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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 17, 2014 20:51:09 GMT -5
Ugly on the outside. Pretty on the inside. I made a trade with a local CB'er. I wanted his old junk 23 channel CB's, and he wanted an old radio I had that I had no plans to fix. Deal! I got three 23 channels in all, but this one caught my eye. It is now my ugliest radio, but the inside is golden. I have not turned it on yet, but I figured I'd take a picture for laughs before I clean it up. I may gut a radio that looks good and has a not so hot circuit board, so I can put this radio inside it. Only a nostalgic 1970s CB'er would give this radio a second look. That's one butt ugly radio! Ha ha www.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-1.jpgwww.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-2.jpgNight Ranger |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 17, 2014 21:21:59 GMT -5
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 17, 2014 21:36:51 GMT -5
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 17, 2014 22:06:05 GMT -5
Ain't it purty! 3.5 watts out and dead on frequency right out of the box. It still has that smooth oily feel on the cabinet of the radio. Not a scratch anywhere. www.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2310b-2.jpgNight Ranger |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 17, 2014 22:19:48 GMT -5
Ugly on the outside. Pretty on the inside. I made a trade with a local CB'er. I wanted his old junk 23 channel CB's, and he wanted an old radio I had that I had no plans to fix. Deal! I got three 23 channels in all, but this one caught my eye. It is now my ugliest radio, but the inside is golden. I have not turned it on yet, but I figured I'd take a picture for laughs before I clean it up. I may gut a radio that looks good and has a not so hot circuit board, so I can put this radio inside it. Only a nostalgic 1970s CB'er would give this radio a second look. That's one butt ugly radio! Ha ha www.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-1.jpgwww.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-2.jpgNight Ranger Based on the "muddy" looks of this radio, I'd venture to guess that it was in a "moist" location. Hopefully there aren't a handful of bad electrolytics in there..... |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 17, 2014 22:21:49 GMT -5
That Kris looks like a parts bin candidate, but the Sears might be fun to play with. Similar to the J.C. Penney base as well as the TRC-48. They tend to talk well. |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 17, 2014 23:09:38 GMT -5
Ugly on the outside. Pretty on the inside. I made a trade with a local CB'er. I wanted his old junk 23 channel CB's, and he wanted an old radio I had that I had no plans to fix. Deal! I got three 23 channels in all, but this one caught my eye. It is now my ugliest radio, but the inside is golden. I have not turned it on yet, but I figured I'd take a picture for laughs before I clean it up. I may gut a radio that looks good and has a not so hot circuit board, so I can put this radio inside it. Only a nostalgic 1970s CB'er would give this radio a second look. That's one butt ugly radio! Ha ha www.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-1.jpgwww.shadowstorm.com/cb/rigs/KCB2330b-2.jpgNight Ranger Based on the "muddy" looks of this radio, I'd venture to guess that it was in a "moist" location. Hopefully there aren't a handful of bad electrolytics in there..... If I can get this thing working I might have to use it for a Classic Radio Roundup videogate complete with the dirt just the way it is. That should be funny to watch. I'll call it "Trailer Park Videogate". Night Ranger |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 18, 2014 10:11:46 GMT -5
Based on the "muddy" looks of this radio, I'd venture to guess that it was in a "moist" location. Hopefully there aren't a handful of bad electrolytics in there..... If I can get this thing working I might have to use it for a Classic Radio Roundup videogate complete with the dirt just the way it is. That should be funny to watch. I'll call it "Trailer Park Videogate". Night Ranger Now THAT might be good for a laugh or two. Especially if the meter sticks........  |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 18, 2014 11:53:54 GMT -5
