Old Radios

[Doc_Joe]

This is a very old school question about radios.  There was a time when Civil Air Patrol used a frequency just outside of the CB radio band at 26.620 MHz.  I actually have a stash of old radios on that frequency collecting dust in my garage.  I was wondering if CAP still uses these in any fashion or if they are even authorized anymore.  It would be neat if those frequencies would be utilized again one day.  Most scanners don't scan in that allocation, used radios capable of accepting those crystals can be had for a song and dance on eBay and in pawn shops and it would offer more opportunities for cheap radio comms to folks in CAP.  I'm sure this was probably argued and hashed our decades ago, but I was just curious if anyone knew anything about this piece of CAP communication history

[NIN]

That frequency may still be allocated for our use, but AM and SSB equipment in CAP pretty much doesn't exist anymore. It has been completely supplanted by FM gear on other frequencies for reasons of technology, clairty, cost, availability, etc.

[Holding Pattern]

If those are old CAP radios, please throw some photos up!

[radioguy]

That frequency may still be allocated for our use, but AM and SSB equipment in CAP pretty much doesn't exist anymore.

Actually, SSB is alive and well on the CAP HF bands.

[chuckmilam]

That frequency may still be allocated for our use, but AM and SSB equipment in CAP pretty much doesn't exist anymore.

Correction, Sir: SSB is alive and thriving, mainly in our wing/region/national HF nets.   

[Eclipse]

If those are old CAP radios, please throw some photos up! them out.

FTFY

[SarDragon]

Back when I got my introduction to CAP comms, in the 1960s, the 26.620 radios were primarily used for flight line operations in my AOR. I haven't seen any recent use because of the proliferation of available 2-meter frequencies.
Converting newer radios to that freq is difficult at best, because of the synthesizers, and not like just swapping a crystal pair.

[NIN]

That frequency may still be allocated for our use, but AM and SSB equipment in CAP pretty much doesn't exist anymore.

Correction, Sir: SSB is alive and thriving, mainly in our wing/region/national HF nets.   

I'll take that correction. AM, then.

[Doc_Joe]

Sure I'll post several pictures.  They are at my town house at the moment.  Two are VERY OLD handhelds .  If I had to guess less than a watt.  Old telescope antenna....probably 1960s-1970s era.  The others look to be early 1980s. 

I can still get crystals and old crystal controlled CBs are a dime a dozen here in MO. Folks used to swap the channel 10 TX and RX crystals to achieve 26.620.  I just think it's a neat part of radio history.  I'm a fan of all the bands truthfully.  Yes, VHF 2 meter (or thereabouts) is much less prone to unwanted interference via atmospheric conditions and RF pollution.  Repeater pair make for better range and as we leave the analog world to go fully digital we will have even more options and privacy.
 

I'd like to get a list of all our frequencies (at least for VHF) so I can keep attuned on my own equipment.  I'm still a newb member so that might be something that comes in time.  I have my ICUT and am active ground team, but I don't yet have a call sign.  Emergency Services and radio Comms will likely be my bigger areas of service.  I'm working at getting my ecclesiastical endorsement to be a chaplain, again this will help with emergency services.  I'm not opposed to recruiting efforts either, but I believe that is something we should all be doing regardless of our role in CAP. 

It's funny, I got involved with CAP knowing very little about it.  My son's school has no JROTC and he wanted to be a cadet.  Then I got recruited as I am a former EMT/Firefighter, youth pastor and science teacher.  Absolutely loving it, but only joined in late August.  Anyway, thanks for the info on radios.  I just wondered what happened to that frequency. 

[sardak]

All the references to CAP and 26.620 (and other frequencies) were removed from the FCC frequency allocation tables in 2003.

Mike

[SarDragon]

[emoji44]

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[xyzzy]

All the references to CAP and 26.620 (and other frequencies) were removed from the FCC frequency allocation tables in 2003.

Mike

CAP doesn't get its frequency allocations from the FCC, it gets them from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. See https://www.ntia.doc.gov/

Actually, I won't make any guarantees about the aircraft band; perhaps some of those privileges come from the FCC.

[PHall]

All the references to CAP and 26.620 (and other frequencies) were removed from the FCC frequency allocation tables in 2003.

Mike

CAP doesn't get its frequency allocations from the FCC, it gets them from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. See https://www.ntia.doc.gov/

Actually, I won't make any guarantees about the aircraft band; perhaps some of those privileges come from the FCC.

NTIA came about after 2003.

[SarDragon]

NTIA came about after 2003.

That may just be CAP's involvement. NITA was founded back in 1978, and serves as the primary agency in charge of telecommunications.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Telecommunications_and_Information_Administration

[sardak]

All the references to CAP and 26.620 (and other frequencies) were removed from the FCC frequency allocation tables in 2003.

Mike

CAP doesn't get its frequency allocations from the FCC, it gets them from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. See https://www.ntia.doc.gov/

Actually, I won't make any guarantees about the aircraft band; perhaps some of those privileges come from the FCC.

We did get them from FCC at one time.  All of the frequencies - land and mobile, AM, FM, HF, VHF were listed in Title 47 Part 87 Subpart R even though Part 87 is "Aviation Services."  We transitioned to federal freqs under NTIA, so FCC deleted the references to CAP in 2003.

 

Mike

[N6RVT]

That frequency may still be allocated for our use, but AM and SSB equipment in CAP pretty much doesn't exist anymore. It has been completely supplanted by FM gear on other frequencies for reasons of technology, clairty, cost, availability, etc.

They were replaced by ISR radios, but even at the largest exercise in CAWG we didn't use those.  We had them there, but I was the ground branch director and if we were not using them I doubt anybody was.