[Magman77]

This looks like the spot for some good information. I know nothing about radios, except I have used a CB at work, when I was in the Heavy Construction industry.

Here's my story. As an early arriver at a garage/estate sale I was looking at a lot of stuff, and some still in big boxes. I asked what was in this box? The lady said, Some old CB radios, that no one uses anymore. I thought, she was right, no one uses them anymore. I kept looking around at various items and purchased a few. Made it to my truck and thought that a used CB might be fun for the old truck. I went back to look in the box.

The box was filled with CB radios, wire and various pieces of unrelated electrical junk. Most of the radios were still in boxes. Old, but mostly unused radios. Three brands, Midland, Cherokee, and Radio Shack. I held up one of the Midland Mobile units and asked how much? She said $50. A man there said $250.00 for the whole box. Paid the $50.00 and went to the truck. I was doing the math in my head, and trying to figure if another $200.00 was worth investing, or would I just be buying stuff that looked cool, but was to passe' to have any value. Basically, I was wondering if I was buying the equivalent of a new in box 8 track tape player. I went back and paid the $200.00. When I got the box home there were more radios than I had thought because some were hand helds and in the bottom of the box.

Here's what I got:
3 NIB Midland 79-290 AM-SSB with weather monitor.
2 NIB Cherokee AH-100 Handheld AM-SSB
1 Used like new Cherokee AH-100 AM-SSB
1 NIB Midland 75-822 handheld AM with weather monitor.
1 Used like new Radio Shack hand held. Looks like the Cherokee's but no SSB.
1 NIB Cherokee CBS-1000 AM-SSB Base Station/Weather Monitor. Heavy thing.
1 used like new charging station for the Cherokee handheld batteries.
5 rechargeable battery packs.
5 battery packs that can be filled with 6 or 8 AA Batts.
2 36" antenna whips for the handhelds.

How did I do? What did I do? What should I do? I'm still thinking of putting one of the Midlands in my truck. The base station looks pretty cool too, though I have never heard of Cherokee radios. Are they any good? Are they still in business? What sort of antenna's for the radios? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[kl0an]

How did I do? What did I do? What should I do? I'm still thinking of putting one of the Midlands in my truck. The base station looks pretty cool too, though I have never heard of Cherokee radios. Are they any good? Are they still in business? What sort of antenna's for the radios? Any info would be appreciated.

Sounds like you got a lot of good loot but, you broke the cardinal rule of garage/estate sales my friend. #1. Never pay them what they're asking, especially on high dollar products. I would have left a card with an amount on the back and said "There's my offer, if you want to sell for that much, give me a call." and my offer would have been about 50-60% of what they were asking.

Usually with Estate sales, they knock the price to 50% on Sundays and they'll also have a bid box for anything over $50 or $100, that varies with the sellers. Most estate sales are run by professional sellers that make 35% on whatever they sell so, it's better to sell it at a lower price than to not make anything on them at all.

Pick out a few for yourself and then put one or two on EBay to see what the market is like on them. Don't put the whole lot on there at once. See what the market will bare and then adjust your starting bids accordingly. Hopefully you'll at least double what you paid and still be able to keep one or two for your own use.

 

[Magman77]

Sounds like you got a lot of good loot but, you broke the cardinal rule of garage/estate sales my friend. #1. Never pay them what they're asking, especially on high dollar products. I would have left a card with an amount on the back and said "There's my offer, if you want to sell for that much, give me a call." and my offer would have been about 50-60% of what they were asking. .

Yeah, you're probably right. I did negotiate a little, but not much, and that is when the guy came in with the $250.00 for all. It is what made me think twice. It seemed to me like they were afraid they wouldn't sell at all. I was happy with $50.00 each for the 3 Midland Mobile 79-290's so $100.00 for the Base, and the Midland and Radio Shack Handhelds with all the extras seemed reasonable, but I wasn't sure. All except the Radio Shack were new in the box so that sort of made me think it was worth a shot. The base fit snugly into the big box, so I never saw the 3 Cherokee SSB units, 2 new but all in their boxes. Don't know if they saw them either, but when I thought about going back to ask......I realized that even if they had seen them, I would be giving them a chance to say they didn't, and loot me for some extra $. So the extra radios made me feel even better. The Cherokee name is the only thing that throws me, because I have never heard of them. I don't know if they're special high end stuff, or junk that wasn't good enough to reach wide distribution. The fact they look like the Radio Shack model made me feel a little better too. I didn't mention that all the handhelds have adapters that allow 12v auto and external antenna hook up too. Very versatile, or so they seem.

