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Author Topic: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL  (Read 7361 times)

KJ6ZOL

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"27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« on: May 28, 2017, 09:32:06 AM »

I've never seen one of these before:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/atq/6145151413.html

Apparently it was meant for marine use, probably for small wooden pleasure/fishing ships like Chris Craft vessels. The mold on the instruction manual backs this up. I have no idea how old this is, and the seller apparently doesn't either. The marks on the knobs are worn off-was this made before Citizens Band was channelized? Does anybody here know anything about this radio?
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W1BR

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2017, 09:58:18 AM »

Many early CB sets were limited to a few channel choices. 

That one looks like it was made for mobile and base use.  At one time CB was
used by small business owners.  Single channel made sense for those users.

Pete
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AC5UP

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2017, 10:34:15 AM »

... and while Class D CB requires crystal control for transmit, it was very common back in the day for the receiver to have a VFO.

Made the set more flexible in terms of listening opportunities and discovering which channels were most active.

KJ6ZOL

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2017, 11:41:45 AM »

Many early CB sets were limited to a few channel choices. 

That one looks like it was made for mobile and base use.  At one time CB was
used by small business owners.  Single channel made sense for those users.

Pete

I assume that by "small business owners" you're referring to a place like a big industrial yard where the guys out in the yard would need radio to communicate with the bosses in the front office building. Yeah, single channel would make sense for that, sort of a very early hollow state version of the cheap 100mw single CB channel walkie talkies that were produced by the zillions in Japan in the 60s.
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AA4PB

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2017, 12:02:21 PM »

Class D (27MHz) CB was authorized on 9/11/1958. This unit was probably made within a few years after that date. At that time everything was still tubes, transmitters were crystal controlled (this is a 1 channel unit), and the receiver was likely continuous tunable. The power supply was probably a vibrator with a transformer to step the 12VDC power up to a couple hundred volts or so to power both transmitter and receiver tubes.

12VDC input - vibrator - transformer - rectifier - filter - Hi V. DC output.
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Bob  AA4PB
Garrisonville, VA

W1BR

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2017, 12:34:08 PM »

Actually, the power supply was able to operate on both DC and AC, similar to the older Gooney Bird radios hams were running on six and meters back in the same era.

The transmitter was single channel, crystal controlled.  The receiver used a super-regen detector with a RF amp.  That was probably a very expensive unit when it first came out--looks similar to the beefy construction RCA used for its commercial 2-way radio FM gear.

Pete
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KI4ZUQ

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2017, 12:48:40 PM »

Looks like a heater!

Karl
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73
Karl
KI4ZUQ

WA2CWA

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    • ManualMan
RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2017, 12:53:08 PM »

The RCA CRM-P2A-5 sold for $124.95 in 1960.
Two models available: 6V DC/115V AC or 12V DC/115V AC
The Squelch unit (the lower knob) was an optional accessory.
Unit rated for 5 watts input on transmit. Single channel receive and transmit.
It was also called a "RCA Cruisephone".
It weighed 8 pounds.
Came with a 4 foot telescoping antenna on top. For external antenna, you had to add a SO-239 connector on the front panel (where the hole is shown).

Not sure why anyone would pay $100 for one today unless you're a collector.

Pete, wa2cwa
www.manualman.com
« Last Edit: May 28, 2017, 12:55:13 PM by WA2CWA »
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KJ6ZOL

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2017, 01:26:37 PM »

WA2CWA, there are plenty of jerks on Craigslist who think a beat up old tube radio is worth more than it really is, usually by a factor of 10. A $20 is "worth" $200, that sort of thing. There's a guy on Sacramento CL who has been pushing a Philco Butterfly that looks like it was chewed up and spit out, he wants $200 and refuses to reduce the price. Apparently he's been trying to unload that Philco for a couple YEARS. Thanks for the info, by the way, I thought it might be a single channel unit but wasn't sure since the knob markings are gone. Do you know what freq this unit used, and what CB channel it would be equivalent to?
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K2OWK

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2017, 04:47:03 PM »

Did you know when I first became a ham (1954) the 11 meter band was a ham band. My VF1 used with the Heathkit DX35 had the 11 meter band available. The FCC
took the band from the hams and gave it to the CB people. Boy did that work out. Anyway just my two cents worth. I had a Midland all tube CB radio back about 1960 or so.

73s

K2OWK
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WA2CWA

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    • ManualMan
RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2017, 07:09:29 PM »

Thanks for the info, by the way, I thought it might be a single channel unit but wasn't sure since the knob markings are gone. Do you know what freq this unit used, and what CB channel it would be equivalent to?

The manual doesn't make any mention of what specific crystal frequency comes with the unit. Even in a catalog ad, it makes no mention of any specific channel frequency.

Pete, wacwa
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KD0REQ

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2017, 08:20:27 PM »

you probably told your RCA commercial radio dealer what frequency you wanted 1-23 and they popped in the crystal for another $20. just like business band in the 160s.
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HAMHOCK75

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2017, 08:27:34 PM »

Here is the service manual for it.

http://www.cbtricks.com/radios/rca/crm_p2a_5/graphics/rca_crm_p2a_5_sams.pdf

It does mention that you pick a channel for it from 1-22.
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WA2CWA

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    • ManualMan
RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2017, 12:02:39 AM »

you probably told your RCA commercial radio dealer what frequency you wanted 1-23 and they popped in the crystal for another $20. just like business band in the 160s.

Actually, you could of bought one of these transceivers at Lafayette Radio. Didn't need to go to a RCA commercial radio dealer.

Pete, wa2cwa
« Last Edit: May 29, 2017, 12:06:44 AM by WA2CWA »
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K0BT

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RE: "27 megacycle" RCA boatanchor on Santa Cruz CL
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2017, 09:24:11 AM »

I remember a few of these and ones like it still coming in for repair in the early/mid-70s.  They were a fun break from the typical "No, I didn't hook it up backwards!" problems.
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