MOD's missing equipment rediscovered..
I don't recall hearing the Seth Efrikan police, but on one occasion in early Summer 1968, one of the 88 set's channels was unusable due to what sounded like a Spanish broadcast station. Solar cycle 20, I guess....
CB could have been really good; however, not long after it became legal it fell into misuse due to kids playing music etc. Still, at least I was once tipped off about an accident on the M40 on my way to Gatwick, so was able to cut across to the M4 / M25 and avoid the delay - thus getting to the airport in time to pick up Her Deliciousness. TMC traffic on SatNav is too unreliable, RDS traffic on FM is too general; however, up-to-date information from truckers on Ch19 worked well when the channel wasn't being jammed by kids. Although you did feel a bit of an idiot having to ask for a "10-13 on the eastbound super slab" instead of "Any traffic hold-ups on the eastbound M40".....
CB could have been really good; however, not long after it became legal it fell into misuse due to kids playing music etc. Still, at least I was once tipped off about an accident on the M40 on my way to Gatwick, so was able to cut across to the M4 / M25 and avoid the delay - thus getting to the airport in time to pick up Her Deliciousness. TMC traffic on SatNav is too unreliable, RDS traffic on FM is too general; however, up-to-date information from truckers on Ch19 worked well when the channel wasn't being jammed by kids. Although you did feel a bit of an idiot having to ask for a "10-13 on the eastbound super slab" instead of "Any traffic hold-ups on the eastbound M40".....
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
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BEagle, Self Loading Freight ...
I hope you don't mind me adding some personal reminiscences here ...
Early 70's in the Air Cadets I spent a good deal of my spare time after school getting a few 1985/1986 Tx/Rx sets working ... with some success !
After being "issued" with the kit and a tatty AP ... I had to build a 24v 8 Amp DC "smoothed" mains power supply (using a second-hand rectifier from a milk float charger and a thumping great transformer ... part hand wound ... along with a few Mil Grade capacitors). Also built a homemade collinear wire aerial ... "acquired" some 50 Ohm Mil Grade coax ... and on c. 5 Watts AM managed two way from Deal to Herne Bay in Kent.
Can still remember having to hardwire the Controller Plugs to allow Channel 1 to be selected ... until I scrounged a Type 382 Selector Switch (remember the Chipmunk) for our kit. The frequency then was Vic 2 (149.4 Mhz).
Even had a bash at replacing the rotary transformer in a set with a less noisy HT & LT power circuit ... along with plonking a modern RF Amp on the Rx side ... but the set "heard further than it could shout" by then !
Pics of the Aircraft 1985/86 Tx/Rx set ...
Great fun and, as you say, learn't a lot ...
Best regards ...
Coff.
PS. Also got to play with a 1154/1155 rig and an RA17 ...
I hope you don't mind me adding some personal reminiscences here ...
Early 70's in the Air Cadets I spent a good deal of my spare time after school getting a few 1985/1986 Tx/Rx sets working ... with some success !
After being "issued" with the kit and a tatty AP ... I had to build a 24v 8 Amp DC "smoothed" mains power supply (using a second-hand rectifier from a milk float charger and a thumping great transformer ... part hand wound ... along with a few Mil Grade capacitors). Also built a homemade collinear wire aerial ... "acquired" some 50 Ohm Mil Grade coax ... and on c. 5 Watts AM managed two way from Deal to Herne Bay in Kent.
Can still remember having to hardwire the Controller Plugs to allow Channel 1 to be selected ... until I scrounged a Type 382 Selector Switch (remember the Chipmunk) for our kit. The frequency then was Vic 2 (149.4 Mhz).
Even had a bash at replacing the rotary transformer in a set with a less noisy HT & LT power circuit ... along with plonking a modern RF Amp on the Rx side ... but the set "heard further than it could shout" by then !
Pics of the Aircraft 1985/86 Tx/Rx set ...
Great fun and, as you say, learn't a lot ...
Best regards ...
Coff.
PS. Also got to play with a 1154/1155 rig and an RA17 ...
Gentleman Aviator
Ah - signals in the CCF, I can still smell the unique "burnt dust" smell of old (even then) valve radios.
I do some stuff with Air Cadets now, and am constantly surprised (but delighted) to see the youth of today - pockets full of Blackberries and iPhones - still getting a buzz (often literally) out of a QSL from the other side of the world using a "steam radio" of uncertain vintage.
I do some stuff with Air Cadets now, and am constantly surprised (but delighted) to see the youth of today - pockets full of Blackberries and iPhones - still getting a buzz (often literally) out of a QSL from the other side of the world using a "steam radio" of uncertain vintage.
