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Just pick one and leave it switched on - there are 40 unused ones out there.

Snod

Hi, Guys...

New member. I remember CB with a passion and a sentiment I'd like to see turned into a REVIVAL OF CB RADIO in the UK - or, at the very least, on the Wirral.

I drained my old, dusty log-book into this post - I hope that this is okay to do. Let me know if you know anybody in the list.

Feel free to E Mail me if you can update any of these details (such as anybody who has passed away since the 1980s, etc..).


BEBINGTON

Acre Break (Brian); Albatros; (Simon); Apple (Betty); Atlas (Richard); Axe Man (Roger); Archer, The (Mally); Babacombe (Liz); Babycham (Krista); Bambi (Lyn); Big Leggy (Phil); Black Beauty (Shirley); Black Ghost (Mark); Black Rose (Stephanie); Black Sheep (Stan); Black Widow (Debbie); Blade Runner (Gary); Blue Eyes (Annette); Blue Stew (Stewart); Bluey (Jeff); Bread Winner (Roy); Buccaneer (Ronald); Candy Girl (Tracey); Char Wallah (Bill); Chatterbox (Debbie); Cherry Lips (Jill); Clubber (Dave); Concorde (Lee); Cornetto (Michelle); Cornflake (Steve); County Sherriff (John); Daisy Duck (Carol); Deck Chair (John); Defender (Simon); Dirty Dick (Steve); Disco Dancer (Michelle); Doc, The (Duncan); Doc Marten (Martin); Dolly Mixture (Julie); Double Tops (Maureen); Drunken Sailor (Andy); Duke, The (Adrian); Duracell (Ian); Electric Lemon (Andy); Firbob (Keith); Flasher, The (Sylvester); Flyer (Mike); Foxy Lady (Eve); General, The (Brian); Glow Worm (Claire); Golden Lady (Lynda); Golden Wonder (Mandy); Goldfinger (Shirley); Goliath (Paul); Grapevine (Graham); Hang Glider (Gary); Hell Raiser (Helen); Helper, The (Vince); Highwayman (Bob); Holly Hobby (Jeanna); Hot Dog (Ian); Iron Horse (Andrew); Ironside (Mike); Jailbreaker (Andrew); Jelly Tots (Tracey); Joan Of Arc (Ruth); Joey (Richie); K9 (Mike); Kilt, The (Rob); Knight Rider (Clifford); Lady Smurf (Claire); Leprachaun (Jane); Little Chef (Dick); Little John (Alwen); Little Mo (Julie); Little Ned (Brian); Loobie Loo (Rachel); Love Bug (Jill); Madam Butterfly (Sharron); Maestro (Austin); Magic Moments (Marie); Magnum (Howard); Mexican, The (Len); Micro (Steve); Midget Gem (Alison); Midnight Shadow (Mark); Midnight Sparrow (Michelle); Moneymaker (Alan); Moonshiner (Brian); Morocco (Dave); Morocco Mole (Mally); Munchkin; Mustang; Digger (Tony); Night Rider (David); Norton; Nutcracker (Deceased) (Florence/Flo’); Ogre Eater (Steve); Osprey (Jean); Outsider (Gary); Pac Man (Chris); Paper Girl (Cheryl); Pegasus (Paula); Penfold (Michelle); Pernod (Jayne); Phantom; Phoenix (Chris); Poet, The (Steve); Rambler, The (Bill); Rapier; Raven, The (John); Rebel (Fiona); Red Eagle (Peter); Red Fox (Lez); Renegade (Pete); Rum Runner (Sally); Sergeant Pepper; Serious Drinker (Phil); Shotgun / Car Wash (Glen); Shuttlecock (Anne); Silver Birch (Chris); Silver Clover (Michelle); Silver Eagle (Linsey); Slugger Slug (Gary); Smirk (Alan); Smurfette (Erika); Snoopy (Carl); Speedway (Peter); Squire, The (Paul); Star Bar (Alex); Star Bar (Ian); Stingray (David); Sweet Nut (Nickie); Sweetie-Pie (Melanie); Swordfish (Darren); Sylvester (Joanne); Tall Lady (Dot); Telecom (Kerry-Ann); Tetley Mild (David); Thunderbird 1 (Chris); Thunderbird 2 (Tony); Tiger Man (Thomas); Tiger Moth (Paul); Tigeress (Christina); Tilly (Julie); Tin Picker (Alan); Tornado (Gary); Tosh (Jim); Trecker (Ian); Trillion.

