Sears Roadtalker 40 AM SSB CB Radio -- a real radio?

[grandpaclint]

[ external image ]

i remember too

[Foxhunter]

[ external image ]

i remember too

Thank you, and I'm glad you remember too. But I'm sadly afraid "short term" memory is an epidemic in this nation. I appreciate your acknowledgment and making a point to say it Granpaclint. I certainly will remember and NEVER forget what those miserable people have done, continue to do, and will try to do to "top it" THE NEXT TIME. How many can say the same ? Hopefully many, but in the news it showing the US policy and lawmakers already planning to leave Afghanistan to recover, is a bad sign of lessons unlearned.

The two points of light in the image are known as the "Tribute in Light" and are the ghostly images of generally where the two towers once stood, a mass grave site. I missed this year's Tribute (they were supposed to cancel it, but then decided not to), my last visit was 2008's and went up there into downtown Manhattan between 1AM and 4:30AM, spent the whole night walking around lower Manhattan. At the base of the two Towers of Light, it is an amazing sight to look up and see as they rise up to the low-lying cloud tops. If you are there in-person, when you look up you can see hundreds upon hundreds of "white" birds endlessly circling within the lights. I believe it was mainly due to insects attracted to the twin beams, but to the observer it almost looks like souls circling within. People that have seen it can understand entirely what I mean by what I just described. In the image shown here as my forum signature, the lights appear nearly the same height as the original towers. So far, as of today, 1,964 people have viewed the picture one way or another from my online photo album. If anyone's ever gone up to the top of one of the Twin Towers, the surrounding bridges and buildings---including other skyscrapers---looked tiny by comparison, like little toys. I'd liken the view from the top to actually being in an aircraft over the city, it was hard to believe you were in or on a man made building.


Due to quality content
this is one of those videos where after you push play
you should pause it for 30 seconds to let it load
then push play and resume watching uninterrupted
Pre-9/11 NYC Night Aerial View
[youtube][/youtube]


[ external image ]


What is the Tribute in Light ?
[Please login or register to view this link]

[muddy_udders]

I picked up a slantface 934.38110700 it has tx and rx but no audio. No sound coming through in either tx,rx or PA.
I verified Tx and Rx with Freq. counter and a secondary radio.
Does anyone have a link to a schematic? I am figuring the audio amp may be bad.


Thanks,
Muddy

[skybolt58]

I have The Sears Roadtalker 40 Model 934 38270700 , a long time ago it was converted to the upper channels, but they used the SWR/RF/CAL switch. I want to add 2 switches which I kow how to do, BUT I need to know what wires goes back on that switch? for it to work properly, Any one still have one of these ole wheel chucks, and maybe take a close up pic inside where the wires connect to. Thanks

[sasquatch918]

Sears Roadtalker 40 SSB

My favorite radio that I've ever owned.

[jopcobra89]

I've actually found three old Montgomery Wards radios over the past few weeks...

Model 680 - 40 channel AM mobile
Model 719 - 40 channel AM / SSB mobile
Model 730 - 40 channel AM mobile

I've also heard good things about Sears, JC Penney, and Wards radios and I do have to admit that old Wards radios ROCK! For stock radios they are loud and get excellent reports. They definitely compare to a current production Cobra 29 LTD Classic and some people say they are louder than a peaked Galaxy.

Definitely worth the $10 bucks that I paid for each radio :r&r:

[imprimisone]

Hello all:

I've been out of cb radios for over 30 years and for some reason I recently got the bug to get back into it. I found a 3827 from an older gentleman who had it modded years ago. It has two toggles in the back, one a two way and the other a 3 way switch. He lost the paper in which the instructions were on and couldn't remember how to work the switches. Is this a standard way of adding channels or does it depend on who does the modding? I would just like to be able to set it normal anyway as I don't really understand extra channels.....

Second question is about something I learned in this thread. I found out that this unit is both ac and dc. Of course it didn't come with an ac cord, only the dc cigarette lighter cord. This probably is a dumb question, but could I use the dc cord as ac if I add a plug? The old gentleman didn't realize it was also ac as he told me I needed to get a converter if I wanted to make this into a base, (which I do).

Any help with the switches and cord would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

[443 Arizona]

welcome Ericthose old sears were pretty good radios, i have a similar one myself. as for what freq's. just hook it up and go scouting for contacts.. whats your 20 anyway, i like seeing that info listed cause ya never know who your neighbor is or who you might be talkin skip with.

[Foxhunter]

The best thing you could do, to quickly give you immediate help in understanding the varous switch settings, would be to purchase and use a separate frequency counter. It would give you the exact frequency of the channels you're flipping through, helping you navigate much more easily. Not critical, but it would be a big help, and you'd spend more time talking and less time trying to figure out where you are in the bandspread.


Like I'd wrote and others have also mentioned, the "special sears cb power cord" problem is a real pain with these radios because the plugs are so unique. I just finally bought a DC plug, finally found one. I'd guess that although the AC plug and the DC plugs look the same with the same shaped end, I'd think and worry that one (like say the AC plug) end would only connect (internally) at the top pins----while possibly the same exact shaped DC cord might be hot inside only on the lower pins. So if you were to adapt the DC cord for AC power instead, then when plugged in AC, the AC might go straight into the 12V inputs and fry something. I'd seen or read where someone had loaned a Cobra 2000GTL to a friend, to get help get him interested in radio, and the friend went and forced the AC cord into the DC socket and it completely killed the radio as a result. Next time I get my Roadtalker out, I'll check to see which holes are hot on each of the power cords both AC & DC.


It's neat that they included base station capability by providing a built-in AC power supply within a beefy rugged mobile radio. A few other brute "mobile" radio manufacturers did the same during that time period. The Courier Gladiator and Courier Classic similarly come to mind first. I wish manufacturers would still provide that option today, for some mobile radio models.

