting the Appeals Court ruling, and saying: "People who build and launch model rockets for fun should not have to give up their hobby due to an unnecessary set of obstacles and an unjustified claim which classifies rocket propellant as an explosive. "

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See more about this on the NAR site.

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A PARTY OF 2

(2 Brian's)

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Yes indeed, the Birthday was on Friday, and usually I take that day off from work, not because I think it's special, but to avoid a bunch of "Happy B'day" pats on the back! To top if off we had visitors and I was supposed to be there early should they have any notebook pc connection issues (they always do), and I was running late...

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On the fly when I walked in the front door I was already snagged to re-configure the small conference room for the portable projector, a notebook and network access, so I dumped my stuff in my office (after removing balloons from my door knob) and spent the next hour or so doing just that. Of course, it was never used.

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So back to the office and more b'day bags on my desk. This is all cool though because I have only a small circle of trusted friends at work and no one outside that circle really knew what day it was, so when it comes from really good friends, it makes for a great day. Now, the outer circle of people when they find out another b'day passed, come up with the theory (after all, they are Scientists) that I don't like celebrating b'days because of the age factor, but that doesn't really bother me, after all I've often said I was born old (well on one side of my brain) while the other side of the brain is still in it's mid-20's.

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What bothers me are the artificial folks I don't like, and they know I don't like 'em, and they know I know they don't like me, yet they'll show up for free cake and ice cream anyways with fake smiles on their faces. That's what bugs me, and that's why I trust my inner circle, and only them. Of course it's not a one way street, as they'll trust me with their thoughts and feelings, knowing I won't run down the hallway like Homer Simpson, blabbering off at the mouth. Always thank the big guy for those friends in your inner circle - it's a life long relationship. Enough on that...

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____________________

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I don't know about you, but I've been a Pink Floyd fan since the early 70's (before they had music with words in them), and every now and then you hear about a possible reunion, but in the back of your mind your remembering how un-well Waters and Gilmour got along at the end (actually quite bitter) and so you forget about it.

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Well, David Gilmour just came out with his 3rd solo album (hard to believe just 3 solo discs after all of those years) called "On An Island" and I had the usual discussion (right brain vs. left brain) on whether or not to buy it, after all, it HAS been many years, and questions do arise, like: Can he still carry a tune? or the typical fear that, because he was in Pink Floyd, he has to prove that he can do music that doesn't sound like Pink Floyd, which usually pisses off the person buying the CD.

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Cut to the chase - I bought it. Now, to answer those two questions:

1. His voice is GREAT, like he just came out of the "Wish you were here" sessions.
2. Rather than go the other way, David embraces his Pink roots and while it's not they typical Pink Floyd album, it's enough to where someone walking by your office might pop their head in and ask: "Is that Pink Floyd you're listening to??"

It took about 2 complete listenings to get hooked, and now if it's not playing on my PC, it's playing in my head. Suffice to say, if you're a fan, give it a shot (it's only $9.97 on Amazon, which is cheap for a new album/CD). I give it 4 out of 5 Stars!

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The Cobra 2000 GTL, probably the last great Base Station we'll see now that most rigs are coming out of the China crapper. If you see some EBay auctions for the Uniden Madison, they'll say "Just like the Cobra 2000", and from what I've seen, gather a rather hefty price for them but I'd like to point out a couple things:

1. While the circuit board may be the same, where is the frequency counter??? Why pay about the same amount a Cobra brings for a Madison and end up with just a "Clock"?
2. The Madison is just plain ugly compared to the 2000 (IMHO), and I'm not a big fan of round meters either.

I'll leave it up to you, the buyer/bidder, but I truly believe the fact you get a built in Frequency Counter (not just a dumbo frequency display as some other bases, I won't mention have) tips the scale in the Cobra's favor.

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BOOK REVIEW:

"TODAY I AM A HAM"

By

Ethelyn M. Parkinson

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I read this book when I was a teenager, and it's geared for a teen, maybe even a pre-teen - but it happened to be on the bookshelf at my grandmothers house in Maine when I was up there for a visit. It was night time, I was bored and by golly if this book didn't catch my interest (after all, I was into radio communications at that time). Needless to say, I didn't put it down until it was finished (only 211pg's) and from time-to-time I'd pick it up and read it for years after that...until it got lost. By "lost", I mean probably thrown out by the "Ex" from my first marriage during the separation/divorce period.