BROMBOROUGH

Airwolf (Keith); Barnacle Bill (Bill); Big Bird (Mike); Black Leopard (Ian); Blackbird (Russell); Blockbuster (Paul); Boy About Town (Kevin); Brandy (Joanne); Brassneck (Lennie); Broadsword (Harry); Buffalo Hunter (Andy); Virgin Soldier, Thunderflash & CBX 1 (Terry); Cherry B (Carol); Cinderella (Lyn); Coach Driver (Alan); Cockney Rebel (Adrian); Convoy (Nicholas); Cornflakes (Tina); Crystal Gayle (Gail); Dave The Cardboard Box (Dave); Driller Killer (Barry); Eagle Eyes (Mike); Fan Belt (Duncan); Flying Squirrel (Mark); German, The (Lez); Golden Eagle (Andy); Hell's Angel (Alan); Highlander (Ken); Iron Man (Peter); Italian Stallion (Mike); Jackal, The (Paul); Jaffa Cake (Lynda); Janitor (Robert); Ladybird (Deceased) (Jean); Lame Dog (Ian); Little Wheeler (John); Littlefoot (Patricia); Love Action (Paula); Lucifer (Carson); Lucky Jim (Shaun); Madness Maddie (Nicola); Make Believe (Debbie); Marble Pixie (Victoria); McVicar (Kevin); Merry Monk (Paul); Mersey Duck (Mally); Midnight Blue (Gordon); Model Maker (Shirley); Night Ranger (John); Nighthawk (Ray); Pink Lady (Tracey); Popeye (Steve); Press Stud (Malcolm); Quiet One (Simon); Radio Gnome (Scott); Red Rose (Mandy); Sandpiper (Andy); Sapphire (Shelley); Saxon (Jayne); Scandal (Gary); Sea Horse (Lin); Secret Squirrel (Phil); Shiny Chef (Andrew); Shy One & Motor Mouth (Mandy); Sidewinder (John); Sit On My Face (Dave); Snow White (Diane); Sweet Dreamer (Irene); Swift (Ian); Tea Towel (Anjela); Ten Pin (Alison); Thargy (Franky); Thunderball (Barry); Tigress (Debbie); Tree Swinger (Mark); Tufty (John); Vampira 1 (Victoria); Water Girl (Karon); Wheels Of Steel (Deceased) (Stephanie); Whitesnake (Ian); Woodcutter (Shane); Yellow Lady (Paula); Zero The Hero (John); Zig Zag (Lez);

LIVERPOOL

Assassin; Babycham (Jean); Barbarian; Barracuda; Beast 66 (Ken); Big Spender; Biggles (John); Bird Catcher; Bird Watcher (Ian); Black Fist (Charlie); Blue Boy (Dave); Blue Boy (Steve); Bob A Job (Simon); Buccaneer (Dave); Clint Eastwood; County Cruiser (David); Damocles (George); Dark Star (Eddie); Database; Doberman (John); Dodgy Character (Charlie); Dragonfly; Dusty Blue (Jean); Exorcist (Robbie); ET (Kenny); Fashion Girl (Lyn); Fingers (Matthew); Firefighter (Julian); Fish Tank (Jack); Flat Iron (Bill); Gentle Giant (Ian); Gold (Marianne); Goody-2-Shoes (Diane); Guide Dog (Bill); Headlight (George); Heavy Rocker (Andrew); Hot Rod (Gregory); Ice Cap (Henry); Jaws 1 (Dave); King Creole (John); Knight Rider (Steve); Lampshade; Limbo (Ian); Livewire (Dave); Maltese Falcon (Chen); Mechanic, The (Ron); Mobile 1 (George); Nightingale (Patricia); Nightmare (Brian); Nuts 'N' Bolts (Ken); Optimist (Adrian); Pandora (Joan); Pen Pusher (Mike); Pisces (Carol); Plate Layer (Bob); Queen Of Hearts (Sue); Reanimator (Gary); Romeo 1 (Mark); Rubber Stamp (Steve); Samurai (Les); Scotch Whiskey (Paul); Sea Witch (Karen); Shadow (Lee); Shotokan (Norman); Silver Dragon (Andy); Skyhawk (Mike); Spider (Barry); Spiderman (Billy); Stunt Man (John); Swordfish (Ted); Teardrop (Jeanette); Telstar; Tomahawk (Tom); Top Girl (Jackie); Twinkle Toes (Annette); Walking Beauty (Jackie); Warrior, The (Darren); White Crest (Ron); Will-O'-The-Wisp (Mike); Wino (Keith).

