The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Tube CB radio?

It's pretty quiet in here, so I figured I'd ask some questions. From reading, I see that CB's showed up around 1958. Now, were these early tube type CB's always 12v? Where there 6v units made? Or was this just a good time for the truck owner to change over to 12v. I would imagine these early CB would draw quite a bit of power.

Thanks in advance.

I can't give an answer about the CBs but with the auto radios, they were building hybrid units. I am referring to radios that had so called low voltage tubes, with plate voltages of 12 volts, and an output stage using a transistor on the back. These radios had no high voltage supply in them.

My father sold Halicrafter Ham and CB sets then ,I can still remember the license we had 20W41939. These CB's had the high voltage power supplies and where quite large My family and my uncles family went on a tripe in 1961 dad had a CB in his 1961 Pontiac, he install another CB in Uncle Al's 1959 Chevy.
There has been since the 30's two way mobile radios and mobile telephones somewhere I got an artical on ,mobile radio,showing one installed in a 1949 Chevrolet Stationwagon.
In 1958 there was alot of cars/trucks with 6 volt systems still in service,I would think there would be CB's available to operate on 6 volt. Many[including transistor] after market radios back then could be operated on 6 or `12 volt and positive and negative ground,

That's interesting. I guess my goal of one day finding a 6v CB for my truck may happen after all! Its funny you remember the license # Bill. When I started working for my Dad's construction company, our trucks had XJ radios in them. I recall our 1 Ton being XJ 43072 Calgary, I always liked making calls on that radio while shifting gears. The newer trucks had Mobile phones installed, that would honk the horn when they rang. I liked those big handsets.

Back on topic, I'll keep my eyes peeled this summer while at the swapmeets. I figure once I have a CB radio, surely it will be easy to convince everyone else I know to instal one.

Fred, is that low plate voltage called "space charge". I remember reading about that maybe on the ARF. Frankly it's a bit over my head, as I only have an idea of what happens in tubes, not an in depth knowledge. When you get into transistors, I'm lost. They are so tiny.

I had a 12v tube/transistor hybrid CB in 1970-73. Had to squelsh it way down because of the engine noise. Took a while to warm up like all tube radios.

Your biggest problem may be finding a place to mount it. The guts of my 12v CB mounted in the trunk and a small head mounted below the dash. The sending unit in the trunk was probably 12" wide, 18" long, and 4" high.

Sounds like a neat quest. Good luck.

That's what's great about the panel truck, there's all kinds of room in the back for doing foolish stuff like this!