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Suddenly, out of the blue, I remember the book! And I'm thinking to myself "Fat chance of finding it again, I can't even remember the title". But I did remember much of the book:

A young lad, whose father happens to be the towns coach, fails once again to make the team. He is interested in radios and whenever he gets a chance he stops after school to hang around his friends "shack" and they both practice sending and receiving code. The story follows Eric's journey into becoming a HAM radio operator, with the help of a local Elmer, and the things he has to do to scrounge up parts to build his transmitter.

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Naturally, he has other problems, like 3 sisters, and his feelings about letting his dad down by not making the football team, but the book keeps it on mark with his scrounging, and scraping to come up with the stuff he needs to get his HAM license. He does get his Novice license, but only has 1 year to use it and upgrade (Ed.-remember those days??). So what could I do? How could I find it?? Easy enough: I logged into the "Worldwide Radio Forum", selected the AMATEUR RADIO category and figured it was worth a shot to see if anyone had read this book, remembered the book, etc. I know, it was a shot in the dark, but when I checked back a short time later, there were already replies that said "It sure sounds like Today I am a HAM" along with their own comments on how much THEY liked the book!

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From there, I went to Amazon.com because they have hundreds of used book stores linked into an inventory database, and did a search for the book. 4 days later it arrived in the mail and once again, I didn't put it down until I finished it. The paperback was in fair-to-average condition, but I went back to Amazon, repeated the search and ordered a used hardback copy. This is one book I won't lose again, and if you're trying to get a young person interested it might be just the ticket. Five out of Five stars.

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'Nuff Said,

Woody

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BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN SEALY...

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I often end my QSO's with "From beautiful downtown Sealy", and just recently, someone cornered me and asked: "Woody, just what IS so beautiful about downtown Sealy?"

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"The Exit ramp to the freeway" I reply [ed.- So now ya know].

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________________

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We've all seen S9 and CB Radio Magazine, even CB Horizons - But these were the "BIG DOGS" of CB Publishing, what about the little guy? In many instances small Newsletters, or Mini-Magazines sprung up within their area, or tried to go National (as I did with the CB Gazette). But long before my Gazette, back in the 70's, the "SSB NEWS" popped up: at first in the small format (like the small S9), later in the larger format (like the large S9).

It had more advertisements than articles, but it did occasionally make for interesting reading. If you are a collector of this sort of media then you should at least own a few examples of each size. I don't have any information on when it began or ended, so if you happen to know, please let me know! -

________________

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FROM THE "WHAT THE HECK DEPT."

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If you recall from several post's ago (unless you're having a senior moment) I was talking about shipping/packing and the tale of 2 FT-101B's I received. I had both rigs sitting side-by-side on the bench for sometime when I noticed that one of the 101B's had a brown and silver logo, as compared to the other one with the standard black and silver. It caught my attention because I'd never seen a brown and silver logo - in all my years of various FT-101 ownership, this was the first. So I'll put this question out to you - "Do you know what the brown'n silver means?" (other than "They were out of black") If you know, e-mail me!

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RUST NEVER SLEEPS

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Some people would say that when you turn 50, it's all over with - much like the photo to the right, where rust has taken over the old rig and is slowly dragging it down until one day it finds itself in a landfill somewhere.

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This week I will turn 50, but unlike the rusty rig, I'm not ready for the landfill, because as my mom often told me: "You were born old". Looking back at my early days in radio, I think it's true - I was a 13 year old kid that felt more comfortable yakking with the Geezers than my own age group, and could compare rigs and their specifications with the best of them, and if you count my initial break into radio with walkie-talkies and a shortwave radio kit, Radios and I have been together 40 of these 50 years, and radio has a lot to do with how young i feel (aging only between sunspot cycles) - so I guess I feel more like the rig to the left, than 'ol Rusty, above...