BIRKENHEAD (i.e., Rock Ferry, New Ferry, Tranmere, Prenton, Oxton, etc..)

Alien Fighter (Peter); Aquarius (Deceased) (Olive); Atom Man (Peter); Author, The (Derek); Barn Owl (Paul); Big 'E' (Eric); Blitz (Alan); Blizzard Of Oz (Jenny); Blondie (Jill); Blue Rinse (Jackie); Candyfloss (Barbara); Cat Lover (Sharron); Cavalier (Steve); Cross Ply (Andy); Dairy Queen (Doris); Destroyer (Jamie); Disco Lady (Ronda); Earth Invader (Dougie); Firecloud (Paul); Five Star (George); Flying Falcon (Ian); Flying Maiden (Cheryl); General Lee (Gordon); Grey Lady (Margie); Handyman (Norman); Harry The Hat (Deceased) (Harry); Head Banger (Derek); Horse Lover; Hot Wheels (Roy); Hunter (Gary); JPS (Dave); Lady Imp ; Lola (Jackie); Lonesome Cowboy (Ian); Magic Monkey (Tracey); Moonshine (John); Motor Fox (Sean); Mousetrap (Paul); Night Light (Eileen); Pepsi (Sue); Ranger 2 (Glynn); Regulator; Samson (Alan); Screwdriver (Richie); Shakatak (Kenny); Silk Cut (Jan); Sky (Simon); Snow White (Sharron); Snowbird (Deceased) (Jan); Stone Man (Keith); Sunseeker (Ivy); Tackle Man (Bill); Tea Bag (Paul); Trader, The (Neil); Two Wheeled Engine (Karl); Vampira 2 (Marie); Water Bearer (Kay); White Elephant (Paul); William Tell;

PORT SUNLIGHT

Achilles; Auto Pilot (Derek); Boat Maker (John); Michelin Man (Dave); Orion's Belt (Andy); Surfer (Neil)

EASTHAM

Boomerang; Inspector Gadget (Steve); Musical Wheels (Kevin); Night Owl (Gavin); OTT (Keith); Power Pack (John); Psycho (Chris); Skylander (Dave); Snooker Man (Larry); Red Petal (Lee).

ELSEWHERE

Axle Tramp; Bandit (Mark); Blue Falcon (Colin); Bluebell (Eileen); Bluebird (Ken); Brute, The (Andrew); Bugs Bunny (Wendy); Cannonball (Pete); Challenger (Brian); Charlie Farley (James); Debt Collector; Devil Woman (Pauline); Dimples (Carol); Domino (Dave); Joker, The (Steve); Juliet Bravo (Pauline); Laughing Cavalier; Motor Mover (Sam); Music Lady (hristina) Peanuts (Wayne); Prize Guy (Brian); Queensway (Julie); Quicksilver (Sylvia); Rifleman (Eric); Roscoe (Nick); Rubik Cube (Mike); Spider, The (Steve); Sprayer, The (John); Starlight (Tracey); Sunshine Lady (Pauline); Superman 2 (Peter); Sweet Talker (Diane); Train Spotter (Alan); Tumble Bug (Simon).

Ian.