 

[kl0an]

You might wanna look at this site on those Cherokee AH-100's. Looks like there's a few folks that might want them. Fellar on there is selling them for $179.95 each..

http://customcbradios.lefora.com/2009/08/19/update-on-cherokee-ah-100-handheld-radios/

Also, just do a google on Cherokee AH-100. Apparently there's a mod to take it to 400 channels by holding down the Ch 9 key when you turn it on after you've done the mod.

It's also been discontinued because the FCC "pulled the ticket" on Cherokee.

 

[Magman77]

Thanks for that little bit of info! I guess I'll have to decide if I should sell or store some of them in a galvanized garbage can in case of EMP.

The Midland hand held is still a current model and sells for $99.00.

Apparently the 79-290 can do some channel additions too. You just have to push some buttons. I had no idea.

Thanks again for he info!

 

[kahn]

What should I do?

Expand past the "Chicken Band." Sell that stuff and get an all band amateur radio like an Icom 706 MKIIG.

 

[GeoMonkey]

I would keep at least two of the working SSB-CB's. I've used the channels between 30 to 40 on SSB to talk from WA state to Australia with standard power and an omni-directional antenna. Of course that's with "skip" and the right conditions.

Besides the UHF/VHF Ham rig in my pickup, I still keep a Midland SSB/CB mobile since we have lots of log truck activity in our area. I'm a Ham, but I've helped a LOT more folks in trouble with my "chicken band" radio as a REACT member than every Ham I've worked with in our local ARES/RACES group.

KD7YOE - former ARES/RACES AEC for Dist. 3/WA and team captain of Olympic REACT team.

 

[Magman77]

Thanks for the input. I believe I will sell off the hand held and base units and keep the Midland 79-290 SSB units. I'll wrap at least one of them and put it in a Galvanized G-can. Cheap EMP insurance.

 

[dltrink]

Radios

Do you still have these radios? I've been searching all over the internet on multiple search engines trying to find someone selling a Cherokee AH-100 and they're virtually non-existent until I stumbled upon this forum. I have owned one for almost four years and I want more. These are awesome radios if you know what you can do with them.

 

[The Heretic]

I would say you got a decent haul.

I don't know about the brands and models, but any CB with SSB is usually more expensive and more useful - as long as the quality is halfway decent and it works.

As for abandoning CB for HAM. Why? Why can't you have both?

Sure there are better RF modes out there than AM, but the really nice thing about CB is that in a SHTF situation it will be good to monitor as many different modes/freqs as you have manpower for (this is something you can train a child to do too if they are halfway smart and responsible).

The only way I would get rid of a CB set would be if I could have a 10 meter rig that could also work as a CB rig. A 10 to 12 meter dual mode (AM/FM) rig that would work on CB freqs would be preferable.

Why would someone who wanted to stay informed and also to communicate, want to exclude a freq.? Because they are biased against the people who currently use that freq.? Sounds kind of dumb to me.

But to each their own.

 

[Magman77]

AH-100 handheld

Do you still have these radios? I've been searching all over the internet on multiple search engines trying to find someone selling a Cherokee AH-100 and they're virtually non-existent until I stumbled upon this forum. I have owned one for almost four years and I want more. These are awesome radios if you know what you can do with them.

Sold one, but I have a new one and a slightly used one, both in the box. Have spare battery packs, 12 volt hook ups, and desk top charger too. Send me a PM

 

[CPOMank]

Part with one of those 79-290's?

Can Paypal you $100 RIGHT NOW!!!!!

 

[amedik]

Magman77.... Are you willing or interested in selling one of the Midland 79-290's?

 

[mjbird70]

In my guess you probably have close to a grand in equip. The 79-290s have dual 69 finals and will do an easy 50 watts and will run from 25 to 28.5 MHz, I have 2 of them and the Cherokees are awesome radios to, man wish I could hit a deal like that, great going:thumb:

 

[amedik]

I understand that this is 2 years since the last post, but do you have any of the following left?

2 NIB Cherokee AH-100 Handheld AM-SSB
1 Used like new Cherokee AH-100 AM-SSB
1 NIB Midland 75-822 handheld AM with weather monitor.
used like new charging station for the Cherokee handheld batteries.
rechargeable battery packs for the AH-100/75-822?.
battery packs that can be filled with 6 or 8 AA Batts.

Thanks

 

[bountyhunter606]

if you still have any of the Cherokee AH100,please email me at [email protected]
thank you in advance