Question for the older CB'ers here

[grandpaclint]

What is your opinion of the old Robyn line of radios?

I have 23 channels Robyn base & a 23 channel Robyn mobil from that time period that I bought new during the cb craze of the 70's. They have been in storage for about 20 yrs now but I'd like to get them out and see if they work.

With all the time that has past in the CB field any suggestion at all on anything about CB's and/or my radios.

DON'T HOLD BACK GUYS 'CAUSE I NEED SOME NAKED TRUTH HERE TO NOT WASTE MONEY .

well here's my 2 cents worth.
I like the old 23 channel radios,i never had a robyn,but i have had
johnsons, cobra cam-88,comstat25-a,etc.They all did the job.
Recently my wife got a mitsubishi lancer-es,,and i wanted to put
a cb in it,,very little room anywhere for any cb,I bought a cobra 19
DXIV and a wilson 1000 trunk mount. it was just ok.
Later on ebay i got a browning brownie 23,just a little bit larger
but fit where the cobra did,There is absolutely no comparison
between the two,the browning is far and away a better radio.
in all respects.When you think about what we listen to and transmit
on in a mobile, its still ch.19, and maybe , in my case 21, local.
40 channels is ok, but not the end all do all.Unless we want ssb.

like a said, just my 2 cents

Clint

 

[mechanic]

I'll add a penny or two myself.... :laugh:

I started in CB at the time of the 40 intro and there was many 23 channel ops going on. Seems to me that many of these old 23s were just as good if not better than to 40s! I remember the Midlands and HyGains became less of a radio when the first 40s came out....
The FCC at the time stopped type accepting any 23 channels when the 40s were allowed in 1977, They could be sold and most were deep discounted and the SSB were more in demand.
My opinion is that many of the old 23s, both AM and SSB are still good rigs and many perform just super! I have a Cobra 135 base, 23 channel, SSB with a channel mod that gives it 46 channels and the voice lock "slides" for all the in betweens! It is one neat "old school" (COOL) radio!
I am currently modding several AM Cybernet rigs, PLL O2A, 23 channel, to become CW rigs on both ten meters and 12 meters.... I will be posting here about the conversions and if I trick them the right way I may even get SSB with them! We'll see!!

mechanic

 

[missourimule]

If they happened to be a T123B, Id be after it in a heartbeat.The green one.Ive have 3 or 4 of the yellow T240's.Good and loud they was.Good thing the 520D has sideband.I got one here behind me.It has the woodgrain front.I had 2 other 520D's in the 80s , they had black fronts.When did Robyn change them , does anybody know ?Another interesting bit of info on the the older tubers, yes ,especially the 240D, DO NOT be holding a metal desk mic and touch a radio knob, because you might get a charge you wont forget for awhile,lol

 

[missourimule]

Any radio that was previously accepted was grandfathered in, and is perfectly legal to use today. do not outlaw something because it is old.
if they did, everything would be illegal.

Yea, including us:laugh:Hey Pack rat, is that a '55 Chevy in your picture?Same year I was hatched,lol....

 

[23channel]

23 Channel

The FCC ruled in 1975 when they decided to allow the additional channels, that no 23 channel CB could be sold after Dec. 31, 1976, but no 40 channel's could be sold before Jan 1, 1977. That did not make the 23 channel's illegal, just outdated. You won't find many 23 channels made after about April 76. They were dumped on the market at fire sale prices. Then when the 40's came out, the cost of R&D caused the price to skyrocket and sales to collapse, especially after the hot Christmas selling season. It forced a bunch of company's out of the CB business. Especially E.F. Johnson. They went back to business communications equipment. Just about all my CB's are 23 channel units. They work great. Just like my 12 cars that range from 1970 to 1979 (with one 80's model).

 

[pede69]

Wow... Robyn's really suck...

Would you please, please sell me yours?

 

[packrat]

Yea, including us:laugh:Hey Pack rat, is that a '55 Chevy in your picture?Same year I was hatched,lol....

Yep. Thats my 55 BelAir.