AMPS from the 70's ...the Good, the Bad, the Ugly?

[70cst]

Ok all...
I have been educated to which CB's were the top tier in the 70's and early 80's. It is with this input that I want to use one of those CB's on my truck that is coming of a 2 yr "Frame Off". I now have have a Tram 60 and Browning Baron & Sabre that I am considering. I may have also located a Sears Roadtalker AM/SSB at a good price so if the works out I'll be selecting from one of those four radios...But subject to change w/o notice.
Ok...in the 70's to maybe early 80's who were the top notch Amp manufactures?
Thanks in advance.

 

[oil2gas]

I drive a toyota tacoma and have installed behind the seat a Browning LTD 23 channel with extra channels and it drives with 2 watt power up my palomar Tx 75 amplifier and it gets great feedback with the truckers on the interstate hiways and yes they were both purchased in 1975.
At the house i have a antron 99 with a Yaesu FT 747 GX and it also sounds very good on all frequencys
wish you luck with your new or refurbished truck and your great choice of radios

 

[HIGHROLLER]

70cst,
Back in the mid to late 70’s I was running Black Cat mobile amps. They made two different models. A 100 and 200 watter. As I recall they both played really well.
The 100 watter was a single tube (can’t remember the number) amp that was quite small in size for its time. Approx 2 1/2Hx7Lx6D with nothing on the front but a red TX lamp and an on/off toggle switch…Black in color of course. The 200 watter was a two piece unit with one part that mounted underneath the hood.
If memory serves me correctly I was partial to the little 100 watt guy. However I’m betting that either one would look sharp mounted in your retro rod.
FYI

 

[74IN]

Stay away from the old sweep tube amps.

They were good in their time for CB, but the demise of tube TV's has made the power tubes costly.

 

[TonyV225]

DITTO on the last statement Im with 74IN on this. most of these Sweep tubes in general are hard to find if you can indeed locate one and one that wasnt popular that some of these old tube amps ran then be prepared to open your wallet and dump it out on the table

 

[Carl]

even cheap 6JU6 tubes that were 40-60watts each are $30 or so new. its not worth spending so much when you can get a basic palomar 225 thats good for 140-180 watts for a little over $120. no tuning and no worry about hitting a bump and shorting another tube.

 

[psycho]

DITTO on the last statement Im with 74IN on this. most of these Sweep tubes in general are hard to find if you can indeed locate one and one that wasnt popular that some of these old tube amps ran then be prepared to open your wallet and dump it out on the table

One of my friends bought a MINT 12 tube Phantom for $200.......looks brand new. The tubes were weak. Estimates of $600 to replace all the tubes with new ones made him just put it up in the closet. Glass tube amps are a waste of money. As far as solid state amps available in the 1970's..........most were just junk. Messenger, Telco(Hurricane 350/Whirlwind 600), and Gray were the only amps from the late 70's that are worth anything. Texas Stars are garbage too.

 

[fortymobile]

That Tram 60 is a nice radio....SBE were good radios