If I can get this thing working I might have to use it for a Classic Radio Roundup videogate complete with the dirt just the way it is. That should be funny to watch. I'll call it "Trailer Park Videogate". Night Ranger Now THAT might be good for a laugh or two. Especially if the meter sticks........ Maybe I can rig up something so the meter light flickers and goes out from time to time. Since the radio did not come with a mounting bracket I can prop one side up with a crushed beer can, and the other side with a roll of duct tape. Of course I'll have to have some Lynyrd Skynyrd playing in the back ground (Gimme Three Steps, Freebird, Simpel Man, etc). A rebel flag on the wall in the background would also be a nice touch. I opened up the Kris radio. It has a "Sharp" branded circuit board. It uses the 12 crystal 23 MHz/14 MHz/ 11 MHz crystal synthesis scheme, so that is useful. The Robyn T-123B uses the same scheme and so does my Midland 13-853. I can use the 11.275 Mhz crystal to increase the selectivity of the first IF of another similar radio, and the rest can be used to put other radios back on frequency. There is a nice speaker inside as well as the usual coils and a big relay. Good parts radio. Night Ranger |
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 18, 2014 18:39:31 GMT -5
Now THAT might be good for a laugh or two. Especially if the meter sticks........ Maybe I can rig up something so the meter light flickers and goes out from time to time. Since the radio did not come with a mounting bracket I can prop one side up with a crushed beer can, and the other side with a roll of duct tape. Of course I'll have to have some Lynyrd Skynyrd playing in the back ground (Gimme Three Steps, Freebird, Simpel Man, etc). A rebel flag on the wall in the background would also be a nice touch. I opened up the Kris radio. It has a "Sharp" branded circuit board. It uses the 12 crystal 23 MHz/14 MHz/ 11 MHz crystal synthesis scheme, so that is useful. The Robyn T-123B uses the same scheme and so does my Midland 13-853. I can use the 11.275 Mhz crystal to increase the selectivity of the first IF of another similar radio, and the rest can be used to put other radios back on frequency. There is a nice speaker inside as well as the usual coils and a big relay. Good parts radio. Night Ranger Throw in a beat up Elkin amp and you'd have it made...... |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 18, 2014 19:44:52 GMT -5
Maybe I can rig up something so the meter light flickers and goes out from time to time. Since the radio did not come with a mounting bracket I can prop one side up with a crushed beer can, and the other side with a roll of duct tape. Of course I'll have to have some Lynyrd Skynyrd playing in the back ground (Gimme Three Steps, Freebird, Simpel Man, etc). A rebel flag on the wall in the background would also be a nice touch. I opened up the Kris radio. It has a "Sharp" branded circuit board. It uses the 12 crystal 23 MHz/14 MHz/ 11 MHz crystal synthesis scheme, so that is useful. The Robyn T-123B uses the same scheme and so does my Midland 13-853. I can use the 11.275 Mhz crystal to increase the selectivity of the first IF of another similar radio, and the rest can be used to put other radios back on frequency. There is a nice speaker inside as well as the usual coils and a big relay. Good parts radio. Night Ranger Throw in a beat up Elkin amp and you'd have it made...... In North Carolina and South Carolina the Elkin amplifiers were definitely the redneck amplifier of choice in the 1970s and 1980s. The eight tube Elkin and the twelve tube Elkin were the stuff of redneck trailer park dreams. Night Ranger |
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Post by KneeBiter on Jan 18, 2014 21:08:37 GMT -5
Is there something wrong with living in a trailer park?
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 18, 2014 21:15:15 GMT -5
Is there something wrong with living in a trailer park? I guess that depends on the trailer park, and how often the local police have to go there. Night Ranger |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 18, 2014 23:40:55 GMT -5
Is there something wrong with living in a trailer park? I guess that depends on the trailer park, and how often the local police have to go there. Night Ranger And whether your neighbor has a clapped out CB driving a beat up Elkin amp....  |
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Post by "Doc"Hammer on Jan 19, 2014 8:10:19 GMT -5
I guess that depends on the trailer park, and how often the local police have to go there. Night Ranger And whether your neighbor has a clapped out CB driving a beat up Elkin amp.... And how many empty beer cans you have to shovel out of the way to get the front door open... Don't forget the stock tank "Hot tub" outside!  |
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Post by BBB on Jan 19, 2014 9:38:56 GMT -5
Night Ranger is right. These radios have a face only Mother Kraco could love, but they have decent audio. The 4 Pin mic wiring is the same as some of the S.S. Midlands, Regencys and Montgomery Wards rigs in case someone wants to try one of these beauties someday. Great to hear you Night Ranger by the way, making it up to PA last night on your Robyn T-123   |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 9:43:17 GMT -5
I heard Sparky for about one transmission, and then it dropped out. Pitty. I was hoping to check in with the locals in PA.
