UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

SiriusHardware · 17th Apr 2021, 10:08 am

As someone who had for some time been actively involved in the campaign for the UK to have legal CB, on 2nd November 1981 I went to my local (North Shields) branch of Rumblelows and bought one of the most expensive mobile CB radios they had - a Binatone 5-Star. In spite of the mediocre badge this (and many other radios of the period) turned out to have a decent Japanese-made Cybernet chassis in it and is now regarded as one of the classic radios of the period. I still have it of course.

CB could well be regarded as the first technology-driven social media network, many people formed lasting friendships and some even got married to people they first encountered via CB.

I still have the collection of UK spec radios I acquired during the eighties and in normal circumstances I select one and take it with me on my annual run around the highlands and islands - that area is so far away from the south east UK that it is within normal sporadic-E skip distance and I can quite often find myself chatting to operators in Kent and Sussex.

The main users now seem to be farmers / farm vehicles and off-roaders, although caravanners travelling in pairs or convoys will often have them as well.

17th Apr 2021, 10:08 am	#6
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 11,588	Re: 40 years of legal CB in the UK. As someone who had for some time been actively involved in the campaign for the UK to have legal CB, on 2nd November 1981 I went to my local (North Shields) branch of Rumblelows and bought one of the most expensive mobile CB radios they had - a Binatone 5-Star. In spite of the mediocre badge this (and many other radios of the period) turned out to have a decent Japanese-made Cybernet chassis in it and is now regarded as one of the classic radios of the period. I still have it of course. CB could well be regarded as the first technology-driven social media network, many people formed lasting friendships and some even got married to people they first encountered via CB. I still have the collection of UK spec radios I acquired during the eighties and in normal circumstances I select one and take it with me on my annual run around the highlands and islands - that area is so far away from the south east UK that it is within normal sporadic-E skip distance and I can quite often find myself chatting to operators in Kent and Sussex. The main users now seem to be farmers / farm vehicles and off-roaders, although caravanners travelling in pairs or convoys will often have them as well.