Wow brilliant stuff

i was on the cb in 82/ 83 was on the giro and started as spiro from the giro then later silver leopard i think when i moved to tranmere ,if i had the time i would go on again 10/4

godsplinter, was olive on your list olive cooper from the giro if so she was the first person i spoke to on the cb

Hi, Lansyp...

I remember larger local networks that very often involved an "Olive", but I could barely get to Giroville with using only indoor aerials and the same limitation made it hard to hear the Giro, most nights.

Ian.

anyone remember angel dust?

I had an 18ft Yagi in the loft set up on a wiper motor with a few alterations, and my telly was playing up, I was told it was pulling in signals from afar so I took it out. I later found out it was next doors central heating pump not earthed.I read a book later that said with the right gear it would pull in satalite transmision. You wont know me as I used a lot of names.Angela Rippons arse was one I just liked to hear breaker breaker who are you talking too. they always asked more than once .It was like having three dipoles in a horizontal position as apposed to vertical.

I had to have a dish, in a dome, for the sats I was chasing. Good stuff but in a previous life I'm afraid.

Those were the days my friend we thought they"d never end.The bear got friendly.

Time will tell...never say never again!

This is a year old,where have I been???? I had a cobra 148gtl dx it had 1/2 watt switch,upper side bands lower side bands,roger bleep switch the full hit.I used to Dx and I was the Whiskey Bravo 148 I think, got all over the world and got cards with coins stuck to them from every where[they may still be in the ex,s loft]even spoke to a feller in the same street as my sister in Toronto Canada,he knocked on her door and told her and she thought he a crank.On the normal AM band I was sea level7 wich was a supply boat I was once on.My brothers handles was unibond and Fabian..it was good fun for a bit then too many silly people and too many complaints with the 50watt burner,3 eliment directional yagi on the roof and a base loaded 17'magnum.I remember a lad called Japan..his name was Steve from around Price street..had a good time,cant remember what happened to the all my gear though

Hi...

I started with a "Duette CB40" handheld CB, with the safe-dial type channel changer on the side and, to the best of my knowledge, no readout at all. I think I got two copies as I walked around Rock Ferry.

- Next, I bought (from a shop in Market St., in Birkenhead) an "Alba" (Bush) rig, with sliding volume, squelch and gain controls (freaky). I used a "Bazooka" aerial (pitiful, but what did I know???) and I had to put that at the top of a brush pole and was advised, at the shop, to just lean it in a corner of the room, or loft, somewhere. That was the cheapest and most disgraceful rig I ever owned - over the first few months, I experienced just about everything to hold, to use a control, came off in my hand, during use. The mic' was a non-power disgrace. But, y'know?...I still loved it. I loved it because it was my first home CB and I could speak to locals on it. I'd become a member of the CB folk.

- I had a vile, pale-blue PSU and it caused a hum in my transmissions of around 30% and that drove others crazy - "chronic" and "doin' me head in", they usually said. I heard my own buzz, once, and they were right in complaining. It wasn't until I bought a "Bremi" (possibly Italian?) PSU that that noise vanished and grateful I was, too. I've still got that pack and it will be used when I put back together the old, clunky rig.

- My 2nd home CB was bought from a large store (called "McOnomy", or "MacOnomy", or something similar), near Woodside. It was an Amstrad CB901 - yep...the disco lights and the adored (!) rodger beep in it. And, I really was the buyer of the very last one that they had in. That performed far better than the old Alba - but so would a pocket calculator, come to think of it.

- I knew a breaker called "The Squire" who was in Bebington, at that time and he sold me a "Half Breed" aerial (that's not to imply that I knew what that meant at the time, of course) and it came mounted on a converted office chair/swivel chair stand and I had a lot more performance out of that Amstrad. The "Bazooka" joke of an aerial (for 4 watts, at least, it was a joke) was sold to "Moonshiner", Brian, also in Bebington.

- Then, I shifted to a Rotel RVC240, also bought from the Market Street shop, for only £35, as I recall. I also switched to using a 7-feet "Firestik" and a Full Wave "Roadhog". I put the Roadhog on the Half Breed's conversion stand and the 7-feet "Firestik" on a 5 inch limpet magmount, on an old (wait for it) roasting tin dish that my mother wasn't using again, until Christmas.