The Cybernet made Kraco radios were actually pretty good radios. They just needed a little boost on the selectivity, and a little widening of the audio bandpass. Both are easy to upgrade. I found it interesting that my "new old stock" 38 year old 23 channel "Made In Japan" 1976 Kraco KCB2310b pll02a was dead on frequency right out of the box, and my brand new China made Cobra 148GTL was a 1/2 kHz off frequency right out of the box. Also the old Kraco hears better than the brand new Cobra 148 GTL. How the mighty have fallen.
Night Ranger
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 10:01:57 GMT -5
I guess that depends on the trailer park, and how often the local police have to go there. Night Ranger And whether your neighbor has a clapped out CB driving a beat up Elkin amp.... Back in the 1970s and early 1980s the Elkin was frequently paired with a Sears Roadtalker or a Cobra base in the North and South Carolina area. By the mid 1990s the RCI-2950 and the Elkin amplifier was the dominant pairing. By the 2000s the Texas Star and the Davemade amps had taken over the preferred redneck amp of choice, but the redneck old timers still lust after the Elkins. The big guns also ran Moonraker 4 beams with their Elkins. The eight and twelve tube Elkins seemed to be the biggest splatter boxes of the lot. Night Ranger |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 19, 2014 11:03:03 GMT -5
I heard Sparky for about one transmission, and then it dropped out. Pitty. I was hoping to check in with the locals in PA. The Cybernet made Kraco radios were actually pretty good radios. They just needed a little boost on the selectivity, and a little widening of the audio bandpass. Both are easy to upgrade. I found it interesting that my "new old stock" 38 year old 23 channel "Made In Japan" 1976 Kraco KCB2310b pll02a was dead on frequency right out of the box, and my brand new China made Cobra 148GTL was a 1/2 kHz off frequency right out of the box. Also the old Kraco hears better than the brand new Cobra 148 GTL. How the mighty have fallen. Night Ranger Key phrase: "China made". Pretty much answers those questions. Those Cybernet radios were never stellar performers, but they were very easy to understand and work on, and the PLL range was great to experiment with. The noise blankers were effective in the mobile, and they mated up really well with a Turner JM+3 microphone. Between G.E., Kraco, Lafayette, Midland, and J.C Penney, I've owned a bunch of radios with that Cybernet AM board in it. You're right, the sensitivity wasn't bad, it was just the selectivity that was the sore spot. But considering the intermod issues I used to see on early Uniden chassis radios, this wasn't any worse in comparison. |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 19, 2014 11:08:36 GMT -5
Night Ranger is right. These radios have a face only Mother Kraco could love, but they have decent audio. The 4 Pin mic wiring is the same as some of the S.S. Midlands, Regencys and Montgomery Wards rigs in case someone wants to try one of these beauties someday. Great to hear you Night Ranger by the way, making it up to PA last night on your Robyn T-123  I hereby nominate you as the "Official Butt Ugly Kraco Collector" |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 19, 2014 11:14:05 GMT -5
And whether your neighbor has a clapped out CB driving a beat up Elkin amp.... And how many empty beer cans you have to shovel out of the way to get the front door open... Don't forget the stock tank "Hot tub" outside! That's a right purdy tractor you got there Doc! When's the pool party? |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 11:20:33 GMT -5
I heard Sparky for about one transmission, and then it dropped out. Pitty. I was hoping to check in with the locals in PA. The Cybernet made Kraco radios were actually pretty good radios. They just needed a little boost on the selectivity, and a little widening of the audio bandpass. Both are easy to upgrade. I found it interesting that my "new old stock" 38 year old 23 channel "Made In Japan" 1976 Kraco KCB2310b pll02a was dead on frequency right out of the box, and my brand new China made Cobra 148GTL was a 1/2 kHz off frequency right out of the box. Also the old Kraco hears better than the brand new Cobra 148 GTL. How the mighty have fallen. Night Ranger Key phrase: "China