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I consider myself fortunate to have seen some exciting things come our way, like:

1. CB Radio. From the early quiet channels, to the awesome skip cycle, then onto the "Fad" part, etc. Before they had chat rooms, there was CB.
2. Pong. I was working retail and I don't know how many times we stood before it, in line with other employee's, waiting in a trance-like state for our turn at the paddle.
3. Video Recorders. When I first starting selling them, they were almost $2,000!! Blank video tape (2hr) ran about $15 per tape, yet they sold like hotcakes. Several years later a budget priced model with an analog/knob tuner sold for $600. I can still remember the awe we felt when I plopped a rental movie into one of the display VCR's at work and our jaws dropped....I mean, there we were, NOT in movie theatre, watching a movie uncut!! I didn't think I would ever feel that same thrill again (but I did).
4. The IBM PC. I was working for a company that sold their own dedicated word processors and we had heard some rumors about something called a "Personal Computer", and finally one came in. There were at least 10 of us crowding, pushing, trying to get a glimpse of it, and when we did the green screen didn't really excite us much....however, the following year we got a CGA color monitor and the game "Karateka" and if you wanted to find a field tech at the office all you had to do was look in the PC room.
5. DVD's. I'd heard about DVD's but had alot invested in VHS so I wasn't really too excited about it....until my new notebook arrived, complete with a DVD player! Well, I went out and bought a movie ("Starship Troopers") and it was so sharp I got that funny feeling I had years back when I first watched a movie on VHS...
6. MP3's - It was a whole new ballgame with the introduction of the MP3 format for music...I'm not sure what I'd do without 'em now.
7. The Internet and Broadband access - About 95% of my purchases are via the internet, and I like that because I don't have to stand in line, or have someone cough on the back of my neck. And you wouldn't be reading this, or gazing at the photos on my website if we didn't have the Internet. And let us not forget Wi-Fi either (all three are tied into each other as amazing technology) - I can surf the web, work on my website, or add a new entry to my blog, all from my recliner.

Sure, I've forgotten a few others, but really when you think about it, I got to experience quite a few innovations, and who knows what's to come? As for the BIG FIVE-OH, well, it just brings me closer to the next skip cycle!

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______________________________

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So to wrap it up, it's been a good 50 years, and I have plenty of rigs and accessories that bring back good memories! So for now.....

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'Nuff Said

Woody

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"THE FIRST SSB CB..."

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So if I asked you, "Who made the first CB with Single Sideband?", what would you answer?

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• REGENCY IMPERIAL'S? - Nope, DSB
• E.F. JOHNSON? - Nope, guess again
• GENERAL RADIOTELEPHONE'S SB-72 - Try again
• MARK "SIDEWINDER"? - Getting Warmer!

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Actually, this was a kind of trick question that I just asked you, as all of those rigs just mentioned were made by a CB radio manufacturer. It was just recently that I happened across an issue of "Electronics Illustrated" (May '63) which had their Exclusive about the "1st Single-Sideband set in Operation on the Citizens Band!"

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This was no quicky half-page article (afterall, the subject and designer were on the cover), but a five page article about how it came about, complete with block diagrams, etc. and was written by Len Buckwalter! If his name sounds familiar, it's because he authored several Citizens Band related books (i.e.- "ABC's of Citizens Band Radio").

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The idea came from a young man named George Mason who happened to be president of NES, which used Citizens Band radios. Making contact with each other was hit-or-miss, and George (a HAM operator) knew that SSB would increase their range. At this early stage of the Citizens Band Radio Service it was not quite clear about whether or not Single-Sideband transmissions were legal. A call to the FCC cleared that up with a BIG "A-OKAY", so George assigned the project of building the prototypes to Roland Martin (one of his top men).

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Len Buckwalter went along with Roland Martin on a road trip to see just what kind of results they were getting with the radios and found that they could easily talk to the Base location 25 miles away! The rig was like any other at that time (Tube), but they also had a transistorized version in the works, with plans to market the rigs to public. Of course today, the question is "What happened to their plans of marketing this rig?" as well as are there any of the prototypes lying around in some storage room or basement as this would truly be one hot collectible rig.

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FT-101B UPDATE

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The FT-101B that I wrote about a couple weeks ago is now on the test bench and so far - it's working! I straightened out the crushed in rear panel as best I could, replaced the tube and straightened out some internal components that had been pushed in as well, then put the rig back together again and with the rear fan installed, you really have to be observant to notice the wrinkling of the metal plate. It's been "ON" now for 48 hours without a glitch (mostly receiving), and the final stage will be as much transmitting as possible...talk about a big sigh of relief!

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UPDATE: FORSALE SECTION

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I'll bet that you thought that I put my 4-SALE section on the back burner, but quite the contrary - It's progressing (albeit slower than I would like) and I have several sections setup, and as I take pictures of the items, insert them into the proper section. The hardest part is testing the equipment and sorting through various magazines and catalogs, double-checking to make sure I don't sell something I want to keep.

