Tuesday, January 30, 2024

TOWER 5 Transistors Walkie talkies from the 60s - The ones that ignited my radio/electronics hobby.

Tale of my first transmission : 27.125MHz - CB Channel 14.

When I was young (late sixties, first seventies) I got a couple of black TOWER walkie talkies.
They were shiny and looked like rocket science objects.

My actual units

It wasn't long before I realized they weren't usable: communications with a friend were difficult, if not impossible, even between rooms.
On the other hand, however, one evening, I heard voices coming out of one of the radios. They were people who chatted about this and that using esoteric language...as well as coded words (CQ, QTH, QRZ, YL, 88, Roger, K, ...).
I tried to make myself heard, but no one could listen to me.
Suddenly, while I was desperately trying to make myself heard, (are you listening? Hello, ready, are you listening?...) one of those voices answered me. He greeted me, welcomed me and ... explained to me that I had a "super regenerative" radio in my hands and that it could simultaneously listen to many frequencies but only transmit on a single one. That's explained me why I was hearing many voices but I had difficulty make me listen.
After a few days I met that person: he was an OM with a shack that looked like a spaceship to me.
BINGO. Since then I have been CB for years and have become passionate about radio and electronics.
Eventually I also got an ham license.