made". Pretty much answers those questions. Those Cybernet radios were never stellar performers, but they were very easy to understand and work on, and the PLL range was great to experiment with. The noise blankers were effective in the mobile, and they mated up really well with a Turner JM+3 microphone. Between G.E., Kraco, Lafayette, Midland, and J.C Penney, I've owned a bunch of radios with that Cybernet AM board in it. You're right, the sensitivity wasn't bad, it was just the selectivity that was the sore spot. But considering the intermod issues I used to see on early Uniden chassis radios, this wasn't any worse in comparison. The selectivity can be improved noticeably by grabbing a 10.695 MHz crystal out of a junked radio (or ordering one), and installing it in place of the coupling capacitor between two of the 10.695 MHz IF coils on the Cybernet PLL02a boards. Ground the outside of the crystal to a nearby can, and then re-tune the IF coils on either side. Just be sure to place it after the noise blanker shunt if possible (if the radio has a noise blanker). You probably already know this Sandbagger, but I'm posting it for those that don't. Too bad I did not know that trick back in the 1970s. I could have used the extra selectivity since there were other CB'ers in my neighborhood. CBC International sells a "Channel Guard" kit that has two crystal filters on a separate board that does the same thing. CBC Channel Guard filter www.cbcintl.com/cgfilter.htmNight Ranger |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 13:17:13 GMT -5
Night Ranger is right. These radios have a face only Mother Kraco could love, but they have decent audio. The 4 Pin mic wiring is the same as some of the S.S. Midlands, Regencys and Montgomery Wards rigs in case someone wants to try one of these beauties someday. Great to hear you Night Ranger by the way, making it up to PA last night on your Robyn T-123 I hereby nominate you as the "Official Butt Ugly Kraco Collector" For some reason those two base radios always reminded me of the chrome fender on a 1970s automobile. Night Ranger |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 16:41:12 GMT -5
Night Ranger is right. These radios have a face only Mother Kraco could love, but they have decent audio. The 4 Pin mic wiring is the same as some of the S.S. Midlands, Regencys and Montgomery Wards rigs in case someone wants to try one of these beauties someday. Great to hear you Night Ranger by the way, making it up to PA last night on your Robyn T-123 I hereby nominate you as the "Official Butt Ugly Kraco Collector" I thought this Kraco radio was nice looking.  Night Ranger |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 19, 2014 19:40:58 GMT -5
Key phrase: "China made". Pretty much answers those questions. Those Cybernet radios were never stellar performers, but they were very easy to understand and work on, and the PLL range was great to experiment with. The noise blankers were effective in the mobile, and they mated up really well with a Turner JM+3 microphone. Between G.E., Kraco, Lafayette, Midland, and J.C Penney, I've owned a bunch of radios with that Cybernet AM board in it. You're right, the sensitivity wasn't bad, it was just the selectivity that was the sore spot. But considering the intermod issues I used to see on early Uniden chassis radios, this wasn't any worse in comparison. The selectivity can be improved noticeably by grabbing a 10.695 MHz crystal out of a junked radio (or ordering one), and installing it in place of the coupling capacitor between two of the 10.695 MHz IF coils on the Cybernet PLL02a boards. Ground the outside of the crystal to a nearby can, and then re-tune the IF coils on either side. Just be sure to place it after the noise blanker shunt if possible (if the radio has a noise blanker). You probably already know this Sandbagger, but I'm posting it for those that don't. Too bad I did not know that trick back in the 1970s. I could have used the extra selectivity since there were other CB'ers in my neighborhood. CBC International sells a "Channel Guard" kit that has two crystal filters on a separate board that does the same thing. CBC Channel Guard filter www.cbcintl.com/cgfilter.htmNight Ranger I've never tried using a standard crystal as a filter. I always thought that crystal filters had to be specially designed for the impedance of the circuit. I HAVE added 455 khz filters to the I.F.'s of radios which lack them (including my Midland 13-885). The CBC filter stacks 3 of those block filters in series along with a preamp transistor to overcome the insertion loss of the filters. It does a good job of narrowing the bandwidth of the IF, and will improve the adjacent channel selectivity. But it does nothing for front end overload issues from really strong local signals. Only a good tube front end seems to handle that well. |