- Then, I bought an "Altai DM315E" echo power mic', although the quality was far better if I left the echo turned off - and, I almost always had it turned off, by popular demand that looked set to become either a death squad or an official petition sent to the Houses Of Parliament. The only thing I don't still own is the echo mic'. Everything else is still here, and just waiting to be put back together, and they will be.

- Thanks to CB, I met 3 of my former girlfriends. Also, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best female friends that I've ever had were met through CB and the 1st is still around, as such. I kinda miss contact with the other two, I'll admit.

It wasn't just that, though...

- Old folk were comforted and able to "join in" because of CB. People were brought together because of CB. The lonely folk had people there for them, even during the night hours...it was the SOUND OF A HUMAN VOICE and it was costing them absolutely nothing. And, unlike telephones that they could afford the network costs of, THEY COULD HAVE LOTS OF THEM TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE, to talk to...I rarely see anything that compares with that "group" feeling, here, on the Net.

- And, that availability of people's voices and having their "company" (mixed with knowing that they were almost all locals, too) always, looking back, felt better to have, back then, than the appearance of typing on a screen does (for me, at least), now.

- Later, I bought one of the big Tandy 4 watts handhelds. It was 2nd hand. Happy? I'd lusted after those in the Tandy catalogue for a fair couple of years, seeing that the £134.99 price would prevent me from ever getting one. Then, there I was, owning one! The whip worked a treat, although the furthest copy I ever had on it was 8 miles - it never did any better than that. I used to leave the whip down for almost all the time and make do with the screw-secured "rubber duck" aerial. (Given that I once got out on a Papermate ballpen refill, the subject of aerials is still one of mystery to me, to be honest).

- I'm not sure what it was that brought about the end of that wave of British CB use, but behaviour on channels had a great deal to do with it. Most of those I spoke to on CB had nowhere near enough spare cash to afford a PC or the Internet, so I have no recollection of that being involved, BACK WHEN THE DECAY ACTUALLY STARTED, AT LEAST! Bucket mouths and trouble causers were around long before the Internet came along. They were the first real problem, I think. Many folk just melted away from CB because they eventually tired of the rats in the cellar who should've had their rigs smashed and aerials ripped down. But, today's old folk and many in other age groups, would benefit from having rigs and making friends, and having those evening or overnight chats.

CB then couldn't be revived because, every time former breakers decided to hook up their rigs and try them out, heard nobody on, said, "Just as I thought: dead!" to themselves, and didn't turn them back on at all or not for another few years.

The only way to revive CB among those who want it revived and still have rigs is by BEING ON FOR HOURS, EVEN IF NOT TALKING TO ANYBODY...JUST LISTENING IN!

Just, leave the CB on while you're around!

If nobody shouts, you've lost very little and lost no time in the day, at all. But, you've probably tried this, yourself...switched a reconnected rig on, switched around, listening out for people on the channels, heard nothing and just switched it off - often without even shouting for a copy, etc.. That's natural...I've done the same thing, myself. And, that's one of the most recent reasons why CB currently persists in being dead.

In this way, nobody is synchronised as being online with anybody else who is online. One day, you'll suddenly become somebody else's "Wow! Somebody's on!" voice, and that will be at least a start.

IN THE END, THE ONLY WAY TO INCREASE THE CB POPULATION IS TO BE THERE TO ANSWER WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE CALLS AND, AFTER TALKING TO THEM, REMIND THEM THAT YOU'RE ON OFTEN AND AT WHAT TIMES!

Yes - some folks may wait weeks for this to happen and the waiting will not feel worth it, at times.

The only alternative is to set up on-channels meetings by the use of the Net, at first, on sites like this.

I don't think British CB ever died - it's hibernating!

Ian.

Yer i think it is ian fascinating story CB dies as soon as everyone wanted mobile phones and a laptop for these so called social networking sites.. The people who used to be on the CB was amazing talked to loads of people.. Shamed its so quiet. I aint due to go back on though ive lost intrest

Sometimes, you must do in order to want-to-do!

Revivals rarely move swiftly.