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FROM

THE

MAIL BAG

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As e-mails arrive, on my desk in the "Fortress-of-Solitude" (located in beautiful downtown Sealy), I like to post some for others to read. Sometimes the e-mail has a great tip or two, and who knows? A particular tip may come in handy for you one day!

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Today's e-mail comes from "Vinnie", Subject: Grant LT -

Woody,

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First let me tell you how much I truly enjoyed your page. I am 39. After a 20 year absence in CB, got back into it in late 2003. Have been on ever since. Last year, I upgraded to a ham ticket, all the way to general in my first attempt. I now own a Icom 746 and a Uniden Grant LT for 11 meters. I do some 80 meters, DXing on 20 meters during the day, and talk to my fiends on the CB at night.
Here is my story. I was looking for a Uniden Grant XL for use as a base on the 11 meter band (since I did not want to use my Icom on it), largely based on many recommendations including your review. Except there was one problem. The XL was going from upwards of $150 on ebay, for hacked radios, and as much as $300 for "New in Box". There was no way in hell I was going to pay that much money for a CB, either used and hacked, or "virgin new". I did see that Uniden Grant LTs were going for well under $100 used, and around $120 new. That is when I started my research. I Googled everything trying to see if they were the same radio. Most opinions were that they were in fact the same, with the exception of the backlighted knobs and and the DSC circuit. I even read the XL mods worked fine for the LT, and the schecmatic was virtually the same. Without any hard proof, I went to the horse's mouth. I emailed Uniden, hoping they would respond. They in fact did. And they confirmed the radios were identical, with the exception of the lighted knobs and DSC. So there it is. I then went on Ebay, and got a "virgin" new Grant LT, for about $115. I did the Grant XL clarifier mod to perfection on the LT. I even hooked up a Galaxy FC-347 frequency counter, for my sideband use. I didn't do the channel mod, or any other mod after that. As far as the radio, the receive shines. It's so quiet and sensitive.
I couldn't be happier. So, every so often, I go onto ebay and do a search for "Uniden Grant", and see the same thing. People paying out their behinds for an XL, and the LTs are going for bargain basement prices, right under their noses.
You can use this for your Blog.
Thanks again for your great webpage,
Vinnie

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[Woody replies: Hi Vinnie, thanks for taking the time to drop me a line! You are right on the money about the Uniden Grant LT - I've been using one for about a year now and have no complaints - in fact, with the backlighting, it's actually a better rig for night time driving. I've noticed the price difference as well, and given a choice between the Grant XL and the LT, I'd go with the LT, especially considering the price difference. Take care, and once again, thanks for the e-mail! Woody]

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Woody

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CIGAR

BOX

RADIO

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I ran across this site which gives you detailed instructions on how to make a "Cigar Box Crystal Radio". Get the kids involved, or, just that kid inside you -

Cigar Box Crystal Radio

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"IF I HAD A CRYSTAL BALL"
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I know, we've all probably said this at one time or another and so I thought I'd put some of my thoughts down on print!
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So, IF I did have a crystal ball:

1. When 23ch rig's got the boot and 40ch rig became the new kid on the block, I would have bought a bunch of the Sideband rigs and left 'em in the box so I could make a killing on EBay.
2. Around that time I would have also bought as many early 60's rigs as I could find that were still NIB.
3. I'd buy a ton of Antenna Specialist "Super Scanners" (they seem to fetch around $300 now)
4. I would have sold my stock instead of hanging onto it, before the tech bubble burst.
5. I never would have lost track of my 1960's Marvel Comics collection.
6. Or my 60's Matchbox cars.....
7. I would have kept my Night Eagle and Golden Eagle D-104's in the box (who would have thought they'd jump up so much in price, so quickly).
8. And finally, I would have come up with the idea for EBAY.....

So....what would you have done?? Get those lazy fingers typing and let 'ol Woody know -

Woody

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HOW MUCH SPACE

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IS........ENOUGH??

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I was pondering this subject while sitting in traffic the other day - How much space would I want for my radio collection, shack, etc.? Somehow 2000sq ft seemed a bit small, after all, once you start collecting it's hard to stop, and you'd want room for an ample test bench, parts room, etc.

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20 to 40,000sq feet sounds good (I think), allowing you plenty of growth space, the ability to have "Brand" sections ("Step this way towards the Tram "wing"), and maybe even some old-but-not-forgotten stations actually hooked up so if your wish was to finally talk on a Browning Mark III - you could!

