My Life Around CB Radio

CB Radio in my Childhood: CB radio was most popular in the 1970s, and I wasn't born until 1982, so I missed most of that. When I was 5 or 6 I found my Dad's CB Radio all dusty up in the basement rafters, hooked it up and I was hooked for life! With some of my first communion money I bought a handheld cb and I took that thing everywhere! I took it any time we went in the van, to school, to friend's houses and camping and so on.. Once in a while someone was close enough to me that I could talk to them and that was the greatest thing ever! I remember night after night listening to the black guys on channel 6, the truckers on channel 19 and all of the locals in the city of Pittsburgh and I developed quite a vocabulary at a young age. Whenever my mom was around I had to keep the volume down so she couldn't hear the crazy (endlessly fascinating to me) things people were saying. This one time I traveled with my Aunt and Uncle from my home in Pittsburgh to Washington DC with my handheld and talked to truckers the whole way on the highway. It was so awesome...

CB Radio in my teens: When I was 12 years old (1994) I started working on a farm and with my first paycheck I went to Jerry's CB Shop in Hookstown Pennsylvania and I bought a Realistic TRC-449 and he wired a D104 shower head mic to it and put extra channels in it. I made an antenna out of copper pipe I found in the garage and I was on the air big time now with a power mic, sideband and extra channels! Since then I have always had cb radios in my cars and houses. I am especially thankful for my wonderful parents who let me put goofy looking antennas all over their yards and houses and cars.


CB Radio in my 20s: I bought, sold and worked on every radio that ever interested me. From 2005-2007 I had a full service CB Radio shop inside Wildwood Peddler's Fair. In 2007 the flea market changed hands and with rumors of it closing, I closed my shop with plans to move it to an indoor flea market in Butler, but in 2008 I bought a house and got busier at work, and never got back into fixing CBs other than just a hobby for me and my friends and neighbors.

CB Radio in my 30s: I don't have a permanent mobile cb radio setup in my personal truck or my work truck, but I do have several suped up cb radios laying around with lighter plugs on them and a few magnet mount antennas ready for road trips! In my garage I have a Tram D201A that I completely rebuilt. I talk to my friends and neighbors on it almost every day when I am down there working on a project or drinking with the neighbors. I have a Dak9 in my house that I also completely rebuilt that sits on my computer desk in the living room that I use almost every evening.

Use Caution Meeting Girls on the CB Radio: Over the years I have met many girls over the cb radio while in campgrounds and while visiting rural/developing places. Even though my neighbor met his normal good looking wife over the cb radio in 1972, every girl I have ever met on the cb radio is either big and fat with the hottest voice, or somewhat good looking and she is in her boyfriend's redneck truck on a cb radio. Either way it usually turns bad...

Not all people on the CB Radio are Wierdos: Yes, I have met a few weirdos over the years, but below I will name all of the coolest, most wonderful people who I have met over the cb radio over the years who make up the majority of my closest friends that I still talk to on the cb radio and hang out with regularly today.
Subzero: Works for the railroad and has a beautiful wife and kids. Collects classic cars and classic cb radios. Subzero and I started tallking on the cb and met before we were old enough to drive, I have some great memories from his wedding, and we still talk regularly on the cb and hang out on the weekends.
Whiskers: I met on the cb radio in 1997 when I was only 15 and my parents drove me over his house to pick up some antennas and extra things he was giving me. Whiskers and I remained very close until he got terminally ill and moved away to his sister's house in California to retire and die in 2005. He saw more things in his life than most people did and he was the best mentor I ever had and will have.
Steve In Cranberry: Steve is a hard working management level guy at a local car dealership and has a beautiful wife and family. I met Steve in the late 90s when I was in high school. We still talk regularly on the cb and hang out and mess with radios and go eat wings and I go to his house for cookouts.
Blue Light Special: In high school in the late 1990s, I talked to Blue Light Special on the cb, and we figured out we went to the same high school, so we met up at lunch one day and have been friends ever since. He has since moved to Washington DC and has a really cool job and a hot girlfriend, but he still comes to my house once a year and stays over for the local hamfest.
Victor: Victor and I also started talking on the cb radio when we were in high school, and we met up one day by the water fountain. We both joined stage crew and we have many great memories from high school. Victor works a management level security job in Pittsburgh and he and I are still very close.
Big Gay Rob: owns his own heavy equipment repair business and I met him on the cb in 2002. We have been close and have many special memories from over the years. We still talk regularly on the radio and do things together often.
Sexy Dave: is a software engineer and dj's and works on audio gear at pittsburgh night clubs. We met on the cb in 2002, still talk on the cb radio regulary and have been very close friends since then.
Soupy: is an old retired trucker whom I met 10 years ago. We talk often on the cb, I put a new furnace in his house, we go out to breakfast and he comes to my parties and he is a really nice guy...
Hawk: is a designer and installer for a prominent sign company and has a beautiful wife and family.
Biker and Biker Chick: Biker and Biker chick are the most beautiful couple to look at and talk to. They come to my parties and bonfires, and I always look forward to seeing them.
Rocco and Rocco's Hot Girlfriend: I met Rocco and his really hot girlfriend on the cb a few years ago. They both have real jobs and are awesome to hang out with.