In the previous three installments, we tore down two old CB’s and an even older tube based CB linear amplifier. Those teardowns were a lot of fun and a great way to look at the way things used to be done before frequency synthesis took over.
In this final CB teardown, we’re going to look at one more old CB. Fewer details are available about this one, but let’s take a look at what we’ve got.
Examining the Radio
The radio itself is a Fanon Courier Cruiser. It’s a crystal controlled 23 channel radio typical of the era. According to the information in Popular Science’s November 1975 issue, this thing sold for $219.95. Adjusted for inflation, that’s an eye watering $1050 in today’s money! To put that in perspective, you could buy a Yaesu FT-818 HF/VHF/UHF All mode QRP radio, an LDG HF through 6m Auto tuner, and a 31′ Jackite Pole for portable operations- and have money left over!
The Method
As usual, I have a few things in mind when tearing down any device. I mentioned them in Part 1, 2, and 3, and I’ll reiterate them here:
- Disassemble in a logical order
- Don’t break anything out of impatience
- Be patient (see #2)
- Save all the parts
- Look for value in unexpected areas
- Respect quality
The Teardown
Rather than write long paragraphs about taking it apart, check out each image below and its narrative caption.
A very nice looking rig with a great mobile bracket, complete with a slide out so that you can remove the radio from your vehicle easily. Close up detail of the sliding bracket Everything looks normal except the “TVI” plug Sliding mount bracket removed. Saving that for sure! With the cover removed, you can see the PCB. As with many, this one has the PCB upside down. The internals are exposed. This radio has some interesting internal features. The best knobs in my knob collection are these. And, this CB gave me two nice meter movements. With the front panel removed, you can see the 23 channel selector and crystals. The front switches actually unplugged from the PCB. Only half of the wires for this noise blanker were connected. The 4 pin connector was removable. Saving that. An interesting construction method. Small metal tabs are riveted to the chassis then soldered into the PCB Mounting tab detail Cranked up the heat on the old soldering iron and this came right apart! Note the heat sink at the bottom toward the middle. The transistor it’s cooling attachés on one side, and the chassis attaches on the other.
Some noteworthy items in this radio include some great looking knobs and switches, and the only socketed crystals in any of the CB’s I’ve torn down. Sadly, all of them are in the 10mhz (just outside of 30m) or 37mhz range, but perhaps something interesting can be done with them. The components are all high quality and show little sign of age. In fact, this CB was the least grungy out of all of them.
Why go to all this trouble?
Because we can. I personally find these teardowns to be therapeutic. There’s something about disassembling old electronics that takes me back to when I was a kid and would take apart anything I could get my hands on. I shudder to think of some of the things I destroyed, like my Dad’s reel to reel tape player. But I’d like to think that my methodical approach and appreciation for the engineering that went into these CB’s, the pinnacle of radio technology at the time, redeems me from some of my previous sins… Maybe!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. I’m planning one final article soon, where we look at what was gained from all 4 teardowns, how we might be able to use them for QRP, and how one of these radios has already contributed to my next QRP project! Make sure to subscribe to get the latest updates as they come out.
What’s that colorful box?
In my posts I try to feature one little thing that’s been helpful to me in my ham radio experiments, and the little colorful box holding up the CB in the first few pictures is this guy:
It’s the SIQUK 1480 piece resistor kit. They’re just 1/4 watt resistors, but the selection is huge and there are 20 of them for each value. And the best part is that they are well labeled in individual baggies. Anybody who’s bought a giant stack of resistors to sort through knows what a slog that is. This Kit was the best value I found at the time, and I’m very happy with it so far.
Thanks for reading, and 73!