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Yes, I can see it clearly now that there will never be enough space to keep my radio equipment and I have a feeling that I'm not the only one. Of course, we make attempts at reducing what we own, but as soon as they're gone, we replace them with several times more - it's the way of the Radio Operator....

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SITE OF THE MONTH

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Retrocom has been around almost as long as my site, and is very similar, but he really has a good forum (Yahoo Group) that, for the most part, deals with tube radios, requests for help in restoring, etc. (Scroll down, left side, almost at the bottom). The site also has retro pages that don't relate to radio. I'm sure you've checked it out, but if not - give it a try!

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WHAT TO DO DURING THE "LOW"?

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Sun spot cycles average 11years and I suppose I'd compare it to the RF equivalent of being Bi-polar, only with an exaggerated timeline. One year you're riding the crest of the top of the sun spot cycle....a few years later you find yourself waxing the car - crash'n burn.

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Support groups around the globe have sprung up to help the "In Denial" radio operators who don't know what to do during the lull. So, to help those less fortunate out, the folks at the CB GAZETTE LABORATORIES (located in their fortress of solitude) have polled these support groups to come up with a list of things to do when the sun spots aren't there:

1. Leave your shack. I know, it's a traumatic experience, but we all have to do it sometime. I'd advise that you spray some WD-40 on the door hinges to make sure the door will open.
2. Determine which person in your house is you wife and re-introduce yourself. Flipping through your wedding day picture album doesn't hurt. NOTE- Refrain from any comments on how much she has aged.
3. If you are still alive at this point, have your wife gather the children around you so that they can tell you their names, and update you on what they've been doing in the last 11 years.
4. Call your boss and explain that you just woke up from a coma, and you're ready for work!
5. Catch up on current events: Who was President, how is your 401k plan doing, and by golly - the Red Sox did win the world series!!
6. Get a haircut, wash your car, and renew that expired drivers license.
7. Call your DX buddies on the phone, maybe even use a wireless phone to bring back those good times.
8. All of the above should take a couple days, and for the remainder of the low Sun spot cycle, you can climb your tower, take your antenna down and clean it up; replace old coax; travel the state (Hell, multiple states) attending various hamfests and maybe pickup some new gear (da XYL will LOVE that.......)

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"OH...THE PAIN..."

I came across this EBAY auction for a Fanon T-808 walkie-talkie which has some minor scratches. In the description they write "If you are a collector you know what it's worth". The starting bid is $99 and the BUY-IT-NOW price is $150!!

We're talking about a $1-$50 collectible item (IMHO), let's see if it sells!

Yes, you've wasted some perfectly good radio time once again, but hey - if you're going to waste it, do it on radio related reading!! (after all, there isn't much, if anything close to this column, and where the heck is that WD-40???)

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'Nuff Said

Woody

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ALL THINGS

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GREAT

-

AND

-

SMALL

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Check out this cover from an EBay auction - A Zepplin on the cover of a 1919 QST. Pretty cool, but too pricey for me!

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Took a few days off from Blogging to tend to some other things, and concentrate on keeping my foot elevated and comfortable (which only seems to happen on the sofa, while watching a movie). Latest on my toe (5 weeks into being shattered): Went to foot surgeon, Friday the 3rd, to get an opinion from someone who works only on feet, and it'll be at least another 8 weeks before I've got a shoe on my right foot. Kinda cuts down on hamfests I'd like to attend, but those are the breaks! (pun intended). During this period I've discovered how crappy generic drugs really are and so now I have to specify "name brand" to get anything that works on toe pain.

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Caught this one off Boing-Boing, and I've sure you've already heard about it, however if not, and in a nutshell, you have a nice picture, well written auction, and words that say:"READ ALL OF THIS AUCTION". Unfortunetely this poor person didn't and ended up buying a "list" of wholesalers for $51..

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Speaking about "Reading all of the auction details", let's not forget shipping (ed. - yep, I left out one). I was looking at this auction (briefly) which was a pair of walkie-talkies for .99 starting bid, and glanced down to note the shipping was $29.95!!

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Sun's next 11-year cycle could be 50 pct stronger

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The Headline looks good at first but, but when you get into the meat of the story, it sounds like more communicatin disruptions than anything else. I'll let you be the judge - read it and weep....

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'Nuff Said,

Woody

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