Courier Spartan 40 channel ssb with a channel dial mod???

[vswr]

I have this spartan with some wierd mod that changes the rotary 40 channel dial switch to some sort of a 2 digit flip switch that reminds me of my old Samsonite brief case that I had with a combination lock.

Im looking for as much info as I can get about this mod. Looks like it was a kit. The digits go up to 99.

If the radio was working, I'd have a better understanding to figure it out. I get nothing but white noise out of it.

Can't seem to find anything about this mod on the net or places like CBtricks.org or elsewhere.

Hoping that someone knows all about this mod, when it came out as a kit or ifbits just some backyard box of beer mod that someone whipped together. Thanks.

 

[hpssb]

They are "thumbwheel" switches, a very common mod here in Oz back in the early 80's. They still turn up on Ebay Oz site from time to time. Spartans, Gladiators, Cobra 138's, Realistic 449, and other brands that used the same PLL chip in their SSB radios. The mod required one other switch to work, usually a rewired NB/ANL/PA front panel switch. It gave a high and low range with 99 channels on each.

The mod was so common that people would say "go thumbs 69 low" or "go thumbs 50 high" when leaving the call channel clear for other users.

Low 91 was CB channel 1, and high 35 was CB channel 40. So to cover the full 40 channels, you needed the low/high switch. Can still remember "high 00" was CB channel 8, the truckies channel at the time, and "high 30" was channel 35 - at the time the "pirate" LSB call channel as legal CB's only had 18 channels. When 40 channels was legalized in the mid 80's, 35 AKA "high 30" became the call channel.

 

[tramd]

The FCC allowed 40 channels in the beginning of 1977.

 

[vswr]

They are "thumbwheel" switches, a very common mod here in Oz back in the early 80's. They still turn up on Ebay Oz site from time to time. Spartans, Gladiators, Cobra 138's, Realistic 449, and other brands that used the same PLL chip in their SSB radios. The mod required one other switch to work, usually a rewired NB/ANL/PA front panel switch. It gave a high and low range with 99 channels on each.

The mod was so common that people would say "go thumbs 69 low" or "go thumbs 50 high" when leaving the call channel clear for other users.

Low 91 was CB channel 1, and high 35 was CB channel 40. So to cover the full 40 channels, you needed the low/high switch. Can still remember "high 00" was CB channel 8, the truckies channel at the time, and "high 30" was channel 35 - at the time the "pirate" LSB call channel as legal CB's only had 18 channels. When 40 channels was legalized in the mid 80's, 35 AKA "high 30" became the call channel.

That's great information. Thank you. Now maybe I can get started on figuring it out. I do appreciate the response. If you know where I can find more information about this mod, please advise.

73s

 

[hpssb]

Much later here in Oz. Up to 1976, 23 channels but only 16 of them could be legally used. 1977 to 1983 was 18 channels corresponding to roughly 5 to 22 on the 23 channel system, skipping the ones you couldn't use on the 23 channel sets (i.e. no channel 10 equivalent), but including 27.095 and 27.195 to give a total of 18 channels.

Shot themselves in the foot, adding 27095/27195 meant that non expandable PLL chips could not be used, so legal radios were easy to expand. Hence easy to fit the thumbwheel conversion to give you 200 channels.

They realised the error around 1983 or 1984, and legalised the same 40 channels that were used in America. And all new approvals had to have PLL chips that covered only the newly legalized 40 channels.

 

[hpssb]

The most common mail order source back in the day was a place called "South Pacific Radio", long defunct, they advertised in the Oz CB magazines at the time. Pic of front cover of their book and their advertisement for the thumbwheel conversions attached. Unfortunately, I don't have the book, it might be out there somewhere on archive.org or cbtricks.

 

[vswr]

Here is the radio in question and my original

 

[vswr]

The most common mail order source back in the day was a place called "South Pacific Radio", long defunct, they advertised in the Oz CB magazines at the time. Pic of front cover of their book and their advertisement for the thumbwheel conversions attached. Unfortunately, I don't have the book, it might be out there somewhere on archive.org or cbtricks.

Very interesting stuff! Thanks!

 

[hpssb]

Here's the Oz version. White channel numbers are the Oz 18 channel scheme, blue ones are the equivalent channel on a 23 channels set. Red is emergency use only.

There are no blue numbers for Oz 7 and 16, these were 27.095 and 27.195 respectively. No 23/40 channel equivalent channel.

Thousands of these were converted to thumbwheels like the one in your picture back in the early 80's before 40 channel sets were legal here in Oz. CB shops sold them new for $249 as an 18, or $299 with the thumbwheel conversion already done.

 

[vswr]

The most common mail order source back in the day was a place called "South Pacific Radio", long defunct, they advertised in the Oz CB magazines at the time. Pic of front cover of their book and their advertisement for the thumbwheel conversions attached. Unfortunately, I don't have the book, it might be out there somewhere on archive.org or cbtricks.

Is this mod shown in this specific book? If so, I'll try to find a copy. Thanks.

 

[vswr]

Here's the Oz version. White channel numbers are the Oz 18 channel scheme, blue ones are the equivalent channel on a 23 channels set. Red is emergency use only.

There are no blue numbers for Oz 7 and 16, these were 27.095 and 27.195 respectively. No 23/40 channel equivalent channel.

Thousands of these were converted to thumbwheels like the one in your picture back in the early 80's before 40 channel sets were legal here in Oz. CB shops sold them new for $249 as an 18, or $299 with the thumbwheel conversion already done.

View attachment 76187

Awesome backstory!

 

[hpssb]

Yes, South Pacific Radio sold the how to book, the blue one with the skull and radio tower in the front. They also sold the thumbwheels both direct to end users by mail order, and in bulk to other CB shops along with a copy of the book so their technicians could install them.

 

[vswr]

Yes, South Pacific Radio sold the how to book, the blue one with the skull and radio tower in the front. They also sold the thumbwheels both direct to end users by mail order, and in bulk to other CB shops along with a copy of the book so their technicians could install them.

I'll keep an eye out for it. But is it specific to aussie radio PLL chips or also for US chips?

 

[hpssb]

PLL chip and the rest of the electronics are identical. The only difference between the old Oz 18 and the equivalent 40 channel American radio is the channel switch itself. When 40 channels was legalized here, you could buy replacement 40 channel switches for most brands and fit them in about 30 minutes to turn your 18 channel Cobra, Courier, Realistic, or whatever into the 40 channel version. DSE and Tandy (known as Radio Shack in the USA) sold the switches for about 20 bucks.

 

[vswr]

PLL chip and the rest of the electronics are identical. The only difference between the old Oz 18 and the equivalent 40 channel American radio is the channel switch itself. When 40 channels was legalized here, you could buy replacement 40 channel switches for most brands and fit them in about 30 minutes to turn your 18 channel Cobra, Courier, Realistic, or whatever into the 40 channel version. DSE and Tandy (known as Radio Shack in the USA) sold the switches for about 20 bucks.

Are they still available?