CB RADIO: All about buying classic radios of yesteryear

NatCom Rewind: Getting on the air with the unique sound of old CB base stations

NatCom Rewind is a feature showcasing articles from past issues of the magazine that still have relevance today. This NatCom Rewind feature is updated from the LATE FALL November | December 2015 issue of National Communications Magazine. It originally was written by Chuck Gysi, N2DUP, editor and publisher, and has been updated by NatCom CB columnist Roger Dumont Jr.

Back when this article first appeared on the pages of National Communications Magazine, there wasn’t significant interest in old tube-type citizens band radios of the past. That all changed with a pandemic.

One maker of CB rigs from the past, Sonar, also made scanners, receivers and marine radios, while being popular among CB operators, too. This is their FS-23 mobile rig. Imagine this mounted under your car’s dash!

Like many hobbies that gained new interest while everyone sheltered in their homes during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 through 2021, CB radio attracted new fans who wanted to revisit radios of the past. Like those who newly started collecting baseball cards, classic games, postage stamps and more, many yearned for a return to the classic CB base stations of the past.