Believe it or not I started out in 1967 with a pair of Midland one channel (11)100-milliwatt 10 transistor walkie talkies. The darn things could talk a mile between them! I got lucky last year and picked up one off of eBay...with the box. Looks like new. That one, like my original, talks a mile too.

After that it was into "big time" CB'n. In 1968, I bought another pair of Midland walkie talkies. They were 13 transistor and one watt each with three channel capability. They were Midland model number13-130. I then applied for my FCC CB license... $20.00 for five years. I'd heard that channel 12 was the main channel used by folks in my area so I put channel 12 in both units. I used to drive my '63 Chev Nova with the walkie talkie in my left hand with that humungous 49" inch telescoping antenna poked out the window listening for contacts. I had my call sign (KBQ 0552) and channel monitored (12) on small stick-on letters and numbers on the lower part of my back window. I used to take a one watt with me when I went fishing. One sunday afternoon, while still fishing in a boat in the middle of the lake (great ground plane effect) I lived on, I managed a 22 mile contact with a base station. The guy had stacked 3's on a windmill tower. He was as surprised as I was at the distance we were talking.

After my experiences with the walkie talkies I bought a Polytronics four channel tuber. It was model number PC-2-12. My first base antenna for the Poly was a quarter wave ground plane. Eventually, I worked my way up to a 17 foot Hy-Gain 5 element beam using a variety of CB radios. Yup, got lucky on eBay again and found another Poly like my first Poly...it's a PC-1-12...manufactured in 1959...the year I graduated from high school and joined the Navy........at age 17.

I guess I've played with almost every CB brand of radio (mobile & base) that was made. My first SSB radio was a Regency Imperial. It was also compatible with DSB.

 

Browning, Tram, Sonar, Johnson, Horizon, Courier/Fanon/E.C.I., Metro-Tec, Royce, General, Cobra, Uniden, Teaberry, Kris, Colt, Pace, President, Midland, Ranger, Galaxy, Super Star, GE, Halicrafter, Regency, Robyn, Hy-Gain, Polytronics, SBE, Radio Shack, J.C. Penny, and Pearce Simpson are some of the brands I've owned or presently own. Not counting my GMRS radios, FRS radios, or my marine radio, I guess I've got somewhere in the area of 50 to 60 CB radios.

And, I enjoy listening to shortwave radios (Radio Shack & Grundig), and scanners. I've got 10 scanners...most being handheld. Three are programmable and the rest are crystal controlled. Scanner brands are Uniden/Bearcat, Regency, Courier, and RCA. I'm currently using an Imax 2000 for my base CB antenna, and Wilson for my mobile CB antenna.

I guess that's about it with my CB radio and other radio hobbies.

I also enjoy astronomy. I use a 90mm Meade refractor for sky viewing.
And, I have a clock drive for astro-photography. Comets are the main targets for my astro-photography. Back in 1986, Halley's Comet was the first comet I photographed. Northern Lights have always fascinated me and I've gotten quite a few shots of the displays we've had up here in northern Minnesota.

I've also been fortunate to have photographed 19 missions of the Space Shuttle. And, I still dabble a bit in scenic photography. I've got a White metal detector and I usually hit the local state parks and their camp sites in the fall. You'd be surprised at the amount of money folks lose in their camp sites.

Well, I guess that's it for now Woody.

Take care...73's

Merlon aka "The North Shore Traveller" (AM).