[skybolt58]

you can try this, it is the most comon switch setup , it could be up or down instead foward or backwars..



[Please login or register to view this link]

[imprimisone]

Thanks fellas. The gentleman I purchased it from called me today and found the freq. sheet. He also said he may have a AC cord for it so I'm pretty geeked. If he can't find it, I may buy his old Sears Base Station that he has and it has a cord that may fit.

Bought a 3 dollar mobile antenna at a thrift shop and the radio sure sounds good and loud. Best 23 bucks I've spent in a long while.

Thanks again,
Eric

[bigjake918]

Here's my new Roadtalker 40 SSB Base that I just picked up off of EBAY. Im tickled pink - not a scratch on it, and it came in original Sears box - with the original Sears Desk mic.

[ external image ]
[ external image ]

[Nagant]

Here's my new Roadtalker 40 SSB Base that I just picked up off of EBAY. Im tickled pink - not a scratch on it, and it came in original Sears box - with the original Sears Desk mic.

[ external image ]
[ external image ]

It looks really nice. I think I remember seeing it listed on there not to long ago. Thanks for posting some pics.
.
.
.

[bigjake918]

You're very welcome. Im a pic takin' nut, so beware.

Some guy in NC has a seemingly endless supply of Sears Roatalkers that he sells on ebay periodically. He has the slant faced mobiles, also - several Ive seen still in original plastic wrap. I owned one of those years ago - man it would walk the dog. One day Ill get another to compliment the base I just bought - hopefully.

[443 Arizona]

i have one of the SEARS SILVERTONE radio's.
it is a 12 channel unit(you buy the crystals)
all the guts are HUGE components and everything is Motorola.
this radio got compliments (which was abnormal back then).
i had put a power mic on it,
someday i hope to hook it up, just to see if it still sounds the same.

[RoadTalker]

I have one now and also had one back in the early 80s, both are/ were slant face 40ch SSB mobile / base combo's.

The one I have now that I have had for about one year I got of E-bay it was one of those new old stock, new in the box, pristine never used one's.

My radio tech tweaked n peaked it, I have a new also never used still in the box Turn M+3B on it that matches my original setup.


What I like and dis like about the Sear SSB , I absolutely love the receive, in two way's, 1st because is hears real well ( post tweaking ) , 2nd because you can flip a "tone" switch to mellow out the harshness of the audio from the speaker, and you can turn the squelch knob and s-l-o-w-l-y fade out the hash just a tiny bit at a time to fine tune the squelch.

Unlike my RCI 2950 with has a squelch that is more like a light switch, it is either on or off , same thing with my Kenwood 430S.

I also like the look of the slant face road talker, and the rubber ringed knobs.

What I don't like about it is the audio quality that You would hear if I were talking to You on it, Example: When my radio tech called me up on my regular 27.38500 LSB hangout he sounded like a pig with a head cold, but when he called me up on my RCI he sounded like a high quality ham radio and mic would sound, none of that narrow piggy porky sound.

Of the five / SSB's I have I think the old school 148GTL is a better all around talking "CB" SB radio ( Kenwood excluded )

[iclord]

I bought my sears roadtalker ssb brand new in box at ebay for only $154 plus $22 shipping worth every cents

I have another one in my truck and its been around long time with no trouble it just talks and talks
could someone please tell be where I could get or buy a ad that sears had when this radio first came out??

also I bought on ebay that will go with my radio this mic is Sears Amplified Desk Microphone CB Radio w Box
I got really good report with both of them soo happy with the match

I cheek old sears books in the 1970s and there is noo info about this fine radio

let me know

here is some pictures of my NEW radio for ebay

not sure why I cant post pictures
if you want to see my radio let me know

[skybolt58]

I still have mine here that I need the wiring for the swr switch, whoever did the channel mod used the swr cal ref switch for it, I would like to get it back to stock with a rotary switch and have the swr working again, if someone can open theirs and maybe draw a sketch on what wires go where, Would be great?

[blckshprls]

I recently bought one at a flea market. The one I got is AM only model but a little different. Audio needs some help, sound like side band out of tune. Any suggestions? Here's a link for the model I have.

[Please login or register to view this link]

[jopcobra89]

I've got two Roadtalkers... an AM/SSB mobile and the "slant front" AM version (still in the box) that resembles the SSB model pictured at the beginning of this thread. They are excellent radios with fine sensitivity and selectivity. I'd rate them up there with radios like the Galaxy DX949 any day.

Had a chance to buy one of those Roadtalker bases with the slider knobs at a recent hamfest for $20... but I first thought it was some kind of mixer board when eyeing it from across the room It was long gone when I came back for a closer look.

[Zman]

They are ok but definetly not a power house. You are lucky if you get one that will do 10 watts pep on am and 15 on SSB. In that department they SUCK but they have great ears!!!

[Nagant]

They are ok but definetly not a power house. You are lucky if you get one that will do 10 watts pep on am and 15 on SSB. In that department they SUCK but they have great ears!!!

It depends on the exact model. Some are like you stated but other models have more output than that. Even the lower power ones can talk just as good as any other radio with the right amp behind it.

[Hondarider]

Those are some really nice looking radios! Lol that is all.
Have a good one.

[skybolt58]

I need The Sears Roadtalker 40 Model 934 38270700 (AM/SSB 13.8VDC and 120VAC) parts radio, I need the pll section and the channel selector anyone got one of these and would like to get rid of it for parts Email me at rschaniel@twcnyDOTrrDOTcom and let me know price, OR I will sell mine for 45.00. I had to spell out dot, it wouldn't let me do url's/

[352 Smiley]

they are good old radios