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jan 19, 2014 19:42:20 GMT -5
I hereby nominate you as the "Official Butt Ugly Kraco Collector" I thought this Kraco radio was nice looking. Night Ranger At least that one uses the more typically sized meter that I'm used to seeing on Cybernet radios. Most of the other Kraco meters are way too small to read. |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 21:04:14 GMT -5
The selectivity can be improved noticeably by grabbing a 10.695 MHz crystal out of a junked radio (or ordering one), and installing it in place of the coupling capacitor between two of the 10.695 MHz IF coils on the Cybernet PLL02a boards. Ground the outside of the crystal to a nearby can, and then re-tune the IF coils on either side. Just be sure to place it after the noise blanker shunt if possible (if the radio has a noise blanker). You probably already know this Sandbagger, but I'm posting it for those that don't. Too bad I did not know that trick back in the 1970s. I could have used the extra selectivity since there were other CB'ers in my neighborhood. CBC International sells a "Channel Guard" kit that has two crystal filters on a separate board that does the same thing. CBC Channel Guard filter www.cbcintl.com/cgfilter.htmNight Ranger I've never tried using a standard crystal as a filter. I always thought that crystal filters had to be specially designed for the impedance of the circuit. I figured it was a special crystal too, but the CBC International book "Understanding and Repairing CB Radios" by Lou Franklin mentions using the standard series crystal with the same frequency as the IF. Many CB's have a transmit crystal oscillator that is the same frequency as the receiver first IF. I had some extra crystals around from junk radios, so I tried it. It worked. I think the book states "10 pf" for the crystal if you special order one for the mod. I did have to re-tune the transformers on each side of the inserted crystal to bring the receive back up. The receive signal strength was still down by about 2 S units, so I increased the adjustable IF gain at the 455 kHz IF to match the un-moded signal strength. I am still receiving the same stations 80 miles away with no noticeable loss in sensitivity, but the adjacent channel selectivity has definitely gone up. The book also mentions placing a crystal in place of the emitter bypass capacitor on one of the IF amplifiers, but I have not tried that method. UNDERSTANDING & REPAIRING CB RADIOS by Lou Frankin www.cbcintl.com/urbook.htmNight Ranger |
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Post by Night Ranger on Jan 19, 2014 22:03:44 GMT -5
I thought this Kraco radio was nice looking. Night Ranger At least that one uses the more typically sized meter that I'm used to seeing on Cybernet radios. Most of the other Kraco meters are way too small to read. Yes they are little. My teenage eyes could read them without too much difficulty, but now I need my glasses and a magnifying glass helps too. Night Ranger |
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Post by captbarry on Jan 26, 2014 1:21:36 GMT -5
Wow a Kraco was my first cb in my rusty AMC Hornet! That was around 1974 and the salt air and moisture killed it pretty quickly. Next radio was a HyGain high range 1 23 ch. Shortly after the 40 ch radios came along and I got another HyGain just 40 channel which I still have. These radios had decent audio with the stock mics and even better with a Turner M+3B. Will post some pictures when I figure out how to do that!
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Post by BBB on Jan 26, 2014 17:55:43 GMT -5
"For some reason those two base radios always reminded me of the chrome fender on a 1970s automobile. Night Ranger" That's right....  |
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