I first got into CB radio around 1980. I borrowed an AM set from a pal at school, I was around 12/13 at the time and it was kinda taking off in the UK. It went legal in the UK in 1981 and I got into it in a big way for around 4/5 years.
I had many different radios and "twigs". I remember having a few scafolding poles screwed together with a huge Thunderpole, then a Silver Rod on top, guy ropes securing it to the ground, my mother used to get pretty annoyed with my "latest" conversion, invention lol, but teens back then were always experimenting with something or another.
I met my first love on the CB, we ended up together till I was around 21 or so, actually went to see the minister, booked the function suite and date but it fell apart and I ended up married to someone else a few years later.
The CB was great back then. It was our social media. Used to have great fun going to the regular CB meet, getting "eyeballs" with people and the whole radio, tech side of it interested me greatly.
I did dip my toe into the Ham licence side, I tried going to night school to a view on getting a licence but at around 14/15 years old it was quite clearly way out of my depth.
My first legal CB was an Amstrad 901 which my mum got me from a hire purchase catalogue which were quite popular back then. I think I maybe contributed to the payments from my paper round or milk round, or so I said I would, lol.
I loved the Ham International radios, those were the ones to have, the Multimode, Concord and the Jumbo which was gorgeous.
I still watch a few videos on YT about CB, radios, tech etc but have no interest in trying it out.
Mick.
